As air travel and shipping have become a permanent fixture of modern international life, the world feels the environmental impacts of aircraft pollution. This week, we spoke with climate and aviation researcher Matteo Mirolo about eliminating contrails, the white cloud formations that stream behind airplanes, to increase sustainability. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/eliminating-contrails-to-increase-aircraft-sustainability-with-matteo-mirolo/.

Dr. Omar Yaghi has recently led research in developing “Covalent organic framework number 999,” or COF 999, a yellow, powder-like material that has the potential to change make great steps forward in limiting carbon dioxide emissions. Just half a pound of the powder can absorb as much carbon dioxide in a year as a full grown tree. This week, we spoke with Dr. Yaghi about COF 999 and what it can do. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/cof-999-carbon-capture-with-dr-omar-yaghi/

Methane, the primary component of natural gas, can be emitted through leaks in agricultural operations, waste disposal, and energy production. This week, we spoke to Dr. Timiebi Aganaba about using satellites to detect leaks and strategies for using that data for good. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/locating-methane-leaks-with-satellites-with-dr-timiebi-aganaba/.

Typical wind turbines, critical as they are to the renewable energy transition, are wasteful to produce and almost impossible to reuse. We spoke to Ryan Clarke, a materials scientist at Hexion Inc, about new turbines made out of recyclable resin, which not only utilize less energy in production, but also create less waste as they can be recycled. For a transcript, please visit: https://climatebreak.org/recyclable-resin-for-wind-turbines-with-ryan-clarke/

Chaos wheat, “climate blend,” is a new type of flour composed of a variety of extreme weather resistant varieties of wheat to be more resilient to climate change. Despite its deviation from traditional wheat, it is shown to uphold the same baking quality (in regards to taste, texture, and rise). It was developed because climate change has been endangering wheat crops and this is not only affecting the supply and demand of wheat, but also creating intense price fluctuations. We spoke to Robin Morgan, a researcher at Washington State University’s Breadlab, about why these climate resilient crops may be the future of bread. For a transcript, please visit: https://climatebreak.org/chaos-wheat-with-robin-morgan/

As EV adoption increases, so does the need to charge them. We spoke with Tiya Gordon, co-founder of It’s Electric, to learn more about curbside charging and how it is an equitable solution towards promoting sustainable transportation through EVs. For a transcript, please visit: https://climatebreak.org/curbside-charging-increases-ev-accessibility-with-tiya-gordon/

People in many parts of the US rely on fossil gas to heat their homes during winter. Clean, all-electric heat, such as from heat pumps, is otherwise unaffordable to many low-income people, due to the higher upfront costs compared to a fossil gas furnace. We spoke to Sarah Moskowitz, the Executive Director at the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) of Illinois, a ratepayer advocacy organization, about Chicago's pioneering effort to support lower-income residents with accessing cheap, accessible all-electric heating. For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/making-electric-heating-accessible-and-affordable-for-low-income-residents-with-sarah-moskowitz/

Water Batteries, or pumped storage hydropower, offer an innovative way to store and release energy during peak demand periods or when renewable sources are unavailable, ultimately reducing reliance on fossil fuels by enabling renewable energy to be used more efficiently. We spoke with Erik Steimle, the Chief Development Officer of Rye Development, about how pumped storage hydropower can help meet grid decarbonization goals. For a transcript, please visit: https://climatebreak.org/water-batteries-with-erik-steimle/.

Public universities play a key role in combating the climate crisis, from innovation to policy. This week, we spoke to Bruce Riordan, Director of the Berkeley Climate Change Network, about how exactly public universities create and support changemakers in the climate space. For a transcript, please visit: https://climatebreak.org/how-public-universities-are-helping-to-fight-climate-change-with-bruce-riordan/.

Most current energy technologies burn fossil fuels and emit carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming. Adopting low and zero-carbon technologies is one way to reduce emissions, but barriers such as high upfront and maintenance costs have impeded the adoption of these technologies. Energy-as-a-service (EaaS) arrangements make it easier for consumers to adopt energy-efficient technology. Under these arrangements, the EaaS provider provides the customer with an energy service, such as lighting, cooling, or heating, in exchange for a recurring fee. More energy efficient technology results in a lower carbon footprint. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/energy-as-a-service-with-bob-hinkle/.

US legislating and policy-making often lacks input and consideration for marginalized and discriminated communities. This week, we spoke with Dr. Andrew Rumbach, a Fellow at the Urban Institute, about how involvement in climate policy can be more accessible and engaging, to these communities especially. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/including-marginalized-communities-in-policy-decisions/.

The vast majority of plastics are currently made using fossil fuels in a production process that emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Once produced, fossil fuel-based plastics take hundreds to thousands of years to decompose, and when they finally do, they release dangerous microplastics into the environment. We spoke to Dr. Srinivas Janaswamy, an associate professor at South Dakota State University, about transforming coffee grounds into a biodegradable and sustainable alternative to plastic packaging. For a transcript, please visit: https://climatebreak.org/transforming-coffee-grounds-into-a-biodegradable-plastic-alternative-with-dr-srinivas-janaswamy/.

The Waverley Street Foundation seeks opportunities to create climate solutions through community engagement. By involving communities hit hard by climate change and the injustices that come with it, the Foundation seeks to show people around the world how cutting carbon emissions, implementing sustainable farming practices, and promoting clean energy can benefit people lives, rather than spreading the narrative, that people must sacrifice their wellbeing for the sake of the planet. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/climate-action-through-community-driven-philanthropy-with-jared-blumenfeld/

People with disabilities have been excluded from national plans and responses to climate change, leaving them more vulnerable to heat waves, natural disasters, and environmental hazards from public housing. We spoke with Michael Stein, co-founder of the Harvard Law School Project on Disability, to learn more about how to create inclusive climate solutions for people with disabilities by including them into the conversation about climate challenges they face. For a transcript, please visit solutions https://climatebreak.org/disability-inclusive-climate-solutions-with-michael-stein/.

Current refrigerant technologies use gases like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) to function. These gases pose a threat to global stability, given their warming and ozone depletion potential. To solve this issue, scientists like Dr. Drew Lilley are developing ways to perform refrigeration and heating without the need for environmentally hazardous gases, like ionocaloric refrigeration. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/out-with-classic-refrigerants-and-in-with-ionocaloric-refrigeration-with-dr-drew-lilley/.

Trucks release a plethora of harmful greenhouse gasses and pollutants that not only endanger human communities, but also our environment. This week, we spoke to Mr. Ruben Aronin about various policies mandating zero-emission trucks throughout the United States. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/clean-trucks-with-ruben-aronin/.

Temperature increases from climate change can cause substantial damage to coral reefs. Coral are animals that form hard structures of calcium chloride, similar to the shell of a crab. These structures house coral colonies, as well as the algae that provides food for the coral. If local water temperature rises, the coral will expel the algae, losing a major source of energy. This event is called “bleaching”, and it has been recorded in the U.S., Southeast Asia, and the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) near Australia. To combat this ecosystem-destroying event, scientists in Australia, like Dr. Saskia Jurriaans, have developed a method to restore reefs, known as coral IVF. This technique consists of growing baby corals in specialty pools, and returning them to the reef of interest. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/breeding-heat-resilient-coral-to-restore-at-risk-coral-reefs-with-dr-saskia-jurriaans/.

As climate change reduces water flow and increases temperatures beyond what salmon can tolerate in California, certain populations of salmon have become endangered species. Removing dams, which exacerbate the problems of climate change, can allow salmon to move through unobstructed streams of water and help strengthen the ecosystem as a whole. We spoke to Regina Chichizola, the Executive Director of Save California Salmon, to learn more about the benefits of dam removal. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/removing-dams-on-rivers-to-ensure-climate-resilience-for-salmon-with-regina-chichizola

The expansion of renewable energy is heightening the need for improved transmission capacity of our electrical grid. Unfortunately, rapid grid expansion to meet this demand faces funding and cost allocation obstacles. Large-scale reconductoring of advanced conductor systems has been proposed as an alternative. We spoke to Umed Paliwal, a researcher from UC Berkeley, to learn more about the process and benefits of reconductoring. For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/increasing-efficiency-through-power-line-reconductoring-with-umed-paliwal/

On this week’s Climate Break, EarthJustice’s Vice President of Litigation for Climate and Energy, Jill Tauber, discusses the role of public utilities commissions (PUCs) in shaping clean energy infrastructure, policy, and development. As states increasingly look to transition to clean energy, PUCs can help transform the energy grid to become more energy efficient, cost-effective, and renewable. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/public-utilities-commissions-with-earthjustices-jill-tauber/