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/

Single-use plastic is detrimental to the environment, creating huge amounts of waste. This week, we spoke to Jesse Langley, CEO of Lotus Sustainables, about eliminating single-use plastic bags with reusable alternatives. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/eliminating-single-use-plastic-bags-with-jesse-langley

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/.

Earth Species Project develops sophisticated AI technologies like Nature-LM audio, the world’s first and leading audio-language machine learning algorithm with various capabilities. It has the potential to help our environment by bolstering conservation efforts and research in countless ways. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/earth-species-with-aza-raskin

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/

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 the effects of climate change are increasingly felt around the world, the need to incentivize communities to make lifestyle choices that limit its impact is more necessary than ever. This week, we spoke to Klean Energy Kulture co-founders Michael Hawthorne Jr. and Corey Dennard about using pop culture to raise awareness about climate change and promote sustainable practices. For a transcript, please visit solutions https://climatebreak.org/promoting-clean-energy-through-pop-culture-with-klean-energy-kulture-co-founders-michael-hawthorne-jr-and-corey-dennard/.

India faces severe air pollution, much of it driven by the transportation sector. This week, we spoke with Dr. Rashi Gupta about how lithium-ion batteries can power the shift toward cleaner energy and a healthier future. For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/lithium-ion-batteries-for-indias-clean-energy-future/.

This week, we spoke with Rev. Dr. Jeremy Summers of the Evangelical Environmental Network, who highlights how “creation care” connects Christian faith with climate action. He emphasizes that protecting the environment means protecting people, especially the poor and vulnerable most affected by pollution and climate change. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/evangelical-christians-taking-environmental-action-with-rev-dr-jeremy-summers/.

Potential adverse effects of climate change, known as climate risks, increasingly concern economists, city planners, ecologists, and many others. This week, we spoke with Dr. Ron Dembo, an expert in multi-factor scenario modeling, who is pioneering the use of AI to run climate risk assessments. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-ai-for-climate-risk-assessment-with-dr-ron-dembo/.

Climate change education is more than just science education; it is an interdisciplinary topic that involves understanding the relationship between climate change, history, economics, social studies, and more. We spoke with Suzie Hicks, the Climate Chick, about their work with using music to engage kids in climate storytelling. For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/educating-kids-about-climate-change-through-musical-storytelling/

Over the past few centuries, the carbon levels in our soils have significantly decreased as a result of agricultural practices exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Despite this loss, stable carbon storage remains crucial for healthy soil and climate resilience. On this week’s Climate Break, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Loam Bio, Tegan Nock explains a new way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it underground. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/how-fungi-is-enhancing-soil-carbon-sequestration-underground-with-tegan-nock/

AquaFreezing is a proposed renewable energy method to slow Arctic ice loss by pumping seawater onto the surface, where it refreezes and thickens ice. This week, we spoke with Simon Woods, co-founder and executive chairman of Real Ice, about how this approach could delay a “Blue Ocean Event” and buy time for emissions cuts, despite high costs and scaling challenges. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/real-ice-with-simon-woods/.

This week, we spoke with Becca Boyd, a young evangelical leader and college student, who is helping to reframe climate action as creation care. Through faith-based language and community engagement, she is building bridges in conservative Christian spaces and growing an evangelical climate movement rooted in stewardship and shared values. By emphasizing environmental work as a faith-driven duty to protect God’s creation, Becca is fostering a hopeful, action-oriented approach to caring for our planet. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/creation-care-with-becca-boyd/.

As greenhouse gasses threaten the stability of our atmosphere, it is becoming increasingly critical to limit carbon dioxide emissions. A promising way climate scientists have proposed emission reduction is through mineralization: the process of turning carbon dioxide into solid rock to prevent it from reaching the atmosphere. This week, we spoke with Dr. Rob Jackson about this method of carbon capture. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/carbon-capture-mineralization-with-dr-rob-jackson/

Methane is the second most common greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, and far more dangerously potent. Gas leaks are one of the most dangerous contributors to this, pouring tons of methane into the environment with every leak. This week, we spoke to Dr. Rob Jackson about his new book Into the Clear Blue Sky, which discusses the importance of targeting methane emissions as we take on the task of reversing the climate crisis. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/identifying-and-fixing-natural-gas-leaks-in-cities-with-dr-rob-jackson/

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/

Climate change has been increasingly affecting psychological health through the form of climate anxiety. As society grows more concerned about the safety of their livelihoods in the face of environmental disasters, Indigenous communities are spearheading a solution: wildfire as soliphilia. We spoke with Dr. Melinda Adams to learn more about the transformation of wildfire from a colonization weapon to a regenerative power. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/how-native-american-ecology-can-tackle-climate-anxiety-with-dr-melinda-adams/.

​The Latino Climate Justice Framework (LCJF) is a comprehensive plan developed by a coalition of Latine organizations to address the climate crisis while prioritizing the needs and perspectives of the Latino community, which is inordinately affected by the crisis. This week, we spoke with Irene Burga, a Program Director at GreenLatinos, about how this framework serves as a blueprint for advocating climate solutions which prioritize equity and inclusiveness. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/latino-climate-justice-framework-with-irene-burga/.

The dangers of extreme heat in an evolving climate is evident across many parts of the world, and the cities are the first to bear the most severe consequences. Rising temperatures and the inherent rigidity of concrete building structures trap heat waves within urban areas, directly threatening the health of residents and especially vulnerable populations like outdoor workers. Urban planners are seeking new solutions to help dissipate heat. We spoke with Jeff Goodell, the author of The Heat Will Kill You First, about building climate resilience in urban landscapes by creating shared Safe Hubs with air conditioning and establishing green spaces. For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/alleviating-urban-heat-traps-with-jeff-goodell/