Have justice issues changed, or are we standing still? These are the questions we’re asking Trish Weinmann, the Associate director of Radius, a place for the MIT community to discuss issues of justice and equity. Trish explains to us the role that Radius plays in helping the MIT community reflect on complex justice issues such as climate change, and how they have turned these reflections into action.

This week, the Climate Conversations team are joined by Zak Accuardi, a Senior Program Analyst at TransitCenter, and former research fellow at Project Drawdown. Zak explains how improvements to public transportation can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while improving the lives of a community's disadvantaged people. Zak and the team explore some of the choices both travelers and urban land use planners need to make in promoting a healthy climate. We also discuss Zak’s role in Project...

This week, we’re joined by Mike Wilson, graduate student at MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning. We discuss transformative adaptation, and how planners can develop green infrastructures whilst improving the lives of everyone in our global society. Mike explains how future planning in Boston needs to communicate with local communities to discover their lived experiences, and use these to inform future plans.

This special episode is part of MIT’s Together in Climate Action Summit, which is focused on sharing climate leadership strategies and exploring pathways forward in Northeastern North America. In this episode, we interview Deb Markowitz, a former six-term Vermont Secretary of State, and Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. Currently, Markowitz is currently a visiting professor in Environmental Policy and Leadership at the University of Vermont. We discuss how state power...

This special episode is part of MIT’s Together in Climate Action Summit, which is focused on sharing climate leadership strategies and exploring pathways forward in Northeastern North America. In this episode, we interview Professor John Fernandez, Director of the Environmental Solutions Initiative at MIT and an expert in urban metabolism  – the flows of material and energy that sustain growing cities and their ecosystems. We discuss how natural systems can mitigate and help society adapt...

This special episode is part of MIT’s Together in Climate Action Summit, which is focused on sharing climate leadership strategies and exploring pathways forward in Northeastern North America. In this episode, we interview Frank O’Sullivan, Director of Research at MIT Energy Initiative and an expert in electricity. Frank teaches us about technology, market, and policy shifts in the electricity sector, such as renewable sources, energy storage, and flexible dynamic pricing. We consider how...

This special episode is part of MIT’s Together in Climate Action Summit, which is focused on sharing climate leadership strategies and exploring pathways forward in Northeastern North America. We interview Dr. David Cash, former commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Public Utilities, and dean of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. David explains the roles that...

How well have humans adapted to the current climate, and how will we adapt to new climate complexities? This week, the Climate Conversations team is joined by climate research scientist Nick Obradovich, who discusses the many ways the climate affects us in our day-to-day lives, including the way we sleep and exercise. Nick explains how he uses data science to look at climate and behavior, such as social media indications of how people’s mood changes with weather. We discuss climate change...

In this week’s episode, we are joined by climate activist and Harvard / MIT researcher Geoffrey Supran, whose recent peer-reviewed paper exposed ExxonMobil for misleading the public about climate science and its implications. Geoffrey discusses the importance of the science community going beyond facts and figures to reach the heart of the climate action movement and engage the public. We also explore the way fossil fuel companies need to transition if we are to move successfully towards...

In the first episode of Climate Conversations Season 2, we are joined by ex-coal miner and author of The Thoughtful Coal Miner blog, Nick Mullins. We discuss the history of coal mining in the Appalachian region, including the coal industry’s exploitation of coal miners, and what a just transition away from coal should look like. Nick explains how activists and environmentalists can improve the way they communicate with mining communities in order to engage them in productive environmental...

This week, the Climate Conversations team explore why some social groups, including women and people of color, are disproportionately affected by climate change. We examine how justice issues play out in climate disasters such as hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and consider what a “just transition” away from fossil fuels might look like in local communities.

This week, we’re discussing the human response to extreme weather and climate change, with Patrick Field, Managing Director at the Consensus Building Institute. Pat explains his role in intricate climate change negotiations, and how governments fund and adapt to climate challenges in coastal and island locations. Additionally, Pat explores the complex relationship between people and place, considering the role that the market-based solutions in climate adaptation in the wake of natural...

This week we are joined by Associate Professor Noelle Selin, from MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems and Society, who has an intimate knowledge of international climate negotiations. Professor Selin explains the complexities of international environmental agreements, including the impact of social media, and we discuss the importance of integrating of government, policy and science when studying the environment. Profesor Selin also discusses MIT’s new interdisciplinary minor, Environment and...

This week, we interview MIT student and Fossil Free MIT member, Jeremy Poindexter. We discuss Fossil Free MIT’s new career pledge, which encourages students to prioritize climate change and sustainability when making future career choices, fossil fuel divestment and much more.

This week, the climate conversations team are joined by Élodie Blanc and Erwan Monier, research scientists at MIT who are investigating the way climate change affects the amount of water available for agriculture. We discuss how climate modelling and collaborative research are used to assess the way climate influences regional agriculture, the economy and industry. Erwan and Élodie also stress the importance of bringing different disciplines together within universities to solve complex...

Renewable energy, geoengineering and other technological solutions dominate the climate action spotlight, but are they the only way forward? As our reading of Project Drawdown shows, some of the highest impact solutions are low-tech: stop eating meat, empower women and girls. We have been thinking about these questions for a while and a recent interview with Richard Heinberg on this very topic on the Warm Regards podcast gave us the perfect opportunity to air thoughts in the guise of a...

In this bonus episode, the Climate Conversation team asks, should we reduce how frequently we fly?

This week, the team are joined by MIT Professor of Materials Chemistry, Don Sadoway. In this fascinating discussion, we explore extreme electrochemistry, Don’s novel efforts to cut the carbon footprint of steel, his liquid metal battery for grid-scale storage, and the great things you can do simply by understanding some basic chemistry.

This week, the Climate Conversations team are joined by MIT’s Associate Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, David McGee. We discuss the many climate changes that the Earth has experienced in the last half million years, our dependence upon climate stability and David’s role in Terrascope, a freshman learning community at MIT. Additionally, David explains the many ways he and his team track historical changes in the Earth’s climate, including the measurement of tree and lake rings.

In this bonus episode of Climate Conversations, the team discusses the environmental impact of using Amazon versus physical stores.

This week, the Climate Conversations team interviews the Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Somerville, Hannah Payne. Hannah explains Somerville’s climate mitigation and adaptation plans, and how Somerville is preparing to be carbon neutral by 2050.

This week, Rajesh and Laura Howells discuss the pervasiveness of plastic and which countries contribute the most plastic to the world's oceans. The two also talk over some recent natural events happening in Siberia.

This week the Climate Conversations team are joined by the founder of ClimateCurriculum.com and Science Teacher at Boston Latin School, Timothy Gay, whose goal is to get schools across the country teaching students about climate change. We discuss the challenges associated with bringing climate change into the science curriculum, and how Timothy’s students have taken up the mantle of climate activism. Timothy highlights some of the practical and hands on climate research activities that...

In this special bonus episode of Climate Conversations, the team takes a climate approach to the question, where should my kids go to college?

This week, the Climate Conversations team are joined by special guest, MIT's Director of Sustainability, Julie Newman. In this episode, we explore the challenging and growing role of sustainability officers, plus autonomous vehicles, the campus building renaissance and MIT's path to carbon neutrality. Join the conversation at climatex.mit.edu/