Climate One

We’re only about a month into 2026, and already so much has happened — from the Trump administration’s forcible removal of Venezuela’s president to the US pulling out of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change… It’s easy to get caught up in the headlines of the moment and lose sight of the big picture. 

But important developments are happening in sectors like agriculture and renewable technology that don’t break through the noise to the extent they deserve. So, what should we be watching in 2026?

Guests: 

Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer, Michigan

Michael Grunwald, Journalist, Author, We Are Eating The Earth

Jessie Bluedorn, Founder & Executive Director, The Carmack Collective

For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit ClimateOne.org/podcasts

Highlights:

00:00 Intro

05:33 Justine Johnson on the importance of mobility

08:48 Justine Johnson on the future of EV charging

11:20 Justine Johnson on the practicality of new EV charging technology

19:05 Justine Johnson on innovation in financing

22:52 Michael Grunwald on making more food with less land

30:17 Michael Grunwald on the new tech used to constipate beetles to death

37:24 Michael Grunwald on what to watch in politics

43:00 Jessie Bluedorn on the fossil fuel industry’s control over cultural narratives

47:57 Jessie Bluedorn on the comedy in the climate crisis

56:36 Jessie Bluedorn on other areas to keep an eye on in the culture

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Agriculture is directly responsible for 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and farmers and ranchers face growing climate impacts every day, from more severe storms to intense droughts, making it harder to grow food. 

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates emissions from the agriculture sector will modestly increase over the next 30 years. Yet the Trump administration is slashing programs that help reduce emissions, feed people, protect farmworkers and animals and sensitive lands. In addition, the Trump administration’s tariffs and trade wars have affected the cost of machinery and sales of major crops. What will these changes mean for our national food system? How are farmers weathering these impacts? And where are people building resilience regardless of federal policy? 

Episode Guests:

Lisa Held, Senior Staff Reporter and Contributing Editor, Civil Eats

Megan O'Rourke, Congressional Candidate NJ07; Former USDA Scientist John Bartman, Illinois farmer

Byron Kominek, Owner and Manager, Jack's Solar Garden

Highlights:

00:00 – Intro

05:30 – Lisa Held on major climate and agriculture stories in 2025

07:30 – Climate change is making it harder to be a farmer

09:15 – Changes at USDA

15:00 – How SNAP cuts affect consumers and farmers/growers

18:30 – Trump admin penalizing efforts/grants that support DEI efforts in agriculture

24:00 – John Bartman shares his journey to regenerative agriculture

30:00 – Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities Program and cutbacks under Trump

34:30 – Trade war between China and US is hurting soybean sales and Amazon rainforest

37:10 – Byron Kominek on how he got into agrivoltaics and the benefits it offers

42:00 – Agrivoltaics is climate adaptation

51:20 – Megan O’Rourke on research around kernza, a perennial grain

54:00 – Most pressing challenges for agriculture right now

59:00 – Importance of food security at home and abroad, and role of US farmers

1:03:30 – Climate One More Thing

For show notes , transcript, and related links, visit climateone.org/podcasts

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It’s been a year since catastrophic fires tore through Los Angeles. For those who lived through them, the impacts are still being felt. Rebuilding in the aftermath of more frequent and severe fossil-fueled disasters is becoming a big business. Enter the disaster economy, powered by a grab bag of dedicated people helping communities rebuild, and by contractors who may overpromise, underdeliver, and profit from tragedy. Caught in the middle are the survivors, often left to navigate red tape, scams, and soaring costs just to rebuild their lives.

In this episode, produced in collaboration with Grist, we explore the people and systems behind this booming, often exploitative multi-billion dollar industry, and share strategies to help listeners stay protected.

Episode Guests: 

Haley Geller, Photo Stylist; Mother

Ayurella Horn Muller, Staff Writer, Grist

Cricket Logan, Wastewater Management Mechanic, City of St. Petersburg, Florida

Naveena Sadasivam, Writer and Editor, Grist

For show notes, related links, and episode transcript, visit ClimateOne.org

Highlights:

00:00 - Intro

05:06 - Haley Geller on her personal wildfire experience

07:22 - Haley Geller on how life has changed since the fire

11:04 - Haley Geller on navigating the recovery process

16:21 - Ayurella Horn Muller on covering recovery workers

18:39 - Cricket Logan on his disaster recovery work experience

24:16 - Ayurella Horn Muller on the mental health work of disaster recovery

28:25 - Ayurella Horn Muller on working conditions for recovery workers

38:03 - Naveena Sadasivam on talking to people who experienced disaster recovery

40:22 - Naveena Sadasivam on one person’s experience with rebuilding after a fire

49:51 - Naveena Sadasivam on what regulations exist to help prevent fraud

53:41 - Naveena Sadasivam on steps people can take to protect themselves

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Those standing up to climate and environmental injustice face challenges they weren’t seeing a year ago. But Gloria Walton, head of The Solutions Project, sees a bigger picture:

“ The reality is that the same systems that created the climate crisis, whether that's colonialism, white supremacy, racism, and the patriarchy, those are the same ones that have harmed communities of color for generations,” she says. Her organization has channeled tens of millions of philanthropic dollars to grassroots efforts that build community resilience. 

Black Girl Environmentalist founder Wawa Gatheru is helping more Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people enter and lead in the climate space. She says the climate fight has shifted from education to action, with over 70% of Americans now understanding that climate change is real. So what should this 'action phase' look like?

Guests:

Gloria Walton, President & CEO, The Solutions Project

Wawa Gatheru, Founder & Executive Director, Black Girl Environmentalist

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org

00:00 – Intro

05:30 – Gloria Walton on the impact of the Altadena wildfires

10:30 – Walton’s work as an organizer in South Central LA

13:00 – Living with idea of abundance

19:00 – Finding and keeping your individual power within our democracy

21:00 – Work of West Street Recovery Project in Houston

22:30 – Developing local resilience hubs

24:00 – Reframing frontline communities as victors, not victims

27:00 – Channeling philanthropy to climate resilience and frontline communities

36:00 – Story of Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative Molokai 

42:00 – Wawa Gatheru’s start in climate and environmental advocacy

44:00 – Not seeing herself in climate spaces

48:00 – Climate storytelling can offer nuance and move people 

55:00 – Work and growth of Black Girl Environmentalist organization

59:00 – Climate One More Thing

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At this moment, the cheapest way to create electricity is by pointing a solar panel at the sun. That’s good news for the climate. It’s also good news for communities who want to take control of their own electricity generation.

In the heart of Brooklyn, UPROSE is helping to build a solar project that will be owned by the community, provide jobs, and help residents bring down their energy costs. In Puerto Rico, where hurricanes have devastated the power grid, community members are building solar microgrids to provide reliable electricity as the utility has proven they cannot. Meanwhile in conservative rural Virginia, Energy Right is helping farmers and rural communities adopt solar projects, touting a free market message about energy independence and security. 

Guests: 

Elizabeth Yeampierre, Attorney; Executive Director, UPROSE 

Skyler Zunk, CEO and Founder, Energy Right 

Arturo Massol-Deyá, Executive Director, Casa Pueblo de Adjuntas

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

Highlights:

00:00 - Intro

4:11 - Elizabeth Yeampierre on the history of UPROSE

10:40 - Elizabeth Yeampierre on Sunset Park Solar

14:31 - Elizabeth Yeampierre on the GRID plan

20:46 - Arturo Massol-Deyá on the Origins of Casa Pueblo

23:43 - Arturo Massol-Deyá on providing solar power to the community

33:04 - Arturo Massol-Deyá on what other communities can learn from Casa Pueblo

38:08 - Skyler Zunk on the importance of reliable energy

47:06 - Skyler Zunk on dealing with resistance to solar projects

50:49 - Skyler Zunk on the Inflation Reduction Act 

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