Recent Podcasts
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44% of Latinos live in U.S. counties with a high flood risk - Apr 23, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Policy |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections In recent years, many U.S. residents have endured devastating floods. But a new report from the nonprofits Headwaters Economics and Hispanic Access Foundation warns that Latino communities in the states are especially at risk. The authors found that 44% of Latinos live in counties with a high flood risk, compared to just 35% of non-Latinos. What’s more, Latino residents often face other challenges like language barriers and high housing costs, which can make floods even more harmful. Hernandez: “A third of Latinos live in flood-prone communities with unaffordable housing. And that can obviously create a lot of stress when floods occur and destroy some of the only affordable housing in a community.” Patty Hernandez is with Headwaters Economics. She says it’s critical to not just address flooding but also to address these ... |
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What are virtual power plants? - Apr 22, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections For decades, electricity has been produced at large power plants and then sent to homes and businesses. But as rooftop solar and other renewable sources expand, energy can be generated all over. Nemtzow: “For the first time, we can take distributed energy resources, which have been around for many years, but we can organize them to act like power plants.” David Nemtzow is with the U.S. Department of Energy. A so-called virtual power plant can be operated by a traditional utility. It can include solar panels, car batteries, WiFi-enabled devices like thermostats, and more, all linked together in a network. This allows the utility to manage these resources together to balance the overall supply and demand of energy. When more energy is produced than needed, cars can charge up and air conditioners can run full-blast. But ... |
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A third of U.S. adults are interested in cutting back on meat, report finds - Apr 19, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Agriculture |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections About a third of U.S. adults say they’re interested in reducing the amount of meat they eat, even if they’re not planning to become vegetarian or vegan. Turow-Paul: “Which is a really exciting finding because it’s showing that food culture is beginning to bend in a more sustainable direction.” Eve Turow-Paul is founder and executive director of the Food for Climate League. The nonprofit partnered on a recent report about people’s eating habits and attitudes about “plant-forward” diets. Turow-Paul: “Plants are really at the forefront of the meal. And meat or other animal products such as dairy, butter are going to be playing a supporting role to the plants. And by plants … we’re not just talking about leafy greens, we’re talking about whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes. It runs the whole gamut.” According to the ... |
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Data-driven music: Converting climate measurements into music - Apr 18, 2024 PHYS.ORG - Earth |
| A geo-environmental scientist from Japan has composed a string quartet using sonified climate data. The 6-minute-long composition - titled "String Quartet No. 1 "Polar Energy Budget" - is based on over 30 years of satellite-collected climate data from the Arctic and Antarctic and aims to garner attention on how climate is driven by the input and output of energy at the poles. The backstory about how the composition was put together is published April 18 in the journal iScience as part of a collection "Exploring the Art-Science Connection." "I strongly hope that this manuscript marks a significant turning point, transitioning from an era where only scientists handle data to one where artists can freely leverage data to craft their works," writes author and composer Hiroto Nagai, a geo-environmental scientist at Rissho University. Scientist-composer Hiroto Nagai asserts that music, as opposed to sound, evokes an emotional response and posits that "musification" ... |
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Exchange program make EV ownership more affordable for low-income Colorado residents - Apr 18, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Policy |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections A Colorado program is helping more low-income residents afford EVs. Atiyeh: “We don’t want price to be a barrier to any Coloradan being able to enjoy the benefits of an electric vehicle.” Carrie Atiyeh is with the Colorado Energy Office. Her team has rolled out the Vehicle Exchange Colorado program. It offers instant rebates of $6,000 for a new EV or $4,000 for a used one to residents who turn in an old gas or diesel-powered vehicle to be recycled. To qualify, participants can earn no more than 80% of the area median income. The vehicle must be drivable and at least 12 years old or have failed a Colorado emissions test. Atiyeh: “We ... |
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What is a passive house? - Apr 17, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections A well-insulated, airtight thermos or cooler can keep your coffee warm - or your water cold - all day. So-called passive houses are not all that different. Like a thermos, they’re designed to keep heat from entering or escaping. So their design focuses on what’s called a building’s envelope - the walls, windows, roof, and foundation that separate the inside from the outside elements. Klingenberg: “Good insulation, making a building airtight. … We also want windows that can keep out the solar radiation in warm climates and bring it in in cold climates.” Katrin Klingenberg is co-founder of Passive House Institute U.S. The nonprofit certifies ... |
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Schools in coal country are going solar - Apr 16, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections Deep in the heart of coal country, schools in Wayne County, West Virginia, are going solar. Conant: “The schools, they don’t have to pay for the equipment. They don’t have to pay for the panels, the labor. Instead, Solar Holler pays for all of that up front.” Dan Conant is the founder and CEO of Solar Holler. The West Virginia-based solar developer has partnered with Wayne County Public Schools on what’s known as a power purchase agreement. Solar Holler will pay to install thousands of solar panels on school district buildings. And the district has agreed to buy the electricity produced by those panels for 25 years at a ... |
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How expectant parents can prepare for extreme weather - Apr 15, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Health |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections Expectant parents may spend months preparing to give birth - developing a relationship with a doctor or midwife, arranging a babysitter for other children when it’s time, and mapping the best route to the hospital. But during an extreme weather disaster, things may not go as planned. Smith-Johnson: “So I would suggest for people to start now doing their due diligence of knowing what-if situations.” Tanya Smith-Johnson works with the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, a maternal care nonprofit. And she’s a certified professional midwife. She suggests that pregnant people identify friends and family who can serve as backup ... |
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How to prepare your finances for an extreme weather disaster - Apr 10, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Economic |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections During an extreme weather disaster, your home could suffer costly damage and your place of work could close for weeks or months. There’s no way to make it easy, but you can take steps now to make your financial recovery smoother. Before extreme weather is in the forecast, make sure your insurance coverage is up to date. And take photos of the rooms in your house so you can more easily make claims for items that are damaged or destroyed. It’s a good idea to print out information about bank accounts, bills, and loans, so you can make payments and communicate with lenders. Store these records where you can access them quickly. If possible, ... |
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Want a climate-friendly home? You might need a new breaker box. - Apr 05, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections Many people are replacing their old, fossil-fuel-powered furnaces and gas stoves with new electric heat pumps and induction stoves. But some hit a snag when they find out that their home’s electrical panel, or breaker box, cannot handle all the extra electricity they’ll need. Fowler: “That’s when you realize, oh, I need a little more juice.” Eric Fowler is with the nonprofit Fresh Energy, which advocates for clean energy in Minnesota. Fowler: “We want folks to be able to have the option to even consider those electric alternatives. But you can’t do that if you’re already hitting up against the maximum amount of electricity that your ... |
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A nemesis of clams is thriving as Maine's waters warm - Apr 04, 2024 Yale Climate Connections |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections For decades, the clammers of coastal Maine have woken up, put on their boots, and waded into the cold waters of the Atlantic to dig for soft-shell clams. Clamming requires no special equipment, so it’s allowed generations of Mainers to work in the fishing industry without investing in expensive boats or gear. Randall: “You use the strength of your own body to make a living.” But Sara Randall, a researcher with the Downeast Institute, says the clammers’ way of life is in trouble. As the climate changes, temperatures in the Gulf of Maine are rising faster than in most of the world’s oceans. The warmer water allows invasive green crabs to thrive. |
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A nemesis of clams is thriving as Maine’s waters warm - Apr 04, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Oceans |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections For decades, the clammers of coastal Maine have woken up, put on their boots, and waded into the cold waters of the Atlantic to dig for soft-shell clams. Clamming requires no special equipment, so it’s allowed generations of Mainers to work in the fishing industry without investing in expensive boats or gear. Randall: “You use the strength of your own body to make a living.” But Sara Randall, a researcher with the Downeast Institute, says the clammers’ way of life is in trouble. As the climate changes, temperatures in the Gulf of Maine are rising faster than in most of the world’s oceans. The warmer water allows invasive green crabs to thrive. The crabs prey on young soft-shell clams, so as the crab population has exploded, the state’s clam harvest has plummeted. The Downeast Institute has organized a network of ... |
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Automated bioacoustics: Researchers are listening in on insects to better gauge environmental health - Apr 03, 2024 PHYS.ORG - Earth |
| Listening in on the insect world gives us a way to monitor how populations of insects are shifting, and so can tell us about the overall health of the environment. The study, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, suggests that machine and deep learning are becoming the gold standards for automated bioacoustics modeling, and that ecologists and machine-learning experts can fruitfully work together to develop the technology's full potential. "Insects rule the world," says Laura Figueroa, assistant professor of environmental conservation at UMass Amherst and the paper's senior author. "Some are disease vectors and pests, while others pollinate nutritious crops and cycle nutrients. They're the foundation of ecosystems around the world, being food for animals ranging from birds and fishes to bears and humans. Everywhere we look, there are insects, but it's difficult to get a sense of how their populations are changing." Indeed, in the age of chemical pesticides, ... |
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Florida’s tiny 'fairy tale’ deer are losing habitat as seas rise - Apr 03, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Oceans |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections Key deer are found in only one place: the Florida Keys. And they look like something out of a fairytale. The deer are so tiny, they measure only about two feet at the shoulder. Colangelo: “They are very cute animals, and people love them.” That’s Nikki Colangelo of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Her agency is working to protect the species. As seas rise and storms become more extreme, the ocean threatens to swallow much of the deer’s habitat. Already, salt water is moving inland, so it’s harder for the deer to find fresh water. To help, the agency is improving habitat in places on higher ground that are more protected from sea level rise. It’s working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to restore a large freshwater marsh system in Big Pine Key. Colangelo: “It’s one of the higher ... |
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A blizzard put a hyper-efficient home to the test. It passed. - Apr 02, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections When the power goes out on a cold winter night, some people head to a hotel. Others huddle around a fireplace bundled up in hats and blankets. But after a blizzard knocked out the power at Katrin Klingenberg’s home in Illinois, her house stayed warm and comfortable. Klingenberg: “I was sitting in my living room in a T-shirt, and outside it was negative 40 windchill. And that’s kind of cool.” She lives in a so-called passive house she designed herself. And she’s co-founder of Passive House Institute U.S., a nonprofit that works to increase the adoption of passive house building standards. It’s an approach that sets a very high bar for energy efficiency, focusing on a building’s envelope. That includes the walls, roof, and windows, which protect against the outdoor elements. Passive houses are extremely airtight, with ... |
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Colorado farmer finds success with drought-resilient millet - Apr 01, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Agriculture |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections About 100 miles from Denver, in the flat plains of northeastern Colorado, Nate Northup’s farm gets very little rain. Northup: “Our annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches at best.” He farms thousands of acres with no irrigation, so he needs to choose crops that can tolerate the dry, arid conditions. One of those crops is millet. Northup: “Millet, for those that don’t know, is just essentially the little white seed that you see in birdseed.” Plenty of people eat it too. In some parts of the world, millet is a staple ingredient, hulled and cooked into porridge, or ground into flour. And it’s gaining popularity in the U.S. as a gluten-free substitute for wheat flour or to add crunch to baked goods and bars. The United Nations named 2023 the International Year of Millets - in part because the grain can thrive in ... |
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ENVIRONMENTAL - Mar 29, 2024 Yale Climate Connections |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections In the U.S., Hispanic people are disproportionately exposed to harmful air pollution. They’re more likely to work outdoors in agriculture or construction, so they may be more exposed to wildfire smoke. And in many areas, neighborhoods with large Hispanic populations are more likely to be located near highways, or oil and gas plants - sources of pollution that can worsen heart and lung diseases. Rosas: “When the air quality is not OK, we … want to bring awareness to that so we can make positive change for our communities and for the next generations to come.” Juan Rosas is with the Hispanic Access Foundation, which recently launched El Aire Que Respiramos, or The Air We Breathe. It’s an effort to monitor air quality in 12 cities with large Hispanic populations - in California, Texas, Nevada, Idaho, and Illinois. The ... |
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Group to monitor air pollution in 12 U.S. cities with large Hispanic populations - Mar 29, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Health |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections In the U.S., Hispanic people are disproportionately exposed to harmful air pollution. They’re more likely to work outdoors in agriculture or construction, so they may be more exposed to wildfire smoke. And in many areas, neighborhoods with large Hispanic populations are more likely to be located near highways, or oil and gas plants - sources of pollution that can worsen heart and lung diseases. Rosas: “When the air quality is not OK, we … want to bring awareness to that so we can make positive change for our communities and for the next generations to come.” Juan Rosas is with the Hispanic Access Foundation, which recently launched El Aire Que Respiramos, or The Air We Breathe. It’s an effort to monitor air quality in 12 cities with large Hispanic populations - in California, Texas, Nevada, Idaho, and Illinois. The ... |
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A growing number of homeowners face repeat flooding - Mar 28, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Policy |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections As sea levels rise and storms become more extreme, a growing number of homeowners are struggling with flooding - not just once, but time and time again. Weber: “People are just faced over and over with damaging floods, and then having to put their lives back together each time.” Anna Weber is with the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council. An analysis by her group found that as of 2022, almost 45,000 U.S. properties are what the National Flood Insurance Program considers “severe repetitive loss properties,” which means they’ve experienced multiple severe floods. That’s about a 20% increase from just four years earlier. And many of these homes are likely to flood again. Weber: “Concerningly, the number of these properties that have had mitigation actions taken to reduce their risk - for example, homes can be ... |
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After a hurricane or wildfire, communities can be overwhelmed by debris - Mar 27, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Weather |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections After a hurricane, flood, or wildfire, communities face a long process of rebuilding. But in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, there’s a lot of debris lying around - sometimes more waste than a community would typically produce all year. Townsend: “You get buildings that are destroyed. You get lots and lots of earth and trees and other debris which now need to be cleaned up and moved somewhere.” Timothy Townsend is an environmental engineer at the University of Florida. He says some of this debris can be dangerous. For example, some of the ash from last year’s Maui fires has high levels of toxic arsenic - likely from volcanic soils, old building materials, and herbicides that were once commonly used on nearby farms. Townsend: “All of a sudden, you’re faced with not only is this just normal debris that would go ... |
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