From Hurricane Anxiety to Climate Action: A Journey of Hope

Facing the Fury of Nature, One Floridian Now Living in Norfolk Finds Purpose in the Fight Against Climate Change with CCAN

A blog by Britt Flanagan, member of CCAN’S Hampton Roads 757 Climate Action Team (CAT)

Growing up on the Space Coast of Florida, I was no stranger to hurricanes, but this one was different.

Hurricane Milton landfall on radar by the National Weather Service/NOAA

I knew 2024 would be a record season. Weather forecasters were chattering about the potential danger well before it started. Still, I wasn’t prepared. I was caught off guard by the sheer devastation of Hurricane Helene in September 2024. Our region suffered $200 billion in infrastructure damages…230 deaths, leaving the unhealable wound of grief in its wake. So when the next storm – Hurricane Milton – reared its head just two weeks later, growing in strength and generating a path directly at my family back home, a special kind of desperate anxiety seized my heart.

Are they prepared? Will they know when to leave? What about my family members who can’t evacuate? How do you grapple with a deadly, uncontrollable force barreling its way to your hometown filled with those you love? Hours dragged on as we waited for impact, flashbacks of Hurricane Helene’s destruction on our minds. How can this season be so severe? What do we have to look forward to in the future? Will things only get worse?

After hours of checking the weather for updates and sending messages to my family to check up on their preparations, the storm finally hit. I remember being glued to my laptop at work, refreshing the weather page as it approached Tampa where it would cross the state and hit the East Coast.

By the time it reached my family, it was a Category 1 hurricane: something they were capable of handling. An exhausted relief washed over me when I heard that everyone was okay the following morning. Still, I was left grappling with that sense of anxiety.

This was a special kind of anxiety that came from a total lack of control. My family either wouldn’t or couldn’t evacuate. A huge devastating storm caused by a force I didn’t know how to grapple with: Climate Change. With climate change’s current trajectory, I’ll likely have to face this same situation again. What does someone do with that? Do they give in? Resign to fear? Hope the next storm downgrades just before it hits like Milton did? How can someone fight a force as big as climate change?

CCAN 757 CAT Action Team Beach Clean-up Event

My answer came at a concert of all places. There, in the lobby, I stumbled across something I was not expecting. Two bright-eyed, inviting individuals stood behind a table draped in blue cloth proudly sporting a logo for CCAN: Chesapeake Climate Action Network. I remember standing off to the side, tapping on my sibling’s shoulder, and pointing eagerly at the table. A flurry of excitement (and admittedly a surge of social anxiety) hit me. Could this be it? Could it finally be a chance to chip away at the ever-present feeling of hopelessness? Leianis, the Hampton Roads Organizer for CCAN, greeted us warmly and, seeing the enthusiasm in our eyes, showed us how we could sign up for updates.

Before we knew it, we were seated beneath a gazebo in Virginia Beach, with dirt on our hands as we built “seed bombs,” small, packed balls (or, in my case, stars) of fertilizer filled with seeds of native Virginian flowers. There I learned that CCAN’s Hampton Roads team was just getting its feet under them and were on their way to an official team launch. Something I had the honor and impeccable timing to be a part of! For the first time, I was surrounded by like-minded people who wanted to fight for the environment and now we had something to pour that energy into.

757 CAT Meeting

A few months later, we were in Norfolk. Many now-familiar faces surrounded my sibling and me. This was the official team launch: something new and exciting that can do so much good for our region! It was a truly collaborative experience. Leianis expertly led our group through discussions, ensuring everyone had their chance to speak. There was much deliberation as we all worked to find common ground. We each drafted a statement we thought would best reflect the team’s unique ideas in a cohesive way. Then, under the guidance of Leianis and Zander, we crafted a shared purpose statement, (or as I tend to call it, a mission statement). There was surprising power and pride in that little statement. It made this team and its potential finally start to feel real. Now we had something shared, something we crafted together, something we could rally behind. I remember leaving that meeting, feeling an exciting buzz in the air.

Our team continues to grow and develop structure. We’re each coming into our own: seeing how our little puzzle piece fits into the bigger picture of the team. There’s a flurry of ideas and potential as we pave our way forward, and for the first time in a long time, I’ve been struck with a new special kind of feeling: hope.

This fight will be a long one. There will be wins. There will be losses. I may have to face my fair share of scary storms along the way. The difference this time is I will be fighting back, and I won’t be alone.

A blog by Britt Flanagan, member of CCAN’S Hampton Roads 757 Climate Action Team (CAT).

Become an action team member today!

Black History Month and the Environmental Justice Movement

Happy Black History Month, climate family! Black History Month is coming to a close, and I’m still fired up to talk about the incredible impact Black leaders have had on the environmental justice movement. Let’s dive into this crucial intersection of racial justice and climate action! 

Black History Month is a time for reflection, remembrance, and celebration of the incredible contributions that Black people and communities have made to shaping our world. It’s also a time to critically engage with the struggles that continue to impact Black people, especially as they intersect with issues of environmental justice and climate change.

Environmental justice is not just about protecting the land; it’s about protecting people. Communities of color—especially Black communities—have long been on the frontlines of environmental harm. From toxic waste sites to polluted air and water, environmental burdens are disproportionately placed on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. This is the ugly truth of environmental racism, and it’s something we cannot ignore.

But here’s the thing: the fight for environmental justice is also a fight for liberation. It’s a fight against systemic oppression that harms the planet and its people. The negative impacts of climate change are often most acutely felt at the local level—where marginalized communities live, work, and fight for survival. That’s why we need to recognize the contributions of Black leaders in local climate justice movements and take action to support them.

The Roots of Environmental Justice

The environmental justice movement is deeply rooted in Black American history. It all kicked off in 1982 when the brave residents of Warren County, North Carolina, stood up against a toxic waste dump in their predominantly Black community. North Carolina had chosen to build a landfill for toxic waste in a community already facing economic challenges. The decision to place the dump there was approved despite the fact that the area had no history of industrial activity and was largely residential, with many families relying on farming and agriculture. This was not an isolated case but part of a larger pattern of environmental hazards being disproportionately placed in low-income, Black neighborhoods across the U.S.

NC Highways Historical Marker for PCB landfill protests in Afton, North Carolina

The people of Warren County, led by local activists, such as Dr. Robert Bullard and Ben Chavis, refused to passively accept this decision. They organized protests, rallies, and demonstrations to resist the construction of the toxic waste site. For weeks, starting in September 1982, activists, community leaders, and residents engaged in acts of civil disobedience, including blocking trucks from delivering toxic waste to the site. Protesters were arrested, and many were subjected to police brutality, but their efforts drew national attention to the broader issue of environmental racism.

The Warren County protests highlighted how communities of color bear the brunt of our country’s pollution, and this fight signaled that marginalized communities would no longer silently endure this exploitation. Although the landfill was ultimately built in Warren County, the protests sparked a national movement that led to critical developments in environmental policy and advocacy. In 1987, the landmark report by the United Church of Christ’s Commission for Racial Justice highlighted the disproportionate number of hazardous wastes sites in Black and low-income communities. 

But the fight didn’t start or end there. Black communities have been battling environmental injustices for generations, from toxic dumping to air pollution. These struggles laid the groundwork for what we now call the environmental justice movement.

Environmental Justice and the Climate Crisis

The global climate crisis is here—and its impacts are catastrophic. From rising sea levels to extreme weather patterns, vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of environmental destruction. However, the solution to this crisis lies in the same principles that have guided the fight for environmental justice for decades: respect for the land, equity, and the empowerment of frontline communities.

In the United States, Black communities are disproportionately impacted by environmental degradation. Consider the history of environmental racism in places like Flint, Michigan, where lead-tainted water poisoned an entire city, or the continued struggles of communities living near industrial waste sites in places like Cancer Alley, Louisiana, where the risk of cancer is 95% higher than most of the country. The climate crisis amplifies these issues, making it clear that the environmental movement must center those who have been historically marginalized.

How You Can Help: Environmental Justice Organizations Serving Black Communities in the DMV Area

As we reflect on Black History Month, let’s also honor the environmental organizations serving Black communities and doing vital work on the ground. The following organizations are showing us that climate justice is about more than just reducing emissions – it’s about creating a fair and sustainable world for everyone. Support for these organizations is crucial, not just during Black History Month, but year-round. 

If you’re in the DC, Maryland, or Virginia area, there are powerful organizations that need your support:

  • Empower DC: Empower DC is elevating the cause of environmental justice to bring about improvements at the community and systemic levels. They are focused on DC neighborhoods most impacted by air quality issues.
  • WE ACT for Environmental Justice (DC Chapter): Through advocacy, planning, and research, WE ACT is able to mobilize low-income communities of color to make environmental change.
    Friends of Chesterfield for the 2025 Gas Plant Campaign Kick-Off  Thursday, Feb 27, at the Central Library.
  • Labor Network For Sustainability(LNS) DC: LNS hopes to create a ‘just transition’ for workers and communities negatively affected by climate change and by industry transitions to renewable energy.
  • Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice & Health (CEEJH) MD:  CEEJH works to INpower fenceline, frontline, and underserved communities to resist ongoing environmental, climate, energy, and health injustices so everyone can thrive in just, equitable, and sustainable futures.
  • CASA (Maryland & Virginia): CASA is a national powerhouse organization building power and improving the quality of life in working-class: Black, Latinx, Afro-descendent, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities.
  • Friends of Chesterfield: Friends of Chesterfield is a community-based group in Chesterfield County bringing residents together in opposition to Dominion Energy’s proposed gas-fired plant in an environmental justice community.
  • RVA Southside ReLeaf:  Southside Releaf is working to tackle environmental injustice through hands-on projects, education, and advocacy in the Richmond Metro area.
  • Virginia Interfaith Power & Light (VAIPL): VAIPL collaborates among people of faith and conscience to grow healthy communities by advancing climate and environmental justice.

These groups are fighting for cleaner air, safer neighborhoods, and a healthier planet. They are standing up against environmental injustices, advocating for policy changes, and empowering their communities to take action.

The Future Is Now

Black History Month is a time to reflect on how far we’ve come, but also to recognize how much work remains. The environmental justice movement reminds us that the fight for a healthy planet is inseparable from the fight for racial justice. In the words of the great environmentalist and activist Dr. Robert Bullard: “Environmental justice is a civil rights issue.” It’s time to honor the legacy of Black leaders who have been fighting for justice on all fronts and take action to support those leading the charge today.

Now, more than ever, the future of our planet—and our communities—depends on the power of collective action. Let’s ensure that Black voices and environmental justice communities are not only heard but supported in meaningful ways. Let’s commit to amplifying Black voices in the climate movement and working towards a just and sustainable future for all.

Over 10,000 Climate Disaster Survivors and Their Allies Demand Federal Investigation of Big Oil for Climate Crimes  

Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Public Citizen delivered today a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) demanding that it hold oil and gas companies accountable for fueling climate-driven disasters such as floods, fires, hurricanes, and extreme heat that have destroyed property and taken innocent lives.

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Stop the Ban on Land-based Solar Power In Montgomery County, MD. “Progressive” Councilmembers Will Jawando, Gabe Albornoz, and others could harm regional progress on clean energy

I’ve been a climate activist for 20 years in this region. Google Mike Tidwell and “clean energy” and you’ll see what I stand for. 

In 20 years, I’ve learned to push aggressively for strong climate policies — but to seek legislative compromise when that’s what it takes to move public policy forward. From the small city council of Takoma Park to the Governor’s office in Richmond to Senate committees in Annapolis to legislative efforts on Capitol Hill, I’m proud to have been part of balanced but ambitious agreements that advance clean energy.

Which is why, as a fellow Montgomery County, MD resident, it pains me to tell you I’ve never seen such a total ABSENCE of compromise – and such a scale of misguided energy policy – quite like the vote that six members of the Montgomery County Council are apparently prepared to make tomorrow. They are about to effectively ban land-based solar power development in our county. 

Our County Council is doing amazing work protecting us from the worst impacts of the Covid-19. And I know their intentions are well-meaning on the environment. But the solar vote they are about to make will not only harm our county, it will likely have negative consequences for solar throughout our state and region. I’m not exaggerating. This view is shared by the Montgomery County Sierra Club, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and key environmental legislators in Annapolis, including veteran Delegate Kumar Barve who sent the Council this remarkable protest letter last week.

I’m presenting an unusually long argument in this email. So bear with me – if you can — till the end. It’s that important. 

Tell MoCo Councilmembers Will Jawando, Gabe Albornoz and others: Don’t land-based ban solar  

For the record, the legislators who are on the wrong side of this solar issue and who have resisted a reasonable compromise so far are: Councilmembers Andrew Friedson, Gabe Albornoz, Nancy Navarro, Sidney Katz, Craig Rice, and Will Jawando. The two leaders who probably need to hear from you most are Will Jawando and Gabe Albornoz.

To repeat, our ask of them now is to simply withdraw the amended solar bill. Withdraw it so we can start over and create a lasting and positive solar policy for our county. Meanwhile, the PRO solar councilmembers who’ve already done all they can to achieve a balanced solar policy are Hans Riemer, Evan Glass, and Council President Tom Hucker. Their work is greatly appreciated.

Solar power in the Agricultural Reserve: A controversy?

Chances are you’ve heard something about the idea of placing a limited amount of solar production in the MoCo Agricultural Reserve. Unfortunately, as often happens in public debates, opponents have often been noisier and more extreme in their claims than those of us seeking a truly balanced solution. Indeed, opponents have accused solar companies of greed and “over reach” while saying community solar on farmland would economically harm the farmers themselves, destroy our local food base, and lead to widespread deforestation and harm to the Bay — from solar!! None of this is true. Some critics have even claimed environmental groups like Sierra Club and CCAN are pushing solar for their own financial benefit – which is utterly false.

Now these same critics claim a “compromise” has been reached on the issue. They are asking the MoCo Council to give final passage to the Zoning Text Amendment 20-01 tomorrow. Why? Because that bill, as I mentioned above, has been amended into a de facto ban of land-based solar. Again, I’ve spent 20 years reaching real compromises on clean energy across this region — and this is no compromise. It’s a policy failure.

In the beginning: We had a good solar bill

A good solar policy was in fact proposed last year by MoCo Councilmember Hans Riemer (D-at large). It would have permitted farmers to harvest sunlight on no more than 1800 acres of land in the Ag Reserve (out of 93,000 acres) through a process called “community solar” development. Much of the solar would have benefitted up to 50,000 households, including many low- and moderate-income households and earned nearly $15 million in tax revenue for our cash-strapped county and state. The bill would have allowed a modest 300 megawatts or so of solar. Yet even that modest amount would have lowered total greenhouse gas emissions in the county while lowering the price of electricity for ratepayers and generating a healthy $83 million in local net economic spending. Virtually no tree loss would have been permitted and pollinator-friendly native grasses would have been required to be planted under and around the panels. It was a carefully crafted and balanced compromise bill supported, again, by the County’s two largest environmental groups — Sierra Club and CCAN — and group’s like Poolesville Green and farmers like Doug Boucher. 

But on January 26th, this good bill was amended into a bad bill, one that now stands as a de facto ban on land-based solar power. To repeat, the Council Members who voted for one or both of the bad amendments are Friedson, Albernoz, Navarro, Rice, Katz, and Jawando. 

Again, I cannot urge you strongly enough to REJECT the claims of council members and others when they tell you this amended solar ZTA is a “compromise.” They’ll tell you the amendments simply ban solar on “class two” soils and subject all solar projects to “conditional use.” But it’s a near-total ban. One MoCo solar company has already announced it will cease operations in the county due to the January 26th amendments vote. The two major regional organizations representing the solar industry have confirmed that their members will find it impossible to build projects in Montgomery County under the ZTA as now amended. Unless the bill is withdrawn tomorrow without final passage, more solar jobs will leave our county and we’ll have almost no chance of meeting our renewable energy goals during a full-blown climate emergency.

Tell MoCo Councilmembers Will Jawando, Gabe Albornoz and others: Don’t land-based ban solar

How did we get here? Clean energy confusion in liberal MoCo

Last week, a WAMU radio reporter wrote that an activist in rural Montgomery County considered solar development an EXISTENTIAL THREAT to the Ag Reserve. The activist wasn’t quoted as saying climate change was an existential threat. There was no mention of sod farming as an existential threat – where topsoil and non-native grasses are peeled off of the land and shipped off to golf courses and suburban homes. (More land in the MoCo Ag Reserve produces sod grass than table food for humans). There was no mention of livestock as a threat, where a majority of the Ag Reserve land is used for raising feed crops for the region’s unsustainable livestock industry, venting net greenhouse gas emissions from most of those acres. 

No, the existential threat to the Ag Reserve is apparently solar energy, in the minds of critics. That pretty much sums up the tragically misguided anti-solar movement in our county. Many of the critics of the proposed policy of putting a VERY LIMITED amount of “community solar” production in the AR, will tell you they strongly support clean energy. Some have solar panels on the roofs of their homes. But they don’t want to see farmers harvest solar energy. They describe it as “industrial” solar that will harm the rural character of the reserve. Again, sod farming is apparently okay. Corn fields for pigs are okay. But solar is an existential threat. They want solar in MoCo to be on rooftops and “brownfields” — not as part of a farmer’s mix of operations.

There aren’t enough rooftops and brownfields in MoCo

The problem is there is no way we can reach our county and state clean energy goals with rooftop solar alone or on qualifying brownfield areas left by former industrial sites. These areas are still relatively expensive to develop and, as for stable, non-shaded rooftops, there just aren’t enough qualifying roof areas. We have to put a limited amount of solar on land surfaces. Meanwhile, our farmers are increasingly hammered by extreme floods and droughts from climate change and many of them need the option of harvesting sunlight as a small but supplemental income stream that allows them to hang on to their family farms. 

So last year Councilmember Hans Riemer (D-at large) proposed a sensible policy idea. Let’s change the zoning law to allow a very limited – but needed – amount of solar in the Ag Reserve. No more than 2% of the reserve could be solar – and pollinator-friendly native grasses that sequester carbon into soils would have to be planted under and around the solar panels. Better yet, the energy would have to be produced under the state’s “community solar” program with much of it dedicated to low- and moderate-income families. It was a great compromise bill that was passed twice by a joint committee of the MoCo Council.

But then, on January 26th, before the full council, all pretense of compromise was stripped away. The bill was amended into a ban on agricultural solar. Again, council members will tell you it’s not so! The amendments represent a balanced compromise, they say. But years from now when no solar is built and the county loses tens of millions of dollars in taxes and investments, and vulnerable families have no access to cheaper power – and sod farming continues to flourish in the reserve – then we will all will see the solar ban for what it is.

Right now the Council must be persuaded to simply withdraw the bill and start over. If the bill goes forward as is, it will harm more than Montgomery County. 

The regional harm of a bad MoCo Council vote on solar

Clean energy has to go somewhere. Tragically, even as sea-level rise accelerates worldwide, the mayor of Ocean City and some business leaders there have strenuously objected to offshore wind power even though the turbines would be tiny images 17 miles offshore. And in western Maryland, land-based wind farms are opposed by some Marylanders even if the windmills are placed on ridgetops already strip-mined for coal and gravel. And now, in Montgomery County, solar is fine as long as it’s not on any farmland. 

If the MoCo Council passes the amended solar ZTA, it will set a terrible example for the entire region on clean energy development. If liberal Montgomery County can’t reach a sensible compromise policy, imagine the push back from Republican county and state elected leaders who think climate change is a hoax anyway. Why not ban solar in every rural county in Maryland and Virginia? Clean energy activists like me will be forced to explain the MoCo solar “hypocrisy” every time a clean energy vote comes up anywhere, especially as the years go by and – as intended – no solar farm projects get developed in our environmentally chest-beating county. 

This is doubly unfortunate when recent polling shows nearly 70 percent of Montgomery County voters support a balance of solar production on farm land in the county. And, again, by banning such solar, the Council is denying the county badly needed tax revenue and green investments over the next ten years.

Was a ban on solar the goal all along? 

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has told me personally that some residents of the Ag Reserve came to him last year and asked him to support a total ban on land-based solar projects in the Reserve. He told them he would not support a ban like that. 

Many of those same residents then moved on to the full council, trying to achieve a ban through other means. The January 26th amendments dramatically shrink the amount of qualifying acreage in the Reserve by banning Class Two soils. Then any solar projects that do somehow find a few scraps of qualifying land will be subjected to potentially endless legal challenges through a second passed amendment, one that requires a permitting process called “conditional use.” Again, as we’ve seen above, these amendments are already driving solar investments OUT of our county ahead of a possible final vote on the bill tomorrow. 

Does the MoCo Council really care about climate change? 

In December 2017, the Council voted unanimously to declare a “climate emergency” and to commit the county to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions countywide by 2027. Since then, three long years later, the Council has passed no major legislation to actually cut emissions significantly. Only in December did County Executive Marc Elrich release a long-awaited Climate Action Plan, produced by consultants using $400,000 of taxpayer money. Yet the 230-page report itself endorses no specific concrete legislation and sets no specific timelines for meaningful policy implementation. Watch this video.

Honestly, all of this makes voters wonder whether our county government is really serious about climate change at all, even as extreme weather events become more frequent here and nationwide. 

Think about it. If we can’t even compromise on land-based solar, then how will we ever eventually pass county legislation banning gas hookups for new homes and buildings while investing real county dollars in electric vehicle infrastructure and all the other things climate scientists say we MUST do in the next ten years? 

I wish I could be more optimistic. But right now, things are so bad that the withdrawal of a bad solar ZTA bill would actually constitute a victory in our county. So let’s begin with that. 

Tell MoCo Councilmembers Will Jawando, Gabe Albornoz and others: Don’t land-based ban solar

Hopefully, they’ll hear us – and we can actually move forward with the real work that needs to be done to fight climate change right where we live. 

Sincerely, 

Mike Tidwell

Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network and CCAN Action Fund

Climate podcasts to rock your quarantine

wired headphones on a wooden table accompanied by a plant in a white pot

Hi, my name is Lauren and I’m an extrovert. 

As the Hampton Roads Organizer for CCAN, this works in my favor. I never met a stranger I didn’t like to chat with and I roll through my speed dial list without advanced notice just to talk (my friends like it, I swear). So cold-calling people to ask them to sign a CCAN petition to resist pipelines to or attend a rally to pass the Virginia Clean Economy Act? Gotcha covered. 

This trait makes me an expert on today’s topic.

Podcasts: All day, every day

When I’ve run out of people to talk to, I turn to my library of podcasts; because even during my “quiet” time, I need some sort of conversation running in the background to keep me from feeling antsy or lonely. Although I’m working full-time from home, plus full-time 4 year old duty, my daily opportunities for fitting in a podcast are plenty. I prep for the day with a news brief (rec: The Daily) as I brush my teeth and swap my night pajamas for my day pajamas. A self-care show (rec: Forever35) keeps me positive during email time for me & nap time for Coulson. And a pop culture or investigative series (rec: Armchair Expert or Ear Hustle) staves off sleep during project time on the couch once the house is quiet.  

But today is not about those other podcasts — stop trying to distract me, people. Today is about the meat sweet potatoes of my podcast diet (vegetarians hollaaaa). 

Let’s get down to business

(to defeat the Huns….anyone?)

It’s 6pm. Michael arrives home from work. I give him the parent highlights (yes, Coulson had dinner; no, he didn’t nap; yes, he’s still wearing his pajamas), pass the baton, and I am GONE. The local, deserted college campus is 5 minutes from our house and I have one hour to get my steps, get some air, and listen to…..my climate podcast for the day!!! 

freshly mowed green grass quad of university with fall colors in background and low sun
Abandoned campuses: great places to listen to podcasts!

Now, you might be thinking, “Lauren, you spend all day thinking about climate change which is not the most relaxing topic anyway….you want to spend your free time listening to it, too??” An excellent question, thank you for asking. And the answer is a simple, “yep.” 

I began to work for CCAN precisely because climate change was what I spent my free time learning and thinking about. Organizing for CCAN allows me to focus professionally on an issue that I was previously fitting in where I could. If anything, being a full-time climate activist means I have to step up my game even more to be conversant on the latest news, science, and community stories.

Before COVID-19, I had way more time to devote to this audio learning; my work covers all of Hampton Roads so I spent hours weekly in the car binging through episodes. Now, I squeeze in listening time during my nightly walk and anywhere else I can. However, my shortage of time has not equated to a shortage of options. There are so many great climate podcasts & episodes and it’s time I share my carefully curated list with the world (jk, they’re all great and I download everything). 

There are lots of great lists of climate podcasts out there and you will likely find some overlap between my list & those. But who doesn’t need another list, right? So here are my favorite podcasts that are centered on climate change. 

author Lauren Landis smiling and chopping a cucumber with her headphones; photos in the background on the wall and vegetable peeler in foreground

Climate Podcasts

Climate Cast

Drilled

Mothers of Invention

No Planet B

Terrestrial 

The Environment in Focus

If you want a super personal recommendation from the list above, I have a special place in my heart for Mothers of Invention. This show focuses on women-led climate solutions and is hosted by Mary Robinson (former President of Ireland, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and global climate activist) and Irish comedian, Maeve Higgins. Mary Robinson’s book, Climate Justice, inspired me to be an organizer! 

Next, let’s talk about a less-covered area: individual climate episodes within non-climate specific podcasts. I think this is the most important part of the list. For many people, subscribing & listening routinely to a podcast is a bit of a commitment, never mind catching up on the entire back catalog. If that sounds daunting, the individual climate episodes below are a perfect starting place! Dip your toe in the water with an episode or two and you may find your new favorite show. 

Climate Episodes (podcast name followed by episode name in italics)

Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness, How Can We Twerk on Climate Change? with Bill Nye the Science Guy

screenshot of "There Goes the Neighborhood" podcast from the iTunes store, Season 3: Premium Elevation
Podcast about climate gentrification

Life Kit, How To Talk To Kids About Climate Change

Ologies with Alie Ward, Phenology Episode

Powering the Movement, Saving The World’s Fastest Sinking City

Ted Talks Daily, Climate Change Will Displace Millions

Ted Talks Daily, When The Tides Keep Getting Higher

There Goes the Neighborhood, Season 3, Episode 1-3

I assume I don’t need to convince you to listen to anything with Bill Nye the Science Guy so I’ll save my muscle to encourage you towards the There Goes the Neighborhood episodes. They focus on climate-caused gentrification in Miami and were the starting point of my current sea-level rise research project. Did you know that Hampton Roads is outranked only by New Orleans in terms of sea level rise risk? If you didn’t know, these episodes are for you. If you did know, these episodes are still for you, trust. 

Technicalities

Let’s check in on some technical details before I send you off on a date with your chosen episode. 

First, if you’re new to podcasts and you’re not sure how to find or listen to anything I’ve recommended above, you’re not alone. There are many “how to” articles that are easy to follow so rather than recreate the wheel, I would recommend “How to listen to podcasts: everything you need to know” by The Guardian or “The Beginner’s Guide to Podcasts” by The Wired. Alternatively, email me and we’ll set up a time to hop on the phone and walk through it together! 

Second, many podcasts can be listened to on a web browser so a smart phone is not a requirement (this is addressed in the how-to guides above). 

Third & finally, a lot of podcasts are creating transcripts to make sure their content is accessible to all. I make note of my favorite podcasts that are prioritizing this and I would love to hear any of your favorites that are doing the same.

It’s Go Time

You subscribe to CCAN’s emails, sign our petitions, follow us on Facebook, and read our blog (obviously). What can you do next to connect with CCAN and support climate action? The answer is this!! Fill your ears with one of our climate podcast recommendations and connect with climate activism in a new, easy way. Share what you learn over dinner, text an episode to a friend, or find a listener group online. Podcasts can be your constant companion throughout these tumultuous times and what subject integrates more importantly with all aspects of life than climate change? Send me an email or connect with us on social media to share your own podcast favorites or give a review of one of the recommendations above. 

Happy listening! 

Coronavirus and Climate Change

A couple of weeks into the worldwide observance of social distancing practices and pandemic-preempting government lock-downs, miraculous tales of a rejuvenated planet in typically smog-choked, polluted corners of the world began to populate our social media news feeds. Dolphins were frolicking in Venice’s canals again! From India, video footage emerged of a species of civet cat long thought to be extinct, strolling the empty streets of Calcutta like it owned the place. Over Chinese cities, clouds of toxic gas around industrial centers have dissipated, with emissions down at least 25% in February due to efforts to control the coronavirus, and residents can breathe freely for the first time in recent memory.

These are beautiful images, for all that they play into self-flagellating human narratives. Look how bad we are for the planet, the story goes, but isn’t it amazing how quickly Mother Nature rebounds to a state of pristine, Edenic glory when we leave her alone for a few days! The truly unfortunate thing about each of these stories, though, is that they aren’t true—or at best, they are heavily qualified. Each of the first two links in the previous paragraph leads to an article debunking the associated claim. There were no dolphins in the canals of Venice; the person who took that video of a civet cat in India had mistaken it for an endangered cousin. The third link, a CNN report about lower CO2 emissions and air pollution in China, verifies that these levels are down in Hubei and other areas under quarantine, but with the caveat that, as soon as the economies of these regions start back up, pollution levels will quickly rebound to previous levels, and may even exceed these levels, as the country tries to make up for many weeks’ worth of halted production.

two color-coded maps showing a dramatic reduction in NO2 pollution over industrial northeastern China
reduction in NO2 pollution in China resulting from Covid lock-downs

Although the day may seem far off now, there will come a time in the not-too-distant future when COVID-19 is no longer a meaningful threat. Treatments are likely to emerge that reduce the severity of symptoms and the mortality rate, and potential vaccines have already entered human trials, although it will take many months to sufficiently vet and produce these. When that moment comes, surely we will collectively breathe a sigh of relief. Yet we will still be facing record-high annual temperatures, rising sea levels and historically catastrophic weather. There can be no palliative treatment, no vaccine for these. Just as governments worldwide mobilized rapidly to counter the spread of the coronavirus, modern society must reorganize and restructure itself radically if it hopes to withstand the systemic shocks that the effects of climate change are all but certain to augur.

Some argue that the current pandemic is an opportunity to model effective long-term responses to climate change. As with a fire drill, or a dress rehearsal, we are learning first-hand how well we respond to a threat that majorly disrupts the functioning of society, but does not in itself threaten to destroy it. “COVID-19 is climate on warp speed,” says climate economist Gernot Wagner. “Everything with climate is decades; here it’s days. Climate is centuries; here it’s weeks.” Hence, the damage that climate change threatens to wreak will not occur in the span of a few weeks or months. Rather, following the progression of over a century of scaled industrial activity on this planet, these effects will continue to show themselves gradually—yet their impact will be orders of magnitude more profound.

“The virus has shown,” writes journalist Beth Gardiner, “that if you wait until you can see the impact, it is too late to stop it.” This statement is sure to hold true many times over for climate change. Yet in dealing with the current crisis, we seem to have lost sight of the primary threat to humanity’s continued growth and well-being in our time. Just last week, the EPA introduced “drastically relaxe[d]” rules for polluters in the midst of the coronavirus’ spread.

COVID-19 is a global emergency, to be sure, and we are right to focus the majority of our efforts and energies on preventing its spread and minimizing the loss of life that it causes. Nevertheless, we owe it to ourselves and to future generations to look further ahead than the end of the quarantine.

portrait of author: young white man with facial hair against white background

Text by Joseph Pickert. See his original blog post here.

More than 370 Virginians Attend DEQ Hearings to Cut Carbon Now

Participants call on DEQ to implement strong protections against polluting, harmful power plants.

Richmond, VIRGINIA– The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality held the final public hearing on Virginia’s Carbon Reduction Plan today. At the hearing, participants called for the strongest possible standard to cut Virginia’s carbon pollution from fossil fuel burning power plants. The public hearing was preceded by a press conference held by community members and activists, which was attended by about 50 people.
The Virginia Carbon Reduction Plan is designed to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuel-burning power plants by 30 percent by the year 2030. More than 370 Virginians attended all six hearings that took place across the state, with about 150 people testifying in favor of strong safeguards to support clean energy careers, protect the health of families against fossil fuel burning power plants and reduce the negative impacts of climate change.
“Virginia is taking a step forward, while on the federal level the Trump administration is doing a dangerous dance reducing lifesaving safeguards,” Kate Addleson, Director of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, said. “All Virginians can take pride in our Commonwealth for developing a standard that will require corporate polluters to take responsibility for their harmful pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions, that are damaging the health and environment of our communities, ”
“The Governor’s administration understands that action on climate change can’t wait,” Angela Navarro, Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources said. “One important component of the rule is participation in the regional carbon market which would allow Virginia to reduce emissions. The regional market is bipartisan and proven, and will be a cost-effective market-based way to reduce carbon. We look forward to being the first south eastern state to move forward with limiting carbon pollution.”
In Virginia, the increase in extreme hot weather, due to climate change, between May and August 2016 lead to 1,700 admissions to the ER for heat related illnesses. Athletes, students, and outdoor workers are particularly vulnerable to heat illness in oppressive weather conditions. Weather imbalances are also leading to longer and more severe allergy seasons. Over the last 30 years, the peak tree pollen count has increased by over 50 percent in Richmond. A warmer climate not only supports a wider spread of diseases and illnesses, but it also releases viruses that have been trapped in ice caps for centuries.
“My patients are the manual laborers who work outside during the hot summer, they’re the elderly, children and low income people who feel the effects of climate change the most,” Dr. Janet Eddy with Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action, said.
Low-income families and communities of color are among those who are most vulnerable to climate change and dirty fossil fuel pollutants. Virginia’s Carbon Reduction Plan must ensure reductions in carbon pollution in environmental justice communities and put in place a mechanism that ensures reductions of co-pollutant greenhouse gas emissions by facilities located in or near affected neighborhoods.
“Environmental justice has to be addressed in this plan. As the trailblazer Virginia always has been, we should assure that benefits accrue for all communities, and there is a mechanism in place to ensure affected communities see carbon reduction,” Harrison Wallace, Virginia Policy Coordinator and Coastal Campaigns Manager at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

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CONTACT:
Sumer Shaikh, sumer.shaikh@sierraclub.org, (774) 545-0128
 

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.