This week’s episode is the fifth and final installment of a multipart series called Climate Hits Home, in which guests discuss the effects of climate change on cities and towns across the United States and how local communities are addressing those effects. In this episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Nico Zegre, an associate professor at West Virginia University, about flooding in Appalachia. Zegre discusses the growing problem of floods in the area, including in West Virginia and eastern Kentucky; the unique vulnerability of local communities to this issue; and how local, state, and federal governments can mitigate flooding risks and impacts.

References and recommendations:

“You’re It!” song by Wookiefoot; https://soundcloud.com/wookie-foot/youre-it

Climate Hits Home: Flooding in Appalachia, with Nico Zegre

The eARThumanities: Reimagining Net-Zero project at NYU Abu Dhabi is a new initiative that proposes a dynamic way of thinking about a just and inclusive development paradigm for a net-zero world.

Ecosystems play a critical role in mitigating the effects of the climate crisis. As the world works towards achieving the goal of net zero, nature-based solutions can be a powerful tool to combat climate change. These solutions leverage the potential of ecosystems to achieve sustainable development and climate goals, rather than relying solely on technology and infrastructure. By investing in nature-based solutions, we can not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also promote biodiversity, support local communities, and enhance the resilience of ecosystems in the face of climate change. Despite the opportunities, most of the countries still lag behind in implementing nature-based solutions and the importance of natural ecosystems is not fully recognised across the public and private sectors.

Speakers:
Aashish Jha, Assistant Professor of Biology; Global Network Assistant Professor of Biology, NYU Abu Dhabi
Aashish Jha is an Assistant Professor at New York University Abu Dhabi where he uses genomics to decipher human population histories and microbiomes. His recent work has focused on traditional Himalayan populations and his current research projects include genomics and microbiomics of Nepal, India, Africa, and Oceania.
During his postdoctoral scholarship at Stanford University, he started The Himalayan Diversity Project to study the genetics and microbiome of Himalayan populations. His work in the Himalaya is supported by grants from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Stanford University Center for Computational, Evolutionary, and Human Genomics (CEHG). 

Amna Al Mansoori, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi
Amna Al Mansoori is a Marine scientist at the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD) where she is monitoring and conserving critical marine habitats along Abu Dhabi’s coastline. Her main role involves assessing the cover extent changes and health conditions of these habitats, particularly mangroves, and providing the necessary scientific evidence for their conservation and restoration. In addition to these efforts, Amna works to raise awareness on the importance of mangroves for the youth as well as non-environmental sectors. Amna is also a PhD student at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, where her research focuses on the habitat function and structural characteristics of mangroves for supporting biodiversity in the southern Arabian Gulf.

Ecosystems and Nature-Based Solutions with Aashish Jha and Amna Al Mansoori

This week’s CHANGEMAKER is JESSICA SMITH, Nature Lead at the UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME FINANCE INITIATIVE (UNEP FI), based in Geneva.  

As Nature Lead, Jessica is involved in pioneering work to develop collaborative partnerships between the global financial sector and indigenous and local communities.  We only have until 2030 to bring our societies back into harmony with nature, and indigenous groups are vital stewards of the world's biodiversity and carbon storage.  Jessica is helping design innovative financial mechanisms such as biodiversity credits, insurance products and debt for nature swaps to recognise and reward indigenous conservation efforts.  

JESSICA SMITH: "We are not only in a climate emergency, we're in a nature emergency which is accelerating the climate emergency."

MUSIC | Power of Nature by Jonathan Slatter (PRS), Sounds Visual Music Ltd (www.soundsvisual.com/)

PRODUCTION | In association with the Monthly Barometer | Producer/Presenter - Catriona Oliphant for ChromeRadio | Post-production - Catriona Oliphant & Chris Sharp.

COVER IMAGE | Man from the Mashi Conservancy, a community-based natural resource management area in north-east Namibia, holding a local variety of truffle.  With kind permission of Jessica Smith.  For information on the Conservancy: https://www.nacso.org.na/conservancies/mashi.

FURTHER INFORMATION

United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative | https://www.unepfi.org/
Principles for Responsible Banking | https://www.unepfi.org/banking/bankingprinciples/
Principles for Sustainable Insurance | https://www.unepfi.org/psi/
Biodiversity Credit Alliance | https://www.biodiversitycreditalliance.org/
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues | https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/unpfii-sessions-2.html

ChromeRadio | https://chromemedia.co.uk/
Monthly Barometer | https://monthlybarometer.com/

Power of Nature PRS Tunecode: 286114HQ

CHANGEMAKERS 02 | J Smith, UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative

In this episode, we plunge into the restoration of water cycles with Alpha Lo, an investigator and researcher dedicated to global water cycle restoration [https://climatewaterproject.substack.com/]. Join us as we explore how rehydrating the earth and soil, replenishing groundwater, and transforming drought-fire- and flood cycles affecting various regions can slow down or reverse climate change. Listen in to learn about the small water cycle, the impact of deforestation on rain, and how nature-based solutions can be more powerful than technological interventions.

Water, water everywhere. Or perhaps there used to be a great deal more water everywhere, particularly in the soil. The Climate Water Project started by Alpha Lo is a resource for understanding how we might restore the water cycle. It is possible and already happening around the globe in certain countries. 

While it is not yet happening at scale, we can aim our sights and actions toward this possibility. Restoring the water cycle, particularly through regenerating the soil and reforesting or greening the planet for longer, can indeed change the trajectory of this planet. For life to continue, it is imperative for us to participate in: slow water, the small water cycle, and restoration of groundwater, local watersheds and rainfall. Hear Alpha Lo of the Climate Water Project wax on about all things water and how we might participate in its return. 

For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio 

Alpha Lo publishes the Climate Water Project newsletter [https://climatewaterproject.substack.com/] and hosts the Climate Water Project podcast. He operates as an investigator and researcher into the interaction of ecology and climate via the water cycle. He studies how to restore our water cycles, and is working on numerous ecorestoration projects. He comes from a background in physics and permaculture, and teaches about water in Permaculture Design Courses. His substack and podcast focus on, of course, the water cycle, and how leveraging these forces helps with hydrating the earth and soil, replenishing groundwater, restoring rains in drought areas, lessening flooding, and slowing down climate change.


Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth.


Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ 
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ 
Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio
PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url  

Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt
Hosted by Carry Kim 
Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 231

The Climate Water Project: Rehydrating the Earth with Alpha Lo

In this week’s episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Matt Chambers, a researcher at the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems at the University of Georgia, about managing floods with nature-based solutions. Chambers discusses the history of levee systems in the United States, the challenges that the widespread use of levees have presented, and approaches to floodplain management that help restore ecosystems while improving community resilience to flooding. He also discusses the economic analysis that informs floodplain management and the evolution of the US Army Corps of Engineers as a key decisionmaker in the management of US rivers.

References and recommendations:

“Nature-based solutions for leveed river corridors” by Matthew L. Chambers, Charles B. van Rees, Brian P. Bledsoe, David Crane, Susana Ferreira, Damon M. Hall, Rod W. Lammers, Craig E. Landry, Donald R. Nelson, Matt Shudtz, and Burton C. Suedel; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213305423000504

“Engineering with Nature” podcast; https://ewn.erdc.dren.mil/podcasts/

“The Control of Nature” by John McPhee; https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374522599/thecontrolofnature

“An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States” by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz; https://www.beacon.org/An-Indigenous-Peoples-History-of-the-United-States-P1164.aspx

“The Gift of Good Land” by Wendell Berry; https://www.counterpointpress.com/books/the-gift-of-good-land/

“The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise” by Michael Grunwald; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Swamp/Michael-Grunwald/9780743251075

Making Room for the River with Nature-Based Solutions, with Matt Chambers

Measuring the impact of nature-based solutions (NBS) interventions takes consistent ground-level data alongside independent, verifiable, satellite-based data. When collected together, the door opens for more private sector investment, helping to close the nature finance gap that’s at least $700 billion large. We bring you examples from Bangladesh and India to explore how projects are enticing more resources through the capture and use of remote sensing data.
Episode Guests include: 
- Paulina Villalpando, Associate Director for Nature, HSBC 
- Fred Stolle, Land & Carbon Lab Director of Impact, WRI 
- Dipak Zade, Social Sciences Thematic Lead, WOTR 
- Tapas Ranjan Chakrabotry, Climate Change Senior Programme Manager, BRAC

Nature-Based Solutions for Enhancing Climate Resilience: Data Drives Impact

Can Nature-based Solutions help us address environmental challenges, while laying the groundwork for creating millions of new jobs? A report by the ILO, the UN Environment Programme and the International Union for Conservation of Nature titled “Decent Work in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) says NbS has the potential to add up to 32 million jobs by 2030 to the already more than 60 million working to protect, and restore and sustainably use natural resources with the greatest gains in Africa, Latin America and the Arab States. At the same time, NbS will also require new skills training and reskilling of some workers. In this podcast, two lead editors of the report, Maikel Lieuw-Kie-Song, Senior Technical Specialist of the ILO Employment Policy Department, and Rowan Palmer, Programme Officer in the United Nations Environment Programme’s Economic and Trade Policy Unit explain.

Nature-based Solutions: How protecting the planet can create jobs

In the first episode of the Planetary Health Now podcast, host Dr. Samuel Sandboge is joined by Dr. Annika Kolster, an expert in nature-based health promotion. The episode, which is also part of the PlanetaryHealth.now MOOC, explores the health benefits of spending time in nature from various perspectives.

Annika Kolster is an MD specialised in General Medicine, the Chief Physician of Medical Education in the Western Uusimaa region, and a doctoral researcher in the field of nature-based health promotion.

Samuel Sandboge is an MD, specialised in General Medicine and Rheumatology, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Tampere, a visiting researcher at the University of Helsinki, and the developer of the Climate University MOOC PlanetaryHealth.now.

The intro and outro music was written by Karl Thegerström, Lars Tornberg and Samuel Sandboge and performed by Thegerström and Tornberg. 

Join us and reflect on how spending time in nature could benefit your health and wellbeing!

Episode 1: Nature-based Health Promotion

In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Kaitlin Raimi about public perceptions of solar geoengineering. Raimi, a social psychologist and associate professor at the University of Michigan, describes how only around 15 or 25 percent of people know what solar geoengineering is, and those who are aware tend to be wary of the concept. She discusses techniques to inform the public about the benefits and pitfalls of solar engineering, avoid political polarization, and prevent solar geoengineering from being seen as the only solution needed to tackle climate change.

References and recommendations:

“Public perceptions of geoengineering” by Kaitlin T. Raimi; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X21000385

Solar geoengineering research at Resources for the Future; https://www.rff.org/topics/comprehensive-climate-strategies/solar-geoengineering/

“Cane Toads: An Unnatural History” documentary; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_Toads:_An_Unnatural_History

Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/

Nature vs. Unnature: Public Perception of Solar Geoengineering, with Kaitlin Raimi

How can carbon finance do more to strengthen rural livelihoods and empower the communities on the frontlines of climate change? Social Impact Pioneers - Anna Kilpatrick, from PUR, Ann Vaughan & Lilian Gwazayo of CARE, and Olaf Westermann, from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) explore this critical question.

The conversation, in turn, hears from people implementing carbon finance programmes with a focus on deepening livelihood benefits in countries from around the world, including Mr. Matola Sigele in Malawi; Karimi in Cambodia; Emmanuel and Joshua in Uganda.

Together, they unpack how nature-based solutions, carbon markets, and community-led restoration can deliver climate impact rooted in equity and sustainability. The conversation dives into payment for ecosystem services, carbon equity, and the importance of long-term investment in communities that steward forests and farmlands.

You will hear how carbon projects are reshaping livelihoods—improving food security, empowering women, and restoring degraded landscapes. And also some of the challenges - in making these programmes work - whether land rights, short-term rewards, or understandable skepticism.

This episode offers practical insights for businesses, investors, and NGOs seeking to align carbon finance integrity with inclusive development.
Listen now to explore how climate finance can be a cornerstone of sustainable livelihoods—not just a co-benefit.

This conversation is hosted by Yvette Torres-Rahman, co-founder of Business Fights Poverty. 

Social Impact Pioneers:
- Anna Kilpatrick, Chief Strategy and Impact Officer at PUR, whose agroforestry projects help global companies decarbonize agricultural supply chains while improving smallholder incomes.
- Ann Vaughan, Associate Vice President for Resilient Futures at CARE, leading work to unlock climate finance that reaches 25 million people, especially women and girls.
- Olaf Westermann, Senior Technical Advisor on Climate Change and Agriculture at CRS, connecting conservation, livelihoods, and equity in nature-based carbon projects worldwide.
- Lilian Gwazayo, Field Advisor, & Environmental Scientist, CARE, Malawi.

Links: 

 Redd+ Projects: https://unfccc.int/topics/land-use/workstreams/redd/what-is-redd

PUR: https://www.pur.co/
Catholic Relief Services: https://www.crs.org/
Care: Malawi We Staan Nog Steeds: https://www.carenederland.org/verhaal/malawi-we-staan-nog-steeds 

Care: Malawi: Herstel van groene vegetatie draagt bij aan duurzame toekomst
https://www.carenederland.org/nieuws/malawi-het-herstellen-van-groene-vegetatie 
 
CARE Malawi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-international-in-malawi/posts/?feedView=all 

CARE Nederland: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-nederland/posts/?feedView=all

Restore Africa: https://www.evergreening.org/restoreafrica/


Rural Livelihoods with Carbon Finance with Lilian, Ann, Olaf & Anna

Hello, and welcome to the Business Fights Poverty podcast, where we bring you engaging conversations with social impact trailblazers. Dive into a wealth of insights, diverse perspectives, and valuable advice, all designed to enlighten and inspire. Gain first-hand understanding of how businesses and thought leaders are addressing the world's most pressing social challenges, empowering you to make well-informed decisions and take meaningful action. So, sit back and join us as we explore the frontiers of business-driven social impact.

"Big Ideas Into Action" is the relaunched podcast from the World Resources Institute, bringing you the big ideas that combat the world's most pressing environmental and developmental challenges. You'll hear the voices of those meeting the challenges on the ground across the globe and find out about the way we're finding the answers and translating them into action. 

We'll be podcasting in series of six to eight at a time, once a week, with occasional special episodes to add our insights and analysis in response to big events. 

The World Resources Institute works around the globe to turn big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We focus on seven urgent global challenges that must be addressed to reduce poverty, grow economies and protect natural systems: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, cities, and the ocean.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations and is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that labour peace is essential to prosperity.

Today, the ILO helps advance the creation of decent work and the economic and working conditions that give working people and business people a stake in lasting peace, prosperity and progress. Its tripartite structure provides a unique platform for promoting decent work for all women and men. 

Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.

EcoJustice Radio presents environmental and climate stories from a social justice frame, featuring voices not necessarily heard on mainstream media.

Our purpose is to amplify community voices, broaden the reach of grassroots-based movements, and inspire action. We investigate solutions for social, environmental, and climate issues with an eye to advance human health, steward wild landscapes, and solve the climate crisis across the USA and the world.

Featured weekly on KPFK Los Angeles and KPFT Houston, and found on all major podcast apps. We are nationally syndicated through the Pacifica Network and PRX and heard on public radio stations across the US and downloaded in over 25 countries.

Co-hosts Jack Eidt, Carry Kim, and Jessica Aldridge present a broad range of perspectives: land defenders and water protectors; Indigenous leaders, front/fenceline community spokespeople; youth organizers; ecosystem and land stewards; regenerative farmers and permaculture specialists; spiritual and faith leaders; environmental health advocates and practitioners; documentary filmmakers; climate scientists; and political decision makers.

EcoJustice Radio [http://EcoJusticeRadio.org] is produced by SoCal350.org since 2017. 

Tune in live to KPFK Radio Thursdays from 4 to 5 PM (PT) at 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 93.7 FM North San Diego, 99.5 FM Ridgecrest-China Lake, or KPFK.org. 

We also are featured on KPFT Houston from 4 to 5 PM (CT) at 90.1 FM or KPFT.org and other public radio stations on the Pacifica Network.

The world in context | Informed comment on global issues

Resources Radio is a weekly podcast by Resources for the Future. Each week we talk to leading experts about climate change, electricity, ecosystems, and more, making the latest research accessible to everyone.

New tracks tagged #nature-based solutions