Capacity building is crucial to the success of community-led climate adaptation and resilience projects. In our latest podcast episode, we sit down with Liz Tully of the Climate Resilience Fund to learn about the Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI). We also chat with community leaders from Kentucky to Idaho about how CSCI grants have made local resilience efforts possible, and how federal and state support could make their work even more impactful.

Whether you are an amateur in the kitchen or a professional chef, electrification is a gouda option! In this episode, Chef Christopher Galarza, an expert in cooking with electric and induction technology, explains to co-hosts Daniel and Alison why he does not play with fire in his restaurants or at home. Chef Chris’s leadership at Forward Dining Solutions and EcoChef recently earned him a spot on the 2025 Grist 50 list.

Show notes:

• I Made the Switch from Gas to Electric Cooking. Here’s Why I Love My New Induction Stove (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/i-made-the-switch-from-gas-to-electric-cooking-heres-why-i-love-my-new-induction-stove
• Smart Home, Green Home (2025 Clean Energy EXPO Panel): https://www.eesi.org/expo2025smarthome
• Benefits of ENERGY STAR (Rapid Readout): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/051625rapidreadout

Welcome to Season 10 of The Climate Conversation! Daniel and Alison recorded today’s episode from Capitol Hill with Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California’s 37th Congressional District, part of Los Angeles County. Rep. Kamlager-Dove spoke about her work promoting a circular economy through the Slow Fashion Caucus, which she co-chairs, and the bipartisan Recommerce Caucus.

Today’s episode of EESI’s podcast is showcasing a brand new EESI resource, Rapid Readouts. Things are happening faster than ever, and you need information quickly. These 30-minute, interactive Readouts will bring you what you need to know, when you need to know it. Our first Rapid Readout took place on Friday and explored the benefits of ENERGY STAR.

Climate change has thrown the sports world a massive curveball. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events pose a threat to athletes in all seasons and settings, from mountain skiers to ocean surfers. Sport ecologist Madeleine Orr joined Daniel and Alison on The Climate Conversation to talk about her book, Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sport. She also shared tactics for the industry to protect athletes and fans while reducing its environmental impact.

Show notes:

• Talking about “The Octopus in the Parking Garage” with Rob Verchick (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/6.1-talking-about-the-octopus-in-the-parking-garage-with-rob-verchick
• Political Climate: Author Jay Hakes on the History of Climate Change Science in the White House (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/8.6-political-climate-author-jay-hakes-on-the-history-of-climate-change-science-in-the-white-house

Home insurance is one of those things you need to have and hope to never need. But as risk from climate disasters increases, many homeowners are finding it more and more difficult to obtain an affordable policy. This is especially true in the American West, where wildfires are creating more uncertainty than insurance companies are willing to cover, forcing many homeowners to enroll in state-run insurance plans. Daniel and Alison sit down with Dr. Lisa Dale, director of the Climate and Society Masters program at the Columbia Climate School, for a conversation about how policymakers can help communities navigate the insurance crisis as it relates to wildfires.

Show notes:

• Risky Business: Insurance in the Era of Climate Change (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/050625insurance
• Missing the mark: Effectiveness and funding in community wildfire risk reduction (Headwaters Economics report): https://headwaterseconomics.org/natural-hazards/missing-the-mark-wildfire/
• All Fired up for Innovation in Wildfire Risk Analysis (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/7.6-all-fired-up-for-innovation-in-wildfire-risk-analysis
• Living with Climate Change: Wildfires (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/061322climatechange
• Rethinking Tourism in the Wake of West Maui’s Wildfires (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/rethinking-tourism-in-the-wake-of-west-mauis-wildfires

For residents of former and current mining communities (especially in Appalachia, the Midwest, and the Mountain West), abandoned mines are a familiar—and often dangerous—aspect of the local landscape. Unreclaimed abandoned mines and infrastructure can leak acid drainage, pollute groundwater, or collapse unexpectedly. Guests Kevin Zedack and Matt Hepler (both from Appalachian Voices) sit down with Daniel and EESI’s newest communications associate, Hannah Wilson-Black, to explain how cleaning up these sites can safeguard ecosystems and human health while providing new economic development opportunities in coal communities.

Show notes:

• Central Appalachian Mine Reforestation Assessment (Appalachian Voices resource): https://skytruth.org/mtr-data-files/
• Plugging Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells Provides Climate and Jobs Benefits (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/plugging-orphaned-oil-and-gas-wells-provides-climate-and-jobs-benefits
• Unlocking Rural Economies: Farm Bill Investments in Rural America (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/052423farmbill

With the United States withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, there is a lot of uncertainty about what U.S. climate diplomacy will look like under the current administration. But despite challenges at the national level, many state governments are poised to continue making progress on global climate action. This new dynamic is already playing out in response to ocean acidification. Daniel and Alison sat down with Jessie Turner, executive director of the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification (OA Alliance), to explore the landscape—or seascape—of subnational climate diplomacy.

Show notes:

• Exploring the Policy Landscape of Carbon Dioxide Removal (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/091224cdr
• En-shoring a Better Future for Coastal Ecosystems and Communities (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/8.1-en-shoring-a-better-future-for-coastal-ecosystems-and-communities
• A Resilient Future for Coastal Communities (report): https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/a-resilient-future-for-coastal-communities
• Making Waves: The Importance of Oceans at COP28 (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/making-waves-the-importance-of-oceans-at-cop28
• EESI Resources for the 2024 U.N. Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29 resources): https://www.eesi.org/cop29-resources