Climate Change Podcasts

This article relates to Weather

Part of the plot of Jenny Offill's Weather involves the protagonist, Lizzie, answering questions posed by listeners to her former academic mentor's disaster-preparedness podcast, Hell and High Water. As issues surrounding climate change increasingly propel public conversation, real-world counterparts to this fictional podcast abound. Here is a roundup of some of the best podcasts for understanding the climate emergency.

Climate One
This weekly podcast grew out of an influential forum that brings together leaders in the fields of energy, the economy and the environment. Timely topics include climate psychology and climate and human migration; the program also profiles notable scientists and authors working and writing in these fields.

America Adapts
Hosted by Doug Parson, a climate change adaptation expert who has worked with numerous state and local governments, this podcast brings together scientists, activists, journalists and policymakers to explain the significant choices humans have to make now—and to highlight successful decisions that are already being made. New content is released a couple of times a month.

Drilled
The podcast Drilled, which has just begun its third season, tells an important story: how climate change deniers gained popular legitimacy in the United States despite a mountain of overwhelming scientific evidence debunking their claims. If you don't already despise Big Oil, you probably will after listening to Season 1!

Mothers of Invention
Hosted by former Irish President Mary Robinson and comedian Maeve Higgins, this podcast's tagline is "Climate change is a man-made problem—with a feminist solution!" Focusing on women's role in climate justice initiatives around the world, Mothers of Invention takes a well-informed look at issues such as the carbon footprint of the fashion industry and how climate change is affecting the lives of Indigenous women and families in the Arctic.

TIL Climate
Leave it to the brains at MIT to break down the science of climate change and explain it to us mere mortals, one 10-minute lesson at a time. Fast-paced, easily digestible episodes about topics such as fossil fuels, the electric grid and carbon pricing help listeners feel more informed about these critical issues.

No Place Like Home
If you're looking for a more personal angle on the climate crisis, this podcast delivers, delving into the lives of ordinary people from around the globe and how changes in their environment are affecting their lives—or might soon. One recent series analyzes the phenomenon of climate anxiety and offers strategies for how to combat feelings of fear and hopelessness in the face of staggering change.

Off Track
This Australian podcast is a great choice for the whole family; it includes stories about wildlife and the environment, interspersed with music and soundscapes that remind listeners why our world is so important to save.

Filed under Nature and the Environment

This "beyond the book article" relates to Weather. It originally ran in March 2020 and has been updated for the January 2021 paperback edition. Go to magazine.

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