In Australia, one in three homes hosts a rooftop solar system. And 20% of those systems are attached to batteries. In February, a major grid outage put those systems to the test.  Extreme weather caused a series of grid failures in the state of Victoria. And with coal plants tripping offline, solar capacity helped keep the blackouts from cascading further. So what does the incident tell us about how solar PV can help grid operators during times of stress? And will policies finally catch up to reality that distributed resources are critical for grids facing more extreme events? In this installment, Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a feature from the pages of Latitude Media on learnings from a massive blackout in Australia. Like what you hear? For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are two critical ingredients fueling the AI boom: energy and chips.  And NVIDIA, one of the most important companies in AI, is looking to be a power player in both. NVIDIA was founded in the early 1990s as a chip maker for gaming. It has since evolved into a $2 trillion behemoth building the most sought-after graphics processing units for training AI. Now, the company is making moves to deploy its technology in equipment at the edge of the grid – and looking to build a framework for deploying AI inside utility operations. Could the power sector get an upgrade from a critical AI power broker? In this edition: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents her own story from the pages of Latitude Media on how NVIDIA is looking to spread AI across the grid. Like what you hear? For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US green hydrogen industry is at a critical juncture.  After months of input and debate, the government put out draft rules for tax credits at the end of last year – setting firm requirements for matching new, local renewables to hydrogen production. It was seen by many as a big step for ensuring that green hydrogen is actually green. But across the industry, the reaction was more mixed – even among those who want to make the industry as clean as possible. Many projects have already been canceled. The tax credit guidelines will be finalized this summer. And in the meantime, there’s a looming question: will strict rules derail the market before it gets started, or will they make it better long-term? Or both? In this installment, we have a double-header: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents two features from the pages of Latitude Media on how the US green hydrogen industry is responding to new rules and canceling some projects.  Like what you hear? For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Data center energy use is spiking around the world. The International Energy Agency says that demand could double in the next two years, as artificial intelligence workloads soar. This increase in demand is alarming environmentalists and clean power advocates, who say AI is making decarbonization harder.  But many experts in the data center industry see it differently. They say data centers are actually an energy efficiency success story – and that the benefits of AI in the power sector will far outweigh the increase in data center demand. In this edition: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from the pages of Latitude Media on the reactions from data center experts about the surge of energy demand from AI.  For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As cities around the U.S. ramp up their renewable energy goals, they’re sometimes at odds with the utilities that serve them. Some have tried to break away and form their own utilities. Others are creating community choice aggregators to negotiate clean power supply for residents. The city of Ann Arbor is trying something different – building microgrid projects to serve local load without the help of the utility.  The effort could be costly, contentious, and complicated. But if it works, it could create a whole new model for local clean energy supply. In this edition: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from the pages of Latitude Media on a microgrid project in Michigan that aims to bypass the local utility. For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have 60 gigawatts of virtual power plant capacity in the US. But that needs to triple in the next decade to support a zero-carbon grid – while also meeting a surge in peak demand. There are lots of different models for building VPPs that link together solar, batteries, EV chargers, and smart thermostats. Sunrun and PG&E tested a model this summer that uses solar and batteries to create a “permanent load shift” to offset the evening peak in California. It provided tens of megawatts of capacity to the utility. But there were also some issues with batteries not delivering the expected output. What do the results tell us what it will take to make VPPs a core piece of utility operations? In this edition: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from the pages of Latitude Media on some surprising results from PG&E and Sunrun’s virtual power plant pilot.  For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wind and solar projects are relatively simple to build compared with thermal power plants. But there’s a lot of technological innovation going into how those renewable plants are designed, constructed and optimized – driven by robots, artificial intelligence, and data science. Can these technologies help offset higher labor costs, rising financing costs, and supply chain constraints? In this edition: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from the pages of Latitude Media called on how the renewables industry is harnessing new technologies to drive efficiency and cost declines. For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world needs a lot of critical minerals. By the middle of the century, we could be looking at a six-fold increase in demand for lithium, copper, cobalt, nickel, and magnesium to make enough batteries and renewables to decarbonize the global economy. That means a lot of mining. And it also means we need a lot of geologists to help find new resources. But will a looming shortage of geologists in the US put supply security at risk? In this edition: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from the pages of Latitude Media on the looming geologist shortage. For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk has called lithium “the new oil.” Demand for critical minerals is booming alongside the surge in global battery production. And countries are racing to control as much mining and processing of lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and graphite quickly as possible. There’s also a race among companies that are exploring artificial intelligence to discover new deposits of critical minerals. It’s yet another area where AI could speed up the energy transition. Can it help meet tight deadlines for scaling up needed production? Today: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from the pages of Latitude Media on how AI could alleviate the critical minerals supply crunch. For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Thanks to our partner, Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America. Latitude listeners are invited to attend the event for free on January 17-19 at the San Diego Convention Center. Visit Intersolar.us and use code LAT to get free expo access and save 20% on a conference pass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been another tumultuous year for the clean energy sector in the stock market.  Even with strong tailwinds from the Inflation Reduction Act, many public companies took a hit this year – thanks to investor concerns over high interest rates, supply chain constraints, uncertainty over policy implementation, and a rush back into oil & gas stocks. So what does it mean for cleantech investors in 2024? Today: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from the pages of Latitude Media called “Cleantech’s very weird year.” For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Thanks to our partner, Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America. Latitude listeners are invited to attend the event for free on January 17-19 at the San Diego Convention Center. Visit Intersolar.us and use code LAT to get free expo access and save 20% on a conference pass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America’s first commercial plant for capturing CO2 directly from the air is online.  It marks the start of an industrial race in direct-air capture – or DAC – an industry that needs to succeed in tandem with a tripling of clean generation to slash global emissions. The US has emerged as a leader in the promotion of DAC in the hopes of radically dropping costs. And the success of this new plant will be an important indicator of the economic and technical path ahead. So, how will it work? Today: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from staff writer Maeve Allsup, who went to Tracy, California to witness the opening of Heirloom’s carbon removal plant. For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Thanks to our partner, Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America. Latitude listeners are invited to attend the event for free on January 17-19 at the San Diego Convention Center. Visit Intersolar.us and use code LAT to get free expo access and save 20% on a conference pass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The concentrating solar power industry – also known as solar thermal – has been defined by bankruptcies, failed projects, and high costs. But is it finding new life? Crystalline silicon photovoltaics won the race for solar power generation long ago. But there’s a vital market it can’t serve cheaply: industrial steam. And now out of bankruptcy, GlassPoint is hoping that solar thermal can find a competitive edge in the massive market for heat. Today: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from staff writer Maeve Allsup on the industrial niche that may pull concentrated solar out of obscurity. For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Thanks to our partner, Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America. Latitude listeners are invited to attend the event for free on January 17-19 at the San Diego Convention Center. Visit Intersolar.us and use code LAT to get free expo access and save 20% on a conference pass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transmission backlogs. Land constraints. Local pushback. They’re all causing headaches for developers of wind, solar, and battery projects. And that’s making brownfields more attractive for renewables – and a range of novel, industrial-scale storage and carbon-removal projects. An Italian company is planning a compressed carbon dioxide storage project on the site of an old coal plant in the Midwest. It’s a first-of-a-kind. And it may offer a pathway for the hundreds of gigawatts of long-duration storage that are needed to hit net-zero emissions. Today: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from contributor Emma Foehringer Merchant on the surge of interest in old industrial sites to host frontier climatetech projects like long-duration storage. For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. A big thanks to our launch sponsor, Scale Microgrids. Scale Microgrids is the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Check out scalemicrogrids.com/careers to learn more about the open roles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The market for engineered carbon removal is starting to resemble, well, a real market.  Tax credits. Billions in government support. Corporate buyers. A wide range of startups that are picking up investment and working toward commercial deployment. They’re all helping push forward the use of machines to remove carbon from the atmosphere. But the path to gigaton scale is not yet clear. And there’s a big gap between promises and reality. Today: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from staff writer Maeve Allsup about how the carbon removal industry is in its “figuring it out” phase. For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. A big thanks to our launch sponsor, Scale Microgrids. Scale Microgrids is the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Check out scalemicrogrids.com/careers to learn more about the open roles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Green hydrogen is a critical resource for cleaning up industry and heavy trucking.  With tens of billions of government and corporate dollars plowing into the space – electrolyzer companies are preparing for a ramp up in sales and project developments to help turn renewable electrons into hydrogen molecules. But they’re also hitting a snag: without much demand for more expensive green hydrogen, electrolyzer makers are caught in a holding pattern. So when will the market break open? Today: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from writer Tammy Xu called, “The electrolyzer market is caught in limbo.” For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. A big thanks to our launch sponsor, Scale Microgrids. Scale Microgrids is the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Check out scalemicrogrids.com/careers to learn more about the open roles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Top tech companies are on a quest to run their massive data centers around the clock with clean power. It’s not an easy task, but they’ve been making progress. The energy efficiency of large data centers has radically improved over the last two decades. And tech players have been buying renewables at breakneck speed. But a new source of computational demand is complicating those efforts: artificial intelligence. Today: Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents a story from writer Erin Wong called, “The AI ‘wild card’ promises to complicate clean clouds.” For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. A big thanks to our launch sponsor, Scale Microgrids. Scale Microgrids is the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Check out scalemicrogrids.com/careers to learn more about the open roles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Electric grids are increasingly being saturated with weather-dependent renewables. At the same time, power systems are also getting challenged by intensifying and unpredictable extreme weather. So can weather prediction models rise to the challenge? The answer may be in machine learning. Today: how artificial intelligence could make weather modeling much more powerful – and limit the use of fossil fuels as a backup to renewables. Latitude Media Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins brings us a story titled, “Could AI-fueled weather forecasts boost renewable energy production?” from contributor Emma Woollacott. Read all of Latitude Media's news here. A big thanks to our launch sponsor, Scale Microgrids. Scale Microgrids is the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Check out scalemicrogrids.com/careers to learn more about the open roles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renewables are now super cheap and abundant. We could install nearly a half terawatt of new wind and solar capacity this year – more than the entire capacity of China. But with that surge comes a set of very pointed questions: what do we do with all those clean electrons on grids that don’t always value them – and can’t always handle them? Today: how to make good use of all the new renewable electrons hitting the grid.  Latitude Media Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins brings us a story titled, “The excess renewables opportunity,” by contributor Emma Foehringer Merchant. Read all Latitude Media’s stories here. A big thanks to our launch sponsor, Scale Microgrids. Scale Microgrids is the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Check out scalemicrogrids.com/careers to learn more about the open roles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi Climavores listeners: we're announcing a change to this feed. Going forward, this show will be called The Latitude. Solar, wind, and batteries have all surged around the world. We’re set to install 400 gigawatts of renewables in the next five years — equivalent to the capacity of China. But emissions still have not peaked globally. This leaves us with an obvious question: what are the new frontiers of technology that will reverse this trend at the speed needed? Covering this frontier of climate tech will form the basis of The Latitude’s coverage. We aim to offer a clear picture of where these sectors stand today, and help you figure out where they’re headed. You'll hear stories from our journalists, analysts, and a range of experts on a wide range of trends: artificial intelligence, storage, carbon removal, virtual power plants, hydrogen, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this last episode of the season, Tamar and Mike discuss what they’ve learned over the past six months and debate whether there’s hope for solving the food and climate problem (spoiler alert: they both say, “Yes, if….).  They discuss techno optimists who see the rise in food and ag tech innovations as an overall win for the climate, but admit that technology can only slow climate change if people embrace it. In this episode, Mike and Tamar weigh in on a recent Bloomberg article titled “Fake Meat Was Supposed to Save the World. It Became Just Another Fad.” They point out that naysayers also doubted the solar industry in the ‘60s and plant-based milks in the ‘90s. And look where they are now!  They also dig into the belief that the way we grow food and the food we eat should be rooted in a natural system. Tamar admits that until people can disassociate naturalness from their view of the food system, we're not going to make the progress needed to save the planet.  Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wheat feeds billions but it has some big climate problems. Wheat production degrades the soil, which releases carbon. It also requires a lot of land. That means clearing land—often forest—to make room for it, which also releases carbon. Plus, wheat harms ecosystems: fertilizer runoff causes water pollution, and monoculture hurts biodiversity. One alternative? Kernza. Developed over decades by the Land Institute, it’s a perennial relative of wheat that sequesters carbon with its massive root system. But does its carbon-sequestering power make it truly climate-friendly?   This week, Mike and Tamar talk about Kernza and the decades-long movement to domesticate the holy grail of grains: a crop that not only produces high yields but also improves the environment. To leave a message for Mike and Tamar, call the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s no secret that chocolate is a sweet loved by pretty much everyone (well, everyone except Tamar). Here in the states, the average American eats about 12 pounds of chocolate a year, and worldwide we eat eight million tons of it annually. Unfortunately, our obsession with chocolate comes with a high carbon footprint. It also often creates terrible labor conditions for the communities who cultivate it. This week, Mike and Tamar speak with Rowan Jacobsen — author, journalist, and host of the podcast “OBSESSIONS: Wild Chocolate” — to discuss how we make chocolate in a way that’s good for the planet and people.  Full transcript here. To leave a message for Mike and Tamar, call the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a new year, and that means a new stream of voicemails filling up our listener hotline. This week Mike and Tamar kick things off by answering questions about the impact of food packaging, the scope of precision agriculture, lamb and goat meat compared to beef, and much more. They also share some of their predictions for what 2023 will bring in the worlds of nutrition and climate. It’s the mailbag episode! And it won’t be the last, so keep your questions about food and climate change coming.  To leave a message for Mike and Tamar, call the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the show, internet sensation Hank Green talks with Mike and Tamar about the future of cell-based meat. Hank lives in Montana, which is hardcore ranching country. It’s a place where beef is king, cowboys are real and pickup trucks are the norm. But he’s convinced that the future of meat looks a lot different than it does today. And Mike and Tamar agree.  But there are huge hurdles to overcome before the majority of us sit down to cell-based steaks at the dinner table. Scaling up bio reactors in a way that maintains sterility is complicated; making cell-based meat that’s affordable to the general public is a long way out; and changing the “ick” mindset around cell-based meat will take a monumental cultural shift. But despite all that, Hank predicts he’ll be eating cell-based nuggets by 2030 and loving them.  Click here for a full transcript of the episode. Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Tamar talk a lot about eating better for our bodies and our planet. They’ve tackled meat versus plants, processed food versus whole food, cow milk versus almond milk. They even did a whole episode about the pros and cons of local food.  But in this episode, they talk about the ultimate local food, something Tamar calls “first-hand food.” It’s the food we grow, forage, raise, hunt or even fish ourselves; and it’s central to Tamar’s book “To Boldly Grow.” In this episode Mike interviews Tamar on how her book came to be and outs himself as a major fan. “To Boldly Grow” is part memoir, part how-to guide. But it’s not just a book about food. It’s about doing stuff; it’s about love and marriage; and it’s available wherever books are sold if you need a last minute holiday gift… Resources: To Boldly Grow by Tamar Haspel Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We want your feedback! Fill out our listener survey for a chance to win a $100 Patagonia gift card. In this live recording of Climavores, Mike and Tamar talk with special guest Dr. Marion Nestle, a nutrition and food studies professor at NYU and author of Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics.  Over her long career, Marion has become one of the leading voices on food, nutrition and politics. Her research examines scientific and socioeconomic influences on food choice, obesity, and food safety, with an emphasis on the role of food industry influence. Tamar calls Marion “the premier Nutrition Scientist of the Western World,” and it’s only a slight exaggeration! In this episode, Mike, Tamar and Marion dig into why we believe what we do about food and nutrition and explore where eating for the planet is – and isn’t – the same as eating for health. Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us on November 30 for a live, virtual episode of Climavores with guest Marion Nestle. Come ask a question about food, nutrition, and eating for the climate. We want your feedback! Fill out our listener survey for a chance to win a $100 Patagonia gift card. This week, a whole lot of Americans will sit down to Thanksgiving turkeys raised on farms; turkeys that have eaten corn and soybeans that needed land and fertilizer and other resources to grow. And although those turkeys are way better for the climate than beef (which is why Thanksgiving is way better for the climate than the Fourth of July), they’re still the most emissions-intensive part of the meal outside of Tofurkey or wild turkey.  In this first ever Thanksgiving episode of Climavores, Mike and Tamar break down the climate impact of America’s ultimate food holiday – from cranberries to sweet potatoes. Spoiler alert: it’s not bad! They also reflect on the intimate connection Native Americans and early settlers had with their food and the land. And they give thanks for the less than one percent of Americans who grow our food.   Plus, Tamar remembers her mother. RESOURCES: The Washington Post: Tamar on the climate impact of Thanksgiving dinner Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We want your feedback! Fill out our listener survey for a chance to win a $100 Patagonia gift card. Join us on November 30 for a live, virtual episode of Climavores. Come ask a question about food, nutrition, and eating for the climate. As a Climavores listener, you know that we spend a ton of time trying to understand and help you understand how climate change affects food, and vice versa.  From beef to corn to rice to deforestation and overfishing, to water and soil, and even to food waste, our current food system is not great for climate change, or people – but that also means there’s huge opportunities to build a better one. Today we want to introduce you to Important, Not Important – it’s science for people who care, like Climavores! The critically-acclaimed show, hosted by Quinn Emmett, guides listeners through in-depth conversations with incredible humans working on the frontlines of the future, from climate to COVID, heat to hunger, agriculture to AI ethics. Quinn teases out stories, tips, and tactics from senators and scientists, investors and doctors, students and CEO’s, and more, helping you to answer everybody’s favorite question: “What can I do?” In this episode, Quinn welcomes Aishwarya Iyer, founder of Brightland, the wildly popular maker of climate-friendly and delicious olive oils and vinegars, to try and understand what it’s like to start a food company in the climate era, why their bottles are both beautiful and useful, and what California’s drought means for food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, The New York Times weighed in on food and climate change in a big way. They devoted an entire section of page one to Dr. Frank Mitloehner, the head of an agricultural research institute at the University of California, Davis. The headline? “He’s an Outspoken Defender of Meat. Industry Funds His Research, Files Show.” The implication of the story was that Mitloehner takes meat industry money and expresses meat industry views. But The Times article admitted it didn’t actually find anything unclean about the money, so it felt more like a smear campaign to some. Or just a bad journalistic call.  But the article raised a bigger question for Mike and Tamar: How should we think about industry-funded research, particularly when so much research about the links between agriculture and climate is driven by private-sector support? They also ask how we should think about scientists who moonlight as advocates as well as how pseudo-scandals like the one in The New York Times affect the larger conversation around food and climate change. Resources: The New York Times He’s an Outspoken Defender of Meat. Industry Funds His Research, Files Show. Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent weeks, climate activists in London, Paris and Germany have taken center stage for throwing food at famous works of art. Their goal? To focus attention on climate change and fossil fuel dependency. And it’s working. Videos of the protests have racked up tons of views on YouTube. But are these kinds of protests the most effective way to persuade the public?  Mike and Tamar are in the anti-food-throwing camp. But while they don’t agree on the methods, they push back against critical voices in the climate movement. As Mike says, “If you’re going to get pissed, get pissed at the oil companies and agribusinesses that are causing this mess, not these idealistic young people trying to do something about it.” In this episode, Mike and Tamar talk about the tension between climate wonks and climate activists and weigh in on whether climate activists are being helpful or not.  Resources: ResearchGate on the effects of extreme protest on popular support for social movements  NYTimes: Climate Protesters Throw Soup Over van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ The Guardian: Climate activists throw mashed potatoes at Monet work in Germany Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the food world, conversations around GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) have been polarized and vitriolic for decades. Fights over the very early genetically modified corn and soy that were resistant to glyphosate, the herbicide in RoundUp, set the tone for an argument that we’re still having a quarter-century later. Yet human beings have modified almost all of our crops and livestock for years. That’s the whole point of breeding programs. But people feel differently about it when scientists tinker with the genome.  In this episode, Mike and Tamar dig in on whether GMOs are the scourge of the earth or humanity’s salvation. Tamar looks at the nutrition and environmental health facts of GMOs and whether they’re actually bad for us. And Mike weighs in on advances in genetic engineering, “Frankenfoods,” and the sea of misinformation surrounding GMOs. Resources: Science Direct on using Camelina as a source of EPA and DHA in fish feed Progressive Farmer on drought-tolerant wheat Alliance for Science on disease-resistant cassava PBS NewsHour on genetically engineered salmon Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The vast majority of habitable land on our planet is either agriculture or forests. So when cropland and grazing land expands, forests shrink. This is a problem because forests soak up about a quarter of the carbon dioxide we emit.  Mike and Tamar talk a lot on the show about ways to make more food with less land. Why? Because doing that helps stop the deforestation that’s transferring carbon from trees to the atmosphere. In the current climate emergency, reducing emissions isn’t enough. We need negative emissions, and trees are the best technology we’ve got.  But fixing the world’s deforestation problems, and its food and climate problems, is more complicated than just planting more trees. In this episode, Mike and Tamar answer a listener question about the negative carbon footprint of fruit and nut trees. Then they dig in on everything from agroforestry and using forests as carbon offsets to burning trees for energy and national and international forest policy. Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.  VERGE 22, taking place Oct 25-27 in San Jose, CA, will convene more than 4,000 leaders working together to address the climate crisis across six strategic areas: clean energy, sustainable transportation, carbon removal, regenerative food systems, net-zero buildings and the startup ecosystem. Register today and use the code V22PSMEDIA for 10% off of the pass type of your choice: https://bit.ly/3f2f2FQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month, The Washington Post ran a story about college campuses offering therapy for climate change anxiety. The American Psychological Association found that nearly half of younger Americans say eco-anxiety affects their daily lives. And, globally, a study in The Lancet found that 59% percent of people aged 16-25 are very worried about climate change. In this episode, Mike and Tamar respond to a question from a Bay Area pediatrician caring for teenagers with climate change anxiety and depression. Specifically, she asks how worried kids should be about climate change and if there’s any way to shift their emotions around it.  With the effects of climate change all around us – massive flooding in Pakistan, unprecedented drought in China, catastrophic ice melting in Greenland, raging forest fires in California – it’s easy to get caught up in apocalyptic speculation and hysterical warnings. But Tamar and Mike say some of the facts can be reassuring and even empowering for young people.  Resources: American Psychological Association: Addressing climate change concerns in practice The Lancet: on climate anxiety in children The Washington Post: on colleges offering therapy for climate change anxiety Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.  VERGE 22, taking place Oct 25-27 in San Jose, CA, will convene more than 4,000 leaders working together to address the climate crisis across six strategic areas: clean energy, sustainable transportation, carbon removal, regenerative food systems, net-zero buildings and the startup ecosystem. Register today and use the code V22PSMEDIA for 10% off of the pass type of your choice: https://bit.ly/3f2f2FQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don’t miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism. Climate change is a touchy topic in farm country. But one third of greenhouse gas emissions come from food and agriculture, so it’s crucial that the industry becomes part of the climate change solution.  For years almost all the action on climate change centered on energy – solar and wind and electric vehicles taking on coal and gas and oil. But now Washington is suddenly buzzing about “climate-smart agriculture,” and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is in the middle of the action. He just announced $3 billion in grants for “climate-smart commodities.” The Inflation Reduction Act is sending the USDA $20 billion for climate-smart projects. It’s incredible how quickly the food and climate issue has moved to the center of the plate. This week, Mike and Tamar welcome Secretary Vilsack as their first Climavores guest. They dig in on everything from regulating farmers to regenerative agriculture to subsidies as a bridge to market solutions. And of course Mike pushes the Secretary on his favorite topic – biofuels.  Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.  VERGE 22, taking place Oct 25-27 in San Jose, CA, will convene more than 4,000 leaders working together to address the climate crisis across six strategic areas: clean energy, sustainable transportation, carbon removal, regenerative food systems, net-zero buildings and the startup ecosystem. Register today and use the code V22PSMEDIA for 10% off of the pass type of your choice: https://bit.ly/3f2f2FQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don’t miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism. Draw a Venn diagram of people who care about the climate impact of their food and people who are suspicious of processed food, and you’ll see an awful lot of overlap. People love to hate on processed foods.  But historically, food processing actually freed women from the literal daily grind of putting food on the table. And from a climate impact standpoint, more processed foods actually contribute to less food waste. So what gives?  This week, Mike and Tamar dig into the pros and cons of processed foods. From Impossible Burgers to Doritos, almost everything we eat is processed. But there’s a difference between processed and ultra-processed and the impacts each has on our health and our planet.  Resources: Cambridge University Press on the NOVA food classification and the trouble with ultra-processing  Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don’t miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism. When a lot of people think of soy, they think of allergens, overly processed food, and man boobs. There’s even a current full-court press in some corners of the nutrition community to blame seed oils like soybean oil for disease and obesity. And that’s not even taking into account environmental concerns around deforestation in the Amazon and heavy pesticide and herbicide use in soy monocultures.  The U.S. grows 90 million acres of soybeans annually, second only to Brazil in global soybean production. And almost all of that U.S. soy is genetically modified, another red flag for environmentalists.  But Mike and Tamar say soy has gotten a bad rap. And it’s time to set the record straight.  This week, they dig into the nutritional and environmental benefits of soy and ask how soy became a proxy for the evils of industrial agriculture. Resources: National Institute of Health on the myth of man boobs GOOP on seed oils farmdocDAILY on lower fertilizer use in soy vs. corn Our World in Data on soy’s bad reputation and whether it’s justified Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every episode of Climavores starts with a listener voicemail. In past episodes, Mike and Tamar have answered your questions about vertical farms (are they a climate-friendly alternative to traditional agriculture?), plant-based milks (are they actually better for the climate than dairy?), and beef (is it really that terrible for the planet? Spoiler: yes). But our Climavores listener hotline is overflowing. So this week, Mike and Tamar are dedicating an entire episode to answering as many of your questions as possible. They tackle everything from soy’s bad reputation (did someone say “man boobs”?) to factory-farmed fish, bug protein and the topic Tamar loves to hate: regenerative agriculture.  It’s the mailbag episode! And it won’t be the last, so keep your questions about food and climate change coming.  To leave a message for Mike and Tamar, call the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, Cracker Barrel announced the addition of plant-based sausage to its breakfast menu. It was a move largely applauded by vegans, vegetarians and environmentalists alike; but plenty of meat eaters had a different take. ”YOU CAN TAKE MY PORK SAUSAGE WHEN YOU PRY IT FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS!!! read one Facebook comment.  It’s not surprising to see food so intrinsically linked to our identities. We’ve become an increasingly polarized nation, both politically and socially. Across the U.S. there are now counties where Democrats make up 3% of the population and counties where they make up 95%. Mike describes it as two different Americas – one of bike paths, composting, and NPR; another of pickup trucks, megachurches, and Fox News.  In this episode, Mike and Tamar look at how we make decisions, and whether it’s possible for us to change our minds or behaviors around an emotional issue like food. They dig into confirmation bias, echo chambers, and our increasing tendency to complain about everything. And Tamar asks listeners to think about the last time they changed their minds about something truly meaningful. Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Barack Obama called President Biden’s signing of the Inflation Reduction Act a “BFD” on Twitter. With about $370 billion worth of climate funding, it’s an especially BFD for the planet.  The IRA marks the single largest climate investment in U.S. history, promising lower energy costs, increased energy security, targeted decarbonization efforts across all sectors of the economy, investments in disadvantaged communities, and support for rural communities. But how will it impact food and agriculture in particular?  In this episode, Mike and Tamar dig into the bill’s fine print and highlight some of the “Climavores provisions” they’re excited about. They also check whether Congress followed their four-point plan to promote eating less beef, tackle food waste, ditch biofuels, and safeguard yields. (Spoiler alert: they mostly didn’t). But both agree, there’s still lots to like in this bill.  Resources: AgWeb: What's Ag's Stake in the Senate-Passed Inflation Reduction Act? The Hill: Inflation Reduction Act puts our oldest climate-fighting technology to work Holland & Knight: The Inflation Reduction Act: Summary of Budget Reconciliation Legislation  farmdocDAILY: Reviewing the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; Part 1 Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prioritizing efficiency in the U.S. chicken industry has made chicken cheap. And that’s led, in part, to Americans eating way more chicken and significantly less beef than they did a half-century ago. From a climate change perspective, it’s a major win. From an animal welfare perspective… not so much.   In this episode, Mike and Tamar look at animal welfare in the beef, pork and chicken industries through a climate lens. They ask whether raising animals more humanely means accepting higher greenhouse gas emissions, or whether there’s a middle ground. And Mike responds to a reader’s critique of his recent Canary Media article “What’s the most climate-friendly way to eat? It’s tricky.” Plus, are organically raised animals treated better than industrially raised?  And Mike asks the question: What do we owe the animals we eat?  Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.  Resources: College of Agriculture and Environmental Science: Examining the effects of hen housing Science Direct: Evaluating environmental impacts of contrasting pig farming systems with life cycle assessment NYTimes: Hens, Unbound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plant-based milks make up 16% of U.S. milk sales. From soy, oat and almond milk to hemp, macadamia and quinoa milk, more and more consumers are pivoting away from animal milk.  And that’s a good thing for the planet.  Turns out, animal milk requires massive amounts of land (12 times more land per gallon than oat milk and 18 times more than almond milk). And all those dairy cows emit massive amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, too. But some argue that growing water intensive crops like almonds for almond milk does just as much to harm the planet. In this episode, Tamar and Mike take on the dairy vs. plant-based milk debate and answer the question: “Which plant-based milk is best for the climate?” Tamar also looks at the nutritional value of plant-based milks vs dairy milk. And Mike convinces Tamar to do a taste test to see which non-dairy alternative might find a permanent place in her refrigerator (spoiler alert: it’s not almond milk).  Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.  Resources: Dairy vs. plant-based milk: what are the environmental impacts? Lay Off the Almond Milk, You Ignorant Hipsters Differences in Environmental Impact between Plant-Based Alternatives to Dairy and Dairy Products: A Systematic Literature Review 2019 Fluid Milk Sales and Per Capita Consumption 2021 State of the Industry Report: Plant-based meat, seafood, eggs and dairy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The current conflict in Ukraine combined with a massive drought in the horn of Africa are wreaking havoc on global food markets. Food supplies are shrinking; food prices are spiking, and the World Food Programme is warning of a “hunger hurricane” that could put a record 345 million people at acute risk of starvation. In this episode, Tamar and Mike talk about how in a warming world, we’re going to see more of these breadbasket collapses. They also ask whether people’s eating habits might change for the better as a result. And they lay out a four-point strategy for growing more food without deforesting the planet.   Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re currently working on some fresh content based on listener questions. We’ll have new episodes next week! This week, we're running an episode from a podcast called Hot Farm. It's from our friends at the Food & Environment Reporting Network. The podcast is about what farmers are doing – or could be doing – to take on the climate emergency.  In this episode, you’ll hear from farmers who are skeptical about climate change. But you’ll also hear about how they are joining the fight against global warming once the issue is reframed. Hint: it’s about the soil. Find Hot Farm on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Farmland covers almost 40% of the earth's land surface. When we think about all that farmland, most of us imagine endless fields of grain or corn. But vertical farms flip that idea on its head, literally. Instead of growing out, vertical farms stack plants in multiple layers indoors where they grow impressive yields under the steady glow of LED lighting.  Vertical farms are an attempt to sidestep many of the problems associated with traditional farming – bad weather, pesticides, fertilizer runoff, hard labor, food miles, and agriculture’s gigantic land use footprint. On the surface, they seem like a farming win. But there’s a problem – and it’s a deal-breaker. In this episode, Tamar and Mike explore the ins and outs of vertical farming, and dig in on that deal-breaker (hint: it’s all about energy). They also take a look at what vertical farms get right, and what outdoor farming can learn from them.  Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Demand for plant-based meat products surged in 2019 as companies developed better-tasting products, negotiated better shelf positioning, and tapped into shifting consumer preferences. But demand flatlined in 2021, raising questions about whether plant-based products can put a dent in meat consumption. Environmentalists have criticized companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods for lack of transparency on land and water use. And nutrition experts dislike how processed they are. But the reality is clear: these products are much, much better for the climate than beef. In this episode, Tamar and Mike look at whether people are going to ditch beef patties for a slab of soy or pea protein. What are all the cultural obstacles? Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Post Script Media is backed by Prelude Ventures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few foods are as tied up in American identity as beef. Think rugged cowboys driving cattle across the open range, or all the good feelings that come with summer grilling season. We love our beef.  But meat accounts for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gasses from food production. And beef production alone makes up a quarter of that. The pro-beef camp often argues that it’s not the cow that’s the problem for the climate. It’s how the cow is raised. But as Mike and Tamar explain, a lot of it is the cow.  In this episode, Mike and Tamar dig into how the U.S. fell so deeply in love with beef in the first place, and what the main problems are with conventional beef production in the U.S. They also look at efforts to green the beef industry and whether they’re having an impact. From grass-fed beef to local meat CSAs, they try to answer the question: are there climate-friendlier ways to eat beef? Resources: Meat accounts for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gasses from food production, study finds Is grass-fed beef really better for the planet Grassland management impacts on soil carbon stocks: a new synthesis Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The eat local movement is huge. Bumper stickers in liberal towns across the U.S. tell us to “Eat local” or ask “Who’s your farmer?” But eating local food may be wildly overrated when it comes to climate change.  When we look at how foods are produced, transportation accounts for less than 10% of carbon emissions. So should we abandon farmers’ markets for big grocery store chains?  In this episode, Mike and Tamar break down the real carbon footprint of local food and ask whether the value of supporting local, small-scale farmers outweighs the climate benefit of not buying local (spoiler alert: Tamar says yes. Mike says no). They also dive into the history of the local food movement and explore why it’s gained such traction.  Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Searing heat waves, massive forest fires, rising sea levels – the effects of climate change are all around us. But the role our food system plays in fueling the problem? That’s less clear to most of us.  We know our food doesn't magically appear on grocery store shelves. Somebody's growing it. But that process of feeding the planet generates a third of all greenhouse gasses. And agriculture alone emits a quarter of all greenhouse gasses. Pesticides, fertilizers, burping and farting cows, cutting down trees to plant crops – it all wreaks havoc on our climate. But we all have to eat...so, what’s the solution?  In this premiere episode, co-hosts Tamar Haspel (To Boldly Grow, The Washington Post), and Michael Grunwald (The Swamp, Canary Media) talk about what led them to start thinking about food in the context of climate change and what it means to be a “climavore.” They also tackle the question, “What should people eat to be responsible humans on a warming planet?” Turns out, it’s complicated.  We want your question for future episodes! Leave a message for Mike and Tamar on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question in a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every day, we make a zillion decisions about food. We’re bombarded with marketing and media -- and nobody seems to agree about what to eat, where to get it, and how to prepare it. Climate change is making all of this even harder. We all know food is a big deal for the planet. But it’s not always obvious what we should eat if we want to make things better. Tamar Haspel and Mike Grunwald are here to help. Tamar and Mike aren't going to make you feel bad about your lunch. Instead, they're cutting through hype and ideology to explore the complicated, confusing, and surprising relationship between food and the environment. And they're answering your questions! Ask them anything about organic food, local food, meat, fake meat – anything you can throw at them. We’re at 508-377-3449. Or drop us an email at [email protected]. Full episodes drop on June 21. Give us a call, subscribe to the show, and prepare to dig in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices