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

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Energy Earthshots Initiative set technical and financial goals for key clean energy challenges, growing to a portfolio of eight “shots” for technologies like hydrogen, long duration storage, and more. Today’s episode features one of the leaders who helped catapult the Earthshots at DOE, Dr. Geraldine “Geri” Richmond, who served as the agency’s Under Secretary for Science and Innovation during the Biden-Harris Administration. Geri sat down with co-hosts Daniel and Alison to share her vision for public-private partnerships to continue advancing the Earthshots, and her insights on women in STEM and international scientific cooperation.

Show notes:

• • Charting the Path: An Energy Earthshots Initiative Report (DOE report): https://www.energy.gov/eere/charting-path-energy-earthshots-initiative-report

• Energy Earthshots: The Frontier of Climate Innovation (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/020124doe

• Maximizing the Climate Benefits of Hydrogen (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/060123hydrogen
• Inside DOE’s Newest Office on Artificial Intelligence (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/7.8-inside-does-newest-office-on-artificial-intelligence
• How the Department of Energy is Catapulting Clean Energy Innovation to Commercial Liftoff (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/6.4-how-the-department-of-energy-is-catapulting-clean-energy-innovation-to-commercial-liftoff

Welcome to Season 9 of The Climate Conversation podcast! How many issues can you think of that 94% of U.S. voters agree on? Probably not very many. But a poll commissioned by U.S. Nature4Climate in 2024 revealed that 94% of voters across the United States support the expansion of natural climate solutions—actions that reduce emissions and increase carbon storage in forests, farms, grasslands, and wetlands—in public policy. To kick off the new season of EESI’s podcast, co-hosts Daniel Bresette and Alison Davis sit down with the bipartisan pollsters who led the survey, Lori Weigel of New Bridge Strategy and Dave Metz of FM3 Research.

Show notes:

• Growth in Support for Natural Climate Solutions (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/growth-in-support-for-natural-climate-solutions
• Maximizing the Impact of Natural Climate Solutions (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/061124nature
• Cities Leading the Way on Nature-Based Solutions (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/052324cities
• New Guide Helps Decision-Makers Adopt Natural Climate Solutions (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/new-guide-helps-decision-makers-adopt-natural-climate-solutions
• Public Polling on Climate Change (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/020923camp

As 2024 draws to a close, many people are wondering what to expect from the next Congress and presidential administration on climate change. But sometimes, the best way to look forward is to look back. Co-hosts Daniel Bresette and Alison Davis sit down with Jay Hakes, author of The Presidents and the Planet: Climate Change Science and Politics from Eisenhower to Bush, for a discussion about the intersection of climate science and political processes in the White House.

Show notes:

• EESI at 40: Claudine Schneider Reflects on the Necessity of Communication in Climate Politics: https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/eesi-at-40-claudine-schneider-reflects-on-the-necessity-of-communication-in-climate-politics
• EESI Welcomes Two Energy Leaders to Its Board of Directors: https://www.eesi.org/press-releases/view/eesi-welcomes-two-energy-leaders-to-its-board-of-directors

Atmospheric satellite data can provide key information about climate change, including measurements related to the ozone layer, air quality, methane, and more. In today's episode, Dr. Pieternel Levelt, a scientist and associate director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, joins Daniel and Alison to talk about satellite instruments like OMI (the Ozone Monitoring Instrument) and TROPOMI (the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument). These instruments provide essential data to scientists and policymakers all over the globe.

There are many tools and solutions available to help offset the global rise in temperature caused by greenhouse gas emissions. One such method that has been gaining traction in recent years is the use of solar reflective materials in the built environment. The degree of solar reflectance (or “albedo”) of our roofs, walls, and pavements, can impact local temperatures as well as the Earth’s energy balance. High albedo surfaces help to reduce the urban heat island effect, and a new report shines light on their effectiveness as a climate change mitigation measure. In this episode, EESI Board Member Kurt Shickman joins co-hosts Dan and Alison for a conversation with Seth Jacobson, Climate Solutions Officer at the nonprofit Climate Resolve. Seth leads the Shine On initiative, which was launched in 2023 to study the impact of albedo management of the built environment on climate change.

Show notes:

• Shine On: Increasing Local Solar Reflectance as a Means to Reduce the Greenhouse Gas Effect: https://www.climateresolve.org/shine-on-white-paper/
• Hot Today, Hotter Tomorrow: Policy Solutions to the Dangers of Extreme Heat: https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/6.5-hot-today-hotter-tomorrow-policy-solutions-to-the-dangers-of-extreme-heat

EESI recently held a reception at the Library of Congress to celebrate its 40th anniversary, and we were honored to welcome two members of Congress: Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.). This week on the podcast, we are resurfacing Rep. McClellan’s interview from earlier this year, when she joined us to discuss climate resilience and environmental justice in the Commonwealth and across the country.