Bridging the Carbon Gap

Alice Hu works with New York Communities for Change and has participated in several of their most visible actions, including storming the Hamptons with plastic pitchforks to call attention to the enormous carbon footprints and destructive investments of the billionaires that vacation there. Hu also joined with fellow protestors to visit a live broadcast of the morning show The View and interrupt Ted Cruz, to spotlight the lack of coverage of climate change on ABC.In this episode, Alice describes her path to becoming a full time climate activist after graduating from Columbia University.Hosts: Eli Gitter-Dentz, Hunter HS '24, and Marie Fadeyeva, Columbia '24Producer/Editor: Eli Gitter-Dentz

Julien Dossier is an expert in climate policy and the co-author of the 2017 carbon neutrality plan for Paris. He founded Quattrolibri, a consulting firm that designs low carbon transition strategies for clients. His current project is a book and a program, Renaissance Ecologique, for which he created a modern version of a 14th century Italian fresco to give us a view of what an ecological Renaissance might look like. Nicolas Wu, Daniel Schneider, and Ajani Stella spoke to Julien on May 4, 2022, just a few weeks after the French presidential election. In re-presenting this interview, we've placed his answers into five short chapters.Chapter 1: France's Climate AssemblyChapter 2: The Paris 2050 ReportChapter 3: The French General Election of 2022Chapter 4: Who Will Lead on Climate, Government or Finance?Chapter 5: The FrescoHosts: Nicholas Wu, Daniel Shneider, Ajani StellaProducer: Ariama LongEditor: Eli Gitter-Dentz

Rebecca Willis is a Professor in Energy & Climate Governance at Lancaster Environment Centre, where she leads the Climate Citizens  project. In 2020 she was an Expert Lead for Climate Assembly UK, the Citizens' Assembly established by the UK Parliament. Rebecca is a Trustee of the New Economics Foundation and an adviser to the National Lottery's Climate Action Fund. She features on the Woman's Hour Our Planet Power List which highlights 30 women making an impact by helping to protect our planet.  Her book, Too Hot To Handle? The democratic challenge of climate change was published by Bristol University Press in March 2020.Previously, she was a research fellow for the IGov project at the University of Exeter, investigating energy governance. From 2015-2019 she was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of UKRI's Energy Programme, and from 2011-15 she was a Council Member of the Natural Environment Research Council. She was Vice-Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission, advising the Prime Minister and First Ministers of the devolved administrations, from 2004-2011.  In 2009 Rebecca founded Green Alliance's Climate Leadership Programme, an initiative to support Members of the UK Parliament, and earlier served as Green Alliance's Director.

In the first episode of the second season, Daniel Shneider and Ajani Stella, students at Hunter College High School in NYC, talk to Dr. Stuart Capstick, Deputy Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST Centre). Dr. Capstick researches public understanding of climate change, and the ways in which citizens' involvement can lead to action. He co-leads a research theme with the CAST Centre focussed on real-world trials to inform low-carbon transformations; this work involves collaborations with NGOs, industry and the Welsh Government. He is a lead author of the UN Environment Programme 2020 ‘Emissions Gap' report chapter on low-carbon lifestyles, looking at social science approaches to help inform and understand lifestyle change. Since 2019 he has also been a co-author of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, involved in assessing media reporting of health and climate change. Dr. Capstick's previous research has examined the potential for behavioral ‘spillover' (how one low-carbon behavior can lead to another), the ways in which people's understanding of climate change evolves over time, the links between personal experience of extreme weather and attitudes to climate change, public perceptions of ocean acidification, and approaches to communicating climate change.Hosts: Daniel Shneider and Ajani StellaProducer: Ariama LongSpecial thanks: Jag Bhalla

In this episode, we speak with Rosemary Randall, a British psychotherapist who researches how people respond emotionally to information about climate change. With Andy Brown, Randall developed the award winning Carbon Conversations project which uses a psychological, small-group approach to helping people reduce carbon emissions.Gabriel, Kevin, and Adam talk about their personal feelings about the climate crisis, and Ro explains how they may not have reached their “epiphany moment,” in which someone has a sudden realization, often triggered by an event, story, or piece of media, that causes people to realize, and face, the severity of climate change. We also speak about some of the most effective ways to talk about climate change with others, and hear about Ro's novel about a teen who takes part in climate action, which disrupts her friendships.

In this episode, we speak with David Bookbinder of the Niskanen Center, who as Sierra Club's Chief Climate Counsel initiated Massachusetts v. EPA, the foundational climate law in the United States.We talk about how a climate change-focused high school curriculum could be built, shifting our attention away from specific degree targets, and instead thinking about how education can help change our carbon-intensive lifestyles and prepare students to adapt to a less stable climate. We also discuss the significance of Massachusetts v EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), a 2007 Supreme Court case which held (5-4) that the EPA had the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, because these emissions count as pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

In this episode, we join Professor Kim Nicholas of Lund University's Centre for Sustainability Studies to talk about her work and experiences as a climate researcher and activist. Dr. Nicholas is an expert on high impact actions one can take to reduce one's carbon footprint. We also talk to her about her earlier research on wine, as a Californian from Sonoma Valley with a Stanford PhD focused on climate and agriculture.

In this episode, we speak with climate researcher Alice Larkin, Professor of Climate Science and Energy Policy and Head of the School of Engineering at the University of Manchester. Dr. Larkin describes her research on reducing the emissions from the vital sectors of shipping and aviation. We also learn about the wide-reaching social impact of discussing sustainability with peers. Thank you for listening to Bridging the Carbon Gap!

In this episode, we interview meteorologist Jeff Berardelli of CBS in New York City, who views himself as a teacher of climate change to viewers of the weather on TV. We talked about a story he did on the Dust Bowl, his knowledge about the California wildfires, and how climate change intersects with weather reporting. Thank you for listening to Bridging the Carbon Gap!

In this episode, we speak to Dr. Radley Horton of Columbia University about the danger of high wet bulb temperatures, which happen when heat waves and high humidity combine . We go into the impact of rising temperatures on different geographical locations, and how increasing temperatures can impact people living in certain parts of the world. In addition, we touch on the problem that wealthy countries who contribute the most to environmental problems often have means to protect against the consequences. Thank you for listening to Bridging the Carbon Gap!

In the first episode of Bridging the Carbon Gap, we talk to Finnish climate activist Aarne Granlund about personal choices he has made to cut down his individual carbon emissions, from dramatic changes like moving from Helsinki to North Karelia, a region in which there is more concrete action addressing climate change, to smaller changes like being conscious about unnecessary driving. We discuss why Mr. Granlund made these choices, even though they will have little effect on total emissions: he has been able to talk about his experience and encourage others to make the lifestyle changes that they are able to. We also discuss the development of a lifestyle test Mr. Granlund helped to develop, which asks test takers about living, transport, food, and purchases, calculates approximate carbon footprints, and gives tips to reduce emissions based on test results. Thank you for listening to Bridging the Carbon Gap!