The 3 Best Climate Change Podcasts of 2021
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Somehow this image felt appropriate for talking about climate change podcasts.
Climate change. It’s a pretty heavy idea to think about. After all, it’s something that will affect all of us, and in some cases, is already affecting millions of people.
Now with any heavy topic (or let’s just call it what it is: an existential crisis), it’s a mental feat trying to parse through the information and scary headlines to get to actual solutions that you can implement as an individual, family, business or even on a national level. And it can be difficult to get down to the brass tax, like: “what do I need to pay attention to? And how can I take meaningful action?” Plus, in the age of fake news, there’s always the looming question of: “how do I know which sources to trust?”
The struggle is real.
And if all these weren’t big enough barriers, you also have the dry and boring factor.
I’ve listened to so many podcasts on sustainability and let’s just say that after listening to some of them, I would rather watch paint dry while suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. Every time I hear words like gigaton and carbon sequestration, I totally glaze over. Which means you probably do as well.
But the good news is that all climate change podcasts aren’t created equal. Some are literally binge-worthy and will have you cueing up the next episode before the current episode is even finished.
This is exactly why I wanted to put three of my favorite climate change podcasts on your radar. I chose these podcasts because they communicate topics like climate change, climate politics, climate lobbying, and climate solutions with creativity and storytelling and (ahem!) facts. The truth of the matter is that scientists aren’t always great at communicating, which historically has been a big issue when it comes to life-changing data and research. You have to pull people in and talk to them in plain english. If they wanted to die of boredom, they could read your journal article. But they’re not. They’re listening to podcasts and youtube videos.
Good storytelling, creativity, and credible sources
Some of the climate change podcasts I’m going to share take a comical approach, while others do it through storytelling that sucks you in deeper than your favorite netflix series. But all of them make the information accessible, interesting, and fun to listen to. Climate change podcasts don’t all have to be doom and gloom, so if that’s the opposite of what you’re looking for, these podcasts will be right up your alley. Another important element is the trust factor here. The hosts of these podcasts are:
- award-winning journalists for some of the world’s most notable publications such as NPR and the New York Times
- climate researchers, experts and authors like Dr Katherine Wilkinson, editor-in-chief of my favorite book on climate solutions Project Drawdown
- public policy and energy experts like Dr Leah Stokes
- scientists who are also tackling social justice like Dr Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Nuff said. Let’s get onto the goodies…
The 3 Best Climate Change Podcasts of 2021
A Matter of Degrees
“Join Dr. Leah Stokes and Dr. Katharine Wilkinson as they tell stories about the powerful forces behind climate change — and the tools we have to fix it. This show is for the climate curious people who know climate change is a problem, but are trying to figure out how to tackle it.”
Listen-worthy episodes: The Devious Plan to Keep Us Hooked on Gas and The ‘Win-Win-Win Strategy’ to Retire Coal
How to Save a Planet
“Does climate change freak you out? Want to know what we, collectively, can do about it? Us too. How to Save a Planet is a podcast that asks the big questions: what do we need to do to solve the climate crisis, and how do we get it done? Join us, journalist Alex Blumberg and scientist and policy nerd Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, as we scour the Earth for solutions, talk to people who are making a difference, ask hard questions, crack dumb jokes and — episode by episode — figure out how to build the future we want.”
Listen-worthy episodes: Is Your Carbon Footprint BS? and How Amazon Workers Got Serious About Climate (and how you can, too)
Drilled
This podcast is seriously binge-worthy. Each season dives into a specific aspect of *the powers that be* when it comes to climate change, fossil fuels and plastic production. One thing to note is that because each season dives deep into one story, it’s best if you start listening at the beginning of each season, rather than picking a random episode. In the same way that you wouldn’t want to start watching your favorite show mid-season, you wanna approach this podcast similarly. Choose a season that peaks your interest and start from the beginning.
Listen-worthy episodes: The Bell Labs of Energy (episode 1 of season 1) and Plastic Pipelines: Don’t Mess with Texas (episode 1 of season 6)
Conclusion
It can be hard to find a climate change podcast that isn’t dry as hell and boring AF. But there are a handful of podcast on climate change that will have you thinking of things in an entirely new way and are as intriguing as your favorite page-turner or TV series. And they bring you real facts in a way that you can understand and take action on.
What are your favorite places to get trustworthy news on climate change?
Let me know in the comments below
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