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PODCAST

Climate Break

Climate change is upon us. Fires, droughts, hurricanes, sea level rise, and melting ice caps are all part of our new normal. But something else is happening as well. Scientists, innovators, organizations, cities, companies, and citizens are taking action, making progress, and finding solutions. Climate Break brings you stories of climate progress and interviews with climate innovators from California and around the world, in under 2 minutes. Our solution-oriented, radio-ready shows are produced by

science nature

All Episodes

00:01:45

Rerun: Clean Trucks, with Ruben Aronin

Climate Break ·

2026/05/14

What does a zero-emission vehicle really mean?Clean transportation policies promoting sustainability have progressed over the years and have become even more important, both because transportation represents the largest portion of greenhouse gas emissions and because climate change has been accelerating at unprecedented rates. The public is likely more familiar with zero-emission cars, but zero-emission trucks are also becoming an integral part of mitigating climate and other environmental

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00:01:45

Energy Efficient Building Air Filters, with Phil Yuen

Climate Break ·

2026/05/06

About the Air FiltersAurabeat is a medically patented air filter technology that has proven to reduce up to 99.9% of COVID-19 bacteria from the air. This was heavily deployed in some of the most infectious environments akin to COVID-19 hospitals and quarantine facilities, where more than 500 air purifier units were placed. It was also used in over a 100 schools, hospitals, retail outlets, and major shopping centers in places like Hong Kong to aid in the reopening of public facilities during

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00:01:45

Forging Resilience with Chandra Middleton

Climate Break ·

2026/04/28

What is Forging Resilience? The Forging Resilience project from UC Berkeley School of Law’s Center for Law, Energy, & the Environment seeks to “bridge the gap between climate solutions posed by experts and the on-the-ground obstacles that prevent individuals and communities from adopting those solutions.” Predicated on the idea that libraries and museums maintain a high level of trust from their communities, the project builds free toolkits for museums and libraries to encourage local, collaborative

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00:01:45

Climate-Friendly Banking, with Charley Cummings

Climate Break ·

2026/04/21

Introduction to solutionGreen banks “provide financing and technical assistance for clean energy and climate solutions” while driving “economic, health, and environmental benefits for communities across the country” (US Green Bank 50). They attempt to spend, save, and invest people’s money conscientiously so they “can grow [their] money while making the world a better place” (GreenFi). Background The fossil fuel industry is the primary driver of our climate crisis, creating an imperative to

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00:01:44

Used Cooking Oil for Aviation Fuel

Climate Break ·

2026/04/14

Introduction to Solution Traditional drilling for crude oil contributes an immense amount of pollution to the Earth’s atmosphere. A study conducted by Stanford University in 2018 found that “on average, oil production emitted 10.3 grams of emissions for every megajoule of crude.” In 2022, 11.89 thousand barrels of crude oil were produced in 2022—or around 69 million megajoules. This oil is used, in part, to fuel aviation, which overall, as of 2018, contributed to 2.5 percent of all carbon emissions

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00:01:45

Green Silicon Valley

Climate Break ·

2026/04/07

About Green Silicon ValleyGreen Silicon (GSV) Valley is a nonprofit organization founded and led by Wilcox High School students Ayush Garg, Dev Shah and Abhi Tenneti that aims to make environmental education more accessible and personal, while also training future climate leaders on climate education. GSV seeks to realize its mission by creating hands-on kits for elementary and middle schoolers to learn about climate phenomena and solutions, and sending high school students to present classes and

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00:01:45

Methane Reduction Through Governmental...

Climate Break ·

2026/03/31

Introduction to the SolutionMethane is one of the most powerful drivers of near-term global warming, and also one of the fastest opportunities to slow it down. In this episode of Climate Break, we explore how a global network of states and provinces is working together to reduce methane emissions through shared knowledge, technical assistance, and peer learning. Ethan Elkind speaks with Shivani Shukla, a methane research fellow at UC Berkeley, about the Subnational Methane Action Coalition (SMAC)

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00:01:45

Native Seed Restoration, with Patrick Reynolds

Climate Break ·

2026/03/24

Encouraging GrowthNative seed restoration aims to restore degraded ecosystems that sequester carbon, such as wetlands and riverbanks. Restoration increases climate resilience by re-establishing native plants adapted to local conditions, making landscapes more resistant to drought or fire, and strengthening overall ecosystem stability by increasing biodiversity. Heritage Growers is a California-based non-profit that has taken on this challenge, helping restore more than 20,000 acres of natural

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00:01:44

Aquaculture and the Seaweed Industry with Kaira Wallace

Climate Break ·

2026/03/17

The Seaweed StorySeaweed is a crucial part of ecosystems in several parts of the world, including our local California coasts. However, seaweed does more than just offer a home to local marine life. It also has immense carbon sequestration potential, and contains helpful compounds for a variety of different products. Because of these potential benefits, a new industry has arisen: aquaculture. This term refers to farming in the ocean, specifically of seaweed, in order to harness the valuable

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00:01:45

Photosynthesis Through Artificial Leaves, with Dr....

Climate Break ·

2026/03/10

Replicating Nature As the effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions become increasingly well understood, researchers like Dr. Peidong Yang at UC Berkeley are developing technologies that address human-caused climate change with a nature-based approach. Dr. Yang’s artificial leaves capture sunlight and carbon dioxide and produce C2, a key precursory ingredient in the production of many everyday items. Diving Deeper Though synthetic fuels have been manufactured for over a century - by

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00:01:45

Advanced Air Mobility, with Adam Cohen

Climate Break ·

2026/03/03

Impacts of Air Transportation on Climate Change Air transportation is a major contributor to the fossil fuel economy: studies have shown that aviation is responsible for 3.5 percent of all drivers of climate change from human activities. Planes use immense amounts of kerosene—a flammable liquid used as fuel—in order to travel. When kerosene burns, it releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and black carbon. Also, planes create contrails: “line-shaped clouds produced by an airplane’s hot engine

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00:01:45

Rerun: Reframing Climate Action as Creation Care,...

Climate Break ·

2026/02/24

Caring for God’s Creation: How Evangelical Christians Are Embracing Climate ActionAcross the United States, evangelical Christians are increasingly forging a connection between faith and climate action by redefining environmental work as a sacred duty to care for God’s creation. By understanding sustainability through the lens of biblically mandated stewardship, more and more Christians are discovering renewed hope and purpose in addressing climate change.What Is Creation Care?To many evangelical

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00:01:45

Rerun: Lithium-Ion Batteries for India's Clean Energy...

Climate Break ·

2026/02/17

India's Battle Against Air PollutionHistorically, India has faced challenges with persistent air pollution as a result of industrial development. One key approach to combat this has been to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, Indian policymakers have been pushing for the commercialization of electric vehicles which has unlocked various incentives for companies like Vision Mechatronics to develop electric vehicles run by lithium-ion batteries. How Lithium-Ion Batteries Power EVsIndia “seeks

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00:01:45

Rerun: Unifying a Partisan Nation Around Nature, with...

Climate Break ·

2026/02/10

Unifying a Partisan Nation Around NatureNature is Nonpartisan is a bipartisan, solutions-focused coalition working to unite Americans around shared environmental goals. By fostering cross-party support for conservation and land stewardship, the organization hopes to reframe climate action as a unifying national priority rather than a partisan fight. Establishing Nature as Middle GroundIn recent years, environmental politics in the U.S. have been paralyzed by partisan gridlock, stalling climate

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00:01:45

Rerun: Evangelical Christians Taking Environmental...

Climate Break ·

2026/02/03

How Evangelical Communities in Indiana Are Leading Christian Climate Action In Indiana, evangelical churches are finding new ways to live out their faith through environmental action. With support from the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN), congregations are installing solar panels, planting native gardens, creating nature play areas for preschoolers, and even adding electric vehicle charging stations. This initiative, often referred to by Christians as “creation care,” positions environmental

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00:01:45

Rerun: Removing Dams on Rivers to Ensure Climate...

Climate Break ·

2026/01/27

The Benefits of Restoring Aquatic EcosystemsFor over a century, native salmon populations in California have been adversely impacted by human activities such as mining, dam building, and overfishing practices, often leading to the loss of critical habitat and decreased genetic diversity. With additional environmental stress from climate change, such as rising surface temperatures and changes in freshwater temperature and flow, salmon populations have been quickly declining. In addition, dams trap

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00:01:45

Rerun: Recyclable Resin for Wind Turbines, with Ryan...

Climate Break ·

2026/01/22

The Benefits of Recycling Wind TurbinesWhile wind energy is renewable and non-polluting, the wind turbines themselves can create pollution problems. Now, scientists are creating wind turbines that can be made with less energy, but also create less waste because they can be recycled. This, of course, reduces impacts on the waste stream and provides a sustainable alternative to current wind turbines that are often extremely hard to recycle. Moreover, the new material requires less energy to create and

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00:01:45

Plantd, with Nathan Silvernail

Climate Break ·

2026/01/14

Overview The buildings and construction sector accounts for approximately 37% of global carbon emissions (UNEP). According to the UN Environmental Programme, much of this impact is derived from the operational aspects of buildings including heating, cooling, and lighting. However, building materials and their production also play a major role. Construction materials include cement, steel, and aluminum. Timber and wooden materials play a major role as well. According to Plantd co-Founder Josh

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00:01:45

Rerun: Latino Climate Justice Framework, with Irene...

Climate Break ·

2026/01/07

What is the LCFJ?The Latino Climate Justice Framework (LCJF) prioritizes environmental justice while helping to protect disproportionately affected individuals–commonly Latine people. Specifically, LCJF works with communities that “face numerous climate-related issues, from extreme heat affecting outdoor workers and poor air quality in neighborhoods near industrial facilities, to increased vulnerability to natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires.”The ParticularsLCJF has three areas

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00:01:45

Rerun: Chaos Wheat, with Robin Morgan

Climate Break ·

2025/12/30

What is Chaos Wheat?Wheat varieties that are resilient to climate change are sometimes referred to as "chaos wheat." An initiative of King Arthur Baking Company–an emerging leader in the creation of chaos wheat–and Washington State University's Breadlab is aiming to create wheat blends, such as King Arthur's Regeneratively-Grown Climate Blend Flour, composed of unique wheat varieties bred for resilience against the unpredictable effects of climate change, including fluctuating temperatures and

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