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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

Buying heat pumps with neighbors, with Shreyas Sudhakar

Climate Break ·

2026/10/06

Heat PumpsTraditional heating and cooling systems are the largest sources of emissions in a home. Heat pumps have lower carbon emissions than any other home heating system and can even be carbon neutral when run by renewable energy sources, like solar panels. They are also safer, more efficient, and cheaper in the long run. What keeps many homeowners from installing them, despite the benefits, is the high upfront costs. Heat pump group-buy programs can help with that.How It Works – Heat Pumps and

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00:01:45

Developing perovskite solar cells, with Dr. Marina Leite

Climate Break ·

2026/09/29

Perovskite Solar CellsConventional solar panels are usually heavy and expensive to install. Perovskites are a class of materials that have the potential to create lighter weight and cheaper solar cells that still convert the sun to electricity at a high efficiency. Perovskite solar cells could potentially make solar energy more affordable, accessible, and environmentally friendly.What Are Perovskite Solar Cells?Perovskites are a group of materials in which hydrogens and carbons bind to a metal, such

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00:01:45

Growing meat from cells, with Dr. Natalie Rubio

Climate Break ·

2026/09/22

Cellular AgricultureLivestock farming is a major driver of global greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and water consumption, yet global demand for meat continues to rise. Cellular agriculture offers an alternative by cultivating meat from animal cells in a bioreactor. This could significantly reduce the climate and environmental impacts of meat production while delivering the same quality of meat consumers love.Cells to Meat - How and WhyCurrent food production systems, particularly for meat,

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00:01:45

Building large-scale solar infrastructure, with...

Climate Break ·

2026/09/15

What is the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan?Golden State Clean Energy aims to turn a large swath of struggling farmland in western Fresno County into a large solar panel installation. The Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan (VCIP) would repurpose up to 136,000 acres of salty, waterlogged agricultural land into more than 20,000 megawatts of solar energy, capable of producing enough electricity to meet up to 15% of California’s needs. The project would also help push California toward its Senate Bill

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00:01:45

Building disability-inclusive disaster strategies,...

Climate Break ·

2026/09/08

Disabilities During DisastersExtreme weather events are increasingly frequent and severe, yet emergency response systems often fail to protect disabled people. The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies (PIDS) is a non-profit working to reform emergency management in the United States by centering disability rights, equity, and accessibility before, during, and after climate-induced disasters.The Work of The PartnershipDisability inclusion in disasters is multi-faceted; PIDS, or The

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00:01:45

Grazing Livestock on Solar Farms, with Stacie Peterson

Climate Break ·

2026/09/01

What is Solar Grazing?The deployment of utility scale solar has often required clearing vegetation and then using fossil-fuel-powered mowers or toxic herbicides to prevent overgrowth. To reduce these harms, solar grazing is a dual land use approach where livestock is taken to solar farms to manage the vegetation that can grow and interfere with the panels. Solar grazing reduces maintenance emissions, provides a revenue stream for local ranchers, and promotes soil health. Why it Works: Sheep Solar

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00:01:45

The Future of Battery Storage, with Dr. Shirley Meng

Climate Break ·

2026/08/25

Why Sodium?The global transition to renewable energy has accelerated the global development of lithium-ion batteries, but the mining and processing of its materials can be harmful to workers, local communities, and the environment. Sodium has a recently emerged as a potentially cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative that could revolutionize battery storage systems. Dr. Shirley Meng is one of the scientists leading the way in this field, spearheading the creation of the world's first

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00:01:45

Making Cheese with Microbes, with Matt Gibson

Climate Break ·

2026/08/18

IntroductionMozzarella accounts for over 30% of all cheese produced in the U.S., more than any other variety. So when New Culture, a San Francisco-based food technology company, set out to remake vegan cheese, they started with the pizza topping millions of Americans know and love. New Culture, co-founded by guest Matt Gibson, relies on fermentation to make animal-free cheese that melts, stretches, and tastes like the real thing. Crucially, this process cuts down on the emissions, land, and water

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00:01:45

Building a Climate Workforce, with Julia Hatton

Climate Break ·

2026/08/11

IntroductionAs California works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, the transition to energy-efficient homes is an important opportunity for climate careers. The Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, a California-based nonprofit managed by Julia Hatton, helps address challenges faced by those in underserved communities when it comes to job training. Through hands-on programs, participants can gain valuable skills as they work to improve green buildings. Background Buildings account for

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00:01:45

Recycling Solar Panels, with Pablo Dias

Climate Break ·

2026/08/04

The Global TransitionAs the global transition to clean energy accelerates, scaling solar infrastructure has emerged as one of the most critical pathways to achieving a net-zero future. However, this rapid buildout could bring an increasingly large amount of waste as solar panels reach their end of life. To avoid this, recycling offers a dual climate solution: it significantly reduces the greenhouse gas emissions associated with primary mining and provides a supply of pre-refined, low-carbon

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00:01:45

Approaching Climate Change Through Tribal...

Climate Break ·

2026/07/28

What is TEK? As climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, traditional land and water management approaches are proving insufficient to protect ecosystems and communities. Restoring tribal stewardship by re-establishing Indigenous leadership, returning ancestral lands, and applying Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) offers a holistic climate solution. By working with nature through practices like cultural fires, wetland restoration, and natural carbon capture,

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00:01:45

Green Tech Hubs: Scaling Climate Technology Startups

Climate Break ·

2026/07/21

Introduction to Green Tech HubsSmall green tech startups often possess groundbreaking ideas to combat climate issues, but lack the market resources, capital, and visibility to make large-scale impact. However, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) Green Tech Hub is taking initiative for a change. By creating connected workspaces and acting as a launchpad for startups, the hub fosters more collaborative and impactful climate innovation. Background A physical community of

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00:01:45

Building Berkeley’s Clean Energy Campus, with Sally...

Climate Break ·

2026/07/14

A Clean Energy Campus In July 2025, the University of California Board of Regents approved a plan to modernize UC Berkeley’s energy infrastructure by replacing its aged steam system with efficient, all-electric heating and cooling systems. Today, 90% of Berkeley’s power comes from the combustion of natural gas at UC Berkeley’s costly and outdated fossil gas cogeneration plant. However, the plant is nearing the end of its life: it has less than a decade of life left, and is a source of frequent,

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00:01:45

Rerun: Staying Safe in Extreme Heat, with Dr. David...

Climate Break ·

2026/07/07

Impacts of Heat Waves on Human Health Across the United States, climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves. A heat wave is defined as a persistent period of high temperature days. Although unusually hot days are a natural part of day-to-day variations in weather, heat waves are becoming more common alongside the rapidly accelerating climate crisis. In major cities across the country, the number of heat waves has increased steadily, from two heat waves per year in the

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00:01:45

Backing Climate Champions in Local Elections, with...

Climate Break ·

2026/07/01

What is Climate Cabinet? Most climate advocates focus their energy on Washington– but often, real change happens closer to home. Climate Cabinet, founded by Caroline Spears, is dedicated to backing and electing climate champions at the state and local level, where the work of cutting emissions, lowering energy costs, and building clean transportation largely gets done. Focusing Locally While presidential races and Senate battles dominate national attention, decisions about electricity grids,

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00:01:45

Advancing Climate Solutions Through Legal Action,...

Climate Break ·

2026/06/24

Introduction California Attorney General Rob Bonta has established himself to be one of California’s leading legal advocates for climate accountability. Through lawsuits against big fossil fuel companies, including ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, BP, and ConocoPhillips, Bonta alleges that the industry misled the public about the climate impacts of their products. As federal environmental protections face increasing challenges, he has also led legal efforts against actions by the Trump administration

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00:01:46

Zero-Energy Cooling, with Martin Zhu

Climate Break ·

2026/06/10

Introduction to the SolutionKeeping buildings cool is becoming one of our fastest growing and energy-intensive challenges. A startup based in Hong Kong pioneers for an answer already existing in nature– the outer layer of a tiny ant that survives one of the hottest places on Earth. Dr. Martin Zhu and his co-founder mimicked the heat-repelling biology of the Saharan silver ant to develop cooling technology that remains electricity-free. Background: From the Saharan Silver Ant to Zero-Energy

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00:01:45

Electric Two-Wheelers, with Kevin To

Climate Break ·

2026/06/03

IntroductionAcross Asia, Africa, and Latin America, two-wheeled vehicles are the backbone of everyday transportation. With roughly one billion two-wheelers on the road globally, their collective carbon footprint is enormous. Briz, a brand developed by Hong Kong-based One Energy (HK) Limited, is tackling this head-on with affordable electric two-wheelers paired with a rapid battery-swapping service that makes going electric cheaper than filling a tank. Background Two-wheelers dominate personal

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00:01:45

Rerun: Advanced Air Mobility, with Adam Cohen

Climate Break ·

2026/05/28

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: Sequestering Carbon in Building Materials,...

Climate Break ·

2026/05/21

Introduction to the SolutionUC Davis researchers are examining a novel approach to combating climate change: turning our buildings into carbon sinks. The solution is based on incorporating biochar, a carbon-rich material obtained from plant material, into common construction materials like concrete, brick, and asphalt. By embedding carbon directly into long-lasting infrastructure, this approach reduces atmospheric CO₂ and also transforms one of the most carbon-intensive industries in the world into

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