ScienceNatureGovernment

Climate Break

Berkeley Law

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 students and climate law and policy experts at the University of California, Berkeley.

Climate Break is a co-production of the Center for Law, Energy, and Environment at UC Berkeley Law and KALW 91.7 FM San Francisco Bay Area, in conjunction with the Berkeley School of Journalism.

(For a transcript of the trailer, visit https://climatebreak.org/about-climate-break/)

Play

Open in

20 episodes
weekly
Avg 1 min
English

Episodes 20

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

#215
Tuesday · 1 min
Buying heat pumps with neighbors, with Shreyas Sudhakar
Group-buys of heat pumps can encourage homeowners to make the switch from traditional gas furnaces, which are large contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, by offsetting the high upfront cost. Shreyas Sudhakar, founder and CEO of heat pump installment company Vayu, also comments on both the technical efficiency and sustainability benefits of the shift to heat pumps.
#214
September 29 · 1 min
Developing perovskite solar cells, with Dr. Marina Leite
Solar panels have become a leading solution in the race to expand renewable energy infrastructure - but cost, both environmental and financial, is a critical challenge. This week, we spoke to materials scientist Dr. Marina Leite whose work on perovskite solar cells represents a significant advancement in making solar development cleaner and cheaper.
#213
September 22 · 1 min
Growing meat from cells, with Dr. Natalie Rubio
As livestock farming is increasingly known as a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions, cellular agriculture has emerged as a sustainable alternative to conventional meat production. This week, we spoke with Dr. Natalie Rubio, co-founder and CEO of Deco Labs, about how advances in cellular agriculture could make cultured meat more affordable and accessible.
#212
September 15 · 1 min
Building large-scale solar infrastructure, with Patrick Mealoy
The Central Valley faces devastating water shortages exacerbated by climate change. At the same time, California requires massive solar energy deployment to meet its climate goals. The Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan is an ambitious plan to build out solar energy capacity across the Central Valley in what would be an economic lifeline for the region’s farmers and, if fully built out, the largest solar energy project in the world.
#211
September 8 · 1 min
Building disability-inclusive disaster strategies, with Germán Parodi
As climate change increases the frequency and strength of extreme weather events, disabled individuals are uniquely vulnerable. This week, we spoke with Germán Parodi, a leader at the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, about methods for adapting emergency planning and response to the needs of the disabled community.
#210
September 1 · 1 min
Grazing Livestock on Solar Farms, with Stacie Peterson
The development of new solar farms demands a limited and precious resource - land - which is also critical to ranchers and graziers raising livestock. This week, we spoke to Stacie Peterson, Executive Director of the American Solar Grazing Association, about solar grazing, an approach to multi-purpose land use that supports clean energy, ecological health, economic growth, and happy sheep.
#209
August 25 · 1 min
The Future of Battery Storage, with Dr. Shirley Meng
For decades, lithium-ion batteries have been on the cutting edge, but now, sodium-ion batteries could make renewable energy storage more abundant, cheaper, and less carbon-intensive. Dr. Shirely Meng explains how sodium could be used to complement lithium-ion batteries, especially for large scale grid storage, by relying on an abundant resource and existing manufacturing infrastructure.
#208
August 18 · 1 min
Making Cheese with Microbes, with Matt Gibson
Cheese is one of the least sustainable food products in the world. Matt Gibson, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of New Culture, has spearheaded a way to make cheese more eco-friendly—without sacrificing taste.
#207
August 11 · 1 min
Building a Climate Workforce, with Julia Hatton
A more equitable, climate-ready workforce may be cultivated through green job training. This week, we spoke to Julia Hatton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, about how training people from underserved communities for careers in the building trades can create economic opportunity while advancing energy efficiency and climate solutions.
#206
August 4 · 1 min
Recycling Solar Panels, with Pablo Dias
A sustainable, waste-free solar industry may be cultivated through solar panel recycling. This week, we spoke to Dr. Pablo Dias, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of SOLARCYCLE about how solar panel recycling can play a role in reducing environmental challenges of renewable energy.
#205
July 28 · 1 min
Approaching Climate Change Through Tribal Stewardship, with Geneva EB Thompson
Partnering with California’s longstanding native tribes and restoring stewardship can bolster solutions to today’s climate challenges. We spoke to Geneva EB Thompson, Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs, who explained how traditional ecological knowledge can reduce risks of natural disasters while promoting biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
#204
July 21 · 1 min
Green Tech Hubs: Scaling Climate Technology Startups
Small green tech startups often have the right ideas but lack the resources to get them to market. Howard Lee, associate director of Hong Kong's green technology hub at HKSTP, explains how a physical community of 230+ companies ranging from new energy, smart cities, green buildings, and green fintech are changing that equation. By co-locating companies of like minds, facilitating business matchmaking, and offering hands-on training for attracting investors, the hub helps startups punch above the
#203
July 14 · 1 min
Building Berkeley’s Clean Energy Campus, with Sally McGarrahan
At UC Berkeley, electricity and steam are generated by burning natural gas - but a renewable energy future is right around the corner. This week, we spoke to Sally McGarrahan, Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Services, about how the university is advancing towards a carbon free campus through clean energy innovation.
#158
July 7 · 1 min
Rerun: Staying Safe in Extreme Heat, with Dr. David Sklar
Regions across the world have begun to experience severe heat waves, which threaten millions of people, especially vulnerable communities. This week, we spoke to Dr. David Sklar, an emergency physician, about how to protect yourself and your loved ones from heat-related conditions. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/staying-safe-in-extreme-heat-with-dr-david-sklar/
#202
July 1 · 1 min
Backing Climate Champions in Local Elections, with Caroline Spears
Strong climate advocates are important at every level of government in the United States, including in state and local offices. We spoke to Caroline Spears, founder and Executive Director of Climate Cabinet, an organization that backs climate champions and policy initiatives below the federal level. For a transcript please visit, climatebreak.org/backing-climate-champions-in-local-elections-with-caroline-spears/
#201
June 24 · 1 min
Advancing Climate Solutions Through Legal Action, with Rob Bonta
As science and technology continue to advance the response to climate change, lawyers in California are finding new ways to defend the environment and public health. We spoke with California Attorney General Rob Bonta about current legal action in the state. For a transcript, please visit climatebreak.org/advancing-climate-solutions-through-legal-action-with-rob-bonta/
#200
June 10 · 1 min
Zero-Energy Cooling, with Martin Zhu
Air conditioning accounts for a significant and growing share of global electricity use. This week, we spoke with Martin Zhu about his clean energy startup i2cool, which uses passive cooling technology inspired by the Saharan silver ant to cool buildings, vehicles, and more. For a transcript, please visit climatebreak.org/zero-energy-cooling-with-martin-zhu/
#199
June 3 · 1 min
Electric Two-Wheelers, with Kevin To
A new battery swapping technology that allows for electric two-wheelers like motorcycles to be more affordable. We sat down during Hong Kong Climate Week with Kevin To, CEO of One Energy (HK) Limited, to learn more. For a transcript, please visit climatebreak.org/electric-two-wheelers-with-kevin-to/
#189
May 28 · 1 min
Rerun: Advanced Air Mobility, with Adam Cohen
Airplanes are a significant source of emissions and air pollution, but are increasingly critical to many of the functions of our everyday lives. This week, we spoke with Adam Cohen, a researcher from the UC Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies, who studies Advanced Air Mobility - a set of policies and technologies that work to make air transport cleaner, more sustainable and more equitable. For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/advanced-air-mobility-with
#187
May 21 · 1 min
Rerun: Sequestering Carbon in Building Materials, with Dr. Sabbie Miller
Carbon dioxide, a main driver of climate change, is naturally drawn into oceans, trees, soil, and other carbon sinks. This week, we spoke with Dr. Sabbie Miller, a researcher at UC Davis, who’s working to sequester carbon in buildings with a material called biochar. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/sequestering-carbon-in-building-materials-with-dr-sabbie-miller/

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes