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Simmer Down

C-Change Conversations

Simmer Down takes a cool-headed look at a hot topic -- climate change. Host Kathleen Biggins, founder and president of C-Change Conversations, sits down with a range of experts to talk about how climate change is impacting the things we all love and need — the things we talk about around our kitchen tables.

Staying true to C-Change’s nonpartisan, science-based approach, Kathleen and guests address the really important questions we all have when it comes to climate change: How can we protect our families and assets? How can we stay healthy? And how can we protect the things we love?

In Season One, we explore the impacts of climate change on weather, health, insurance, sports, investing, and food. Whether you’re curious, concerned, or already care about our changing climate, our non-confrontational conversations are a great way to learn more about how it is likely affecting your daily life – and why we have hope for the future.

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Yesterday · 38 min
Home Is Where The Risk Is
Insuring our homes used to be a given. Today, it’s increasingly a luxury that more and more can’t afford – if it’s even available at all. Climate change is wreaking havoc on the insurance industry as rising sea levels, severe weather, and other impacts threaten our biggest assets – our homes. In this episode, we asked an insurance expert, Ben Keys, will we be able to protect our homes in the near future? Ben Keys is the Rowan Family Foundation professor of real estate and finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. Keys's recent research has focused on climate risk, housing, and mortgage markets; foreign investment in the U.S. housing market; and the geography of household financial distress. His research has been published in such journals as the Quarterly Journal of Economics, American Economic Review, Econometrica, Journal of Financial Economics, and Review of Financial Studies, and has been profiled in The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Before joining Wharton, Keys taught at the University of Chicago and worked as a staff economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. He holds a B.A. in economics and political science from Swarthmore College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan. ------ For more info, go to C-Change Conversations Email us ------- Simmer Down is hosted by Kathleen Biggins. It is produced by Hans Buetow and Rebecca Fishkin. Creative director: Carrie Dyckman Associate producer: Nicole Curnan Logo design: Sherri Locker Music: Andrew Atkin at Charts & Leisure —--- For more information on this topic: First Street climate risk data https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/08/climate/home-insurance-climate-change.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/19/climate/home-insurance-premiums-costs-usa.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/03/09/climate/home-insurance-credit-scores.html https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-proposal-for-a-us-federal-property-reinsurer/
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S1 · E2
September 10 · 34 min
Doctor, It’s The Climate
Climate change is heating things up – and we’re really feeling the effects on our bodies. But it’s not just the ferocious, more frequent heat waves that are affecting our health. It’s also ticks and mosquitoes spreading more disease, skies filling with smoky air from wildfires, drinking water becoming scarcer. In this episode, we asked two medical doctors – Dr. Elizabeth Cerceo and Dr. Celine Gounder – how can we keep our families safe from the growing health risks of climate change? Dr. Elizabeth Cerceo is a professor of medicine and executive director of climate health at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, associate program director of the internal medicine residency, and chair of physician engagement at Cooper University Health Care. She completed her medical degree at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania along with a Diploma in Climate Medicine (DCM) from the University of Colorado. As the executive director of climate health, she is responsible for integrating climate health content throughout the four years of medical school, into residency and faculty development. Dr. Cerceo is active in the American College of Physicians, Medical Society of New Jersey, Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, Clinicians for Climate Action New Jersey, American Public Health Association, and is on the board of directors of the Climate Health Society. Dr. Celine Gounder is a CBS news medical correspondent and the editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News. Prior to that she was a CNN medical analyst and a frequent expert guest on numerous TV news programs. She's written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and more. Dr. Gounder is also a clinical associate professor of medicine and infectious diseases at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. She cares for patients on the wards at Bellevue Hospital Center. She received her BA in molecular biology from Princeton University, her master of science in epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and her MD from the University of Washington. Dr. Gounder was an intern and resident in internal medicine at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital, and a post-doctoral fellow in infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University. She was elected a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America in 2016. In 2017, People Magazine named her one of “25 Women Changing the World.” In 2021, InStyle magazine named her one of “50 Women Making the World a Better Place.” In 2023, she was named one of “New York City & State’s Health Care Power 100,” a New York State “Woman of Distinction,” and a National Academy of Medicine “Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine.” In 2023, she was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, received the Research!America Meeting the Moment for Public Health Award, and joined the Council on Foreign Relations. She and her podcast production team won the 2023 Edward R. Murrow Award for American Diagnosis (S4E5 “Power to Police Perpetrators”). In 2024, she joined the board of Research!America and became an advisor to the Coalition for Trust in Health and Science. ------ For more info, go to C-Change Conversations Email us ------- Simmer Down is hosted by Kathleen Biggins. It is produced by Hans Buetow and Rebecca Fishkin. Creative director: Carrie Dyckman Associate producer: Nicole Curnan Logo design: Sherri Locker Music: Andrew Atkin at Charts & Leisure Footage of hiker: ABC15 Arizona —--- For more information on this topic: CDC BRACE Wheel The Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) framework is a five-step process that allows health officials to develop strategies and programs to help communities prepare for the health effects of climate change. Heat ExtremeHeat_ActionPlanTipSheet_Final.pdf A worksheet to guide preparation for extreme heat. Cooling Centers by State | NCHH A list of cooling centers for safety during extreme heat events. Air quality AirNow Mobile App | AirNow.gov An app for checking real-time and forecast air quality. EnviroFlash A free email and cell phone notification service that gives your patients up-to-date, local air quality information. Patient Education Tools for Particle Pollution | US EPA A list of publications on air quality. Ticks and mosquitoes What are ticks and what diseases do they spread? Preventing mosquito bites
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S1 · E1
September 3 · 41 min
Weather Gone Wild with Bernadette Woods Placky
We’re all wondering the same thing – what IS causing all of this weird weather … and is it going to get much worse? Kathleen talks with meteorologist Bernadette Woods Placky to get some context, taking a deep dive into how climate change is supercharging our weather -- from extreme heat waves and monster wildfires to excessive rainfall and dire droughts -- and its far-reaching effects on the things we rely on every day -- like healthy agriculture systems, fresh water, and disease control. Bernadette Woods Placky is the executive director and co-founder of Talking Climate Collaborative. A meteorologist, climate science communicator, and network builder with more than 25 years of experience translating complex science into stories that move people and institutions to act, Bernadette is a leading expert on the connections between weather and climate change. Prior to her current role, Bernadette was vice president of engagement and chief meteorologist at Climate Central, where she built and led Climate Matters, an innovative climate journalism and communication program. Through convenings, data analysis, content creation, and sustained engagement, she grew and supported a network of more than 3,000 media professionals across the United States and internationally. Before Climate Central, Bernadette spent more than a decade as a TV meteorologist, earning an Emmy for Best Weathercaster. She is a fellow of the American Meteorological Society, earned the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist seal, and was elected to its council. She serves on the National Academies Board on Atmospheric Science and Climate, as an advisor for C-Change Conversations, on The Watershed Institute’s advisory board, and on the Princeton Wrestling Club Board. Bernadette graduated from Penn State University with a BS in meteorology and a minor in French. ------ For more info, visit to C-Change Conversations Email us ------- Simmer Down is hosted by Kathleen Biggins. It is produced by Hans Buetow and Rebecca Fishkin. Creative director: Carrie Dyckman Associate producer: Nicole Curnan Logo design: Sherri Locker Music: Andrew Atkin at Charts & Leisure —--- For more information on weather and climate change: NASA Climate Change Evidence Observational evidence from satellites, temperature records, sea level, ice loss, and more. World Weather Attribution An explanation of the methods scientists use to compare today's climate with a hypothetical world without human-caused warming. Climate Central An independent, nonprofit organization providing data-driven analyses, maps, graphics, and tools that help show how climate change is influencing weather, communities, and long-term climate trends. Climate.us A nonprofit climate information platform that preserves and archives climate science resources that have been removed or are no longer available from government websites, while also providing educational articles, data visualizations, and explainers. Talking Climate Collaborative An organization that brings together leaders in climate science, media, behavioral research, and strategic communications to foster increased conversation about climate change.
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August 27 · 3 min
Welcome to Simmer Down
Simmer Down takes a cool-headed look at a hot topic -- climate change. Host Kathleen Biggins, founder and president of C-Change Conversations, sits down with a range of experts to talk about how climate change is impacting the things we all love and need — the things we talk about around our kitchen tables. Staying true to C-Change’s nonpartisan, science-based approach, Kathleen and guests address the really important questions we all have when it comes to climate change: How can we protect our families and assets? How can we stay healthy? And how can we protect the things we love? In Season One, we explore the impacts of climate change on weather, health, insurance, sports, investing, and food. Whether you’re curious, concerned, or already care about our changing climate, our non-confrontational conversations are a great way to learn more about how it is likely affecting your daily life – and why we have hope for the future. For more info, go to C-Change Conversations Email us Simmer Down is hosted by Kathleen Biggins. It is produced by Hans Buetow and Rebecca Fishkin. Creative director: Carrie Dyckman Associate producer: Nicole Curnan Logo design: Sherri Locker Music: Andrew Atkin at Charts & Leisure
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Sep 12, 2025 · 59 min
New York Times Reporter David Gelles
C-Change Conversations’ Kathleen Biggins sits down with New York Times award-winning Reporter David Gelles for an in-depth discussion about climate, capitalism, and culture, areas of expertise that he delves into in his forthcoming book, “Dirtbag Billionaire: How Yvon Chouinard Built Patagonia, Made a Fortune, and Gave It All Away.”
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Jun 25, 2025 · 26 min
Investing in the Future: Navigating the Climate Transition
Kathleen joins Mark Hayes of Glenmede for a wide-ranging conversation about how climate change is transforming the finance sector. They explore the risks and opportunities of the global climate transition, the rise of sustainable investment strategies, and the regulatory and political shifts shaping today’s landscape. The discussion also dives into how corporate leadership in the C-suite is responding to climate challenges, the growing trend of “greenhushing,” and the federal policy changes influencing the pace of climate action.
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Oct 25, 2024 · 42 min
Reaching Beyond the Choir with Kathleen Biggins
It's easy to talk about topics with people who already agree with you, but when it comes to climate change, the conversation can get uncomfortable very quickly. In this episode, Founder and President Kathleen Biggins explains a few tricks that have helped C-Change Conversations discuss such a difficult topic for the past decade among audiences with vastly differing opinions.
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Sep 26, 2024 · 57 min
Watching the Weather: In Conversation with Meteorologists Jeff Berardelli and Chris Gloninger
Do you know the difference between climate and weather? Are you concerned about the weather wackiness we’re experiencing? Nationally acclaimed meteorologists Jeff Berardelli and Chris Gloninger share their expert, scientific take on how climate change is affecting both our everyday and long-term weather and what we might face in the not-so-distant future.
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May 23, 2024 · 54 min
Coral & Climate with James Porter
You’ve got questions, and we have answers. No question is too simple or complex for our panel of science advisors who stand ready to field your questions about climate change. James W. Porter, PhD, answers a question about whether the scientific community agrees that climate change is caused by human activities. Dr. Porter is a renowned marine ecologist who has devoted 50 years to studying coral reefs and marine ecosystems. A Josiah Meigs distinguished professor, emeritus, at the University of Georgia, he is also the award-winning filmmaker of Chasing Coral. Read other Q&A here, and don’t be shy about asking your questions here. Warmly,The C-Change Conversations Team Q: It is hard to imagine that at any time in Earth’s history, the climate was “consistent.” Ice ages, land shifts, etc, were not caused by humans. How do we know this current climate shift is not just another natural course of the planet? Aren’t there many different scientific opinions – all claiming the others don’t account for all the facts? A: The scientific community is no longer divided on the fact that humans are responsible for the climate change we are experiencing. Within the last five years, in fact, the evidence has become so overwhelming that everyone in the scientific community agrees that the world is warming and that greenhouse gases – including carbon dioxide, methane, and others – are to blame. We now have the same degree of certainty that the Earth is warming as we do about the existence of gravity. While it is true that over hundreds of millions of years, the Earth’s climate does shift, the changes (warming) that we are seeing now are happening so quickly that there are no geological precedents for them – they are not natural climate cycles. Humans are, in fact, having an effect on the planet on par with a meteorite strike.
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May 1, 2024 · 48 min
Climate Change & Real Estate
How is climate change impacting the Real Estate industry? In our latest episode, we explore this topic, as presented by Kathleen Biggins. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cchangeconversations.substack.com
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Nov 2, 2023 · 1 hr 17 min
Insurance in a Climate Changed World
Insurance rates are rising, coverage is disappearing, and fingers are pointing in all directions. Yes, humans are moving to areas more vulnerable to natural disasters. Yes, inflation is raising the costs of reconstruction. But the most concerning reason insurance is getting so expensive and elusive is that the industry is finally factoring in the real risks of our changing climate.Extreme rains, windstorms, hail, more powerful hurricanes, wildfires, heat, and accelerating sea level rise – disasters that insurance companies link to climate change – are more frequent and ferocious than they were in the past. Our homes, communities, and infrastructure were built for yesterday’s norms, not today’s realities or tomorrow’s projections. That leaves all of us, and our economy at large, very vulnerable.C-Change Conversations is committed to helping people understand how climate change will impact us personally, including what it means for our safety and our wallets. That’s why I was proud to co-present with Steve Fischl, regional product director and vice president at Chubb Insurance, to explore why these challenges are happening, what’s expected in the future, and what we can do to protect ourselves and increase our ability to access adequate insurance.Sponsored by CBIZ Borden Perlman in early November in Princeton, NJ, the discussion was sobering, but necessary. Key takeaways included that these super-charged disasters are happening everywhere and none of us is safe. Our insurance costs are even impacted by disasters in far-off parts of the world because those disasters drive up costs from reinsurers, which in turn ratchets up costs for US policyholders. The real solution is to stop emitting greenhouse gases and lessen climate change’s impacts everywhere. In the interim, we must invest in infrastructure and systems that will enable us to be more resilient when these disasters hit.We won’t meet the challenge if we don’t understand the enormity of our financial and personal risk. The effects of climate change on the insurance industry is a “canary in the coal mine” – a clear indicator that we are at real risk and need to take action. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cchangeconversations.substack.com
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Jul 19, 2023 · 1 hr 23 min
Solution Series: Carl Ferenbach
Carl Ferenbach, of Berkshire Partners and The High Meadows Institute, speaks of the early stage companies focused on clean energy and efficiency. A leader in business, finance, environmental advocacy and philanthropy, Carl, in conversation with Kathleen Biggins of C-Change Conversations, addresses the risks and opportunity in climate change mitigation and investment opportunities. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cchangeconversations.substack.com
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May 5, 2023 · 28 min
Solutions Series: Emily Carter
Turn harmful carbon emissions into fuels or fertilizers that don’t harm our planet? Yes. The process is part of a burgeoning industry called “carbon tech” and the focus of the newest episode of C-Change Conversations: Solutions Series – Ideas, Innovations, and Advancements in the Fight Against Climate Change.We hope you’ll watch (or even just listen as you go about your day) to our interview with scientist Emily A. Carter as she explains why, and how, we must transform the excess carbon in our atmosphere and oceans into marketable products. This internationally renowned expert is Senior Strategic Advisor for Sustainability Science at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment at Princeton University. She led the development of “Carbon Dioxide Utilization Markets and Infrastructure: Status and Opportunities” to help industry and government decision makers better understand how the technology can contribute to achieving our net-zero goals. In the interview, Emily explains carbon dioxide utilization – the processes of transforming CO2 emissions from burning coal, oil, and gas into useful products – like fuel, fertilizer, plastics, aggregates used in concrete, and even diamonds and vodka. Carbon tech like this can contribute not only to reaching net-zero emissions but also to reducing (but realistically, not eliminating) carbon-based products and systems. Emily believes that this potentially trillion-dollar industry could grow our economy, effectively support the transition away from fossil fuels, and prevent the worst effects of climate change.
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S1 · E2
May 5, 2023 · 28 min
Throwback Thursday: Professor Emily Carter on the Promise of Carbon Utilization
Welcome to the C-Change Conversations Podcast, where we explore real-world solutions to the climate crisis with the experts and innovators working to make them a reality. In this throwback episode, C-Change President and Founder Kathleen Biggins sits down with Professor Emily Carter, a pioneering energy scientist and leading voice on carbon utilization. Together, they unpack the rapidly evolving field of carbon tech, transforming harmful CO₂ emissions into products like fertilizer, aviation fuel, vodka, and even diamonds. Professor Carter brings decades of experience in sustainability science, from leading Princeton’s Andlinger Center to her current role at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Her message is clear: carbon dioxide isn’t just a pollutant, it’s a resource waiting to be repurposed. 🎧 Listen to Learn: * How carbon utilization could offset up to an eighth of global CO₂ emissions by 2050 * What it really takes to turn emissions into products from diamonds and vodka to fertilizer and fuel * Why direct air capture and ocean-based carbon extraction might be the next gold rush * How microbes and bacteria are being used to brew aviation fuel from thin air * Why working with fossil fuel infrastructure could accelerate, not stall, climate progress * How clean electricity and carbon tech create a win-win for the economy and the environment * Why innovation, not sacrifice, is the heart of a hopeful climate future This episode offers a fascinating, science-forward look at how we can mine our emissions instead of our Earth, and build a better future in the process. Learn more about our mission to promote fact-based, non-partisan climate education: www.c-changeconversations.org This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cchangeconversations.substack.com
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S1 · E1
Aug 17, 2022 · 27 min
Fusion Energy: A Deep Dive with Sir Stephen Cowley
In this episode of C-Change Conversations, C-Change founder Kathleen Biggins sits down with Sir Stephen Cowley, director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and one of the world’s leading voices on nuclear fusion. Together, they unpack the science behind fusion, why it's often called the "Holy Grail" of clean energy, and how close we really are to making it commercially viable. Sir Stephen shares insights on: * What nuclear fusion is and how it differs from traditional nuclear fission * Why fusion is safe, carbon-free, and potentially limitless in its power * How fusion complements renewable energy sources like wind and solar * The biggest hurdles still facing fusion and the breakthroughs pushing us closer * The U.S. government’s investment and bipartisan support for fusion technology * What the global race to develop fusion means for American leadership in energy innovation * How fusion could reshape the grid and provide on-demand, firm energy when renewables fall short Kathleen and Sir Stephen also discuss the cost, public perception, and strategic role of fusion energy in reaching net-zero emissions, especially as part of a comprehensive, diversified energy strategy. Connect with Kathleen and C-Change at c-changeconversations.org.
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Jul 8, 2021 · 40 min
How to talk to moderates and conservatives about climate change
Kathleen Biggins, president and founder of C-Change Conversations, at the North Shore Land Alliance.
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Jul 8, 2020 · 1 hr 1 min
Christine Todd Whitman: A C-Change Conversation
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cchangeconversations.substack.com
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May 28, 2020 · 28 min
Solutions Series: Andrew Winston
One of the best parts of my work is talking to and learning from experts who see climate change through the lens of how it impacts our economy, health, and national security. Andrew Winston, for example, is a knowledgeable and articulate expert on the nexus between business and climate change. An acclaimed author who advises multinational companies on how to understand and benefit from major trends, he’s adept at looking at sweeping generalizations and extrapolating how they will impact business on a very granular level. Andrew sees climate change as society’s biggest challenge and clearly communicates how business has exacerbated the problem but also has the potential to ameliorate it. I had the chance to interview him about why it is in businesses’ best interest to aggressively move to reduce climate risks – for their own bottom line and for the rest of society.
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