Temperature Check

Struggling with depression and on medical leave from his corporate job, Olatunji Oboi Reed decided to get his bike out of the basement and go for a ride. That ride set him on a new path that led to his current work: promoting racial equity in transportation and beyond, through his organization Equiticity.

Full transcript and related reading: https://grist.org/temperature-check/olatunji-oboi-reed-equiticity-biking-equity

Growing up, Hamid Torabzadeh experienced the impacts of climate change and pollution. In high school, he found a club that showed him his path to doing something about it. Now a college freshman, he's studying to be what he calls a "new type of doctor" in the field of climate health.

Full transcript and related reading: https://grist.org/temperature-check/hamid-torabzadeh-readyteens-climate-health

Maya Lilly had achieved the dream of many a theater kid: studying at Juilliard. But when she realized her environmental activism didn’t have a home there, it set her on a mission to bring climate storytelling to mainstream audiences. It was a journey that took decades.

Full transcript and related reading: https://grist.org/temperature-check/maya-lilly-climate-hollywood-producer/

Hoste...

Until last year, Nate Johnson was a journalist at Grist, covering climate. But when he felt his passion for writing start to wane, he found a new direction — as an electrician. Now, instead of writing about the need to electrify everything, Nate is doing that work himself … and he says he is happier than ever.

Full transcript and related reading: https://grist.org/temperature-check/nate-johnson-journalist-electrician/

Sharon Lavigne lives in St. James Parish, Louisiana, where industrial pollution causes high cancer rates. For decades, Sharon witnessed her neighbors suffer as air quality worsened. But when yet another plant planned to open in her community, she decided to do something about it.

Full transcript and related reading: https://grist.org/temperature-check/sharon-lavigne-cancer-alley-industry-formosa/

In Temperature Check's final episode of the season, host Andrew Simon sits down with Grist CEO Brady Piñero Walkinshaw to recap the season's standout moments. Then, we hear from runner and filmmaker Faith Briggs about her documentary, "This Land." In it, Briggs runs 150 miles through three national monuments amid controversy surrounding public lands. And for anyone wanting to pick up running this year, she gives some tips on the ea...

Host Andrew Simon speaks with renowned climate and weather specialist Marshall Shepherd about what he'll be looking for in the climate arena this year under a new administration. We also learn about the inspiration behind his new book, "The Race Awakening of 2020: A 6-Step Guide for Moving Forward."

Further Reading

Marshall Shepherd

• @DrShepherd2013 on Twitter
• @marsh4fsu on Instagram
• The Race Awakening of 2020: A 6-Step Gui...

Host Andrew Simon sits down with co-host Justin Worland of Time Magazine to talk about the biggest climate stories of 2020. Then, we hear from filmmaker Cecilia Aldarondo about her documentary "Landfall," which captures the stories of everyday Puerto Ricans living—and rebuilding—after Hurricane Maria.

Further Reading

Cecilia Aldarondo

• Find more about her film Landfall here
• Landfall trailer
• Grist 50: Cecilia Aldarondo "After ...

Host Andrew Simon and returning co-host Angely Mercado talk big takeaways from a recent UN climate report on global warming. Then, we hear from Dr. Gaurab Basu about the relationship between people's health and planetary health.

Further Reading:

Dr. Gaurab Basu

• @GaurabBasuMDMPH on Twitter
• "Want to prevent the next pandemic? This doctor is prescribing climate action"
• Center for Health Equity Education and Advocacy

A...

Host Andrew Simon and returning co-host Yessenia Funes discuss president-elect Joe Biden's climate czar pick. Then, we hear from Doctor Chelsea Frazier about Black feminism, and how it's core to saving the planet.

Further Reading:

Dr. Chelsea Frazier

• Website
• Twitter
• "Black Feminist Ecological Thought: A Manifesto"

Yessenia Funes

• Website
• Twitter
• Her newsletter, The Frontline

Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm

Oc...

This Thanksgiving holiday, we're publishing a special episode—a podcast version of the Grist and Town Hall Seattle chat between New York Times Magazine reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones and Bloomberg CityLab writer and editor Brentin Mock. This summer, the two sat down to talk about the New York Times 1619 Project, which sheds light on the consequences of slavery in the U.S.

Further Reading

• Grist and Town Hall Seattle present...