A Climate Change with Matt Matern

A Climate Change with Matt Matern

A Climate Change with Matt Matern is a weekly show featuring influential guests from government, business, activism, academia, and culture. The show serves to inform its audience with a focus on environmental and climate issues. Join us as we commit to making "a climate change." Similar to these great podcasts: TED Climate, Reversing Climate Change, Climate One, My Climate Journey, Volts, America Adapts, & A Matter Of Degrees.

Episodes

November 6, 2025 30 mins

In this week’s episode of  A Climate Change, host Matt Mattern welcomes comedian and writer Bill Kessler for a spirited, no-filter take on the intersection of climate politics, policy, and everyday life. Blending wit with insight, they dissect the week’s environmental headlines, from viral AI spectacles to the deeper economic and moral choices shaping our planet’s future.

 

Matt and Bill unpack the $700 million clean energy project...

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    Fact: According to an IRENA report on Reuters from mid-July, over 90% of new renewable projects are now cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives. Solar is 41% cheaper, and onshore wind is 53% cheaper than fossil fuel energy. The consumers are speaking up, and market dynamics are pushing the growth of renewables. In this episode of A Climate Change, host Matt Mattern speaks with Dr. Gernot Wagner, climate economist at Columbia Business...

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    Every single person, regardless of vocation, can be a climate activist. Just ask Andrew Zimmern - world renowned chef, James Beard awardee and Emmy-winning TV personality, who's now leading the fight for ocean health. He joins us on the latest episode of A Climate Change with powerful insights from his PBS series "Hope in the Water," revealing why artisanal fishing communities are crucial for our planet's future, and sharing eye-op...

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    Fact: According to a December 2024 report by WRI, 75% of greenhouse gases and 90% of CO2 emissions are linked to extracting and burning fossil fuels. While sustainability measures like emission control and renewables focus on the demand side of the equation, the real high-impact change lies in measures to control the supply side. This week, Matt sits down with Tzeporah Berman, Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initi...

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    Two birds, one stone is always a good approach, isn't it? Especially when it comes to climate action. So, what if cities could tackle climate change while building more equitable communities? Dr. Sheila R Foster, Professor at Columbia University and an expert in environmental justice, explores innovative urban governance models that combine climate action with social equity. Dr. Foster shares insights from her groundbreaking work w...

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    In this bonus episode, Matt is joined by comedian and writer Bill Kessler, to take a lighter look at President Trump’s infamous UN speech from last week. They dive into Trump’s climate denial on the world stage, his bizarre tangents about wind energy, and the sheer comedy gold of his word salads. This episode is meant to be more fun and less heavy than usual - we hope you enjoy the laughs while still catching the serious undertones...

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    While corporate companies chase returns and profits, there are those few who chase sustainability, and even fewer who get it right. In this episode, we sit down with Alexia Kelly, Managing Director of the High Tide Foundation and former Netflix sustainability executive, to explore the complex world of greenhouse gas accounting and carbon credits. Backed by her extensive and high-stakes experience in key sustainability events and mi...

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    There’s a spectrum of ways to fight against climate change and smart, intentional business lies right in the middle of that spectrum. Joel Makower, Chairman of Trellis Group and a pioneering figure in green business practices takes us behind the scenes of the economics of climate action in this revealing episode of A Climate Change. Tune in for an exploration of the intersection of business innovation and environmental sustainabili...
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    Film and writing have forever inspired change, pushing the masses into action. This applies to climate action, too. In this episode of A Climate Change, we speak with documentarian Olga Loginova about her groundbreaking work chronicling environmental and social justice issues. Listen in for a deep dive into her powerful three-part series on America's first federally-funded climate relocation project and her upcoming film on medicin...
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    When it comes to climate action, the West’s solutions are falling short by a mile; thousands of miles. It’s indigenous communities that have the knowledge to unlock the secret to successful climate action. In the latest episode of A Climate Change, we unpack all there is to learn from these communities, courtesy of James Fountain, an ESG expert, cultural geographer, and award-winning author of ‘Our Changing World’. Tune in as he re...
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    September 4, 2025 57 mins
    In this episode of A Climate Change with Matt Matern, a panel of leading climate attorneys and advocates unpacks the Trump administration’s attempt to repeal the EPA’s Endangerment Finding - the legal cornerstone of federal climate regulation. They explain its scientific and legal foundations, the risks to public health, the economy, and U.S. climate leadership if overturned, and the importance of public engagement in defending it....
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    In the fight against clean energy, who really wins? Trump supporters may think it’s them, but this episode of A Climate Change reveals another story altogether. In this eye-opening conversation with Rob Verchick, environmental law professor and former EPA deputy administrator, we explore critical developments in ocean conservation, renewable energy challenges, and climate resilience. From Louisiana's coastal restoration efforts to ...
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    The Trump administration's "One Big Beautiful Bill" threatens to reverse years of clean energy progress and environmental protections, raising urgent concerns about climate policy and public health. In this special livestream episode of Climate Change with Matt Mattern, host Matt brings together a powerhouse panel including Dr. Gernot Wagner (Climate Economist, Columbia Business School), Lucero Marquez (Center for American Progres...
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    We’ve all heard the phrase “two birds, one stone,” and most of us love it. Now, what if this approach could be applied to large-scale climate action? In the latest episode of A Climate Change, we sit down with Beth Sawin - a trailblazing climate activist, a PhD in Biology from MIT and Founder and Director of the Multisolving Institute - to talk about the 360-degree approach to environmentalism the world needs today. Tune in to unde...
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    Global environmental change begins with a university that thoroughly understands sustainability. In this episode of A Climate Change, we speak with Patricia Lee, Sustainability Project Officer at Griffith University in Australia. Patricia shares how Griffith became a global leader in sustainability through cross-campus collaboration, Indigenous knowledge integration, and a deep commitment to education. From waste management to clim...
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    We made it to Episode 200! Today, we look back at four and a half years of meaningful conversations with some of the brightest minds in the climate movement - scientists, policymakers, activists, and visionaries who are shaping our future. We reflect on the challenges we've explored, the progress we've witnessed, and the urgent work still ahead. Through these inspiring guests, we've learned that individual choices and collective a...
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    Legal expertise meets environmental activism in this revealing discussion about fighting back against anti-environmental policies through strategic litigation and state-level action. In this episode of A Climate Change, we speak with Daniel Farber from UC Berkeley Law School, a constitutional and environmental law expert, to explore effective strategies for combating harmful environmental policies and maintaining progress on cli...
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    What happens when the ocean - which covers over 70% of the planet - reaches its breaking point? Today we’re joined by Dr. Deborah Brosnan, a pioneering marine scientist and climate resilience expert, for a deep dive into nature-based solutions for coastal protection. Dr. Deborah Brosnan shares how surviving a plane crash became a pivotal moment that led her to dedicate her life to ocean science and climate resilience. She discu...
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    We’ve tested the limits of our planet plenty, and the water war has officially begun. But what if there was an antidote to the toxins polluting the dominant color of the globe? In this compelling episode of A Climate Change, host Matt Matern sits down with Tracy Quinn, President and CEO of Heal the Bay, to explore the devastating impacts of recent Los Angeles fires on marine ecosystems and coastal waters. Tracy shares critical ins...
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    What if health could be the key to driving climate action? In this episode of A Climate Change, we sit down with Shweta Narayan, Campaign Lead at the Global Climate Health Alliance, about how public health is a powerful lever for global climate action. Drawing from her childhood in an industrial town in India, Shweta explores the climate health impact of the air pollution crisis, the role of environmental justice, and how sustainab...
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