Hear us on Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and Spotify Podcasts. Subscribe now!
A Climate Change with Matt Matern is a weekly environmental podcast featuring influential guests from government, business, activism, academia, and culture. The show serves to inform its audience about environmental issues, while inspiring listeners to take action and create a coalition to save the planet.
Matt talks with Rare CEO Brett Jenks about scaling climate resilience in 2,000+ coastal communities, why adaptation matters, and how financial, ecological, and social resilience can prevent a global climate migration crisis.
Matt Matern talks with sustainable fashion pioneer Marci Zaroff on the true cost of clothing—from cotton in our food supply to organic fibers, greenwashing vs certification, and the shift toward traceable fashion.
Annie Leonard and André Carothers, co-authors of Protest: Respect It, Defend It, Use It, join Matt to discuss why the right to protest is under unprecedented attack — and why defending it is inseparable from the fight against climate change.
Matt talks with Doug Weir (CEOBS) about the overlooked environmental damage of war, tracking Iran conflict incidents, risks to the Persian Gulf, and how military emissions and spending hinder climate accountability.
Matt speaks with Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial on scaling carbon removal by turning wildfire wood into underground bio-oil storage, costs, policy barriers, and climate tech’s future.
Michelle Moore explains how rising electricity bills, AI-driven data center demand, and federal cuts are straining families, while community solar, efficiency, and rate freezes could protect affordability.
Matt interviews Miranda Green on how the U.S.-Iran conflict disrupted 20% of global oil and LNG flows, spiked gas prices, exposed fossil fuel dependence, and tied Trump-era policies to energy politics and donors.
Nathaniel Stinnett explains why climate action is stalled: not a lack of concern, but a lack of voter turnout. He shares how the Environmental Voter Project uses data and behavioral science to mobilize non-voting environmentalists.
Matt speaks with Inside Climate News reporter Katie Surma about the global rights of nature movement—Indigenous-led protections for whales, Ecuador’s constitutional framework, U.S. legal barriers, and new reporting on environmental inequity.
Matt talks with journalist Michael Grunwald about We Are Eating the Earth, arguing food and land use drive about a third of emissions. They examine rising meat demand, limits of vegan and organic fixes, Denmark’s farm policy, and realistic climate solutions.
Jennifer Pitt discusses shrinking Colorado River supplies, expiring state agreements, and the urgent need for consensus, conservation, and flexible reservoir management to avoid severe shortages and litigation.
Amelia Southern-Uribe shares how youth-led climate justice, storytelling, and local organizing build power, uplift frontline communities, and turn grief into action against fossil fuels and environmental injustice.
Professor Michael Gerrard discusses his path into environmental law, the Sabin Center’s climate mission, and the key legal tools, legislation, state action, and litigation shaping climate progress.
Matt speaks with Dr. Catherine Weetman about why recycling alone cannot solve the environmental crisis and why businesses must adopt circular and regenerative models.
Matt speaks with environmental filmmaker Matt Podolsky of Wild Lens Collective about how storytelling drives conservation, from his Sundance-winning Sea of Shadows on the vaquita to new work on bats, policy impact, and making hidden crises visible.
Matt Matern talks with Doug Parsons of America Adapts on why climate adaptation now rivals emissions cuts, how the Defense Department keeps adapting despite politics, and how storytelling can drive action
Matt speaks with Dr. Marcius Extavour on innovation in climate action, from solar’s economic rise to carbon removal. They explore data, design, and AI as tools to empower communities, policymakers, and practical systems-based solutions.
Matt speaks with Dr. James Danoff-Burg of The Living Desert about community-centered conservation in South Africa, highlighting the Black Mambas – an unarmed, all-female anti-poaching unit reducing rhino poaching.
Matt Matern speaks with Cecilia Rios, co-host of Sustainability Defined, about her path into climate work, sustainability podcasting, business and culture, and how consumers and policy together can drive more sustainable, equitable change.
Matt Matern speaks with Nick Wise on how satellites and AI are transforming ocean protection—tracking illegal fishing, shipping emissions, and strengthening global climate accountability.
BrightSaver cofounder Cora Stryker joins Matt Matern to reveal how balcony solar could revolutionize clean energy access for renters and low-income households – cutting costs, carbon, and red tape across the U.S.
Pollinators are declining fast – and it threatens our food systems and ecosystems. Matt talks with Kelly Bills of Pollinator Partnership about climate impacts, habitat loss, Bee Friendly Farming, and what communities and individuals can do to help restore pollinator health.
Leah Thomas, award-winning environmentalist, author, and founder of Intersectional Environmentalist, shares how her Midwest roots and racial justice movements shaped her path. She discusses climate justice, launching her nonprofit, and producing the new season of As She Rises on rewilding.
Matt Matern talks with Arctic climate justice scholar Stephen Lezak about a rapidly warming North Pole, indigenous-led solutions, rights of nature, and how to balance climate risk with practical, people-centered action.