The Center for Heat Resilient Communities gets a NOAA Grant with Dr. Kelly Turner and Dr. Ladd Keith
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
Release Date: 06/03/2024
Generating the Science Behind Climate Adaptation with the Schoodic Institute
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , we’re heading to coastal Maine — a place where science, community, and nature all come together to tackle climate change. Adaptation doesn’t just happen on its own. It takes data, observation, and sometimes years of research to generate the science that guides decisions. That science is often messy, imperfect, but it’s the foundation for every smart adaptation. Effective adaptation requires partnerships. As you will hear, in Maine, you’ll find scientists, historians, local communities, and institutions like the Schoodic Institute working side by side....
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Climate Change on the Battlefield: International Military Responses to the Climate Crisis with Erin Sikorsky
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , host Doug Parsons speaks with , Director of the Center for Climate and Security and author of the new book Climate Change on the Battlefield. Erin explains how climate change is already impacting global security—degrading military readiness, increasing conflict risks, and forcing new missions on defense forces worldwide. We explore how national adaptation plans can serve as strategic tools, the dangers of political backsliding in the U.S., and how China’s assertive adaptation strategy may reshape global power dynamics. Erin also highlights countries that are getting...
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Innovations in Climate Risk and Insurance – The Podcast
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , host Doug Parsons explores the fast-changing world of climate risk and insurance—where escalating hazards are driving rapid changes in how we safeguard homes, businesses, and entire communities. This episode brings together an unprecedented mix of guests: policy experts advancing insurance reform, senior executives from leading insurance companies, a Miami real estate agent navigating the front lines of a shifting market, and innovators using big data and advanced technology to transform how risk is measured and managed. Across these conversations, listeners...
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Inside the MR2025 Conference: Planning for Adaptation, Mobility and Relocation in a Warming World
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , host Doug Parsons takes you inside the , a gathering focused on the complex realities of climate-driven movement—whether we call it managed retreat, relocation, or mobility. What does it mean to leave behind homes, neighborhoods, or entire communities in response to climate risks—and how do we do it in ways that prioritize justice and long-term resilience? The episode explores the politics of place attachment, the financial systems that shape who can move and who can’t, and how storytelling helps bring these abstract issues down to the human level. You’ll hear...
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Inside the Biden White House: Climate Adaptation Wins, Misses—and the Road Ahead
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , host Doug Parsons has a candid conversation with , former senior advisor on climate resilience in the Biden White House. Laurie offers a rare, unfiltered look inside the administration’s climate resilience efforts. Laurie helped coordinate adaptation strategy across agencies. While she didn’t lead the National Climate Resilience Framework, she had a front-row seat to its evolution—and its compromises. She speaks openly about what worked, what fell apart, and what was left on the cutting room floor. From the outsized influence of youth climate politics to the...
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Fixing FEMA, Fixing HUD: A Former Insider on Disaster Recovery and Climate Adaptation
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , host Doug Parsons speaks with , a nationally recognized leader in disaster recovery, resilience, and climate adaptation. With senior roles at FEMA and HUD during the Biden-Harris Administration—and a pivotal role in Louisiana’s post-Katrina recovery—Robin brings unmatched insight into how federal recovery systems work, and more importantly, how they fail. As the current administration actively undermines the government’s ability to prepare for and respond to climate disasters, Robin offers a frank assessment of what’s at stake and what a truly equitable,...
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What’s Brewing at America Adapts? Updates, Travels, and What’s Coming Next
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In this short solo episode of , host Doug Parsons shares some behind-the-scenes updates on America Adapts. Doug reflects on the recent all-Spanish episode in partnership with World Wildlife Fund, recaps his visit to the Climate Connect conference in DC, and previews upcoming guests like Robin Keegan and Laurie Schoeman. He also shares details about his summer travels to the Managed Retreat Conference in New York and the Schoodic Institute in Maine. Plus, hear about an exciting new podcast series with the CO2 Foundation, a shoutout to professors planning their fall courses, and a quick...
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ManglarIA: Salvando la naturaleza con inteligencia artificial. Cómo WWF utiliza la IA para ayudar a los manglares a adaptarse
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
En el episodio 229 de , presentamos una edición especial del pódcast: nuestro primer episodio completamente en español. Este es un hito emocionante, ya que ampliamos el alcance del programa para llegar a audiencias hispanohablantes en todo el mundo. Este episodio retoma el trabajo innovador de la iniciativa ManglarIA del Fondo Mundial para la Naturaleza (WWF, por sus siglas en inglés), que en español significa “IA para los manglares”, un proyecto apoyado por Google.org, el brazo filantrópico de Google. La versión original en inglés de este episodio está disponible . ...
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Dismantling F.E.M.A. : The Unmaking of Federal Climate Resilience from the Inside Out with Victoria Salinas
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , host Doug Parsons speaks with , Senior Fellow at the Climate Resilience Institute at the University of Miami and former Deputy Administrator for Resilience at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the Biden administration. Victoria shares her journey into federal service, including her decision to join FEMA at a critical juncture for the agency. She reflects on FEMA’s traditionally reactive role and her efforts to reshape it into a more proactive force for community resilience—breaking down silos, emphasizing equity, and building a culture focused on...
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The Wild, Wild West of Climate Modeling…Just Got Wilder
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , we are re-releasing one of the more popular episodes of the podcast — my interview with , a law professor at Boston University. In our original conversation, we explored the critical role climate modeling plays in climate adaptation, including: what climate models can — and can’t — do; the concept of the “climate industrial complex”; legal liability for inaccurate climate projections and the role of climate analytics firms like First Street Foundation. When this episode first aired, there was still a general assumption that the federal government would...
info_outlineIn episode 207 of America Adapts, Dr. Kelly Turner of UCLA and Dr. Ladd Keith at the University of Arizona join host Doug Parsons to discuss groundbreaking work in extreme heat governance and planning, specifically focusing on the recent NOAA grant awarded to launch the Center for Heat Resilient Communities. The grant aims to enhance heat resilience in communities by encouraging connections between stakeholders and the federal government, with a heavy emphasis on climate justice and environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Justice40 initiative. The discussion also covers federally funded research programs supporting rural and tribal communities with heat resilience, mapping shade equity nationally, and initiatives on indoor cooling. Kelly and Ladd encourage involvement in the field of heat policy and governance, inviting individuals to reach out and engage with the three year project.
Topics covered:
- NOAA Grant Overview
- Biden Administration's Role
- Principals and Key Partners/Community Partnerships
- Heat Resilient Communities Framework
- Evaluating Heat Resilience Policies
- Training Future Heat Leaders
- Funding and Support for Communities
- Climate and Environmental Justice
- Media Coverage of Extreme Heat
- Plug for Other Research Programs for Kelly and Ladd
- Call to Action: Visit heat.gov
Principal Researchers for the Grant:
Dr. V. Kelly Turner, UCLA (lead)
Dr. Ladd Keith, University of Arizona
Dr. Sara Meerow, Arizona State University
Transcript of episode available here.
Quotes from the episode:
Dr. Kelly Turner:
Really, there are two main goals. One is to to create a robust framework across a diverse set of contexts that communities could use to do heat resilience work. And so we have a series of six cores that the whole center is organized around. So the first goal is for us to create this framework. And the second goal is to then fund and to support communities. So 10 communities per year over three years to test that framework and refine it. And I could get into a little bit about each one of the cores if that's of interest.
Dr. Ladd Keith
And we'll be co-developing essentially this heat resilient framework that the communities will be going through. And it involves all the cores and is really focused on supporting heat action planning at the local level and really drawing on that network of experts that we have involved in the center. I think one of the exciting things is we'll be co-developing this heat resilient framework with the communities that we're working with. And of Of course, we'll be supporting the initial 30 communities, but we'll also be putting a lot of that information on heat.gov so that it's accessible to all of the other 19,000 communities in the United States. And another part of it that's really exciting is all of the lessons that we're going to learn through the center is feeding that back to federal agencies and really partnering with them so they know how to better support community heat planning as well.
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Links in this episode:
Center for Heat Resilient Communities
Biden-Harris Administration invests $4.55 million for community heat resilience through Investing in America agenda
UCLA to lead the Center of Excellence for Heat Resilient Communities
ASU is lead partner in new national Center for Heat Resilient Communities
New federally funded center will rely on UArizona expertise to help communities manage extreme heat
Living Planet Podcast Promotion in this episode:
Podcast: Deep Dive: Reviving repair culture
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Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Strategies to Address Climate Change Risk in Low- and Moderate-income Communities - Volume 14, Issue 1
https://www.frbsf.org/community-development/publications/community-development-investment-review/2019/october/strategies-to-address-climate-change-low-moderate-income-communities/
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The 10 Best Sustainability Podcasts for Environmental Business Leaders
https://us.anteagroup.com/news-events/blog/10-best-sustainability-podcasts-environmental-business-leaders
The best climate change podcasts on The Climate Advisor
http://theclimateadvisor.com/the-best-climate-change-podcasts/
7 podcasts to learn more about climate change and how to fight it
https://kinder.world/articles/you/7-podcasts-to-learn-more-about-climate-change-and-how-to-fight-it-19813
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