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
The Heat Will Still Kill You First with Jeff Goodell
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , host Doug Parsons is joined by legendary climate journalist , author of for a conversation about what’s happened since the book came out — and what hasn’t. Extreme heat is no longer a future risk or a background climate issue; it’s a present-day killer that exposes deep failures in public health, labor protections, urban design, and climate communication. We also talk about how recent political shifts have pushed the U.S. further backward on heat response, weakening protections and leaving communities more exposed just as the risks accelerate. This isn’t a...
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Arizona’s Climate Change Adaptation Playbook: Heat, Water, Wildfire
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , we adapt in the southwest! Welcome to the desert proving ground for climate adaptation. In my home state of Arizona—Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff—we get right down on the ground to see how communities are beating extreme heat, planning responsibly for water in a changing climate, and living with wildfire risk without losing what makes these places home. You’ll hear street-level fixes that change daily life—and travel anywhere—plus a clear playbook cities can steal now: run the hottest months smarter, put shade where people actually stand and walk, and build...
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North: The Future of Post-Climate America
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , host Doug Parsons welcomes back recurring guest and leading adaptation scholar to discuss his new book, (Oxford Univesity Press). Keenan examines how the United States is already changing through mobility, shifting markets, governance pressures, and evolving cultural identities. Doug and Jesse unpack why adaptation is not just a set of technical responses to climate impacts but a broader transformation in how communities understand stability, opportunity, and belonging. They explore the limits of local governments, the growing influence of market-led adaptation, and...
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FEMA at a Crossroads: What’s Breaking, What’s Working, and What Comes Next with NRDC
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , host Doug Parsons checks in on FEMA at a moment of rapid change. With funding delays, political uncertainty, and major reforms underway, FEMA’s role in national resilience is shifting in real time. Doug speaks with four guests — Joel Scata (NRDC), Michael Coen (former FEMA Chief of Staff), Samantha Medlock (former FEMA Assistant Administrator), and Derrick Hiebert (AECOM) — to unpack what’s happening inside the agency, where communities are feeling the impacts, and what potential improvements could emerge from this period of transition. It’s a candid, timely...
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The Federal Climate Retreat and the Rise of a New Adaptation Ecosystem
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , host Doug Parsons explores what happens when federal climate services retreat—and a new adaptation ecosystem rises to fill the gaps. As agencies like NOAA, FEMA, and EPA scale back their climate work, adaptation professionals are turning to emerging climate-service innovators for the tools, data, and guidance they need. We kick off with framing the big-picture implications of this federal pullback, then hear from leaders at , , the and , who are stepping forward with practical solutions. This episode highlights the essential adaptation tools available right now, the...
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Unmanaged Retreat: Inside America’s First Federal Climate Relocation Attempt
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , host Doug Parsons talks with reporter about the tangled story behind America’s first federally funded climate relocation on Louisiana’s . Once hailed as a model for how the nation could move entire communities out of harm’s way, the project became mired in politics, confusion, and broken promises. Terry shares what he uncovered on the ground — from residents who never wanted to leave, to state officials unprepared for the task, to the bigger question of whether the U.S. is truly ready for managed retreat. This episode clears up the confusion, revealing what...
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Understanding the IPCC with Dr. Katharine Mach—Where the Media Succeeds and Fails - Re-release
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of America Adapts, Doug Parsons revisits his conversation with , Professor at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and a lead author for the . Katharine explains the process of drafting that report and how the media both succeeds and fails at communicating its urgency. Doug and Katharine also discussed the need to rethink the role and purpose of the IPCC as it prepares for its next major assessment—especially now, as the Trump administration dismantles the National Climate Assessment and scales back federal climate programs, making the...
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Special Episode — Climate Change and Human Mobility (Rebroadcast of a CCST Panel Conversation)
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , Doug Parsons takes you inside a CCST webinar that he moderated —part of the ’s Climate Change & Human Mobility series, organized with the UC Disaster Resilience Network and UC Berkeley. You’ll hear from three experts: (Assistant Professor, Environmental Social Sciences, Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University), (Professor of Public Affairs, LBJ School, University of Texas at Austin), and (Rohr Professor of International Affairs, School of Global Policy & Strategy, UC San Diego). Together, they explore the politics of place...
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20 Years After Hurricane Katrina: The Fixes, the Failures and What’s at Risk Again with Dr. Andrew Rumbach
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
In episode of , host Doug Parsons talks with Dr. of the , who went to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to work on recovery and has spent his career studying disasters and resilience. They discuss Katrina’s enduring legacy—what’s been fixed, what remains broken, and what’s now under assault. Andrew shares insights on how FEMA has evolved since 2005, where bipartisan reforms have emerged even in a hostile political climate, and whether the country is truly ready for the next major storm. He also highlights five powerful documentaries that capture Katrina’s human and...
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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....
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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