Climate Correction™ 2024: VISTA Award Presentation- Evaluation of Plant Varieties for Green Roofs in South Florida
Release Date: 04/22/2024
Voices of Florida Farmers: Building a Circular Bioeconomy
Climate Correction™ Podcast
Florida agriculture quietly underpins everyday life in the Sunshine State, shaping everything from grocery prices and water quality to how communities bounce back after a hurricane. In this episode of the Climate Correction Podcast, host Shannon Maganiezin sits down with the team behind the newly released report, Voices of Florida Farmers: Building a Circular Bioeconomy, to explore how the state's farmers, ranchers, foresters, and aquaculturists are producing more with less land, water, and resources, while keeping food...
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When the Grid Goes Down: Decarbonizing Disaster Response
Climate Correction™ Podcast
Season 6 | Episode 135 Episode Title: When the Grid Goes Down: Decarbonizing Disaster Response When disaster strikes, most people see only devastation. Will Heegaard, founding director of The Footprint Project, sees an opportunity. His perspective was shaped by his work as a paramedic deploying solar refrigeration during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa with International Medical Corps, and by hands-on disaster relief with Team Rubicon across Louisiana, Minnesota, and Puerto Rico, Will developed a guiding philosophy rooted in working with disruption rather than against it. In this episode,...
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Code Green: Climate Resilience on the Hospital Front Lines
Climate Correction™ Podcast
Hospitals exist to protect human health, yet they sit squarely on the front lines of climate risk. They are among the most energy-intensive buildings in our economy, operating 24/7 with zero tolerance for failure. The healthcare sector itself is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. A difficult paradox emerges: how do you care for people without contributing to the very conditions that make them sick? In this episode of the Climate Correction Podcast, we explore how one children's hospital is tackling that challenge head-on, turning...
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Peatlands 101 - Florida's Hidden Climate Superpower
Climate Correction™ Podcast
Season 6, Episode: 133 Peatlands 101 - Florida's Hidden Climate Superpower In this episode, we're joined by two leading scientists from The Nature Conservancy to explore one of the most under-recognized natural climate solutions on the planet: peatlands. Catherine Fitzgerald, global lead for peatlands at The Nature Conservancy, brings a wealth of expertise in unlocking equitable and durable opportunities to conserve and restore peatlands worldwide. With a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and years of experience as a professional wetland scientist, Catherine leads...
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Meet the 2026 VISTA Award Winners
Climate Correction™ Podcast
In this special episode of Climate Correction Podcast, we celebrate the power of student-led climate innovation and announce the 2026 VoLo VISTA Award Winners. The VISTA Award, created by VoLo Foundation, recognizes students who exemplify leadership, vision, innovation, sustainability, technology, and action-oriented climate solutions. This year’s winning project does all of that and more. We are joined by an extraordinary research team from the University of Miami Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering. The team includes Jasmine Rodriguez, a first-year PhD student; Farzad...
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The Road From COP30 Starts in the Ocean
Climate Correction™ Podcast
February 2026 | Season 6, Episode 131 The Road after COP30 Starts in the Ocean In this episode of the Climate Correction Podcast, we explore why the future of climate action, food security, and biodiversity is inseparable from the ocean. The conversation centers on the growing recognition that fish, seaweed, and other aquatic foods are not just economic resources, but climate-smart nutrition solutions with an outsized role in building resilient food systems. Our guest is Karly Kelso, Acting Senior Director of Global Ocean Strategies at the Environmental Defense Fund. Karly sits at the...
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The Interconnectivity of Everything in the Ocean with Leneita Fix of The Reef Institute
Climate Correction™ Podcast
In this episode of the Climate Correction™ Podcast, we’re joined by Leneita Fix, founding leader and executive director of The Reef Institute, one of Florida and the Caribbean’s most important hubs for coral rescue, restoration, and ocean literacy. Leneita shares how The Reef Institute’s groundbreaking Rescue to Reef model is transforming the future of coral conservation through a full-spectrum approach that includes emergency rescues, long-term holding and biobanking, indoor coral spawning, juvenile rearing, and...
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Recyclable Solar Panels Made in the USA with Solarcycle
Climate Correction™ Podcast
In this special holiday episode of Climate Correction Podcast, we welcome Dr. Pablo Ribeiro Dias, co-founder and chief technology officer at , a pioneering, tech-driven recycling company producing sustainable, domestic materials at scale for the solar industry. Dr. Dias is a world-renowned researcher in solar PV module and e-waste recycling technologies. He leads innovation in high-value, low-cost recycling processes that are shaping the future of renewable energy. With dual PhDs from UFRGS (Brazil) and Macquarie University (Australia), and a master’s in photovoltaics...
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Catherine Valdivieso and the SwapCo App Make Sustainability Stylish
Climate Correction™ Podcast
Show notes for this episode come from an article that has been republished with approval from the author, Carlos Roa. See the . As billions of garments end up in landfills each year, Catherine Valdivieso’s SwapCo app makes sustainable fashion simple by helping users “swipe, match and swap” clothes while curbing overconsumption this holiday season By Carlos Roa According to , the fashion industry produces more than 100 billion garments each year, and an estimated 92 million tons of them end up in landfills. That is the equivalent of a garbage...
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Beyond Rooftops: How Solar Builds Communities with GRID Alternatives Co-founder Erica Mackie
Climate Correction™ Podcast
What if clean energy wasn’t just about powering our homes, but about powering opportunity? My guest today believes renewable energy can be the bridge to economic justice, workforce empowerment, and a more inclusive future. On this episode of the Climate Correction Podcast, I’m joined by Erica Mackie, P.E., co-founder and Co-CEO of GRID Alternatives, the nonprofit that has turned solar into a tool for community transformation. From day one, Erica has led GRID’s growth into a national force—bringing renewable energy technology and job training directly to underserved communities. Along...
info_outlineVISTA Award Presentation- Evaluation of Plant Varieties for Green Roofs in South Florida
Description
Green roofs are innovative roofing systems that support plant growth on buildings. They replace traditional roofing materials with a layer of soil for vegetation, offering various benefits such as mitigating the heat island effect, reducing stormwater runoff and sequestering carbon. However, implementing green roofs in the challenging climate of Miami and South Florida is a formidable task due to high humidity, extreme heat, desiccating winds, and hurricanes. The urgency is underscored by Miami's ranking as the third-worst Urban Heat Island Effect city in the US. The intensity of the problem is evident by the recent appointment of the world's first Chief Heat Officer for Miami-Dade County, underlining the severity of Miami's Urban Heat Island Effect. This problem affects residents, and addressing it through greening the city, including green roofs, is crucial. This project aims to recommend resilient plant species for South Florida green roofs, focusing on their carbon sequestration capabilities and reducing the urban heat island effect. This initiative's significance lies in mitigating climate change effects, fostering sustainable urban ecosystems, reducing carbon footprints, enhancing biodiversity, and improving urban well-being. Recognizing the urgent need for climate solutions, the project seeks to provide actionable insights for addressing South Florida's pressing climate issues.
Speakers
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Ivan Oyege, Florida International University , Ph.D. Candidate
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Priyanka Belbase, Florida International University, Graduate Teaching Assistant
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Moses Kiwanuka, Florida International University, Graduate Teaching Assistant
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Jordan Prats, Florida International University , Ph.D Candidate