It can be challenging to have the same routine every day. I, for example, usually start my day with an abrupt wake-up to my alarm, fall asleep again only to wake up at 8:29 a.m. and rush to  my Sustainability and Design class. I am tired of eating the same sandwich every day and staring at the same Zoom screen. However, quarantine taught me one invaluable lesson: podcasts are magic. They are the perfect combination of an engaging story and interesting facts. Even better, I can walk while listening to them. In fact, the vast majority of my environmental education comes from listening to podcasts. Here is my “starter pack” of climate podcasts episodes.  

“How To Save A Planet”

“How To Save A Planet” is my ultimate go-to podcast. With two charming hosts, Alex Blumberg and my personal hero Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, the podcast intertwines knowledge with stories, creating episodes based on intersectional sustainability from carbon offsets to Indigenous practices. The best part is every episode concludes with a list of action steps. Here are my favorite episodes: 

1. “The Tribe that’s Moving Earth (and Water) to Solve the Climate Crisis”

A story about Northern California’s Yurok tribe taking back some of their land and turning it into a carbon offset, helping to restore the salmon and otter populations while uplifting their community.

1. “Soil: The Dirty Climate Solution”

This episode explores regenerative agriculture from a small-scale farm, where Afro-Indigenous farming practices are employed, to a large industrial farm, where a husband and wife found that regenerative agriculture was more cost-effective. 

1. “Black Lives Matter and the Climate”

Johnson and Blumberg speak with Black Lives Matter leaders and Black environmental leaders discussing why the only way to defeat the global warming crisis is through racial justice. They also expand on how the modern-day climate movement can learn from the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Runners up: 

1. “Fighting Fire with Fire”
2. “Making Republicans Environmentalists Again”
3. “Cold Hard Cash for Your Greenhouse Gas Black Lives Matter and the Climate “

“The Daily”

“The Daily,” a classic podcast hosted by the iconic Michael Barbaro, is the perfect everyday podcast. Armed with my daily dose of news, I always feel confident going to my Voice of Democracy class.  

1. “Assessing Biden’s Climate Plan”

Through all the chaos of November, one key part of Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign was his climate plan. In this episode of “The Daily,” Barbaro explores Biden’s plan and speaks with Coral Davenport on the likelihood of accomplishing his goals.

1. “The Sunday Read: ‘The Valve Turners”

The Valve Turners are a group of activists going to extremes to ensure a planet for the future. The story follows five climate activists as they turn off oil drilling valves and their consequences. 

Runners up:

1. “Can Corporations Stop Climate Change?”

      2. “The Sunday Read: ‘How Climate Migration WIll Reshape America”