This week’s Talking Climate is guest-edited by physicist David Baker from Austin College. David is a NASA exoplanet researcher and professor whose work inspires students and communities to connect the cosmos back to our own remarkable planet.

🪐 Good news: We've now discovered over 6,000 exoplanets, from “eyeball planets” with oceans ringed by ice to worlds with two suns like Star Wars’ Tatooine. These discoveries deepen our understanding of what makes Earth uniquely habitable!

🌍 Not so good news: Out of thousands of exoplanets discovered, not one truly matches Earth’s recipe: the right materials, the right size, the right orbit, and the right kind of star. Earth is rare, precious, and irreplaceable. There is no Planet B.

🔭 What you can do: Protecting our unique home starts with valuing science and nurturing awe. Support organizations advancing climate and space research. Visit an observatory or stargaze in your own backyard. Experiencing wonder connects us to the bigger picture—and reminds us exactly what we’re fighting to preserve.

Check out David's website here.

Find Space Chip's video here.

Find an astronomy club here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

Real stories of climate action remind us that change is possible, and that we each have a role to play. This week’s newsletter highlights how individuals and communities are reshaping the future of clean energy and climate solutions.

Good news: In New York’s Hudson Valley, professor Jeff Seidman turned research into action. By hosting a forum on battery storage for local officials, he helped shift the debate. Just months later, a local town lifted its moratorium on energy storage systems!

Not so good news: In Oregon, outdated permitting laws + one determined activist are stalling wind and transmission projects. But smart siting tools prove we can expand clean energy without harming people or nature.

Inspiration: Former pilot Todd Smith left aviation to co-found Safe Landing, pushing for renewable fuels and a just transition for workers. His story shows how insiders can drive transformation from within.

These real life stories prove that when individuals raise our voices—locally, strategically, and authentically—we can directly impact climate solutions.

Check out the podcast on Todd Smith and Safe Landing here.

Find the short documentary here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

What can music, forests, and faith communities teach us about climate action?

🎶 Good news - Musician Jon Batiste, whose own life was shaped by Hurricane Katrina, is using his music to inspire climate action. His new album Big Money and climate song Petrichor remind us that solutions exist, and that change can be joyful.

🌳 Not so good news - A new study finds that tropical deforestation causes nearly 3,000 deaths each year by amplifying local warming across tropical regions. Once again, vulnerable communities bear the greatest burden.

✨ What you can do - Join Sun Day (Sept 19–21), a faith-led movement by GreenFaith supporting climate action and clean energy. Whether attending, hosting, or sharing resources, you can add your voice to the growing call for climate justice.

When it comes to climate action, each voice matters, and each action multiplies. Working together is how we can build the momentum for change.

Find the GreenFaith interactive map here.

Find GreenFaith's toolkit here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

It’s back-to-school for many right now, and students are showing us what climate leadership looks like.

📚 Good news: In both Colorado and Oregon, students successfully lobbied for new laws and education standards requiring climate change and sustainability to be taught across K–12 classrooms: more evidence of how powerful youth voices can be!

🔥 Not so good news: Around the world, extreme heat and flooding are keeping children out of school and impacting learning. Classrooms are closing or overheating, and studies show that heat exposure can negatively impact students' educational outcomes including learning and grades.

🌱 What you can do: Schools are some of the biggest energy users in every community—and some of the biggest opportunities for climate progress. From solar panels and heat pumps to electric buses and green roofs, funding and resources are available. If your local school isn’t on this path yet, you could be the one to get them started!

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

From sheep growing better wool under solar panels to matcha prices soaring with the heat: here’s this week’s surprising mix of climate news, and something you can do about it today!

🐏 Good news: New research shows that sheep grazing under solar panels grow stronger, faster wool! Farmers benefit too, as the land supports both green energy and healthy flocks.

🍵 Not-so-good news: Extreme heat in Japan has slashed matcha yields, sending prices soaring. Climate-fueled extremes are also affecting crops of rice, bananas, almonds and more.

💰 What you can do: Look into climate-friendly rebates, incentives, and credits offered in your city, region, or country, from home retrofits and heat pumps to EVs and solar. If you’re in the U.S., the federal EV tax credit (up to $7,500 new / $4,000 used) is available until September 30, 2025. Don’t miss the chance to take advantage of programs that cut costs AND emissions!

Find the video from the Wellington sheep farm here.

Find the Kiplinger article on the EV tax credit here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

This week, Global Citizen co-founder Michael Sheldrick, takes us to Western Australia—a region facing both inspiring progress and serious setbacks on climate.

💚 Good News: In the former coal town of Collie, a just transition is taking shape. As coal phases out, nearly $700M is being invested in clean energy projects like large-scale batteries and green steel, with job retraining and community revitalization at its core. It’s an inspiring example of climate progress rooted in local collaboration between workers, governments, and activists.

🔥 Not So Good News: The Australian government just extended a major methane gas project through 2070—potentially locking in over 4 billion tons of emissions and casting doubt on Australia’s climate commitments.

🤝 What You Can Do: Climate solutions work best when they’re built with—not for—communities. Collie’s story shows what’s possible when individuals are willing to spend the time to talk to each other and build trust. That's how change happens!

If you feel stuck on how to make an impact, Mick’s book "From Ideas to Impact" is full of practical examples of how to take good intentions and use them to make a difference in tackling devastating and unjust global challenges including climate change, poverty, disease, and more. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

From carbon-trapping trees to threats to U.S. climate science, here’s this week’s Talking Climate snapshot.

🌱 Good news: New research finds East African fig trees can lock carbon away as stone-like calcium carbonate, keeping it in the soil long term while growing food at the same time!

⚠️ Not-so-good news: The U.S. is rolling back vital climate protections, re-writing science assessments and cancelling NASA satellites at a time when we need more protection, information, and data than ever.

✊ What you can do: One of the most effective ways to use our voice is by holding leaders accountable. It's not only about voting: we can speak up any time, submit comments on decisions we disagree with, and support legal challenges for climate action that are happening worldwide!

These days, climate action isn’t optional. Together, I believe we can make it unavoidable.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

Every week, I share stories that reflect where we are, what’s at stake, and how we're already able to shape a better future. Here's this week’s!

✅ Good News: China’s often painted as a climate villain by those trying to prevent climate action elsewhere: but a new Carbon Brief analysis finds its clean energy technology exports are already reducing global emissions—1% this year alone, and 4 billion tonnes over their lifetimes.

⚠️ Bad News: Just the last few weeks, extreme heat and floods have swept Europe, Asia, and North America. Climate change is loading the extreme weather dice against us, putting lives, homes, and infrastructure at risk.

💡 Inspiration: After John, a retired school principal, read my book Saving Us, that explains how climate conversations can catalyze action, he started talking to neighbours about his EV and solar panels, and teamed up with community orgs to engage local youth in climate and nature.

Share your climate action story with me here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca