What actually happens at a global climate conference?

Bernadette Woods Placky, executive director of Talking Climate Collaborative, joins me from COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, for a bonus conversation on Atmosphere. We talk about who shows up, how Americans are participating, and why communication matters when the science and policy get complicated. Plus, where she sees progress, and the people working to move things forward.

This is our full interview, recorded November 12, 2026, with Bernadette joining from the conference.

Learn more about Talking Climate Collaborative: https://talkingclimate.com

COP31:
https://cop31.tr/

What happens when a wildfire creates its own weather? Can artificial intelligence detect a fire before it spreads? And could autonomous drones someday help firefighters protect entire communities?

Meteorologist and wildfire chaser Jaclyn Whittal has spent years covering extreme weather, from hurricanes and tornadoes to devastating wildfires. But after moving to British Columbia, the wildfire threat became personal. She's experienced evacuation alerts, watched the sky turn red with smoke, and swept burning embers off her own back porch.

In this episode of Atmosphere, Jaclyn joins meteorologist Emily Gracey to explore the science behind wildfires, their connection to our changing climate, and some remarkable new technologies being developed to fight them.

We talk about fire-generated thunderstorms, fire tornadoes, "zombie fires" that survive the winter, AI-powered detection systems, firefighting drones, and new ways to protect homes and communities.

And perhaps most importantly, why preparing for the next wildfire season needs to start long before the first flames appear.

Sponsored by Weather100. Explore 100 years of weather history at https://www.weather100.com and use code EMILY20 for 20% off.

Atmosphere on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atmospherepodcast/

Jaclyn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwhittalclimate/

Subscribe for more conversations about weather, climate, science, and the people behind the research.

Who decided we should change our clocks twice a year? And why are we still doing it?
From the days when every town kept its own time to America's failed experiment with permanent daylight saving time in 1974, meteorologist Emily Gracey takes a quick trip through the surprisingly messy history of timekeeping.
Plus, why Arizona refuses to play along, how China manages with just one time zone, and what all of this has to do with saving energy.
For more on the science of daylight saving time and how it affects our sleep and health, listen to the full Atmosphere episode featuring Stanford sleep researcher Dr. Jamie Zeitzer.

Sources & Further Reading

• Congressional Research Service — Daylight Saving Time: https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RS22284.html
• U.S. Department of Transportation — The Daylight Saving Time Study: A Report to Congress (1975): https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/92250
• Smithsonian National Museum of American History — On Time: Synchronizing Time: https://americanhistory.si.edu/ontime/synchronizing/zones.html
• Arizona State University — Why Arizona Has Opted Out of Daylight Saving Time: https://news.asu.edu/20180305-discoveries-why-arizona-has-opted-out-daylight-saving-time?page=3
• Timeanddate — Daylight Saving Time in Arizona: https://www.timeanddate.com/time/us/arizona-no-dst.html
• Timeanddate — China Only Has One Time Zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/time/china/one-time-zone.html