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 TNC's global work to protect these ecosystems for climate, water, and people.

Morgan Higman, climate strategy director for The Nature Conservancy in Florida, focuses on accelerating clean energy and natural climate solutions across the state. Her doctoral research in public administration and policy at Florida State University's Askew School was supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Research and Education Foundation.

Peatlands are ancient wetlands made up of layers of partially decayed plant matter that have accumulated over thousands of years. Bogs, swamps, and fens all fall into this category. Though they cover just 3% of the planet, peatlands store one-third of the world's soil carbon and 10% of its freshwater. That's more carbon than all the world's forests combined. Healthy peatlands filter water, buffer communities against floods and drought, reduce wildfire risk, and support unique plant and animal species. When drained or disturbed, they flip from carbon sinks to carbon sources, releasing stored greenhouse gases and compounding the very climate risks they once helped prevent.

Catherine and Morgan walk us through why Florida is a standout state for peatland restoration. A 2025 TNC spatial analysis identified Florida as having some of the greatest restoration potential in the Southeast, with the St. Johns River Water Management District emerging as a priority area. With support from VoLo Foundation, TNC is conducting a deep-dive assessment of high-opportunity sites across the region, bringing together water management districts, local landowners, scientists, and community partners to identify lighthouse projects that can catalyze action at scale.

This work is part of TNC's broader global peatland strategy, with active initiatives across more than a dozen countries and states, including North Carolina, Minnesota, Colombia, and Mongolia. In North Carolina alone, TNC was recently awarded a $200 million EPA grant to restore and protect approximately 43,000 acres of peatlands. Florida's program builds directly on those decades of groundwork, with the goal of creating a replicable framework for the entire Southeast.

Learn more:

The Nature Conservancy — Peatlands: https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/tackle-climate-change/climate-change-stories/peatlands-natural-climate-solutions/

Video 1: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lK9XVXdwTH8

Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V10SXNNcbuU

Study on protected peatlands and where they are: The Society for Conservation Biology

TNC Naturebase (Natural Climate Solutions Tool): https://naturebase.org

VoLo Foundation: https://www.volofoundation.org

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 Rezaeicherati, a second-year PhD candidate; Sevil Ozsut, also a second-year PhD candidate; and their advising professor, Dr. Ali G. Together, they are advancing a breakthrough solution at the intersection of materials science, climate mitigation, and Florida's natural ecosystems.

Their winning project is called Functionalization and Pre-Carbonation of Florida-Native Algae Biochar for Carbon Negative Cementitious Composites. It reimagines one of the most carbon-intensive materials on Earth: concrete. Cement production alone accounts for roughly eight percent of global CO₂ emissions. This team is tackling that challenge head-on by replacing a significant portion of cement with algae-derived biochar sourced from Florida-grown algae.

In simple terms, the team transforms algae into a charcoal-like material that naturally traps carbon. They then chemically treat, or "functionalize," this biochar so it bonds effectively with concrete, overcoming a major limitation seen in past biochar-concrete experiments where strength and durability were compromised. Their innovation doesn't just maintain structural performance; it enhances it. Even more importantly, the process permanently stores CO₂ inside the concrete itself, turning a traditionally high-emissions material into a carbon-storing one.

During the episode, Jasmine walks us through the science behind the process, the climate and construction challenges they set out to solve, and how this novel idea emerged. The team explains how they measure success through rigorous lab testing at the University of Miami, evaluating strength, durability, workability, and long-term carbon storage. We also explore what large-scale, real-world application could look like, from infrastructure and buildings to broader adoption within the construction industry.

The conversation turns toward what's next: scaling the research, refining the material, and moving closer to real-world deployment. The team shares how the $25,000 VISTA Award grant will directly support advanced testing, materials optimization, and the next phase of development needed to bring this solution closer to market.

Then comes the moment no one saw coming. The interview was presented as a screening with "finalists." At the end, host Shannon Maganiezin reveals the truth. This team isn't just in the running; they are the 2026 VoLo VISTA Award Winners. The episode closes with a raw, joyful reaction that captures the heart of climate innovation, young leaders doing serious science, rooted in place, and driven by the belief that better solutions are possible.

This episode is a reminder that the future of climate solutions is already being built in university labs, by students who refuse to accept the status quo, and by ideas bold enough to turn algae into carbon-negative concrete.

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 intersection of food, climate, and ocean policy, leading EDF's global aquatic foods work and serving as Secretariat for the Aquatic Blue Foods Coalition. She works closely with governments, civil society, the private sector, and UN climate processes to ensure aquatic foods are embedded in global climate and food policy conversations. With more than fifteen years at EDF, her work has helped shape sustainable fisheries management and ocean resilience efforts worldwide, including oversight of EDF's fisheries initiatives in India.

The conversation reflects on a rare moment of global alignment in 2025, when major international convenings on ocean, climate, and biodiversity finally converged around a shared narrative. For the first time, aquatic foods emerged not as a side topic, but as a central solution linking climate mitigation, human nutrition, livelihoods, and ecosystem health. Karly explains why this alignment felt different, and how it opened the door for more integrated, systems-level thinking.

We also dig into the growing momentum to recognize "blue foods" as a climate solution. Fish and seaweed provide high-quality protein and essential micronutrients with a significantly smaller climate footprint than most land-based foods. Yet, as countries look to scale aquatic foods in future food systems, Karly emphasizes that equity must remain core, ensuring coastal communities, small-scale fishers, and Indigenous Peoples benefit, rather than repeating patterns of industrial exploitation.

A major focus of the episode is the deep ocean, particularly mesopelagic fish, a group of midwater species that most people have never heard of, yet which play a critical role in moving carbon from the ocean surface to the deep sea and supporting marine food webs. Karly explains why these species are essential to climate regulation and why growing interest in harvesting them for fishmeal and fish oil raises serious red flags. Drawing lessons from past ocean exploitation, she outlines why scientists and organizations like EDF are urging caution.

Despite major data gaps about the deep ocean, EDF and partners successfully advanced IUCN Motion 035 to protect mesopelagic ecosystem integrity. Karly walks us through why acting now, before unregulated fishing begins, is so important, and how precautionary protections can safeguard climate benefits while science catches up.

We close with a grounded discussion on agency and accountability: what consumers and voters can actually do to protect the ocean, support science-based decision-making, and push for food systems that are both climate-smart and fair. This episode makes one thing clear: The road after COP30 doesn't just run through land and policy halls. It starts in the ocean.

Learn more about Blue Foods:

https://aquaticbluefood.org/

https://fisherysolutionscenter.edf.org/resources/aquatic-blue-food-coalition