A Climate Change with Matt Matern

232. Can Nature Have Rights? The Legal Movement Reshaping Environmentalism w/ Katie Surma

Today, Matt speaks with Katie Surma, reporter at Inside Climate News and one of the world’s leading journalists covering the rights of nature movement. Katie has covered the movement across four continents, and in this conversation she and Matt take stock of where things stand: the wins, the rollbacks, and the road ahead.
 
They discuss the groundbreaking Indigenous-led treaty recognizing whales’ rights in New Zealand, scientists using AI to decode sperm whale language, and how Ecuador’s constitutional rights of nature have survived repeated political attacks. They also dig into why rights of nature laws keep getting preempted in the U.S., what a private attorney general model for nature’s rights could look like, and Katie’s recent reporting showing communities of color lose access to green space at three times the rate of white communities. Plus: what’s happening in Argentina under Milei, and where Katie is headed next on her reporting trips to South America.
 
Read Katie’s work at Inside Climate News: https://insideclimatenews.org/profile/katie-surma/
 
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
 
Katie’s Bio:
Katie Surma is a reporter at Inside Climate News, where she covers the rights of nature movement and international environmental justice. A former commercial litigator, she brought her legal training to investigative journalism after a mid-career switch and has since become one of the most recognized voices reporting on how courts, constitutions, and international law are being reshaped to recognize the rights of rivers, animals, and ecosystems. Her work has been recognized by the Overseas Press Club, the Society of International Journalists, and the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.
 
Episode Resources
Katie on Inside Climate News: https://insideclimatenews.org/profile/katie-surma/
A Climate Change on Apple: https://bit.ly/accapplepodcast
A Climate Change on Spotify: https://bit.ly/accspotifypodcast
A Climate Change on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ACCvids
 
More About A Climate Change with Matt Matern
 
A Climate Change with Matt Matern is a podcast dedicated to addressing the pressing issue of climate change while inspiring action and fostering a sustainable future. Each episode dives deep into the environmental challenges of our time, rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and resource degradation, breaking down complex topics into digestible insights.
 
The podcast goes beyond merely raising awareness. It serves as a trusted resource for practical, actionable solutions that empower listeners to reduce their carbon footprint and drive change in their communities. With a strong focus on environmental science and expert perspectives, host Matt Matern brings influential voices to the forefront, highlighting innovative ideas and collaborative efforts shaping global sustainability initiatives.
 
More than just a source of information, A Climate Change is a movement. It builds a coalition of like-minded individuals committed to preserving the planet for future generations. Listeners are invited to participate actively in creating a legacy of positive environmental impact through informed decision-making and collective action.
 
The podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube, provides a platform for science-backed discussions, global perspectives, and community building. Whether you want to learn about renewable energy, sustainable living practices, or climate policy, A Climate Change with Matt Matern equips you with the tools and knowledge to make a tangible difference. Tune in, take action, and join the fight for a brighter, greener future.
 
Curated List of Episodes
 
If you enjoyed this episode of A Climate Change, here is a list of some recent episodes curated especially for you:
 
Simulating the Future: How Climate Models Shape Policy Decisions with Andrew Jones
How Personal Change Sparks Global Impact: Joshua Spodek’s Sustainability Secrets
Bill McKibben on Renewable Energy, Political Battles & Hope for the Planet
 

231. How We Feed the World Without Frying the World w/ Michael Grunwald

Today, Matt speaks with award-winning journalist and author Michael Grunwald about his new book, We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate. Grunwald makes the case that food and land use are responsible for roughly a third of global greenhouse gas emissions — a massive blind spot in most climate conversations. They discuss why the world is on track to eat 70% more meat by 2050, the limits of veganism and organic farming as climate strategies, and why Denmark’s 2025 agricultural policy may be the most important climate legislation most people have never heard of. They also dig into deforestation, food waste, agricultural subsidies, the failure of alternative meats, and what a serious food-climate agenda might actually look like.
 
Pick up Michael’s new book here: https://amzn.to/weareatingtheearth
Read Michael’s work at POLITICO here: https://www.politico.com/staff/michael-grunwald
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
 
Michael’s Bio:
Michael Grunwald is an award-winning journalist and senior staff writer at POLITICO Magazine. A Harvard graduate and former staff writer at The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, and The Boston Globe, he is the author of The Swamp and the NYT bestseller The New New Deal. His latest book, We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate, examines how food systems and land use are driving the climate crisis. He has won the George Polk Award and the Worth Bingham Prize for investigative reporting.
 
Episode Resources
We Are Eating the Earth (book): https://amzn.to/weareatingtheearth
Matt Matern on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ACClinkedin
A Climate Change on Apple: https://bit.ly/accapplepodcast
A Climate Change on Spotify: https://bit.ly/accspotifypodcast
A Climate Change on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ACCvids

230. The Colorado River Is Running Out of Time with Jennifer Pitt

Today, Matt speaks with Jennifer Pitt, Colorado River Program Director at the National Audubon Society, about the deepening water crisis facing the American West. Jennifer explains how the Colorado River's reservoirs — once full just 25 years ago — now sit at roughly one-third capacity, and why the expiration of the existing water management agreements at the end of 2026 creates an urgent governance challenge. They discuss the role of irrigated agriculture in consuming 80% of the river's water, the politics of voluntary water buyback programs, and why seven states must reach consensus before the federal government is left with blunt tools and the risk of Supreme Court litigation.
 
Jennifer also addresses what cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles need to understand about this moment — and why both people and wildlife across the interior Southwest are counting on a collaborative solution.
 
Learn more about Audubon's Colorado River work: https://www.audubon.org/conservation/colorado-river
 
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
 
Jennifer's Bio:
Jennifer Pitt is the Colorado River Program Director at the National Audubon Society, where she has worked since 2015 to protect and restore rivers throughout the Colorado River Basin. With more than 25 years of experience in western water policy, she previously spent 17 years at the Environmental Defense Fund leading efforts to restore the Colorado River Delta. She co-chairs the binational U.S.-Mexico environmental work group under Minute 323, co-leads the Alianza Revive el Río Colorado, and has testified before Congress on the river's future. She holds an A.B. from Harvard and a master's in Environmental Science and Policy from the Yale School of Forestry.
 
Episode Resources
Jennifer Pitt / Audubon Colorado River Program: https://www.audubon.org/conservation/colorado-river
Jennifer Pitt at Audubon: https://www.audubon.org/people/jennifer-pitt
Matt Matern on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ACClinkedin
A Climate Change on Apple: https://bit.ly/accapplepodcast
A Climate Change on Spotify: https://bit.ly/accspotifypodcast
A Climate Change on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ACCvids

229. How Gen Z Is Rewriting the Climate Playbook

Today, Matt Matern speaks with Amelia Southern-Uribe, Director of Global Organizing at Zero Hour, about building youth-led climate power in the American South. Amelia shares how frontline communities shaped their activism and how organizing, storytelling, and coalition-building drive change.
 
Read more about Zero Hour: https://thisiszerohour.org
Follow Zero Hour on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisiszerohour
Want to boast to your friends about trees named after you? Help us plant 30k trees? Only a few trees left! Visit aclimatechange.com/trees to learn more
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
 
Amelia’s Bio:
Amelia Southern-Uribe is a climate justice strategist and Director of Global Organizing at Zero Hour. Based in the American South, they build youth-led movements, advance environmental justice campaigns, and use storytelling to empower frontline communities and drive equitable climate policy change.
 
Episode Resources
Read more about Zero Hour: https://thisiszerohour.org
Follow Zero Hour on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisiszerohour
Matt Matern on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ACClinkedin
A Climate Change on Apple: https://bit.ly/accapplepodcast
A Climate Change on Spotify: https://bit.ly/accspotifypodcast
A Climate Change on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ACCvids
 

228. The Legal War on Fossil Fuels

Today, Professor Michael Gerrard joins Matt to share his journey into environmental law, inspired by growing up amid pollution and attending the first Earth Day in 1970. He explains the mission of Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and outlines the most effective legal tools to combat climate change. They also explore the need for federal climate legislation, the role of state-level climate action, and the growing importance of climate litigation and regulatory authority in advancing meaningful environmental progress.
 
Read Global Climate Change and U.S. Law (co-edited by Michael Gerrard) here: https://bit.ly/4aJPVlo
Read Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States here: https://bit.ly/4bMigIR
 
Michael’s Bio:
Michael Gerrard is founder and faculty director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School. A leading environmental lawyer and author of 14 books, he pioneers legal strategies, climate litigation research, and policy solutions to advance climate action worldwide.
 
Episode Resources
Read more about the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law here: https://climate.law.columbia.edu
Explore the Sabin Center’s Climate Litigation Database here: https://climatecasechart.com
Learn more about Columbia Climate School here: https://climate.columbia.edu
Read Global Climate Change and U.S. Law (co-edited by Michael Gerrard) here: https://bit.ly/4aJPVlo
Read Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States here: https://bit.ly/4bMigIR
A Climate Change on Apple: https://bit.ly/accapplepodcast
A Climate Change on Spotify: https://bit.ly/accspotifypodcast
A Climate Change on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ACCvids

227. Why Recycling Won’t Save the Planet

Today, Matt speaks with Dr. Catherine Weetman about why recycling alone cannot solve the environmental crisis and why businesses must adopt circular and regenerative models. She explains how finite resources, critical materials, and geopolitical pressures collide with rising demand from green technology and AI. She also shares her journey from corporate supply chains to sustainability and discusses her new book, The Circular Economy Handbook (Third Edition), offering practical, profitable pathways for organizations to rethink growth within planetary limits.
 
Check out Catherine’s new book here: https://bit.ly/4rk7tKZ
Want to boast to your friends about trees named after you? Help us plant 30k trees? Only a few trees left! Visit aclimatechange.com/trees to learn more
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
Catherine’s Bio:
Matt speaks with Dr. Catherine Weetman about why recycling alone won’t solve environmental challenges and why circular, regenerative business models are essential. She discusses resource scarcity, critical materials, and her new book, The Circular Economy Handbook, Third Edition, offering practical solutions for sustainable growth.
 
Episode Resources
Matt Matern on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ACClinkedin
A Climate Change on Apple: https://bit.ly/accapplepodcast
A Climate Change on Spotify: https://bit.ly/accspotifypodcast
A Climate Change on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ACCvids
 

226. How Close We Are to Losing Entire Species Forever, with Matt Podolsky

Today, Matt is joined by environmental filmmaker Matt Podolsky, co-founder of Wild Lens Collective. They discuss the power of storytelling in the climate and conservation movement. Podolsky reflects on his Sundance-winning documentary Sea of Shadows, which chronicles the near-extinction of the vaquita due to illegal fishing, and his more recent work on bat populations threatened by white-nose syndrome. He also shares how conservation media can influence policy, protect ecosystems, and make invisible crises tangible to the public.
Check out Matt Podolsky’s’ work at www.wildlensinc.org
Want to boast to your friends about trees named after you? Help us plant 30k trees? Only a few trees left! Visit aclimatechange.com/trees to learn more
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
 
Episode Resources
Matt Podolsky website: https://www.matthewpodolsky.com/
Wild Lens Collective website: https://www.wildlensinc.org/
Matt Matern on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ACClinkedin
A Climate Change on Apple: https://bit.ly/accapplepodcast
A Climate Change on Spotify: https://bit.ly/accspotifypodcast
A Climate Change on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ACCvids

225. Why Adapting to Climate Change Matters More Than You Think with Doug Parsons

Today, Matt Matern speaks with Doug Parsons, host of the America Adapts, about why climate adaptation is becoming as urgent as emissions reduction. They discuss how the Department of Defense continues adaptation work despite political shifts, why states and cities are now leading resilience efforts, and how better storytelling can turn adaptation from a niche policy concept into a public movement focused on practical, near-term action.
 
Check out America Adapts at www.americaadapts.org
 
Want to boast to your friends about trees named after you? Help us plant 30k trees? Only a few trees left! Visit aclimatechange.com/trees to learn more
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
Doug Parsons Bio:
Doug Parsons is a climate adaptation expert who began his career in Australia and later became Florida’s first Climate Change Coordinator. He’s worked with the National Park Service and the Society for Conservation Biology, and today hosts the America Adapts podcast, spotlighting practical, hopeful solutions to climate change.
 
Episode Resources
Doug Parson’s website: www.americaadapts.org
Matt Matern on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ACClinkedin
A Climate Change on Apple: https://bit.ly/accapplepodcast
A Climate Change on Spotify: https://bit.ly/accspotifypodcast
A Climate Change on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ACCvids
 

224. How Solar Is Now the Cheapest Power on Earth Here’s Why That Matters with Marcius Extavour

Today, Matt speaks with Dr. Marcius Extavour about the role of innovation in addressing climate change, drawing on his background in physics, energy systems, and climate-focused technology. They explore why solar energy has become economically dominant, how carbon removal technologies can reduce long-term climate risk, and how data, design, and AI can empower communities and policymakers to act. Dr. Extavour also emphasizes practical solutions, systems thinking, and making climate tools accessible and engaging for real-world impact.
Want to boast to your friends about trees named after you? Help us plant 30k trees? Only a few trees left! Visit aclimatechange.com/trees to learn more
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
 
Marcius' Bio:
Dr. Marcius Extavour is an executive and innovator working at the intersection of deep tech, business, capital, and storytelling. As Senior Partner at Ode, he builds digital products that combine award-winning UI/UX design with data engineering, machine learning, and AI that create commercial and social opportunities in decarbonization, energy, and tackling climate risk.
Episode Resources
Matt Matern on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ACClinkedin
A Climate Change on Apple: https://bit.ly/accapplepodcast
A Climate Change on Spotify: https://bit.ly/accspotifypodcast
A Climate Change on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ACCvids
Curated List of Episodes
If you enjoyed this episode of A Climate Change, here is a list of some recent episodes curated especially for you:
Simulating the Future: How Climate Models Shape Policy Decisions with Andrew Jones [Link]
How Personal Change Sparks Global Impact: Joshua Spodek's Sustainability Secrets [Link]
Bill McKibben on Renewable Energy, Political Battles & Hope for the Planet [Link]

223. How Dr. James Danoff-Burg Helped Stop Poachers Without Guns

Happy New Year! Hope your 2026 is off to a great start! 
 
We have a special episode for you today. Matt speaks with Dr. James Danoff-Burg about innovative, community-centered conservation in South Africa. Dr. Danoff-Burg is a conservation biologist with The Living Desert, where he works on wildlife conservation, education, and global anti-poaching initiatives. He discusses the Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit, their unarmed, all-female patrol model, and how this approach has dramatically reduced illegal hunting and rhino poaching.
 
Learn all about The Living Desert online at: www.livingdesert.org
Want to boast to your friends about trees named after you? Help us plant 30k trees? Only a few trees left! Visit aclimatechange.com/trees to learn more
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
Dr. James Danoff-Burg Bio:
Dr. James Danoff-Burg is a conservation leader and storyteller focused on community-led wildlife protection. He has worked closely with the Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit in South Africa, highlighting innovative, unarmed conservation models that empower women, reduce illegal hunting, and redefine how education and presence can protect biodiversity for future generations globally.
 
Episode Resources
Dr. James Danoff-Burg website: https://www.livingdesert.org/
Matt Matern on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ACClinkedin
A Climate Change on Apple: https://bit.ly/accapplepodcast
A Climate Change on Spotify: https://bit.ly/accspotifypodcast
A Climate Change on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ACCvids