A Climate Change with Matt Matern

249. He Watched January 6 Happen - Then Wrote This Book w/ Brian Jay Jones

Today, Matt speaks with New York Times bestselling biographer Brian Jay Jones, author of Becoming Dr. Seuss and the new book The Capitol: The Surprising Biography of an American Building. Brian traces Theodor Geisel’s unlikely path - from advertising man to the most beloved children’s author in America. They dig into the making of The Lorax: the cookie-cutter condos eating up La Jolla’s coastline that made Seuss furious, the nine months of writer’s block, and the Kenya trip where he drafted the whole story in 90 minutes on the back of a notepad. Brian also shares the story behind his new biography of the U.S. Capitol, and how he was inspired to write it after January 6, 2021.
This episode is part of our "250 for 250" series, marking America's 250th anniversary by revisiting the figures and stories in our history when ordinary people changed everything - from Dr. Seuss and the little orange creature who speaks for the trees, to the enslaved craftsman who cast the Statue of Freedom atop the Capitol.
Check out Brian’s work here: brianjayjones.com
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
 
Brian Jay Jones Bio:
Brian Jay Jones is a New York Times bestselling biographer known for chronicling the iconic creative figures who shaped American pop culture. He is the author of biographies of Jim Henson, George Lucas, Washington Irving, and Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, whose life he traced in Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination. His newest book, The Capitol: The Surprising Biography of an American Building, was published by Dutton in June 2026. A former U.S. Senate speechwriter and policy adviser, Jones is a past president of Biographers International Organization and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Episode Resources
Brian Jay Jones website: brianjayjones.com
Becoming Dr. Seuss: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1524742783
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/565982/becoming-dr-seuss-by-brian-jay-jones
The Capitol (Dutton, June 2026): brianjayjones.com/book
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

248. Why The Lorax Matters More Now Than Ever with Philip Nel

Today, Matt speaks with Philip Nel, University Distinguished Professor of English at Kansas State University and one of the world's leading Dr. Seuss scholars, about The Lorax and its place in the environmental movement. They trace the book's origins, from the coastal construction in La Jolla that made Seuss angry, to the trip to Kenya that finally unlocked the story he scribbled on a hotel laundry list. They also dig into the logging industry's counter-book Truax, why The Lorax keeps landing on banned-book lists, and how Lady Bird Johnson built an environmental campaign around it.
This episode is part of our "250 for 250" series, marking America's 250th anniversary by revisiting the figures and stories in our environmental history when ordinary people changed everything. Dr. Seuss, and the little orange creature who speaks for the trees, is one of them.
Learn more about Philip's work at philnel.com
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
GUEST BIO
Philip Nel is University Distinguished Professor of English at Kansas State University, where he directs the Program in Children's Literature. He is one of the world's leading scholars on Dr. Seuss and the author or editor of fifteen books, including Dr. Seuss: American Icon and Was the Cat in the Hat Black? His work takes children's literature seriously as a cultural and political force, and he has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, CNN, and more than 300 media outlets.
 
ABOUT THE “250 FOR 250” SERIES
In 2026, America turns 250 - and A Climate Change reaches its 250th episode. To mark both, host Matt Matern is recording a run of solo episodes that revisit the moments in American environmental history when ordinary people changed everything: the fights, the movements, and the laws that built modern environmental protection. The throughline is simple - caring for the air, water, and land isn’t separate from the American story. It is the American story.
 
EPISODE RESOURCES
Philip Nel's website: https://philnel.com
Was the Cat in the Hat Black? and Dr. Seuss: American Icon: https://philnel.com/books/
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom (mentioned in the episode): https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250203557/wearewaterprotectors/
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

247. America’s Best Idea: How the U.S. Invented the National Park

Today, no guest - just Matt, with the story of what one writer called “the best idea America ever had”: the national park. In 1872, in a country built on private property, the United States set aside Yellowstone as land that could never be owned by anyone - and then handed the idea to the world.
Matt traces how it happened: the writer John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt, whose 1903 campfire in Yosemite helped put 230 million acres under protection; the birth of the National Park Service in 1916; and the system today - 433 sites, 85 million acres, owned in equal measure by every American. Then he turns to the present: the 2025 push to sell off public land, the bipartisan coalition that stopped it, the budget fight that quietly removed the guardrail keeping parks federal, and the global “30x30” movement to protect 30% of the planet’s land and water by 2030. The throughline: these places have never protected themselves.
This episode is part of our “250 for 250” series - solo episodes marking America’s 250th anniversary by revisiting the moments in our environmental history when ordinary people changed everything.
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
ABOUT THE “250 FOR 250” SERIES
In 2026, America turns 250 - and A Climate Change reaches its 250th episode. To mark both, host Matt Matern is recording a run of solo episodes that revisit the moments in American environmental history when ordinary people changed everything: the fights, the movements, and the laws that built modern environmental protection. The throughline is simple - caring for the air, water, and land isn’t separate from the American story. It is the American story.
EPISODE RESOURCES
Key references for this episode:
Yellowstone - park history & the 1872 Act (NPS): nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/park-history.htm
The National Park System - 433 sites / 85M+ acres (NPS): nps.gov/aboutus/national-park-system.htm
Theodore Roosevelt and Conservation (NPS): nps.gov/thro/learn/historyculture/theodore-roosevelt-and-conservation.htm
The Antiquities Act of 1906 (NPS): nps.gov/subjects/archeology/antiquities-act.htm
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea (PBS / Ken Burns): pbs.org/kenburns/the-national-parks
National Parks Conservation Association: npca.org
30x30 / California’s conservation goal: californianature.ca.gov
A note on John Muir: Muir’s legacy is complicated. Alongside his conservation work, he made racist remarks about Black and Indigenous people - something the Sierra Club, which he founded, publicly acknowledged and began reckoning with in 2020 (sierraclub.org).
Show links:
Matt Matern on LinkedIn: bit.ly/ACClinkedin
A Climate Change on Apple: bit.ly/accapplepodcast
A Climate Change on Spotify: bit.ly/accspotifypodcast
A Climate Change on YouTube: bit.ly/ACCvids

246. How FEMA Became the Most Hated Agency in America with Micah Loewinger

Today, Matt speaks with Micah Loewinger, co-host of WNYC’s On the Media and the reporter behind the new four-part series American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA, about how the agency built to respond to America’s worst disasters became one of its least trusted institutions. Micah explains how he came to FEMA through years of covering far-right militias, why the “FEMA camps” conspiracy theory traces back to the Cold War, and how it disturbingly echoes in today’s migrant detention programs. They dig into the contrast between Hurricane Katrina - a genuine failure that defined FEMA’s reputation - and Hurricane Helene, where the agency performed well but was buried under an unprecedented wave of misinformation. They also cover the political fight over the agency’s future, the strange story of Cameron Hamilton (fired from FEMA, then nominated to lead it), and what it means to head into disaster season with the agency hollowed out.
Listen to American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA here.
Learn more about On the Media: wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
GUEST BIO
Micah Loewinger is co-host of WNYC’s On the Media, a nationally syndicated public radio show heard on more than 400 stations across the country. He joined the show in 2016, first as a producer and then as its first staff reporter, and his work focuses on political extremism, internet culture, and the changing news industry. His investigation into the walkie-talkie app Zello, used by far-right militias ahead of January 6th, won the John M. Higgins Award and was featured on 60 Minutes. His latest project is American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA, a four-part investigation into how the federal agency tasked with disaster response became distrusted, despised, and defunded.
EPISODE RESOURCES
American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA: wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/american-emergency-movement-kill-fema
On the Media: wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm
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

245. How 20 Million Americans Got a Republican President to Build the EPA

Today, no guest - just Matt, telling one of the strangest and most hopeful stories in American politics. It's the story of the first Earth Day, when 20 million Americans - about one in ten of the entire country - took to the streets on a single day in April 1970, and changed the course of the nation in just two years.
Matt traces how that one day produced the EPA, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act - and uncovers the part most people have forgotten: nearly all of it happened with overwhelming support from both parties, under a Republican president. He tells the story of the conservation-minded Republican who co-chaired the first Earth Day, the 374-to-1 House vote for clean air, and the day Congress overrode a presidential veto to protect clean water. Then he asks the question at the heart of it all: how did environmental protection go from a shared American value to a partisan football - and what would it take to get that common ground back?
This episode is part of our “250 for 250” series - solo episodes marking America's 250th anniversary by revisiting the moments in our environmental history when ordinary people changed everything.
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
ABOUT THE “250 FOR 250” SERIES
In 2026, America turns 250 - and A Climate Change reaches its 250th episode. To mark both, host Matt Matern is recording a run of solo episodes that revisit the moments in American environmental history when ordinary people changed everything: the fights, the movements, and the laws that built modern environmental protection. The throughline is simple - caring for the air, water, and land isn't separate from the American story. It is the American story.
EPISODE RESOURCES
Key references for this episode:
The Origins of EPA (U.S. EPA): https://www.epa.gov/history/origins-epa
Gaylord Nelson Promotes the First Earth Day (U.S. Senate): https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Gaylord_Nelson_Promotes_the_First_Earth_Day.htm
Nixon's Clean Air Act signing remarks (American Presidency Project): https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-signing-the-clean-air-amendments-1970
Clean Water Act veto & override (U.S. Capitol Visitor Center): https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/artifact/president-nixons-veto-message-s-2770-october-17-1972
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

244. He Left SpaceX After 13 Years to Solve the Water Crisis with Jonathan Criss

Today, Matt speaks with Jonathan Criss, CEO and co-founder of Vital Lyfe, about reinventing how the world gets clean drinking water. After 13 years at SpaceX working on the Starlink and Dragon programs, Jonathan set out to apply the same first-principles engineering to desalination - starting with a unit he built in his garage that cleaned ocean water. They talk about why the water crisis is really an infrastructure problem rather than a scarcity one, how Vital Lyfe’s portable “Access” device makes drinking water from nearly any natural source without the energy and problems of big desalination plants, and where this technology could go next - from off-grid communities to AI data centers.
Check out Vital Lyfe at vital-lyfe.com
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
Jonathan’s Bio:
Jonathan Criss is the CEO and co-founder of Vital Lyfe, a clean-water technology company building portable, decentralized water-making systems. He spent over 13 years at SpaceX as a Lead Integration and Test Engineer and Product Manager on the Starlink and Dragon programs. He co-founded Vital Lyfe with fellow SpaceX engineer Andrew Harner to apply aerospace-grade engineering to water access - turning almost any natural source, including seawater, into clean drinking water without centralized infrastructure. The company’s flagship product, Access, launches in 2026.
Episode Resources
Vital Lyfe website: vital-lyfe.com
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

243. How CarbonCure Locked 768,000 Tons of CO2 Permanently into Concrete with Dean Forgeron

Today, Matt speaks with Dean Forgeron, Chief Technology Officer at CarbonCure Technologies, about the Halifax-based clean tech company decarbonizing one of the world's most polluting industries. Dean explains the chemistry behind injecting CO2 into concrete - where it permanently mineralizes into calcium carbonate, the same material as limestone, while reducing cement use by roughly 4.5% on average. They discuss CarbonCure's recent milestone of 11 million truckloads of low-carbon concrete produced (~768,000 metric tons of CO2 stored), the company's 2026 CleanTech Breakthrough Award, and how the industry is shifting from offsetting to insetting - modifying supply chains to actually reduce emissions at the source.
 
Learn more about CarbonCure at www.carboncure.com
 
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
Dean's Bio:
Dean Forgeron is the Chief Technology Officer at CarbonCure Technologies, the Halifax-based clean tech company that has commercialized a process to permanently store CO2 in concrete. A Professional Engineer and Fellow of the American Concrete Institute, Dean leads CarbonCure's engineering and product development, with a background spanning fiber-reinforced concrete, self-consolidating concrete, and green concrete technologies. He holds a BEng from the Technical University of Nova Scotia in Halifax and a PhD from Dalhousie University. Under his technical leadership, CarbonCure has crossed 11 million truckloads of low-carbon concrete produced and roughly 768,000 metric tons of CO2 permanently stored - earning the company the 2026 CleanTech Breakthrough Award for Climate Technology Company of the Year.
Episode Resources
CarbonCure website: www.carboncure.com
Dean Forgeron on LinkedIn
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

242. Why a Top Climate VC Is Endorsing Tom Steyer for Governor w/ Dan Miller

Today, Matt is joined by Dan Miller - Managing Director of The Roda Group and host of Climate Chat on YouTube - for a wide-ranging conversation on the economics of the energy transition and the 2026 race for California Governor. Dan explains why renewables are already cheaper than fossil fuels (a Harvard study attributes 8 million deaths a year to fossil fuel pollution), why EVs will replace gas cars the same way cars replaced horses, the $7 trillion governments still spend each year subsidizing fossil fuels, and why AI's energy hunger is one of the biggest threats to climate progress. Dan also makes the case for endorsing Tom Steyer for California Governor - drawing on Steyer's book Cheaper, Faster, Better and his plan to take on the state's utility monopolies.
Watch Climate Chat on YouTube: youtube.com/@climatechat
Learn more about The Roda Group: rodagroup.com
Read Tom Steyer's Cheaper, Faster, Better: bit.ly/4dEbZHK
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
Dan Miller Bio:
Dan Miller is the Managing Director and co-founder of The Roda Group, a Berkeley-based venture capital firm focused on climate solutions. He is also Senior Advisor to Starshot Capital, serves on the Investment Advisory Committee of PRIME Coalition's Azolla Fund, and is host of the Climate Chat YouTube channel. He was a member of the Biden–Harris energy and environment policy committee prior to the 2020 election, and has collaborated with climate scientist James Hansen on carbon pricing policy.
Episode Resources
The Roda Group: rodagroup.com
Climate Chat on YouTube: youtube.com/@climatechat
Tom Steyer for Governor: tomsteyer.com
Cheaper, Faster, Better by Tom Steyer: Amazon
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

241. How 9,000 Restaurants Became America's Newest Power Plant with Ibhade Eigbobo

Today, Matt speaks with Ibhade Eigbobo, Director of Corporate Project Management at Budderfly, about why the small and midsize business sector is one of America's most underused energy assets. Ibhade explains Budderfly's energy-as-a-service model - where the company takes over a customer's entire utility bill, invests its own capital to upgrade aging equipment, and earns revenue as a share of the savings. They cover why quick service restaurants are the most energy-dense buildings in the country, how batteries and virtual power plants turn small sites into grid assets, and why Ibhade believes efficiency has to come before any large-scale renewable buildout.
Learn more about Budderfly here: budderfly.com
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
Ibhade's Bio:
Ibhade Eigbobo is Director of Corporate Project Management at Budderfly, one of the fastest-growing energy companies in the United States. He leads strategy for how new technologies - batteries, solar, fuel cells, geothermal, and waste heat recovery - fit into Budderfly's energy-as-a-service model. Originally from Nigeria, Ibhade holds bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering and began his career in oil and gas in South Texas and Louisiana. He later earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and is a named inventor on several Budderfly patents.
Episode Resources
Budderfly website: budderfly.com
Ibhade Eigbobo on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ibhadeeigbobo
Budderfly on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/budderfly-inc
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 [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]

240. Why Protecting Nature Starts With Protecting People w/ Brett Jenks

Today, Matt is joined by Brett Jenks, CEO of Rare, a global conservation nonprofit that helps coastal fishing communities, smallholder farmers, and local leaders in 60+ countries build climate resilience through behavioral science and community-led solutions. Brett shares how Rare's Fish Forever program grew from three pilot communities in the Philippines to more than 2,000 communities across Indonesia, Brazil, Mozambique, the Bahamas, and beyond - putting 4 million hectares of the world's most biodiverse coastal ocean under sustainable management.
They discuss why climate adaptation has been underfunded for decades, why Bill Gates got it wrong in his recent climate memo, and why the real cost of inaction is a coming wave of climate migration that will dwarf anything we've seen. Brett also breaks down the three pillars of resilience Rare focuses on - financial, ecological, and social - and explains why helping a fisher get a bank account or a micro-insurance policy is as much a conservation tool as protecting the reef.
Check out Rare's work at rare.org
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
GUEST BIO
Brett Jenks is the CEO of Rare, a global conservation nonprofit that uses behavioral science and community-led approaches to protect nature and build climate resilience. For over 30 years, he has led Rare's work across 60+ countries - including Fish Forever, the world's largest coastal fishery recovery effort - and co-chairs the Climate Migration Council, pushing for global policy solutions to climate displacement. He holds an MBA from Georgetown University.
EPISODE RESOURCES
Rare: rare.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
 
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 [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]