Environmental Podcasts: A Guide
Anyone can listen to a podcast. Most are free, accessible, and entertaining, making them an easy, fun way to learn new things. While I cook, fold laundry, or walk to my classes, I love to put on a podcast, sometimes a lighthearted comedy, other times a serious academic or journalistic podcast. Over the years, I’ve accumulated a large repertoire of podcasts of various genres. In this article, I will share my favorite environmental podcasts, exploring topics from climate justice to politics to science, along with a must-listen episode from each podcast.
Image credit: Spotify
Podcast: Yikes
Hosts: Jo Becker, PhD student on anti-capitalist social movements, and Mikaela Loach, climate activist and author of the book, It’s Not That Radical: Climate Action to Transform our World.
What is it? Jo and Mikaela of the Yikes podcast urge us not to look away from the issues in the world that make us think: “Yikes!” and instead have conversations about them. Drawing from their experiences as activists, Jo and Mikaela, along with their educated and passionate guests, explore a wide variety of topics, including climate justice, racial inequality, feminism, immigrant rights, and more. They do a great job showing how all of these issues are interconnected and products of global capitalism and colonialism in a way that is easy to understand and accessible to everyone.
Who should listen? This podcast played a huge role in cultivating my personal interest in and passion for climate justice. Whether you know nothing about climate justice or are already involved in the climate justice movement, Yikes has something new for you to learn or think about. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about how the climate crisis is related to many other issues and inequalities. While it’s not as expertly produced or edited as some of the other podcasts on this list, if you like more casual, unscripted podcasts, you will like Yikes.
Episode recommendation: “Episode 4: The Coronavirus and Ecofascism”
I remember listening to this episode during the early stages of the pandemic. It was the first time I’d heard of ecofascism (which I wrote a blog post about last semester!), and it opened my eyes to all the manifestations of ecofascism that are everywhere in the mainstream environmental movement. Mikaela and Jo’s nuanced, compassionate conversation will help you understand how to recognize and combat ecofascism in everyday life.
Image credit: Spotify
Podcast: Drilled
Host: Investigative journalist Amy Westervelt
What is it? Drilled is an investigative true crime podcast, but instead of investigating a murderer or scammer, host Amy Westervelt digs deep into the fossil fuel industry to find out how much the industry knows about their own destruction of the planet, and how soon they knew (spoiler alert: long before the general public). Well-researched and suspenseful, Drilled uncovers internal documents, interviews experts and former fossil fuel executives to reveal the decades-long P.R. campaign that the fossil fuel industry has used to cover up just how much it knows about what it’s doing to the planet.
Who should listen? Any true-crime fan, or anyone who likes to get down to the nitty gritty of an issue.
Episode recommendation: Start at the beginning and work your way through the podcast chronologically so that you understand the whole story!
Image credit: Spotify
Podcast: Inherited
Hosts: Various youth storytellers from around the world
What is it? A well-produced, soundscape-based podcast that highlights the climate stories of young people, particularly those from the marginalized communities most affected by climate change. The recently released third season highlights the stories of young people from Taiwan, Romania, Nigeria, Australia, Dominica, and the United States. It shows the psychological, spiritual, and emotional toll that climate grief and anxiety take on young people around the world.
Who should listen? If you like well-produced, scripted, and emotional podcasts, you will love “Inherited”!
Episode recommendation: “Mama’s House,” by Camara Aaron
Camara Aaron tells the story of her grandmother’s death when Hurricane Maria hit the island of Dominica in 2017. It is a moving story about grief and resilience in the face of climate catastrophe.
Image credit: gimletmedia.com
Podcast: How to save a planet
Host: Journalist Alex Blumberg, and many earlier episodes feature former co-host Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a marine biologist and policy expert.
What is it? A well-researched podcast where hosts Alex Blumber and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson interview various environmental scientists to get the best information on what we should really be doing about climate change.
Who should listen? Everyone! You’ve probably heard a million recommendations for what you should be doing to save the planet, but how do you know what actions make the biggest impact? This podcast has clear, nuanced, and scientific answers to this question to make climate action feel less overwhelming.
Episode recommendation: “Should I give up beef?”
This episode is a nuanced conversation about the climate effects of our diets, and what changes to our diets make the biggest impact. They also explore the structural factors that underlie America’s beef-based diet.
Image credit: findthatpod.com
Podcast: Ologies
Host: Alie Ward, actress, T.V. host, and writer
What is it? Alie Ward interviews experts in various fields, from ornithology to speech pathology, about their work. Although not specifically an environmental podcast, there are many great episodes dedicated to environmental topics.
Who should listen? Anyone and everyone! Ologies has something for anyone interested to learn more about the world.
Episode recommendation: “Indigenous Fire Ecology with Amy Christianson”
In this episode, Alie interviews Indigenous fire ecologist Dr. Amy Christianson about the importance, erasure, and legality of Indigenous cultural burning practices. I found this episode very timely, with the fire events we’ve been experiencing recently.
Image credit: Spotify
Podcast: Earthdump
Host: Our very own Sustainability Specialist Daniela Uribe!
What is it? A podcast that explores contemporary environmental issues by interviewing the USF community, including students and faculty.
Who should listen? Everyone at USF! Learn about climate change, specifically in the USF community!
Episode recommendation: “Palm Oil; Good? Bad? Or something in between?”
This episode interviews USF professor Dr. Adrienne Johnson about her research on the politics of the palm oil industry. It was a very interesting conversation, and I learned a lot!
Although these are some of my favorite environmental podcasts, they are far from the only ones out there! There really is a podcast for everyone, so happy listening and happy learning!
