Climate Break
Climate change is upon us. Fires, droughts, hurricanes, sea level rise, and melting ice caps are all part of our new normal. But something else is happening as well. Scientists, innovators, organizations, cities, companies, and citizens are taking action, making progress, and finding solutions. Climate Break brings you stories of climate progress and interviews with climate innovators from California and around the world, in under 2 minutes. Our solution-oriented, radio-ready shows are produced by students and climate law and policy experts at the University of California, Berkeley. Climate Break is a co-production of the Center for Law, Energy, and Environment at UC Berkeley Law and KALW 91.7 FM San Francisco Bay Area, in conjunction with the Berkeley School of Journalism. (For a transcript of the trailer, visit https://climatebreak.org/about-climate-break/)
Show episodes
Out with Classic Refrigerants and In with Ionocaloric Refrigeration, with Dr. Drew Lilley
Modern HVAC Systems' Reliance on Refrigerant In 2020, nearly 90% of homes used air conditioning systems in the United States. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are used by both homeowners and businesses alike, with their usage only expected to rise as climate change increases global temperatures
What does a zero-emission vehicle really mean? Clean transportation policies promoting sustainability have progressed over the years and have become even more important, both because transportation represents the largest portion of greenhouse gas emissions and because climate change has been accelerating at unprecedent
Breeding Heat Resilient Coral to Restore At-Risk Coral Reefs, with Dr. Saskia Jurriaans
How Can Coral IVF Fight Coral Bleaching? As ocean temperatures increase due to climate change, an emergent crisis known as coral bleaching is on the rise. Coral bleaching poses the largest threat to coral reefs, which are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Coral reef habitats occupy less than one percent
Removing Dams on Rivers to Ensure Climate Resilience for Salmon, with Regina Chichizola
The Benefits of Restoring Aquatic Ecosystems For over a century, native salmon populations in California have been adversely impacted by human activities such as mining, dam building, and overfishing practices, often leading to the loss of critical habitat and decreased genetic diversity. With additional environmental
Reconductoring power grids to boost energy efficiency The expansion of renewable energy has resulted in a heightened need for greater transmission capacity of the electrical grid. Unfortunately, permitting and cost allocation have been large hurdles to the potential of rapid expansion to meet future demand. As an alter
What are public utility commissions (PUCs)? In the transition to clean energy, state public utility commissions (PUCs), which regulate electric, gas, telecommunications, water and wastewater utilities, play an increasingly important role in achieving energy efficiency, enabling renewable energy, and implementing polic