In Depth: Climate Change and Sustainability

Segment One – Drought and Fires

Marla Tellez hosts in place of Hal Eisner.  She is joined by Dr. John Abatzoglou, an Associate Professor in Management of Complex Systems at the University of California, Merced. His focus is on climate science.

Dr. Abatzoglou talks about the "mega-drought" plaguing the West. Even though not every year will be super dry,  the trend is toward a long-term change in the climate toward drier years overall. He says those who live in the affected areas have to look at changing their behaviors and lifestyle to adapt to that reality. He also says that governments are working towards different forest management systems to mitigate the risk of wildfires.
 
Segment Two - Climate Change

We’re back with Dr. Abatzoglou to talk about the subject of climate change. He explains the decades of research that have been done on the subject of human-caused climate change, but says that he still has to deal with people who don’t believe it’s true.  He explains the difference between "climate" and "weather" and explains why an increase in just 3 degrees Fahrenheit could potentially be so earthshattering.

He also discusses what can be done to turn the tide of rising heat,  and what could happen if we don’t get a handle on it.
 
Segment Three – Sustainability

Lauren Olson, a Zero Waste Manager and Sustainability expert for World Centric joins Marla to talk about recycling and composting. She explains that some things we thing are recyclable really aren’t, and also shows us why composting is a great way to protect the planet.
 
Segment Four

We have an update on Hal after his accident.  He is now recovering from his injuries and undergoing physical therapy from home.

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