Home insurance is one of those things you need to have and hope to never need. But as risk from climate disasters increases, many homeowners are finding it more and more difficult to obtain an affordable policy. This is especially true in the American West, where wildfires are creating more uncertainty than insurance companies are willing to cover, forcing many homeowners to enroll in state-run insurance plans. Daniel and Alison sit down with Dr. Lisa Dale, director of the Climate and Society Masters program at the Columbia Climate School, for a conversation about how policymakers can help communities navigate the insurance crisis as it relates to wildfires.

Show notes:

• Risky Business: Insurance in the Era of Climate Change (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/050625insurance
• Missing the mark: Effectiveness and funding in community wildfire risk reduction (Headwaters Economics report): https://headwaterseconomics.org/natural-hazards/missing-the-mark-wildfire/
• All Fired up for Innovation in Wildfire Risk Analysis (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/7.6-all-fired-up-for-innovation-in-wildfire-risk-analysis
• Living with Climate Change: Wildfires (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/061322climatechange
• Rethinking Tourism in the Wake of West Maui’s Wildfires (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/rethinking-tourism-in-the-wake-of-west-mauis-wildfires

For residents of former and current mining communities (especially in Appalachia, the Midwest, and the Mountain West), abandoned mines are a familiar—and often dangerous—aspect of the local landscape. Unreclaimed abandoned mines and infrastructure can leak acid drainage, pollute groundwater, or collapse unexpectedly. Guests Kevin Zedack and Matt Hepler (both from Appalachian Voices) sit down with Daniel and EESI’s newest communications associate, Hannah Wilson-Black, to explain how cleaning up these sites can safeguard ecosystems and human health while providing new economic development opportunities in coal communities.

Show notes:

• Central Appalachian Mine Reforestation Assessment (Appalachian Voices resource): https://skytruth.org/mtr-data-files/
• Plugging Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells Provides Climate and Jobs Benefits (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/plugging-orphaned-oil-and-gas-wells-provides-climate-and-jobs-benefits
• Unlocking Rural Economies: Farm Bill Investments in Rural America (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/052423farmbill

With the United States withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, there is a lot of uncertainty about what U.S. climate diplomacy will look like under the current administration. But despite challenges at the national level, many state governments are poised to continue making progress on global climate action. This new dynamic is already playing out in response to ocean acidification. Daniel and Alison sat down with Jessie Turner, executive director of the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification (OA Alliance), to explore the landscape—or seascape—of subnational climate diplomacy.

Show notes:

• Exploring the Policy Landscape of Carbon Dioxide Removal (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/091224cdr
• En-shoring a Better Future for Coastal Ecosystems and Communities (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/8.1-en-shoring-a-better-future-for-coastal-ecosystems-and-communities
• A Resilient Future for Coastal Communities (report): https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/a-resilient-future-for-coastal-communities
• Making Waves: The Importance of Oceans at COP28 (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/making-waves-the-importance-of-oceans-at-cop28
• EESI Resources for the 2024 U.N. Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29 resources): https://www.eesi.org/cop29-resources