Cheese is one of the least sustainable food products in the world. Matt Gibson, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of New Culture, has spearheaded a way to make cheese more eco-friendly—without sacrificing taste.
Chaos wheat, “climate blend,” is a new type of flour composed of a variety of extreme weather resistant varieties of wheat to be more resilient to climate change. Despite its deviation from traditional wheat, it is shown to uphold the same baking quality (in regards to taste, texture, and rise). It was developed because climate change has been endangering wheat crops and this is not only affecting the supply and demand of wheat, but also creating intense price fluctuations. We spoke to Robin Morgan, a researcher at Washington State University’s Breadlab, about why these climate resilient crops may be the future of bread.
The Waverley Street Foundation seeks opportunities to create climate solutions through community engagement. By involving communities hit hard by climate change and the injustices that come with it, the Foundation seeks to show people around the world how cutting carbon emissions, implementing sustainable farming practices, and promoting clean energy can benefit people lives, rather than spreading the narrative, that people must sacrifice their wellbeing for the sake of the planet.
As coffee maintains its status as one of the world’s most popular beverages, the negative environmental impact of coffee bean production and processing continues to grow. This week, we spoke to Catherine Kiwuka about efforts to make coffee cultivation more resilient and sustainable.
Methane—the greenhouse gas most associated with cows—poses a significant threat to increasing the rate of global warming. We spoke to Brett Reinford of Reinford Farms in Pennsylvania about his personal experience navigating the costs and benefits of utilizing an anaerobic digester.
When grassland ecosystems are healthy, they can hold a lot of carbon. But these days, most are degraded. UC Berkeley ecologist Whendee Silver says that by using compost to restore grasslands, we can help local ecosystems and draw down more carbon from the atmosphere at the same time.
Ammonia, vital for global agriculture, is traditionally produced with significant carbon emissions. Dr. Benjamin Snyder envisions farmers using solar power to create “green ammonia” on-site, reducing greenhouse gases and promoting self-sufficiency.
When plants photosynthesize, they temporarily remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Could we use gene editing technology CRISPR to enhance photosynthesis and increase the amount of carbon dioxide they remove? UC Berkeley biology Professor and photosynthesis expert Kris Niyogi thinks so, and he says it could fight climate change and enhance food production at the same time. In this episode, Climate Break speaks to Professor Niyogi about his lab’s early-stage research into CRISPR, photosynthesis, and applications to climate change.
How we farm can make a big difference to soil health, water quality …. and even the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. But implementing climate friendly agricultural practices – what’s known as “carbon farming” – is often hard. Ian Howell, who leads the carbon farming program at the Alameda County Resource Conservation District, explains why working one on one with farmers can help.
As climate change exacerbates droughts, agricultural pollution may jeopardize our drinking water more often. Climate Break spoke to Jennifer Terry, external affairs manager for Iowa’s largest drinking water utility, about the collaborative strategies they’re using to help farmers reduce polluted runoff and protect Iowan’s drinking water.