You Gonna Finish That? Saving Good Food from Going Bad

Globally, one-third of food produced every year is wasted. That’s enough to feed about 2 billion people — twice the number of people who are undernourished. The global food system also accounts for a whopping one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. These two problems — waste and emissions — are intricately linked: Climate disruption exacerbates food insecurity. And industrial food production contributes to the climate crisis. When food is wasted, it’s also a waste of land, water and energy.

In this episode, we talk with experts about how to fix the broken system and hear from some of the people on the ground recovering food before it goes to waste. How can we address both climate and food insecurity at the same time?

This episode also features a news story produced by Harvest Public Media contributor Peter Medlin, a reporter with WNIJ Northern Public Radio.

Dawn King

Senior Lecturer, Brown University

Lisa Moon

CEO, The Global Food Banking Network

Norma Alonso

ABACO, Cooperation Manager

James Leyson

Managing Director for Global Impact and Operations, Scholars of Sustenance

On Monday, September 16, the legendary conservationist Jane Goodall will join Climate One live at San Francisco’s Sydney Goldstein theater. Tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime event are selling quickly, which is why we’re giving you, valued reader, a special invitation to secure your seat at the show today.

In honor of her 90th birthday, the live show will be a celebration of Jane Goodall’s life spent dedicated to strengthening our relationship with the natural world. Dr. Goodall will be joined in conversation by Climate One Co-Host Greg Dalton and Mongabay Founder Rhett Butler. Mongabay covers forests, wildlife, oceans, and other conservation topics in six languages via a network of more than 900 journalists across 80 nations. 

Friend, we guarantee you won’t want to miss this show. Reserve your seats now through City Box Office.

Climate Heroes In Your Neighborhood with Matt Scott
Tuesday June 25 | 6:00 p.m.
There are climate heroes among us everywhere, but many go unnoticed in the thrum of everyday life. Matt Scott, director of storytelling and engagement at Project Drawdown, has been shining a light on the work of such people in cities across the country in his documentary short series “Drawdown’s Neighborhood.” In Atlanta, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and more, Scott lifts up underrepresented voices of those engaging in climate issues directly in their communities. And that diversity of voices — of women, Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color — is itself the point. “By passing the mic to underrepresented people working on the frontlines of climate change, we hope to share as many of these stories as possible while reshaping who society sees as climate heroes,” says Scott. 

The San Francisco Bay Area is the latest region in Drawdown’s Neighborhood, with full episodes premiering in August 2024. Join us for this unique Climate One event, as Scott hosts a live conversation with local climate heroes and showcases the diversity of people taking action all across the country to meaningfully address climate change.

One man died and dozens were injured after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore encountered severe turbulence in Thai airspace last week. While investigations are ongoing, it is not believed that the flight crew or airplane manufacturer are to blame. Instead, many are blaming climate change.

Flight SQ321 encountered what is known as clear-air turbulence. Unlike routine disruptions, which are typically caused by weather anomalies or passing over mountain ranges, clear-air turbulence is caused by wind shear, making it unpredictable and nearly undetectable. And as the planet continues to warm due to climate change, wind shear rates are only expected to increase, meaning clear-air turbulence will as well. One study found that clear-air turbulence incidents increased by 55% from 1979-2020, a stark correlation with the rising temperatures.

Just two days after the tragedy on Singapore Airlines, a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin encountered clear-air turbulence strong enough to send 12 people to the hospital. And with global temperatures continuing to rise, academics and aviation professionals are working furiously to develop methods of detecting clear-air turbulence. For now, passengers can take solace in the knowledge that wearing a seatbelt seems to be sufficient to prevent most serious injuries.

PLUS:

The Americas Trade and Investment Act is a rare example of a bipartisan bill winding its way through Congress. It also sticks out for its no-nonsense approach to reducing textile waste.

Directly highlighting the need for increased circularity in our clothing supply chains, the Americas Act, as the bill is known, would incentivize the reshoring of textile production, reducing shipping emissions, and offer financial benefits for manufacturers that recycle products like apparel, footwear and linens. 

The rise of fast fashion and dirt-cheap clothing retailers have led to unprecedented levels of textile waste, to the point where the textile and garment industry is now one of the largest sources of carbon emissions. To better understand how we can make our wardrobes more sustainable, Climate One spoke with four industry insiders for our Wardrobe Malfunction episode. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Source: Bloomberg Green/Cox Automotive

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