Episodes

  • After the Fires, Under the Waves

    After the Fires, Under the Waves
    Jul 11 2025
    The Palisades and Eaton fires scorched more than 40,000 acres and destroyed at least 12,000 buildings, sending remnants of household appliances, batteries, flame retardant, debris and other chemicals into coastal waters. Scientists and advocates are racing to assess not only the immediate contamination and public safety risks but also the long-term ecological consequences that threaten biodiversity, fragile habitats, and the marine food chain. On this episode of Terra Verde, host and producer Hannah Wilton speaks with Tracy Quinn, President and CEO of Heal the Bay, and marine ecologist Dr. Zoë Kitchel about the challenges of post-fire water monitoring, the gaps in federal and state response, and the early warning signs of ecological disruption unfolding offshore. They unpack what we’re learning from this disaster—and what needs to change to better protect our oceans in the future. The post After the Fires, Under the Waves appeared first on KPFA.
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    30 mins
  • Berkeley’s Path to Zero Waste

    Berkeley’s Path to Zero Waste
    Jul 4 2025
    Berkeley is home to a number of innovative recycling and zero-waste programs that aim to divert waste from landfills. The city’s Recycling Team works with residents, restaurants, schools, hospitals and more, to provide education and support businesses to comply with local, state, and national mandates. Host and producer Fiona McLeod speaks with two members of Berkeley’s recycling team on this episode of Terra Verde. Julia Heath and Bella Bertaud join the show to discuss how the city is working with local businesses and residents to implement its Zero Waste Strategic Plan, and the role we can play as individuals in reducing landfill waste and living more sustainably. The post Berkeley’s Path to Zero Waste appeared first on KPFA.
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    30 mins
  • Coping with Extreme Heat

    Coping with Extreme Heat
    Jun 27 2025
    Photo by Chris Yarzab. We are just entering summer and already some parts of the country are under heat advisories. The first heat wave of the season started last Friday, literally, on the first official day of summer and has been impacting about 128 million Americans from Louisiana to Maine. The US West, including California, hasn’t been impacted by this particular heatwave. But it’s only a matter of time. In fact, what you might not know is, extreme heat is now the leading climate-related health hazard in California. It claims more lives annually than any other climate threat. To understand what this growing climate threat means, who is at most risk, and to learn about some actions we can take to protect ourselves, Earth Island Journal editor-in-chief and Terra Verde cohost Maureen Nandini Mitra talks with Bibiana Martinez, a public health researcher with Heluna Health, a California-based public health research organization that works to improve health equity, and Walker Wieland, manager of the California’s new CalHeatScore program, a pilot project that ranks risk from extreme heat by ZIP code and seeks to protect vulnerable populations from heatwaves. Resources: Use the CalHeatScore tool to check out heat conditions in your region and also join the program’s listserv to get notices of upcoming webinars and workshops on the issue. Read this Heluna post to lear learn more about staying safe in the heat and identifying signs of heat illness. The post Coping with Extreme Heat appeared first on KPFA.
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    30 mins
  • Terra Verde – June 20, 2025

    Terra Verde – June 20, 2025
    Jun 20 2025
    A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – June 20, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.
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    30 mins
  • Trump’s Public Lands Grab

    Trump’s Public Lands Grab
    Jun 13 2025
    Chuckwalla Box Canyon in the Chuckwalla National Monument, one of six monuments the Interior Department is considering shrinking. Photo by Bob Wick / Bureau of Land Management. Last year, an estimated 330 million people visited our national parks here in the United States. Tens of millions more visited national wildlife refuges, national forests, and Bureau of Land Management lands, connecting with our wild places, our shared history, and the wildlife these lands protect. Despite broad public engagement with our protected places, public lands have been in the Trump Administration’s crosshairs since Day 1 of his second term. The administration has announced far-reaching layoffs at the federal agencies that manage our public lands. It has proposed massive budget cuts to the National Park Service. It has taken action to open protected places to increased drilling, mining, and logging, and has embraced the idea of outright selling public lands. Luke Basulto, the Ruth Hammett California Desert Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, and Josh Hicks, Conservation Campaigns Director for The Wilderness Society, join Terra Verde host and Earth Island Journal managing editor Zoe Loftus-Farren to discuss the state of our public lands amid this onslaught. The post Trump’s Public Lands Grab appeared first on KPFA.
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    30 mins
  • Terra Verde – June 6, 2025

    Terra Verde – June 6, 2025
    Jun 6 2025
    A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – June 6, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.
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    30 mins
  • Terra Verde – May 30, 2025

    Terra Verde – May 30, 2025
    May 30 2025
    A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – May 30, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.
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    30 mins
  • Urban Compesinx on Youth Power and Land Reclamation

    Urban Compesinx on Youth Power and Land Reclamation
    May 2 2025
    Hummingbird Farm is a community-led urban agriculture project in the Excelsior neighborhood of Southeast San Francisco, stewarded by PODER’s (People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights) Urban Compesinx. Since its inception in 2017, the community has transformed nearly seven acres of underutilized public land into a vibrant space for growing food, culture and resilience. Joining forces in this work are PODER and 5 Elements, two local organizations reclaiming land stewardship and artistic expression as tools for self-determination among underinvested communities of color. Producer Hannah Wilton speaks with two organizers from PODER—longtime Environmental Justice Organizer Tere Almaguer and Youth Organizer Alondra Aragón—about how they are weaving ancestral connection, intergenerational healing and translocal solidarity at Hummingbird Farm. We also hear from 5 Elements Co-Founder & Youth Engagement Coordinator Violeta Vasquez on the rising generation of urban compesinx and cultural workers who are reshaping the future of their neighborhoods. The post Urban Compesinx on Youth Power and Land Reclamation appeared first on KPFA.
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    30 mins