Finding Hope in the Climate Crisis

Michelle Lewis
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

In a world where climate change remains the most pressing issue threatening our global society, it can be hard to find hope, but this podcast aims to do just that. Host and Director of the Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival, Michelle Lewis, community organizer, filmmaker, and professor, and public theologian has candid conversations with other artists, activists, and environmental leaders from around the world who are doing there part to spread awareness and hope in the midst of this crisis with their work. This is the official podcast of the Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival. To learn more about the festival or to buy tickets to this years festival visit www.OBXEFF.com This is a Hermit House Original Podcast. This podcast was Executive produced by Colin Harden and Michelle Lewis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 4d ago

    Prin is Back with Sanctuary of the Leatherbacks: Filmmaker Prin Uthaisengchai

    On Finding Hope in the Climate Crisis, host Michelle welcomes back Thai filmmaker and conservationist Prin Uthaisengchai, a previous Best International Film winner, to discuss his new documentary sequel, Sanctuary of the Leatherbacks. Prin explains the film focuses on leatherback turtle habitat and nesting areas in Thailand and highlights the urgent need to address climate change and reduce ocean trash through collective action. Michelle shares her past work with sea turtle nests, including finding an albino sea turtle, and praises the community-focused approach in the film. Prin describes current projects: a short film about monsoon-driven trash impacting endangered species and an Environmental Educational Unit “moveable school” that has reached 20–22,000 students across 17 provinces. He discusses filming highlights like scuba surveys near nesting shores, his plans to study environmental science, and his hope drawn from leatherbacks returning to Thailand and motivated students; with a “climate stick,” he would remove marine debris from the ocean. 00:00 Welcome Back Prin 00:49 New Film Overview 01:56 Urgency And Impact 03:07 Host Turtle Patrol Story 05:57 Upcoming Projects 06:58 Mobile School Outreach 10:35 Favorite Filming Moments 11:55 School And Future Plans 13:50 What To Expect In Film 14:43 Where Hope Comes From 17:52 Climate Stick Wish 19:36 Final Thanks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. Aug 28

    Mountain Biking Through Sacred Land: Tourism, Indigenous Communities & Hope w/ Rob Holmes

    Host Michelle Lewis talks with filmmaker Rob Holmes, director of Mountain Biking Through Sacred Land, selected for the 2026 Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival. Holmes explains how his company GLP Films aims to make tourism a “force for good” by telling authentic, impact-driven stories that educate travelers and support local, especially Indigenous, communities. The film focuses on the Mapuche in southern-central Chile near the Argentina border and highlights their connection to nature, including the monkey puzzle tree and related traditions, food, and medicinal uses. Holmes describes the film’s core idea: combining adventure travel (extreme-terrain mountain biking) with respectful engagement on sacred lands so visitor spending benefits the community. They discuss tourism’s double-edged nature, the role of storytelling and education, and Holmes’ hope in conservation leaders and simple messages about clean air, water, and healthy food. 00:00 Welcome to the Show 00:36 Why This Film 03:51 Mapuche Culture and Sacred Land 05:14 Adventure Travel Meets Community 07:12 Tourism Balance and Impact 08:55 What Viewers Should Take Away 12:23 Connection Through Storytelling 14:56 Why He Makes Films 17:09 Education in a Noisy World 19:01 Finding Hope 19:57 The Climate Stick 22:19 Closing Thanks and Festival Info Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Aug 21

    The Tree Economy: Atlanta’s Vanishing Canopy w/ Filmmaker James Schroeder

    Host Michelle Lewis interviews filmmaker James Schroeder about his film The Tree Economy, featured at the 2026 Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival. Schroeder explains how living in Atlanta for nearly 30 years inspired the film as the city’s tree canopy is increasingly lost to development, including a beloved stretch of trees clear-cut for a self-storage facility. He discusses balancing tree protection with housing needs, unexpected ties to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, and news that Atlanta’s canopy is at its lowest recorded level after a delayed 2024 assessment. They compare development impacts in Atlanta and North Carolina’s Outer Banks, touch on joys and challenges of filmmaking, preview the walkable festival atmosphere in Manteo, and share sources of hope and priorities for putting public health before profit. 00:00 Meet The Tree Economy 00:44 Why James Made It 03:16 Surprises During Filming 04:25 What Viewers Should Take 06:34 Development and Tree Loss 10:33 Joy in the Process 12:14 Filmmaking Pet Peeves 13:39 Outer Banks Festival Guide 16:24 Finding Hope Today 20:11 Climate Stick and Farewell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Aug 11

    Lis Cohen on Building the Talking Climate Collaborative

    Host Michelle Lewis interviews Lis Cohen of the Talking Climate Collaborative, a new effort led by Dr. Katharine Hayhoe and Bernadette Woods Placky to amplify climate communicators and connect people across disciplines—faith, health, nonprofits, and business—with practical communication support and accessible scientific information. Cohen describes early growth including a website, community-building, and a survey with American University suggesting climate communicators often work in isolation. They discuss tailoring climate messages to audience reading levels and linking climate impacts to local concerns like health and extreme heat, including examples of cooling spaces. Cohen shares her path from loving clouds and studying atmospheric science to becoming an interpretive park ranger at Yellowstone, where climate talk was limited. She finds hope in dedicated volunteers, cheaper renewables, local leadership, and more sophisticated climate communication, and says polluters should pay for the harm they cause. 00:00 Meet Lis Cohen 00:20 What Talking Climate Does 01:52 Building the Collaborative 03:49 Communicating for Real People 06:36 Extreme Heat on the Ground 09:08 Lis’s Climate Origin Story 12:55 Yellowstone Ranger Lessons 17:37 Finding Hope in the Work 21:34 The Climate Stick Question 23:27 Where to Find Talking Climate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Jun 19

    Extreme Heat: Humidity, Hot Nights, and Staying Safe w/Ashley Ward

    Michelle talks to Ashley Ward, director of Duke University’s Heat Policy Innovation Hub, to discuss why extreme heat has been overlooked and how it is changing, especially in the Southeast. Explore Ashley Ward’s work at Duke’s Heat Policy Innovation Hub and push local leaders and organizations to prioritize heat safety, affordability, and infrastructure resilience now. 03:07 How Ashley Got Into Heat 07:36 Why Heat Gets Ignored 28:11 Staying Cool Without AC 34:12 Finding Hope and Momentum 37:05 Infrastructure Under Heat Stress 40:25 More Heat Songs and Climate Stick Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Jun 5

    Plant Swaps, Native Plants & Climate Hope with Amberly Dyer

    Host Michelle Lewis interviews Amberly Dyer of the Rodanthe Waves and Salvo Civic Association about their fourth annual Earth Day event in Rodanthe, which began as a free, neighbor-connecting plant swap tied to litter pickup and has grown to include live music, community organizations, master gardeners, native plant giveaways from a regional grower, and a low-cost raffle—while avoiding vendors to keep it pressure-free. They discuss gardening successes and frustrations (herbs, tomatoes, eggplant, okra, cold-weather crops, companion planting, and pests), the value of simple, consistent community engagement beyond social media, and how gardens help build relationships and shared leadership for longevity. Amberly shares that people—especially young people—give her hope, and she would use a “climate stick” to push better solutions for the power and water impacts of large data/AI centers on marginalized communities. Website: rwscivicassociation.org. 00:00 Meet Amberly Dyer 01:40 Why an Earth Day Event 03:44 Plant Swap and Gardening 04:50 Cold Crops and Garden Hacks 06:56 Favorite Plants and Pest Battles 10:03 Community Engagement Advice 12:30 Gardens Build Community 16:45 Growing Earth Day Bigger 17:34 Native Plants and Local Partners 19:32 When Events Really Connect 21:07 Start Local Gatherings 25:20 Herbs And Gut Health 27:21 Heat Tolerant Varieties 29:23 Container Gardening Basics 33:26 Earth Day Every Day 35:16 Climate Stick Data Centers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. May 2

    Building Community & Growing Food w/ Sherryl Durrant

    Host Michelle Lewis talks with Sherryl Durrant, resident garden manager and community lead at Kelly Street Garden in the South Bronx, about her shift from corporate work to nearly 20 years in community gardening after the 2008 economic collapse and training at Farm School NYC. Sherryl describes Kelly Street Garden’s history tied to housing activism after the “decade of fire,” its small 8,000-square-foot footprint, and its programming around culturally relevant food, health, education, art, and mental wellness. She emphasizes learning from community knowledge, the politics of poverty, and practical advice for new growers—volunteer, learn from elders, and follow seasonal timing. They discuss youth transformation through gardening, collaborative growing that increased harvests from about 600 to nearly 1,800 pounds, a community apothecary of herbs, and Sherryl’s hope in collective community, plus her “climate wand” vision for greener, more livable cities. 01:28 From Corporate to Soil 04:23 Kelly Street Garden Origins 12:01 Advice for New Growers 15:28 Youth Transformation and STEM 20:02 Okra Love and Food Culture 20:50 Finding Hope in Community 23:21 Growing Together and Big Harvests 25:52 Climate Stick Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Mar 20

    Aisha Ellis on Food Sovereignty, and Growing Hope in Detroit

    Host Michelle Lewis interviews Aisha Ellis on Finding Hope in the Climate Crisis about D-Town Farm, an extension of the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network and a seven-acre urban farm in Detroit’s River Rouge Park operating on long-term city leases and farming about 2.5 acres since acquiring the former Meyers Nursery land in 2008. Ellis shares how concern about GMOs and feeding her young son led her to growing, and how she joined D-Town Farm through a 2013 internship after working as a dance teacher. She describes her start in the Food Warriors afterschool gardening program, teaching children to grow and taste fresh produce while learning how advertising shapes unhealthy food choices. Ellis frames farming as purpose, stewardship, and resistance, discusses challenges like pests, limited staff and reliance on volunteers, and highlights beehives, senior food distribution, a Harvest Festival around the equinox, and dbcfsn.org. She concludes with a “climate stick” vision of protecting a clean, healthy climate for everyone. 00:00 Welcome and Retreat Meet 01:16 D Town Farm Origins 02:49 Aisha Starts Growing 05:54 Food Warriors Kids Program 11:18 Why Farming Matters 13:13 Heat Waves and Harvest Joy 16:12 Favorite Crops and Pests 21:36 Volunteers and Farm Operations 23:37 Advice for New Growers 25:26 D Town Events and Support 27:27 Climate Stick Vision 28:57 Closing Thanks and Goodbye Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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In a world where climate change remains the most pressing issue threatening our global society, it can be hard to find hope, but this podcast aims to do just that. Host and Director of the Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival, Michelle Lewis, community organizer, filmmaker, and professor, and public theologian has candid conversations with other artists, activists, and environmental leaders from around the world who are doing there part to spread awareness and hope in the midst of this crisis with their work. This is the official podcast of the Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival. To learn more about the festival or to buy tickets to this years festival visit www.OBXEFF.com This is a Hermit House Original Podcast. This podcast was Executive produced by Colin Harden and Michelle Lewis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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