Cool Solutions Wendy Ring

Food hubs are not just for foodies. These homegrown networks provide markets for farmers moving beyond corn,soy, and CAFOs to regenerative modes of farming. This past spring, when supply chains failed, those lifelines kept communities fed. Founders of two Virginia food hubs tell their stories.    

How do we turn farming from climate pollution to climate solution?  In Part 1 of this mini-series we learn how changes in farming and ranching could remove gigatons of carbon from the atmosphere. A carbon farmer and rancher tell their stories and we begin our search for ways to spread these farming innovations across the country. First we talk with the directors of two startups helping farmers sell soil carbon credits. But farmers and soil carbon experts tell us that turning carbon into a commodity crop won't create the change we hope to see. In Part 2 ( the next episode) we'll be looking at the Green New Deal and the Farm Bill, and breaking up the power of Big Ag.  Episode One includes interviews with rancher Chris Prevatt, winner ofe 2020 Carbon Cup, Jeff Creque of the Carbon Cycle Institute,  Aldyen Connelly of Nori, Ed Smith from Indigo Carbon,  Jim Goodman of the National Family Farm Coalition and Steven Woods, a soil ecologist at the Nature Conservancy. 

You don't need solar panels to be part of greening the grid. Our refrigerators, hot water heaters, and air conditioners can shift energy use to when the sun is shining and decrease the need for fossil fuel.  

Climate and science super PACs are a donor's best bet for getting climate leaders elected to public office. While 50% of direct progressive campaign contributions go to waste, these super PACs focus resources where they can do the most good, training and supporting climate candidates. 
We talk with RL Miller of Climate Hawks Vote, Shaunessy Naughton of 314 Action, and Mary Lynn Cesar of Blueprint about the need to replace Democrats who are beholden to fossil fuel interests, the trials of teaching scientists how to talk like regular people, and the importance of downballot races and community organizing for a healthy democracy. 

There are millions of Americans who care deeply about climate change but rarely cast their ballots. A home-based army of volunteers is changing that. 
The Environmental Voter Project and Vote Forward both target and motivate these infrequent voters. Their founders, Nathaniel Stinnett and Scott Forman, explain how this began, why it's working, and how you can join in.  

The best way to store more carbon in forests is to stop cutting down big trees.  Families own more US forest land than timber companies or the government. A new program pays them not to log their big trees and to help new trees grow.