Hot & Bothered

Dr. Susan Agolini Tackles Heat Mapping in Arlington, VA

We all know trees remove carbon from the atmosphere, but tree canopy also plays an important role in lowering surface temperatures. In this week’s episode of Hot & Bothered, Marymount University Associate Biology Professor Dr. Susan Agolini (pictured here with her daughter at a tree planting event in Arlington) walks us through a heat mapping study conducted in the county, what the study uncovered about the interplay between surface temperatures and socioeconomics, and the role tree canopy plays in keeping the county cooler… plus local efforts underway to protect existing canopy and plant more trees!
You can find Susan on LinkedIn. 
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Resources:
 
Arlington Tree Canopy study: New Tree Canopy Data from Civic Federation Webinar — Arlington Tree Action Group
The Lancet: Planting more trees could decrease deaths from higher summer temperatures in cities by a third, modelling suggests
EcoAction Arlington: Tree Canopy Fund; Tree Canopy Equity Program 
Arlington County, VA: Grants to Plant or Maintain Trees on Private Property
Arlington Tree Action Group
 

Rebecca Serna Advocates for Safe Streets for All in Atlanta

How do you shift a metro from car-centric to safe for all types of mobility? We close out our Transportation series with Rebecca Serna, Executive Director of Propel ATL. Listen in as Rebecca shares her experience working with a nonprofit organization that advocates for safe streets for all, working closely with the City of Atlanta to reduce traffic fatalities, and celebrating non-automotive transportation options. 
Follow Rebecca on LinkedIn and Propel ATL on Instagram. 
Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio or whenever you get your podcasts!
Join our Patreon community to help us evolve the pod!
Resources:
Atlanta Vision Zero
Vision Zero SF
League of American Bicyclists
America Walks

Christopher Kidd on Bike Infrastructure in San Francisco

What's it like to create accessible bike infrastructure? This week, we sit down with Christopher Kidd to get a city planner’s point of view. Christopher is the project manager for San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's Active Communities Plan. Find out about the hurdles they’ve faced with the bicycle master plan and how they’re working to make sustainable transportation inclusive to all - both people and devices!
If you live in SF, answer their survey and look at their schedule of events!
Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio or whenever you get your podcasts!
Join our Patreon community to help us evolve the pod!
Resources:
Building California: Deal that will speed up infrastructure projects signed into law 
You Want to Ride Your Bicycle? A Look into the Active Communities Plan | SPUR
Work Commute Mode Choice | Vital Signs
Greenhouse Gas Inventories | DC DOEE
CleanPowerSF | City Performance Scorecards (Correction: 60% not 75% renewable) 
The San Francisco housing crisis, compared with other major cities
Washington, D.C. and San Francisco | SPUR  
Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here. 
Music by QubeSounds.

Marley Blonsky Gets All Bodies on Bikes in the DC Area

Boosting access to eco-friendly methods of transportation is key to achieving a low-carbon future, and we need to invite everyone to the party. In this week’s episode, Marley Blonsky talks to us about co-founding All Bodies on Bikes, a non-profit working to create a size-inclusive bike community through judgment-free community rides. Marley shares how biking is a key player in a low-emissions future, how she’s working with sporting goods companies to create clothing and equipment that improves access for all, and how the size-inclusive bike movement has implications for other marginalized communities. Bonus: an All Bodies on Bikes chapter is opening in the DC area (and maybe your city, too)! 
You can find Marley on LinkedIn.
Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio or whenever you get your podcasts!
Join our Patreon community to help us evolve the pod!
Resources:
The Podcast — All Bodies on Bikes
All Bodies on Bikes Local Chapters
How riding a bike benefits the environment
Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here. Music by QubeSounds.

Natasha Dyer on Composting Wasted Food in Atlanta

As we close out our 3-part series on Food Systems, we are joined by Natasha Dyer in Atlanta to learn more about composting wasted food. Natasha is a circular economy professional who transitioned her career from fashion to composting and is now focused on the entire waste stream through the SWEEP Standard. We learn about her passion for diverting wasted food and get tips on starting a community compost program. 
Follow Natasha on Instagram and The SWEEP Standard on LinkedIn. 
Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio or whenever you get your podcasts!
Join our Patreon community to help us evolve the pod!
Resources:
The SWEEP Standard
SF composting history and 2022 California state-wide mandate progress
Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here. 
Music by QubeSounds.

Dan Kurzrock on Upcycling Food in the Bay Area

We’re diving into food again! This week, we chat with San Francisco Bay Area native Dan Kurzrock about how he’s fighting food waste. Dan is CEO and Co-Founder of Upcycled Foods, Inc. We cover his unlikely climate origin story, how they're upcycling and innovating, to growing an upcycled food movement.
Follow Upcycled Foods, Inc. at upcycledfoods.com, LinkedIn, or Instagram
Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio or whenever you get your podcasts!
Join our Patreon community to help us evolve the pod!
Resources:
Reduced Food Waste | Project Drawdown
Upcycled Food Association
Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here. 
Music by QubeSounds.

Mike Ross on Vertical Farming in the DC Area

Ever wonder what work is being done to make our food system more sustainable? Meet Mike Ross, co-founder and CEO of Beanstalk Farms–a vertical farming venture based in Herndon, VA (just outside of Washington, DC). In our very first episode, Mike shares how his innovative farming methods have sustainability–as well as efficiency and nutrition–at heart.
You can find Mike on LinkedIn and Beanstalk Farms on Insta and Facebook.
Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio or whenever you get your podcasts!
Join our Patreon community to help us evolve the pod!
Resources:
Environmental Impacts of Food Production - Our World in Data
How Two Alexandria Brothers Transformed a Data Center into an Indoor Farm (northernvirginiamag.com)
Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here. 
Music by QubeSounds.

Hot & Bothered - Introduction

Welcome to Hot & Bothered, a podcast showcasing the inspiring stories of local changemakers making a positive climate impact in communities across the United States! Join us as we delve into the lives and work of individuals who are taking proactive steps to protect our planet and create a sustainable future for generations to come.
 
Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio or whenever you get your podcasts!
Join our Patreon community to help us evolve the pod!
Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here. 
Music by QubeSounds.