A changing climate presents humanity with only one option: adapt. Join your host, Doug Parsons for America's leading podcast on climate change - America Adapts! Each episode, Doug sits down with scientists, activists, policymakers, and journalists to discuss the tough questions facing this country and the world as we confront humanity's greatest challenge. Question your assumptions, refresh your perspective, and become part of the climate movement that will determine our planet's future, right here on the America Adapts podcast.
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The Once and Future National Climate Assessment: NCA5
Episode 263
Monday, October 19, 2026 • Duration 02:21:36
In episode 263, host Doug Parsons revisits one of the podcast's most ambitious episodes: a comprehensive guide to the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), originally released in January 2024. With the Trump administration having halted work on the next assessment, dismissed its contributors, and proposed changes to NCA5 itself, this landmark scientific resource has taken on new significance. Doug is joined by Allison Crimmins, director of NCA5; Dr. Jesse Keenan of Tulane University; and Dr. Eric Tate of Princeton University. Together, they explore the assessment's major findings, the climate risks facing communities across the United States, and the progress and persistent challenges of climate adaptation. Jesse takes listeners through the assessment's major chapters, while Allison discusses the extraordinary effort behind producing NCA5 and Eric examines what the report reveals about adaptation in practice. The original conversations remain intact, framed by new commentary from Doug on the importance of preserving publicly funded climate science, keeping it accessible through resources such as climate.us, and ensuring the next National Climate Assessment is built to withstand political disruption. He also explores how foundations and private funders could help support the independent scientific and communications infrastructure needed to make America's climate knowledge more durable.
The central question: How do we protect what we've learned about climate change—and build something even stronger for the future?
Dr. Jesse Keenan - Favrot II Associate Professor of Sustainable Real Estate and Urban Planning within the faculty of the School of Architecture at Tulane University
Dr. Eric Tate - Professor of Public Affairs in the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University
Topics Covered:
· NEW: Why we're revisiting NCA5 amid the dismantling of federal climate science infrastructure.
· NEW: Preserving the National Climate Assessment and building a more durable future for climate science, including the role of foundations and private funders.
· Understanding NCA5: What's new, why it matters, and how practitioners and policymakers can use it.
· Communicating climate science and keeping the National Climate Assessment relevant between editions.
· Climate adaptation across sectors: Forestry, agriculture, fisheries, coastal communities, and rural America.
· Managed relocation, extreme heat, and the difficult trade-offs involved in adaptation decisions.
· Tribal and Indigenous leadership in climate resilience.
· Financing adaptation: Costs, barriers, incentives, and the need for coordinated investment.
· Measuring adaptation progress, evaluating effectiveness, and understanding unintended consequences.
· Equity, institutional capacity, and the major findings of NCA5's adaptation chapter.
· NEW: How listeners can access NCA5 through climate.us and help keep this publicly funded science in use.
Support for America Adapts helps make episodes like this possible, including more international conversations on how adaptation is unfolding globally. All donations are now tax deductible!
Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way,
We Went to Climate Week: Three Takes on Adaptation, Resilience and New York
Episode 262
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 • Duration 42:21
In episode 262 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons heads to Climate Week NYC and compares notes with two fellow adaptation professionals who were also on the ground: Shaun Martin of World Wildlife Fund and Andreana Chou of AECOM. Instead of a traditional interview, the three take turns asking each other questions about what they saw, heard, and learned during one of the world's largest climate gatherings. They discuss whether adaptation is gaining ground at Climate Week, the growing role of the private sector and climate startups, who gets left out of expensive gatherings like this, and whether Climate Week's conversations are reaching anyone outside the climate community. They also tackle one of Doug's favorite subjects: what exactly do we mean by "resilience" when seemingly everyone is using the word differently? And because this is an informal debrief from New York, they wrap up with favorite meals, memorable moments, and what it was actually like to experience Climate Week firsthand. Three adaptation professionals, three different perspectives, and one very big week in New York.
In this special episode of America Adapts (261), host Doug Parsons explores an often-overlooked part of climate adaptation: what happens after disaster strikes. Through the recovery from the Los Angeles wildfires, Doug talks with disaster recovery experts, a community leader who survived the fires, and researchers examining remediation, rebuilding, worker safety, and the risks faced by immigrant workers involved in cleanup. The episode also looks to Christchurch, New Zealand, where more than fifteen years of earthquake recovery offers important lessons for the adaptation sector about recovery and renewal. The central argument: recovery is adaptation. How we clean up, protect people, rebuild communities, and prepare for what comes next is every bit as much climate adaptation as preparing before disaster strikes. This episode was generously supported by the CO2 Foundation and its innovative investment in climate adaptation communications.
Extreme Heat, Beavers, and Rethinking How We Tell the Climate Story — with PBS's Miles O'Brien
Episode 260
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 • Duration 40:49
In episode 260 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons talks with veteran science journalist Miles O'Brien, host of the new PBS series Resolve to Solve with Miles O'Brien. Doug and Miles explore how Phoenix and Sydney, Australia, are confronting extreme heat, from redesigned playgrounds and urban shade to fascinating research on how heat actually affects the human body. Then it's beavers—yes, beavers—and their surprising role in helping Western landscapes hold onto water, restore ecosystems, and provide refuge from wildfire. The conversation expands into a lively discussion about climate journalism: why adaptation remains underreported, the decline of dedicated science reporting, and the challenge of reaching audiences beyond the climate world. Doug and Miles also discuss adaptation as an emerging sector and why we need to invest much more seriously in telling these stories.
Extreme heat adaptation in Phoenix and Sydney, Australia Designing cities and public spaces for a hotter climate
Beavers as unexpected allies against drought and wildfire
Adaptation as an emerging profession, sector, and economy
Summer Grab Bag: No, Disasters Aren't "Natural" + Microinfrastructure, Heat and Adaptation Lessons from the Global South
Monday, August 24, 2026 • Duration 28:54
In episode 259 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons brings together two conversations for an end-of-summer adaptation grab bag. First, Doug talks with Anita Van Breda of World Wildlife Fund about why we should stop using the term "natural disaster." Anita explains the distinction between natural hazards and disasters, and how choices about development, vulnerability, and the environment shape the damage that follows. Doug then speaks with Bishal Thapa of CLASP about the overlooked role of efficient appliances and equipment in climate adaptation. They explore the idea of appliances as "microinfrastructure"—from fans and air conditioners that reduce heat risk to refrigeration, cold storage, and solar water pumps that support food security and livelihoods. They also discuss financing and what adaptation efforts in the Global South can teach the rest of the world.
Beyond Adaptation Plans: Measuring Success in the Next Era of Federal Climate Adaptation
Episode 258
Monday, August 3, 2026 • Duration 42:35
In episode 258 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons speaks with Dr. Bryan Hubbell, Senior Fellow at Resources for the Future and former EPA research leader, about how climate adaptation can move from good intentions to measurable results. Drawing on nearly three decades at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Bryan reflects on EPA's often-overlooked role in advancing adaptation across public health, ecosystems, wildfire smoke, and contaminated sites. Doug and Bryan explore one of the field's biggest challenges: how to determine whether adaptation efforts are actually reducing climate risk. They discuss the need for stronger evidence, better knowledge sharing, and new ways to connect research with real-world decision making. The conversation also looks ahead to the next era of federal climate adaptation, examining how a future administration can rebuild adaptation capacity while creating stronger institutions that help communities learn, innovate, and better prepare for a changing climate.
Transcript of episode available here.
Go Deeper: We turned this conversation into a concise Policy Brief that captures the episode's key insights, practical recommendations, and implications for adaptation policy. Download it here.
New! Download the companion Meeting-in-a-Box—a ready-to-use facilitation guide that distills the episode's key insights into a one-hour discussion designed to help your team turn ideas into action.
Extreme Heat: The Deadliest Climate Hazard Is Also the Most Invisible with Dr. Ladd Keith
Episode 257
Monday, July 20, 2026 • Duration 37:59
In episode 257 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons speaks with Dr. Ladd Keith, associate professor of planning at the University of Arizona and one of the world's leading experts on extreme heat adaptation. As Europe endures another deadly heat wave, Doug and Ladd explore why heat remains the deadliest—and one of the most overlooked—climate hazards. They discuss Arizona's progress in reducing heat-related deaths, lessons from Europe and India, the growing challenges facing rural communities, and how cuts to federal funding threaten adaptation efforts just as they are beginning to scale. The conversation also examines why communities must stop planning for today's climate and prepare for a hotter future, how urban planning can address multiple climate risks at once, and why building public awareness is essential if climate adaptation is going to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.
Transcript of this episode.
Go Deeper: We turned this conversation into a concise Policy Brief that captures the episode's key insights, practical recommendations, and implications for adaptation policy. Download it here.
New! Download the companion Meeting-in-a-Box—a ready-to-use facilitation guide that distills the episode's key insights into a one-hour discussion designed to help your team turn ideas into action.
The Greatest Story Never Told: Making Climate Adaptation Visible
Episode 256
Monday, July 6, 2026 • Duration 01:35:09
In this special episode of America Adapts (256), host Doug Parsons brings together leading voices from journalism, filmmaking, philanthropy, research, and climate practice to explore one of the biggest challenges facing climate adaptation: how do we communicate it? These conversations, sparked by a communications panel at the National Adaptation Forum, examine why adaptation remains "the greatest story never told," how to connect with audiences beyond the adaptation community, and what it will take to build a stronger culture of climate resilience. Along the way, an unexpected communications framework begins to emerge, with each guest offering a distinct principle for making adaptation more visible, relatable, and actionable. The conversations also point to an often-overlooked challenge: communications must be funded, prioritized, and approached with the same creativity and innovation we bring to adaptation itself. This episode was generously supported by the CO2 Foundation, whose commitment to advancing climate adaptation communications helped make these conversations possible.
Go Deeper: We turned this conversation into a concise Policy Brief that captures the episode's key insights, practical recommendations, and implications for adaptation policy. Download it here.
New! Download the companion Meeting-in-a-Box—a ready-to-use facilitation guide that distills the episode's key insights into a one-hour discussion designed to help your team turn ideas into action.
How Football (soccer!) Plans to Adapt to a Hotter World
Episode 255
Monday, June 22, 2026 • Duration 39:32
In episode 255 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons speaks with Elliot Arthur-Worsop, founder and director of Football for Future, about how the world's most popular sport can become a powerful platform for climate adaptation and communication. Elliot shares how his organization is engaging clubs, players, governing bodies, and fans while expanding the football climate conversation beyond sustainability and emissions. Doug and Elliot discuss Football for Future's Pitches in Peril report, which examines climate risks facing 2026 FIFA World Cup host cities and stadiums across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, including extreme heat, flooding, risks to players and fans, adaptation funding, and how major sporting events can leave behind a resilience legacy. They also explore whether global sporting events can help unlock new sources of funding for resilience. Elliot argues that "politics follows culture," leading to a broader conversation about adaptation's communications challenge and what the resilience community can learn from football about storytelling, influence, marketing, and reaching audiences far beyond the traditional climate space.
Meet the Adapters: Conversations from the National Adaptation Forum
Episode 254
Monday, June 8, 2026 • Duration 01:09:43
In episode 254 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons heads to the National Adaptation Forum to meet some of the people shaping the future of climate adaptation. With help from guest interviewers Shaun Martin of WWF and documentary filmmaker and podcaster Olga Loginova, Doug speaks with leaders working in public health, urban forestry, climate communications, sports, Indigenous engagement, adaptation finance, and immersive storytelling. These short conversations highlight the creativity, innovation, and collaboration driving adaptation efforts today, while also raising an important question: how do we bring even more people, sectors, and ideas into the adaptation movement? If you've ever wanted a behind-the-scenes look at the people and conversations defining the adaptation field, this episode is for you.
Guest Hosts:
Shaun Martin - Vice President Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience, WWF-US
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast, a podcast by Doug Parsons - Stats, Episodes and Rankings - My Podcast Data
Links in this episode:
https://www.climateweeknyc.org/
Support for America Adapts helps make episodes like this possible, including more international conversations on how adaptation is unfolding globally. All donations are now tax deductible!
Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way,
Download the Episode Field Notes — a practical guide to the episode's key ideas for policymakers and practitioners.
Memorable Quotes from This Episode
Maryam Zar "Are we going to come together and think about a purposefully, resiliently built community that can withstand the next fire? Or are we just going to build back if we can?"
Dr. Laurie Johnson "A disaster, in my opinion, unfolds over time, and the process of recovery is really about addressing that uncertainty and trying to bring certainty to all the various actors in the recovery process."
Dr. Michael Méndez "These wildfires, droughts, and other hazards are gonna continue to increase with our changing environment, and we need to prepare and adapt our communities. And with that, we need to have a workforce that is trained and provided with a living wage."
Abby Ross "There's a series of what does it mean when urban communities burn and how we go about the relief, recovery, and long-term rebuilding process that is fundamentally different from years before that we have to be able to adapt to."
Dr. Erica Seville "We actually had the opportunity to make some big choices that helped the city in the long term to actually become a better city after the event rather than just rebuilding what was."
Recovery Is Adaptation Framework
1. Recovery begins when the hazard ends — Laurie Johnson A disaster unfolds over time. The fire going out doesn't mean the disaster is over; it begins a long period of uncertainty, coordination, cleanup, and rebuilding.
2. Recovery must start with the community — Maryam Zar Rebuilding isn't just replacing structures. Communities need a voice in deciding what comes back, what changes, and what resilience should look like.
3. Protect the people doing the recovery — Michael Méndez Recovery depends on workers, and resilience cannot be built by exposing those workers—especially vulnerable immigrant and day laborers—to new risks.
4. Connect cleanup to rebuilding — Abby Ross Remediation, financing, insurance, construction, and resilience shouldn't operate as separate systems. Cleanup itself is part of adaptation.
5. Rebuild for the next disaster, not the last one — Erica Seville Recovery creates a rare opportunity to reconsider where and how we build. Christchurch shows that recovery can become renewal and leave a community more resilient—and even better—than before.
Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way, more information can be found here!
Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/americaadapts/ https://bsky.app/profile/americaadapts.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-parsons-america-adapts/
Join the climate change adaptation movement by supporting America Adapts! Please consider supporting this podcast by donating through America Adapts fiscal sponsor, the Social Good Fund. All donations are now tax deductible!
Taking adaptation stories beyond the adaptation community
For Educators & Students
Compare how Phoenix and Sydney, Australia, are adapting to extreme heat.
Explore how urban design can reduce exposure to dangerous temperatures.
Examine beavers as a case study in nature-based adaptation to drought and wildfire.
Discuss why climate journalism tends to focus on disasters rather than the adaptation happening between them.
Consider the emergence of climate adaptation as a profession, sector, and economy.
Explore how journalists can communicate realistic hope without minimizing the seriousness of climate change.
Who Should Listen to This Episode
Compare how Phoenix and Sydney, Australia, are adapting to extreme heat
Explore how urban design can reduce exposure to dangerous temperatures
Examine beavers as a case study in nature-based adaptation to drought and wildfire
Discuss why climate journalism often focuses on disasters rather than what happens between them
Consider adaptation as an emerging profession, sector, and economy
Explore how journalists can communicate realistic hope without minimizing climate risk
Support for America Adapts helps make episodes like this possible, including more international conversations on how adaptation is unfolding globally. All donations are now tax deductible!
Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way,
Key Themes Covered in This Episode Why disasters aren't "natural" How human choices shape disaster risk and vulnerability Appliances as climate adaptation "microinfrastructure" Extreme heat, cooling access, and energy efficiency Getting microinfrastructure into adaptation planning Adaptation lessons from the Global South
For Educators & Students Disaster risk and the language of "natural disasters" Human vulnerability and societal choices Microinfrastructure as climate adaptation Extreme heat and access to cooling Energy efficiency and adaptation Adaptation lessons from the Global South
Who Should Listen to This Episode Climate adaptation professionals Disaster risk reduction practitioners Climate and resilience planners Policymakers and government officials Climate communicators and journalists
Support for America Adapts helps make episodes like this possible, including more international conversations on how adaptation is unfolding globally. All donations are now tax deductible!
Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way,
Preparing for the next era of federal climate adaptation
For Educators & Students
Climate adaptation policy
Measuring adaptation success
Evidence-based decision making
Federal climate adaptation
Institutionalizing climate adaptation
Who Should Listen to This Episode
Climate adaptation professionals
Federal, state, and local government leaders
Resilience and sustainability practitioners
Researchers and university students
Anyone interested in the future of climate adaptation governance
Support for America Adapts helps make episodes like this possible, including more international conversations on how adaptation is unfolding globally. All donations are now tax deductible!
Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way,
Students and educators in planning, climate, and public policy
Anyone interested in how communities can prepare for a hotter future
Support for America Adapts helps make episodes like this possible, including more international conversations on how adaptation is unfolding globally. All donations are now tax deductible!
Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way,
Pearl Marvell - Yale Climate Connections, Editora de YCC en español - Transcript
Dr. Deb L. Morrison - Learning Scientist focused on climate adaptation and Lead Author for the IPCC's Seventh Assessment Report on Climate Information and Services - Transcript
Memorable Quotes from This Episode
Doug Parsons, America Adapts "Does adaptation have an awareness problem, a language problem, or an identity problem?
Karen Wolfgang, CO2 Foundation "We need to tell a similar story—that there's something worth adapting for."
Shaun Martin, World Wildlife Fund "People hear what they want to hear—not necessarily what I want them to hear, which is the adaptation story."
Olga Loginova, Filmmaker & Journalist "I love people. And I'm fascinated with the stories that people tell."
Pearl Marvell, Yale Climate Connections "One of the best things you can do when it comes to climate change and climate action is just to start a conversation about it."
Dr. Deb Morrison, University of Washington "Just speaking to people about your message is, in fact, not communication."
Beth Gibbons, Washtenaw County Resiliency Office "You're not leading with adaptation. You're leading with what people locally care about, but you're bringing the adaptation story into that topic."
Panel Communication Framework
1. Communications is Critical Infrastructure (Doug Parsons) Adaptation only scales if successful ideas are communicated, shared, and put into action. 2. Actionable Knowledge Transfer (Karen Wolfgang) Share what works—and what doesn't—so communities can learn faster and adaptation can spread. 3. Keep Adaptation Visible (Shaun Martin) Don't let adaptation disappear inside conservation, disasters, AI, or other compelling narratives. 4. Tell Human Stories (Olga Loginova) People connect with people, trust, identity, and lived experience—not reports.5. Know Your Audience (Pearl Marvel) Different audiences require different messages, framing, platforms, and storytellers. 6. Co-Produce Communication (Dr. Deb L. Morrison) Build understanding with communities, not just messages for communities. 7. Treat Communications Strategically (Beth Gibbons) Meet people where they are, work with trusted partners, and make communications part of every adaptation effort—not an afterthought.
Key Themes Covered in This Episode
Why Climate Adaptation May Be the Greatest Story Never Told
Building Climate Adaptation Through Better Communications
Knowledge Transfer as the Key to Scaling Adaptation
The Power of Human Stories and Community Voices
Knowing Your Audience and Communicating with Purpose
Why Communications Should Be Core Adaptation Infrastructure
Funding, Innovation, and the Future of Climate Adaptation Communications
Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way, more information can be found here!
Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/americaadapts/ https://bsky.app/profile/americaadapts.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-parsons-america-adapts/
Join the climate change adaptation movement by supporting America Adapts! Please consider supporting this podcast by donating through America Adapts fiscal sponsor, the Social Good Fund. All donations are now tax deductible!
The World's Most Popular Sport Meets Climate Change
The 2026 World Cup as a Climate Stress Test
Football's Role in Climate Communication
Funding Climate Adaptation Through Sport
Extreme Heat and the Future of Outdoor Sports
Reaching Billions Through Culture and Storytelling
Creating a Resilience Legacy Beyond the Tournament For Educators & Students
Climate Change and the World's Most Popular Sport
The 2026 FIFA World Cup as a Climate Stress Test
Extreme Heat, Stadium Resilience, and Athlete Safety
Adaptation Finance and New Funding Models
Climate Communication Beyond Traditional Audiences
Why Politics Follows Culture
Using Sports to Make Climate Adaptation Visible and Relevant
Who Should Listen to This Episode
Anyone curious about how climate change is affecting the world's most popular sport
Climate adaptation and resilience professionals
Sports executives, sustainability managers, and event organizers
Climate communicators, journalists, and storytellers
Students and educators interested in adaptation and public engagement
Funders exploring new approaches to climate resilience
Fans wondering what climate change means for the future of football
Support for America Adapts helps make episodes like this possible, including more international conversations on how adaptation is unfolding globally. All donations are now tax deductible!
Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way,
Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way, more information can be found here!
Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/americaadapts/ https://bsky.app/profile/americaadapts.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-parsons-america-adapts/
Join the climate change adaptation movement by supporting America Adapts! Please consider supporting this podcast by donating through America Adapts fiscal sponsor, the Social Good Fund. All donations are now tax deductible!
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