A Fighting Chance

Have We Been Wrong About Plants All Along? - Paco Calvo and Anna Loi

Why do so many tree planting projects fail? Charles talks with Paco Calvo, head of the Minimal Intelligence Lab, and forest restoration expert Anna Loi, about treating plants as partners instead of as resources. It just might change how you see every living thing around you.

Can Oil Workers Be Part of the Solution? - Norman Rogers

Oil workers are some of the fiercest opponents of climate policy but Norman Rogers, a refinery worker and labor organizer, is putting fossil fuel workers front and center in the climate movement. He reminds us that fossil fuel workers aren't the enemy of climate action - they're the people who build what comes next. Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe or follow! It really helps us spread the word. You can learn more about A Fighting Chance at afightingchancepod.org and Climate California at climatecalifornia.org Follow us and give us feedback: (NorCal to insert) Want more environmental storytelling? Support NorCal Public Media’s Center for Environmental Reporting at norcalpublicmedia.org/donate

How to Fight Big Oil and Win - Cesar Aguirre

Meet Cesar Aguirre, a community organizer who's fought Big Oil and won. Communities living near oil production risk breathing toxic air and drinking contaminated water. His team protected homes, schools, and hospitals from drilling by defeating a dangerous industry referendum in California. Cesar shows us what ground zero of the climate crisis is like - and it’s hidden in plain sight.

How Blowing Up Dams & Setting Fires Saves Nature - The Yurok Tribe

Meet the Yurok Tribe of California. They’re behind the world’s largest dam removal project and huge advocates of cultural burns. Their work matters, because by reminding us of the history of water and fire, they’re helping us rewrite the future of the planet.

Make America Green Again - Benji Backer

Most consider climate policy as a liberal viewpoint, but one conservative is leading the charge to take partisanship out of environmental politics. Meet Benji Backer, founder of Nature is Nonpartisan. In 2025, Benji landed a huge victory when President Trump issued an executive order called “Make America Beautiful Again”, establishing a council to conserve public lands, protect wildlife, and expand access to clean drinking water. This convo explores the partisan tensions pervading the climate movement - and how to overcome them. Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe or follow! It really helps us spread the word. You can learn more about A Fighting Chance at afightingchancepod.org and Climate California at climatecalifornia.org Follow us or give us feedback! Instagram: @norcalpublicmedia, @climate.california YouTube: @northerncaliforniapublicmedia TikTok: @norcalpublicmedia Email: viewer@norcalpublicmedia.org [viewer@norcalpublicmedia.org] Want more environmental storytelling? Support NorCal Public Media’s Center for Environmental Reporting at norcalpublicmedia.org/donate