In Our Backyard Podcast

Today, we're joined by Michael Brown, Executive Director of Sustaining Way, a nonprofit based in Greenville, South Carolina, that’s redefining sustainability through equity, education, and faith.  Through powerful community programs like Annie’s House, youth leadership initiatives, and resilient home interventions, Sustaining Way brings together environmental justice, interfaith values, and hands-on action. I’m excited to dive into how they’re creating a more sustainable and just future. hello@sustainingway.com [hello@sustainingway.com] https://sustainingway.org/

Today, we’re diving into a crisis that’s hitting close to home for many North Carolinians, one that sits at the intersection of climate change, corporate accountability, and financial survival: the insurance crisis unfolding in the wake of Hurricane Helene. I talk with Charles Slidders, Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law, or CIEL. Charles is a legal expert working on the front lines of climate justice and he’s co-author of a powerful new analysis that reveals a troubling pattern: insurance companies are helping finance the very fossil fuel projects that are driving extreme weather… and then turning around to hike rates or drop coverage when those disasters strike. When Hurricane Helene tore through the Carolinas, it didn’t just knock down trees or flood neighborhoods, it tore the lid off something deeper. It showed just how shaky our financial systems really are, especially when it comes to insurance. As the state works to recover, one thing’s clear: it’s not a matter of if another storm will hit, it’s whether we’ll be prepared when it does. Contact and connect with Charles: https://www.ciel.org/

Today we’re talking with Romain Chuffart is with the Arctic Institute.  We’re turning our attention to one of the most fragile and rapidly changing regions on Earth — the Arctic. This vast, icy expanse at the top of the world plays a crucial role in regulating our global climate and is home to unique ecosystems and Indigenous communities whose lives are intertwined with the land and sea. But the Arctic is warming at more than twice the global rate, triggering dramatic changes that ripple far beyond its borders. In this episode, we’ll unpack what defines the Arctic region, explore the profound impacts climate change is having there, and discuss why these changes matter to all of us. We’ll also dive into international cooperation, governance challenges, and the vital role Indigenous knowledge plays in shaping sustainable policies.

Today, we’re talking with Diane Wilson, the Executive Director of the San Antonio Bay Waterkeeper, about a nuclear proposal that’s raising red flags across the Gulf Coast of Texas. A company called Dow/Union Carbide wants to build a Small Modular Reactor, the Xe-100 near Long Mott, Texas, just miles from the Guadalupe River and San Antonio Bay. It’s a region already grappling with historic flooding, that just inundated communities along the Guadalupe months ago. Now, the San Antonio Bay Waterkeeper and other advocates are stepping in, filing the first-ever intervention against a Small Modular Reactor in the U.S. We speak about the significance of this historic moment, what’s at stake for the environment, the community, and the climate, and how the NRC is pushing forward with an unproven design in a flood-prone region. Contact and connect with Diane: wilsonalamobay@aol.com Full press release: https://sanantoniobaywaterkeeper.org/local-group-files-first-ever-legal-challenge-to-smr/ NRC filing: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2518/ML25188A218.pdf

Today we’re diving deep into the fight for environmental justice right here in North Carolina. Our guest is Dr. Rania Masri, Co-Director of the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, or NCEJN. It's a powerful grassroots organization committed to supporting communities on the frontlines of environmental harm. NCEJN has been a force in holding polluters and policymakers accountable, while centering the voices of those most impacted. In this episode, we’ll talk about the origins and mission of NCEJN, how the organization defines and practices environmental justice, and the major issues facing North Carolina, from industrial agriculture to regulatory inaction. We’ll also hear about recent wins, hard lessons, and what it really takes to build power in local communities.