It’s Hot In Here
98 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 6 ratingsStudent DJs at WCBN created It’s Hot in Here in 2008 in order to combine environmental journalism with positive, infectious pop and counter culture energy. Placing the wealth of knowledge at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability (formerly known as the School of Natural Resources and Environment) in conversation with Ann Arbor and the world, It’s Hot in Here ushered in a new era in environmentally-themed college talk radio with a focus on soul and R&B. Over one-hundred live shows later, a seed that started off as a joke at a party has grown — and is still growing — into a family of friends, colleagues, experts, and artisans.
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Episodes
Farming in the Big City
September 11, 2020 20:05 - 47 minutes - 43 BytesAs a changing climate and urbanizing population continually alter the landscape of the US, many of us are asking the question: what is the future of food production? Increasingly, answers to that question include some aspect of urban agriculture, especially in Detroit, a globalized recognized hub of urban agriculture. To learn a bit more about … Continue reading Farming in the Big City →
A Meditation on Juliana v. United States
April 09, 2020 23:48 - 58 minutes - 59.3 KBIn August 2015, 21 plaintiffs, ranging from 8-19 years old at the initial hearing, filed a landmark lawsuit against the United States as well as many specific members of the Federal Government. In short, their claim was that the U.S. Government had knowingly violated the rights of the plaintiffs and future generations, by encouraging, subsidizing, … Continue reading A Meditation on Juliana v. United States →
Financing a Sustainable Future
April 09, 2020 22:34 - 57 minutes - 59.3 KBIn the coming years, climate finance and sustainable investing will likely be some of the most transformed sectors in the world. David Blood, co-founder and Senior Partner of Generation Investment Management (GIM), joins the University of Michigan community to share his expertise and 30+ years of experience on the cutting edge of sustainable finance. Chairman … Continue reading Financing a Sustainable Future →
Appropriate Technology Collaborative
March 11, 2020 15:25 - 1 hour - 82.5 MBEver heard of the triple bottom line: people, profits, and planet? Ever wondered what a business model that priorities all three would look like, if it’s even possible? Look no further than Appropriate Technology Collaborative and the future of equitable, sustainable development. John Barrie, a “recovering architect” and co-founder of Appropriate Technology Collaborative (ATC), and … Continue reading Appropriate Technology Collaborative →
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion with Sonia Joshi
February 25, 2020 22:26 - 50 minutes - 68 BytesIn 2016 the University of Michigan embarked on a five year strategic plan to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) more comprehensively throughout the campus. Now in the fourth year of the initiative, Sonia Joshi, the first DEI program manager for the University of Michigan’s School for the Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), sits down with … Continue reading Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion with Sonia Joshi →
Elders Climate Action
February 20, 2020 22:36 - 1 hour - 83 BytesElders Climate Action, a ‘spinoff’ of Elders Action Network, is an organization focused on promoting the environmental activism of older folks, making sustainable behaviors more accessible, increasing the visibility of elders working in the environmental field, and providing a space for elders to organize. The organization is growing rapidly with 9 chapters around the country … Continue reading Elders Climate Action →
Drew Lathin on Creating Sustainable Landscapes
February 19, 2020 16:55 - 59 minutes - 82 BytesYou’ve probably heard the phrase “native plants” before, but what does that really mean? How long does a plant need to be around to be considered “native”? Drew Lathin, a life-long gardener and founder of Creating Sustainable Landscapes LLC was kind enough to join us in the studio to talk to us about the benefits … Continue reading Drew Lathin on Creating Sustainable Landscapes →
The Sunrise Movement: Youth for a Green New Deal
February 16, 2020 20:06 - 57 minutes - 78.5 MB“The status quo has failed us.” The Sunrise Movement, founded in 2017, is a youth movement that grew out of the need to organize and mobilize young people around the country and promote political activism. The organization became well-known for staging protests and sit-ins in the offices of politicians around the nation, such as Speaker … Continue reading The Sunrise Movement: Youth for a Green New Deal →
Latino Outdoors: José González on Representation in the Outdoors
February 05, 2020 19:25 - 1 hour - 145 MB“None of us are well, until all of us are well.” José González returns to his alma mater, University of Michigan’s School for the Environment and Sustainability (formerly School for Natural Resources and Environment) to speak on Wayfinding Cultural Connections: From Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to Decolonizing. Photo credit: SEAS Office of DEI José González, … Continue reading Latino Outdoors: José González on Representation in the Outdoors →
The Changing Recycling Landscape, with Bryan Weinert of Recycle Ann Arbor
January 27, 2020 17:32 - 58 minutes - 135 BytesRecycle Ann Arbor (RAA) is known for its curbside recycling in Ann Arbor, among its other services (the Reuse Center, the Drop-off Station, the Recovery Yard for construction waste, and a myriad of education and zero-waste events). It started Michigan’s first curbside recycling program, which was also one of the first such programs in the … Continue reading The Changing Recycling Landscape, with Bryan Weinert of Recycle Ann Arbor →
President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality at UM
January 21, 2020 21:16 - 58 minutes - 80 BytesUM has decided to go carbon neutral, and the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality (the PCCN) is charged with recommending a plan to accomplish that for all three UM campuses (Ann Arbor, Dearborn, & Flint). The PCCN was announced in Fall 2018, and December 2, 2019 marked the arrival of its second Interim Progress Report. … Continue reading President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality at UM →
Ann Arbor is Going Carbon Neutral!
January 11, 2020 20:06 - 53 minutes - 73 BytesIn November 2019, Ann Arbor’s City Council passed a resolution committing the city to becoming completely carbon neutral by 2030. Sustainability and Innovations Manager for the City of Ann Arbor, Missy Stults, talks with hosts Isabelle Brogna and Prachiti Dhamankar about A2Zero, the city’s carbon neutrality planning process. A2Zero officially kicked off in December 2019, … Continue reading Ann Arbor is Going Carbon Neutral! →
Direct Air Capture of CO2
January 11, 2020 19:16 - 49 minutes - 70 BytesDirect Air Capture (DAC) is a method of taking carbon dioxide out of ambient air. It is one solution that can work in tandem with others to slow down (and eventually reverse) the growth of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This week, host Isabelle Brogna spoke with Dr. Christopher Jones, a Georgia Tech professor and … Continue reading Direct Air Capture of CO2 →
Beware the Sea Lamprey
November 08, 2019 20:40 - 57 minutes - 78.3 MB“Nightmare. But also, cool.” – Host Bella Isaacs on the sea lamprey. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is a binational organization that works to control sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes and promote scientific research in the region. This week, Ross Shaw and Cory Brant of the GLFC joined hosts Bella Isaacs, Prachiti Dhamankar, … Continue reading Beware the Sea Lamprey →
Reporter Jeremy Hance On Wildlife Conservation and Nature’s (Potential) Comeback
November 01, 2019 21:32 - 53 minutes - 76.3 MBReporter Jeremy Hance was one of the original staff writers of Mongabay, a non-profit conservation and environmental news site that “aims to raise awareness about social and environmental issues related to forests and other ecosystems.” Hance now writes a monthly column for Mongabay called “Saving Life on Earth: Words on the Wild” in addition to his … Continue reading Reporter Jeremy Hance On Wildlife Conservation and Nature’s (Potential) Comeback →
Brittany Turner of Cheyanne Symone
October 25, 2019 04:40 - 44 minutes - 63.6 MBEditor’s note: We had some brief technical difficulties during the first minute of the show. Brittany Turner is the founder of Cheyanne Symone, a jewelry company based in Ypsilanti that specializes in handcrafted, indigenous-style earrings. She’s also an energy analyst at EcoWorks Detroit and a graduate of the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability. Turner joined … Continue reading Brittany Turner of Cheyanne Symone →
2019 Youth Climate Strike
October 04, 2019 19:23 - 31 minutes - 43 MBHost Bella Isaacs attended this year’s Washtenaw County Youth Climate Strike on September 20 to record the speeches given by student activists on the University of Michigan’s campus. That strike was part of a movement inspired by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunburg, who encouraged other young activists around the world to demand that those in … Continue reading 2019 Youth Climate Strike →
The Community of Food, Society, and Justice Conference
September 27, 2019 18:07 - 39 minutes - 57 MBThis week, the five co-chairs of the upcoming Community of Food, Society, and Justice Conference joined host Bella Isaacs to talk about what attendees can expect from that conference, which will take place on Friday, October 18 and feature keynote speaker Tracie McMillan, lunch prepared with produce from the campus farm, and four panels that … Continue reading The Community of Food, Society, and Justice Conference →
Land Preservation in Washtenaw County
September 06, 2019 19:20 - 53 minutes - 77.6 MBCities and townships in Washtenaw County support a variety of progressive, publicly-funded efforts to protect local lands. They do that either by preserving those lands as they are or reserving them for agricultural use. Land protection consultant Barry Lonik, Washtenaw County Local Foods Coordinator Jae Gerhart of Michigan State University’s Extension Center, and farmer and … Continue reading Land Preservation in Washtenaw County →
Raye Evrard of Open Communications for the Ocean
July 26, 2019 18:36 - 43 minutes - 59.6 MBRaye Evrard is Project Manager for OCTO, or “Open Communications for the Ocean,” an organization that serves as a global knowledge hub on sustainable ocean management and conservation. She’s also the host and producer of Salish Shes, a podcast that explores “the environment, people, politics, scandals, history, and creatures of the beautiful and economically vital Salish Sea” … Continue reading Raye Evrard of Open Communications for the Ocean →
Doris Duke Conservation Scholars
July 19, 2019 16:06 - 45 minutes - 63.1 MB“Think twice before buying your feminist T-shirt from Forever 21.” Samara Almonte and Jazlyn Marcos are with the University of Michigan’s Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program, a two-summer opportunity for undergraduate students who are “interested in conservation, nature, and the environment” and “looking for a space to have discussions about diversity and inclusion” as it pertains to … Continue reading Doris Duke Conservation Scholars →
Fresh Forage
May 31, 2019 16:38 - 47 minutes - 65.9 MBFresh Forage is a casual farm-to-table restaurant in Ann Arbor that’s committed to using high-quality, sustainable ingredients sourced from local producers. Co-owners Andrew Sereno and Samuel Boyce joined host Bella Isaacs to talk about how they came up with the idea for Fresh Forage, their own experiences foraging for edible plants in the wild, the … Continue reading Fresh Forage →
How Do You getDowntown?
May 24, 2019 22:54 - 49 seconds - 67.6 MBThis week’s show opens with the voices of commuters who participated in Bike to Work Day on May 17. They tell us why they bike, how they feel about biking in Ann Arbor, and what personal messages they have for the drivers they share the road with. Bike to Work Day is part the 2019 … Continue reading How Do You getDowntown? →
The Stewardship Network
May 18, 2019 03:13 - 56 minutes - 77.7 MBThe Stewardship Network is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations who are committed to working on conservation issues at the local level. They also help connect communities across the regions they serve in order to facilitate their collaboration. Lisa Brush is the Network’s executive director, Robert Luzynski serves as network administrator, and Jason Frenzel … Continue reading The Stewardship Network →
Growing Hope in Ypsilanti
May 11, 2019 00:18 - 46 minutes - 66.3 MBEarlier this month, regular host Bella Isaacs met up with the executive and assistant directors of Growing Hope, Cynthia VanRenterghem and Erica Bloom. Their nonprofit focus on four interconnected areas of the local food system in Ypsilanti: farms and gardens, youth and schools, farmers markets, and food entrepreneurship. The three talk about the roots of Growing … Continue reading Growing Hope in Ypsilanti →
The Environmental Music Show
April 19, 2019 18:15 - 54 minutes - 76.8 MBEditor’s note: We know the phone sounds get annoying at some points during this conversation, and we apologize. This week, it’s all about the music, man. Matthew Burtner is an Alaskan-born composer, sound artist, and eco-acoustician whose music is inspired by the sounds of glaciers and, in many ways, the reality of climate change. David Jude is research scientist … Continue reading The Environmental Music Show →
We the People
April 12, 2019 16:57 - 52 minutes - 76 MBEach year, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, more than 13,000 Michigan residents return to their communities after being incarcerated. But when they get home, those residents often face a series of challenges as they navigate re-entering society as well as finding work and housing with a criminal … Continue reading We the People →
Winona Bynum of the Detroit Food Policy Council
April 05, 2019 16:14 - 46 minutes - 67.1 MBEstablished in 2009, the Detroit Food Policy Council is a 21-member “education, advocacy, and policy organization” and advisory body to the Detroit City Council. It’s primary mission is to ensure “the development and maintenance of a sustainable and equitable food system” in order to create a “food-secure City of Detroit.” Unlike food policy councils … Continue reading Winona Bynum of the Detroit Food Policy Council →
What is Ann Arbor Doing on Climate?
March 29, 2019 20:59 - 53 minutes - 73.8 MBThis week, regular host Ed Waisanen was joined by Missy Stults (Sustainability and Innovations Manager for the City of Ann Arbor) and Ryan Hughes (former Independent Candidate for Ann Arbor City Council and current host of Civics Party on WCBN) to talk about what Ann Arbor is doing about climate change. Together, they dug into … Continue reading What is Ann Arbor Doing on Climate? →
Washtenaw County Goes on (Climate) Strike
March 22, 2019 20:20 - 31 minutes - 43.5 MBMatt Harmon, Tegwyn John, and Solomon Medintz are members of the Climate Action Movement at the University of Michigan, which defines itself as “a coalition of stakeholders” that is urging the university to craft a meaningful sustainability policy and actively move its campus toward carbon neutrality. They were also co-organizers of last week’s Washtenaw County Climate … Continue reading Washtenaw County Goes on (Climate) Strike →
A Conversation With Global Climate Leader Christiana Figueres
March 22, 2019 17:07 - 28 minutes - 38.7 MBLast week, we were honored to speak with one of the world’s most influential leaders on climate change, Christiana Figueres. Figueres steered the Conference of Parties to the historic Paris Agreement in 2015 and served as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change from 2010-2016. She’s kind of a big deal. (You … Continue reading A Conversation With Global Climate Leader Christiana Figueres →
Environmental (In)Justice in Michigan
March 15, 2019 23:02 - 56 minutes - 81.4 MB“One of the worst things you can do to a population is take away their ecology.” – Oday Salim, quoted in Grist’s list of 50 “forward-thinking fixers” and sustainability leaders for 2018. Professor Oday Salim is the director of the University of Michigan’s Environmental Law & Sustainability Clinic and he’s an attorney at the National … Continue reading Environmental (In)Justice in Michigan →
Flashback Friday: What’s in our Water?
March 08, 2019 23:51 - 55 minutes - 75.9 MBToday, we bring you an archived show from summer 2019 that Hot In Here alum Ben Sonnega recorded during the very first Galaxy Sustainability Learning Exchange. As you may know, our show is intertwined with the Gala Platform which hosts the Michigan Sustainability Cases (MSC) at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability (or SEAS). Check … Continue reading Flashback Friday: What’s in our Water? →
Joe Trumpey Wants You to Fight for a Carbon-Neutral Life
March 01, 2019 05:03 - 55 minutes - 79 BytesJoe Trumpey is a farmer, sustainable designer, science illustrator, and educator. He’s also the director of the University of Michigan’s Sustainable Living Experience and he teaches in the STAMPS School of Art and Design as well as the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and the Program in the Environment (PitE). Is that enough to convince … Continue reading Joe Trumpey Wants You to Fight for a Carbon-Neutral Life →
Local Food, Global Fun
February 08, 2019 22:11 - 54 minutes - 74.2 MBShannon Brines and Eliot Jackson stopped by the studio to chat with regular hosts Ed Waisanen and Bella Isaacs and shamelessly plug the Local Food Summit, which — wouldn’t you know it — is happening this Saturday, February 16. Shannon is a local farmer and manager of the Environmental Spatial Analysis Laboratory at the UM … Continue reading Local Food, Global Fun →
Walk the Line (5)
February 02, 2019 02:57 - 57 minutes - 79 BytesThe two hand-shaped maps of the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan cup the hydrological corridor that links Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The whip-sawed waters of this passageway contain some of the mightiest currents in the Great Lakes, which intermittently thrash around a volume of water ten-times that which flows over Niagara Falls. The … Continue reading Walk the Line (5) →
Something’s in the Water
January 25, 2019 05:04 - 49 minutes - 67 BytesEditor’s note: We faced some technical difficulties with this recording, but the sound will level out after 1:07. Thanks in advance for your patience. Ann Arbor and its 72 sister municipalities form the Huron River Watershed, meaning that every drop of water that falls in these locations makes its way back to the river one way or … Continue reading Something’s in the Water →
Plants Are Good
January 19, 2019 04:35 - 40 minutes - 55 BytesYou heard it here first, folks! Today, we invited Peter Pellitier into the studio to elucidate the multi-faceted relationship between plants and carbon dioxide. Peter is a current Ph. D. candidate at SEAS where he researches terrestrial ecology and mycorrhizal fungi. He explained that plants have increased their carbon dioxide uptake by 31% as compared to … Continue reading Plants Are Good →
You Want the Good News or the Bad News First?
January 11, 2019 18:59 - 59 minutes - 65 BytesWhatever your answer, we decided to start with a bit of good news. As we finished off the second week of the new year, the Hot In Here crew covered all things environmental, from the impacts of fast fashion trends to nuns karate-chopping incandescent light bulbs (full disclosure, this week’s tangents were sponsored by Ed’s … Continue reading You Want the Good News or the Bad News First? →
Just A Couple of Lame Ducks
January 05, 2019 01:40 - 33 minutes - 46.2 MBThis week on the show, regular hosts Bella Isaacs, Aurora Aparicio, and Ed Waisanen break down how the ongoing government shutdown is affecting the environment, legislation that passed during former Governor Rick Snyder’s final days in office, and new Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s first couple executive actions. They also do a hair check in, figure out … Continue reading Just A Couple of Lame Ducks →
Justice, Economics, and the Environment Walk into a Bar… A Conversation with Dr. Sam Stolper
December 22, 2018 01:52 - 51 minutes - 63 BytesMany Americans hear the word “economics” and quite literally start to talk business: bulls and bears, stocks and bonds, revenues and profits—you know the drill. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, though, economics is “a social science concerned chiefly with description and analysis of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.” For Dr. Sam Stolper, … Continue reading Justice, Economics, and the Environment Walk into a Bar… A Conversation with Dr. Sam Stolper →
Inside COP 24 with Alexa White
December 14, 2018 22:33 - 58 minutes - 90.5 MBEver wonder what actually goes on at an annual international climate change conference? Alexa White doesn’t. That’s because she’s attended the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (UNFCCC-COP) not once, but twice. She attended the 2015 talks in Paris, France and the ones that were held this month in Katowice, Poland. White … Continue reading Inside COP 24 with Alexa White →
Young, Strong Voices from the Citizens’ Climate Lobby
December 07, 2018 19:00 - 80.2 MBCatherine Garton is not only a microbiology, applied statistics, and energy science & policy buff. She’s also the founder of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) chapter at the University of Michigan. The student group is part of a larger nonpartisan grassroots organization that aims to “build the political will for a livable world” by advocating … Continue reading Young, Strong Voices from the Citizens’ Climate Lobby →
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food
November 16, 2018 17:26 - 1 hour - 90 BytesWhere did you collect your most recent grocery haul? Try to remember the items you hastily organized on the conveyor belt at check-out. Now, where did all those come from? 1,500 is an important, if rarely recognized, number; it’s the average number of miles that produce travels on its way from an industrial farm to … Continue reading Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food →
How did the Environment Fare in the Midterms?
November 10, 2018 01:49 - 59 minutes - 85.2 MBOn today’s show, the IHIH gang share their hot takes on what the recent midterm elections mean for the environment moving forward. Bella breaks down a special millage proposal in her native Ingham County that protects certain farmlands and open spaces against urban development, and the Ann Arborite in the room (Ed) shares his thoughts on … Continue reading How did the Environment Fare in the Midterms? →
“Come of Age: The Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble” Author Stephen Jenkinson
November 05, 2018 06:19 - 1 hour - 74.7 MBOn today’s show, we bring you a conversation between regular host Ed Waisanen and Stephen Jenkinson, author, teacher, storyteller, spiritual activist, and farmer. His most recent book, “Come of Age: The Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble,” considers North America’s paradoxical relationship with elderhood as the region’s population continues to age yet fails … Continue reading “Come of Age: The Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble” Author Stephen Jenkinson →
Plugging-in to Solar Energy
October 26, 2018 11:45 - 80 BytesReturning champions Meg, Logan, and Aurora discuss local ballot initiatives across the U.S. including carbon emissions fees in Washington, proactive water pollution prevention in Montana, fish protections in Alaska, a Floridian combo bill that intertwines vaping and off-shore drilling, and more! As an added bonus, the crew unveils their Halloween costumes for this year—and Aurora’s … Continue reading Plugging-in to Solar Energy →
IPCC & Carbon Neutrality
October 19, 2018 12:37 - 80 BytesThe temperature rises in the studio as Climate Blue experts Sam Basile and Tim Arvan give their hot takes on the recent IPCC report. Basile, a founder and former director of Climate Blue, is now a PhD candidate in Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan. Arvan is the current director … Continue reading IPCC & Carbon Neutrality →
Mayan Power and Light
October 16, 2018 21:14 - 80 BytesOn Friday, hosts Ed, Bella, and Logan interviewed John Barrie and Monika Goforth in an effort to “shed some light” on the inner machinations of the Mayan Power and Light Program (MPL). The MPL co-founders discuss the origins and motivations for creating the program, which include a desire to contribute to the green economy and … Continue reading Mayan Power and Light →
The People’s Own Organic Power (POOP!)
October 05, 2018 21:29 - 1 minute - 80 MBWe give this episode a #2 (out of 2). Co-hosts Audrey and Heena sat down with artist, educator, activist, and “The POOP Project” creator Shawn Shafner and University of Michigan Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Dr. Nancy Love. The two are experts in recycling waste, specifically the “waste” produced by our bodies. We caught Shawn in the … Continue reading The People’s Own Organic Power (POOP!) →