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Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast
How We Build Climate Resilience: An Interview with Dr. Lisa Dilling
As the changing climate increasingly disrupts our ways of life, we have three choices: do nothing, attempt to stop or even reverse climate change, and/or figure out how to withstand it. Option one is a terrible idea and the ship has (mostly) sailed on option two. But option three is how we learn to live—and maybe even thrive—in our changing world. Part of this is figuring out how to convey the information that climate researchers have gathered to the people—like farmers, water managers, and urban planners—who need to make decisions now—about things like what crops to plant, where to get water for everyone and how to allocate it, and where to plant trees—for both the near and slightly distant future. In this episode, we’re talking to Professor Lisa Dilling, of the University of Colorado, Boulder, about building networks of people through which information about regional climate predictions can flow to people and information about the needs, predicaments, and questions of people can flow to climate researchers.
You can follow Lisa Dilling on Twitter at @LisaD144, and the Western Water Assessment program at University of Colorado here: @WWAnews or visit their website at https://wwa.colorado.edu/
Connect with Solarpunk Magazine at solarpunkmagazine.com and on Twitter @solarpunklitmag
Connect with Solarpunk Presents Podcast on Twitter @SolarpunkP or Mastodon @solarpunkpresents@climatejustice.rocks
Connect with Ariel at her blog, on Twitter at @arielletje, and on Mastodon @arielkroon@wandering.shop
Connect with Christina at her blog, on Twitter @xtinadlr, and on Mastodon @xtinadlr@wandering.shop
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22. Suppression Is Not Adaptation
29:35||Season 6, Ep. 22On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson continues talking about fire season with a consideration of Indigenous land stewardship. How we can build a better relationship with fire and the land through Indigenous land stewardship practices while respecting sovereignty rather than continuing our settler-colonial history of Indigenous cultural appropriation and exploitation.Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagNews Articles and Other SourcesThese young firefighters are learning ancient Indigenous practices to save Oregon’s forests from wildfirehttps://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2026/06/these-young-firefighters-are-learning-ancient-indigenous-practices-to-save-oregons-forests-from-wildfire.html(Note: The Oregonian article is behind a paywall. It was republished by The Chronicle. You can read the full article for free at https://www.chronline.com/stories/these-young-firefighters-are-learning-ancient-indigenous-practices-to-save-oregons-forests-from,404042)Tribal Youth Ecological Forestry Training Programhttps://lomakatsi.org/project/tribal-youth/Inter-Tribal Oregon Conservation Corps Crew earns Firefighter Type 2 certification, expanding prescribed fire capacityhttps://lomakatsi.org/inter-tribal-oregon-conservation-corps-crew-earns-firefighter-type-2-certification-expanding-prescribed-fire-capacity/Indian Youth Service Corp making a difference in Oregonhttps://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/features/indian-youth-service-corp-making-difference-oregonOregon State University Extention Services Fire Programhttps://extension.oregonstate.edu/fire-program
21. Building Community Resilience Hubs
39:19||Season 6, Ep. 21On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson gets into the fourth part in our series on Disaster Prep as Community Care, resilience hubs: what they are, where they are, what they do, and how to identify and develop one in your community.Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagMore Info on Resilience Hubshttps://www.resiliencehubcollaborative.orghttps://www.usdn.org/resilience-hubs.htmlhttps://greenlining.org/2024/whats-all-the-hub-about-how-community-resilience-hubs-can-bridge-gaps-in-social-connection-wellness-and-transportationhttps://gisweb.miamidade.gov/agolpdf/Resilience_Hubs_Examples.pdf
20. Climate Harm Has Victims, and Governments Have Names
26:01||Season 6, Ep. 20On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson takes a look at a climate human rights case out of Australia, and its implications for the ability to hold corporations accountable for their role in damaging the climate. Then, we explore what a solarpunk system of climate accountability would look like.Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagNews Articles and Other SourcesTrapped by floods and fearing death in the heat: the Australians taking legal action over the climate crisishttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/22/trapped-by-floods-and-fearing-death-in-the-heat-the-australians-taking-legal-action-over-the-climate-crisisMeet the 10 Australians and Read their Complainthttps://earthjustice.org/hardtruthscase/legalFossil Fuel Exports at Center of UN Human Rights Case Against Australian Governmenthttps://earthjustice.org/press/2026/fossil-fuel-exports-at-center-of-un-human-rights-case-against-australian-governmentU.N. court rules countries have duty to limit greenhouse emissionshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/07/23/world-court-climate-rulingObligations of States in respect of Climate Changehttps://www.icj-cij.org/case/187
19. The Heat Index is a Labor Standard
24:17||Season 6, Ep. 19On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson looks how extreme heat is changing the way World Cup matches are played, and asked why those same protections aren't afforded to all working people.Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagNews Articles and Other SourcesStudy warns of dangerous heat at 2026 World Cup as climate risks growhttps://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/study-warns-dangerous-heat-2026-world-cup-climate-risks-grow-2026-05-14World Cup puts urban heat risk in the spotlighthttps://www.reuters.com/sustainability/society-equity/world-cup-puts-urban-heat-risk-spotlight--ecmii-2026-06-16Mexico, Italy and others see up to two more months of heat stress than in the 1970s, study sayshttps://apnews.com/article/climate-heat-stress-feelslike-temperatures-50-days-daae5fb348e8cb587bccdf770e842611Two World Cup matches were played in ‘severe heat’, analysis findshttps://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/19/world-cup-matches-severe-heat-level-analysisHydration breaks affect game more than I initially thought, says England's Tuchelhttps://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/hydration-breaks-affect-game-more-than-i-initially-thought-says-englands-tuchel-2026-06-22/Heat at work: Implications for safety and healthhttps://www.ilo.org/publications/heat-work-implications-safety-and-health
18. Hurricane Season and the Myth of the Evacuation Order
38:08||Season 6, Ep. 18On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, we have part 3 of our series on Disaster Prep as Community Care. We’re talking about hurricanes, flooding, storm surge, power outages, the myth of the evacuation order, and we continue our conversation about what solarpunk disaster prep and response look like. Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmag
17. The Data Center Revolt
16:20||Season 6, Ep. 17On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson dives into the data center revolt with three examples of communities fighting back and saying no, including Illinois, La Pine, Oregon, and Monterey Park, California. Then, Justine outlines a solarpunk standard for data center approval.Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagNews Articles and Other SourcesAmericans wary of AI-driven data center boom, Reuters/Ipsos poll showshttps://www.reuters.com/world/us/americans-wary-ai-driven-data-center-boom-reutersipsos-poll-shows-2026-06-11US power use to beat record highs in 2026 and 2027 as AI use surges, EIA sayshttps://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-power-use-beat-record-highs-2026-2027-ai-use-surges-eia-says-2026-06-09Gov. Pritzker slows down data center developmenthttps://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/06/09/gov-pritzker-slows-down-data-center-developmentA small Central Oregon town shoots down data center developmenthttps://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/28/la-pine-rejects-data-center-central-oregonIn first, California city overwhelmingly votes to permanently ban datacentershttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/03/california-monterey-park-datacenters-ban
16. Clean Air Is Climate Infrastructure
20:52||Season 6, Ep. 16On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson continues the discussion about wildfire and smoke from earlier this week, but from the angle of clean air as public infrastructure rather than from the perspective of small community disaster preparedness.Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagNews Articles and Other SourcesWildfires are making the US smoggy again, reversing progress on cleaner air, study findshttps://apnews.com/article/smog-wildfires-climate-change-ozone-artificial-intelligence-bc9cde6da8ae4019cc07b800c70106adFires reverse progress toward ozone air quality standards in the United Stateshttps://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aed3197NASA-Funded Study Shows Wildfire Smoke’s Hidden Ozone Tollhttps://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-funded-study-shows-wildfire-smokes-hidden-ozone-tollWildfire smoke has reversed US progress toward ozone air quality, study findshttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/04/wildfire-smoke-air-quality-ozoneThe Clean Air Act 101https://www.nrdc.org/stories/clean-air-act-101American Lung Association State of the Air Report https://www.lung.org/research/sotaScience in Action: How to Build a Corsi-Rosenthal Boxhttps://engineering.ucdavis.edu/news/science-action-how-build-corsi-rosenthal-boxMonitor the Air Quality Index Near Youhttps://www.iqair.com/usa
15. Fire Season is a Social Event
31:36||Season 6, Ep. 15On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson brings you part 2 of our series of disaster prep as community care, and this episode is all about wildfire season. How do we prepare for the smoke, the evacuation orders, and fire? And how to ensure that those who need help aren't left behind to fend for themselves?Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmag
14. Radio Free Luna, Signing Off by Sylvie Althoff
42:32||Season 6, Ep. 14On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson reads a short story from our most recent issue, Solarpunk Magazine Issue #27. This story was written by Sylvie Althoff, and is titled, "Radio Free Luna, Signing Off."Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagYou can learn more about Sylvie Althoff and her work on her website, and you can connect with her on Bluesky @sylvie-althoff.bsky.social.