The Collaborative for the Earth (C4E) is set to launch the second season of its podcast, "C4E Presents," aiming to engage in conversations with researchers and scholars from Stony Brook University about environmental changes. The podcast will be hosted by Heather Lynch, C4E director and endowed chair for ecology and evolution at the Institute for Advanced Computation Science.
Lynch highlighted the interdisciplinary approach of this season, stating, “I’m really excited to dig in to meet more of my fellow colleagues here on campus and particularly those that we may not think of as having a huge role in climate or environment but are in fact approaching this from new and exciting ways.” She added that she hopes students will see diverse models for environmental scientists.
The new season began its discussions during the fall semester and will continue through spring. This initiative involves collaboration between Lynch, students, and faculty from the School of Communication and Journalism. J.D. Allen, a journalism lecturer specializing in climate communication, has integrated academic programs into this project. He remarked on the importance of communicating science effectively: “Being able to communicate science through podcasting — especially the human and planetary impacts of climate change — is a crucial skill to make research more accessible to decision-makers and everyday people.”
New episodes will be released every other week covering topics such as fossil fuels, genetically modified crops, policymakers' roles, corporations' involvement in combating climate change, among others. The team has moved most recordings to their studio at Melville Library's second floor but continues welcoming guests from various regions including Latin America.
Additionally, bonus episodes will feature instructors from a new one-credit pop-up course titled 'Climate Change and You.' Lynch mentioned these interviews provide an opportunity for listeners to learn about each instructor's work related to their teaching material.
The podcast is available on Spotify and other streaming platforms.