Adapting to Climate Change – Beth Gibbons, Adaptation Professionals

"We now have an appetite for intervention. There's a willingness because we are all at a point where the impacts are being felt so broadly…The urgency is being met with a will to act."  Beth Gibbons on Green Connections Radio   Local leaders are managing the very real devastation to their communities and economies caused by extreme weather events, while much-needed resources from the federal government are tied up in political wrangling over whether climate change is real.   The people on the ground dealing with these effects are called "adaptation professionals," so Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson went to them to find out what's happening on the ground. Listen to her startling conversation with Beth Gibbons, Executive Director of Adaptation Professionals for great insights on all sides of this life-threatening, economy-threatening, polarizing issue. You'll learn: What life on the ground is like for the people needing to guide their communities through the very real ravages and economy-altering impact of climate change. The vital role that federal resources and research plays – and the short and long-term effects of not having it. How local communities are using "natural infrastructure" to protect themselves, and why those options are often more effective than traditional, "hard" infrastructure. Testing experimental solutions with lives and businesses on the line, and how to get what you need to make a difference, even incrementally. The role of the private sector in protecting their communities. Insightful career advice too! "The federal government is uniquely positioned, uniquely powerful and uniquely funded to create the kind of research we need right now about what are the risks, what are the challenges, what is the way forward, and the government should be held accountable to deliver those resources ." Beth Gibbons on Green Connections Radio   You'll also want to listen to: Rawlings Miller of WSP on developing a climate resilience plan for your community or business. Kathy Baughman McLeod of the new Atlantic Council Resilience Center, on climate resilience preparation. Cindy Lubber, CEO of Ceres on mobilizing business sustainability.   Robin Currey, Prescott College, on creating a sustainable food supply. Thanks for subscribing on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio and leaving us a review! Join our mailing list to stay up to date on the top podcasts and special offers! Reach us on Twitter @joanmichelson