The number of podcasts has exploded in recent years. According to Podcast Insights, there are currently more than 750,000 podcasts out there! Podcasts are a great way to learn about new topics, go in-depth on issues you care about, and geek out on anything under the sun (solar powered cars, anyone?). We’ve rounded up 10 of our favorites that cover food, fuel, and other sustainability issues. Each has its own niche, but all routinely include deep dive interviews with thought leaders, authors, activists and experts that inform and inspire.
Bite
In Bite, a podcast from Mother Jones, a trio of the magazine’s editors discuss the latest food news and interview farmers, scientists, and chefs with an eye toward politics and science.
Episode Highlight: Bite is in the middle of a six-part series called “Eating in Climate Chaos” that explores how climate change is affecting our food.
The Energy Gang
The members of Greentech Media’s Energy Gang — Stephen Lacy, Katherine Hamilton, and Jigar Shah —have lively weekly discussions about the latest news and trends in energy, cleantech, renewables, and the environment.
Episode Highlight: In “Who’s Still Trying to Kill the Electric Car?” the gang discusses the oil industry’s efforts to slow EV progress and charges that oil companies hid the potential effects of climate change.
Green Dreamer
Green Dreamer host Kamea Chayne interviews inspiring sustainability leaders, many of whom focus on restoring the health of our planet through ecological regeneration and intersectional sustainability.
Episode Highlight: In “The psychology of what shapes public opinion on climate science,” Chayne interviews Matthew Goldberg of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication about strategies for communicating with others about climate issues.
Talking Headways
Produced by Streetsblog, a news website covering public transit, biking and walking, Talking Headways reviews the latest stories about sustainable transportation and urban design.
Episode Highlight: In “‘The Farm Bill’ with Dan Imhoff,” author and farmer Imhoff talks about how the Farm Bill relates to transportation and cities.
Drilled
In Drilled, Journalist Amy Westervelt takes a “true crime” approach to climate change by investigating how the fossil fuel industry created and fostered the spread of climate denial.
Episode Highlight: The first episode, “The Bell Labs of Energy,” takes listeners back to the 1970s and ‘80s when Exxon was researching the “greenhouse effect.”
The Urban Farm Podcast
At close to 500 episodes and counting, The Urban Farm Podcast offers a wealth of information about hands-on urban farming topics like seed saving, composting, beekeeping and more through interviews with regenerative farmers and home gardeners from around the world. Hosted by longtime urban farmer Greg Peterson, founder of Urban Farm U.
Episode Highlights: In “Scott Murray on Active Carbon Sequestration” listeners learn how to reduce carbon in the environment through home landscaping.
GreenBiz 350
Weekly podcast GreenBiz 350 covers the latest news about a wide range of green business topics through original stories and interviews.
Episode Highlight: “Episode 197” features interviews with General Mills’ soil scientist and Shell's chief climate change adviser.
BBC's The Food Chain
Winner of a James Beard Award, The Food Chain isn’t strictly about sustainability issues, but it does explore food from all angles imaginable, from restaurant dishwashers to blockchain’s potential impact on the global food system.
Episode Highlight: In “Can you have your plate and eat it?” Host Emily Thomas explores whether edible packaging is a clever solution to plastic waste or just a marketing gimmick.
Sourcing Matters
Learn more about food, where it comes from and how it gets to our tables through Sourcing Matters’ interviews with leaders focused on improving the food system. Hosted by Aaron Niederhelman, CEO & co-founder of OneHealthAg.
Episode Highlight: “Fresh take on Local,” features Erin Baumgartner, founder of Family Dinner, a farmers market delivery service in the Boston area that uses data to make the supply chain more efficient.
Hunger and the Environment
Hunger and the Environment is a new podcast from Minnesota-based Second Harvest Heartland food bank that makes connections between hunger relief work and environmental sustainability.
Episode Highlight: In “Higher Purpose for Food Waste,” food waste leader Tristram Stuart and guests from ReFED and Veles discuss innovative technologies and ideas for making use of wasted food.
