Best Saving The Environment Podcasts (2024)

1
Mapping Urban Heat Islands with NASA Ep84 34:48

6M ago34:48

34:48

In this episode, I share the story of creating the world’s highest-resolution urban heat island maps in collaboration with the team at NASA JPL, available at http://urbancanopy.io. I share the process of taking raw thermal satellite pictures from the NASA archive, using GIS software and data to get a heat island score for each land parcel, using Ma…

1
Everything is a Funnel Ep83 26:38

9M ago26:38

26:38

In this episode, I share the secret to building your mission. You need to START by building a funnel, not an idea. If you're building an idea, campaign, or product and not building it as a funnel, you could be making a big mistake. Listen in, I'll share how to do it right. Get my free Climate Action Design Tips: ⁠https://helloworlde.com/actiontips⁠…

1
What Exactly IS Gamification? Ep82 13:37

9M ago13:37

13:37

In this episode, I explain the precise definition of how I see gamification. It's essentially tracking progress towards a goal, and rewarding people for making progress. This episode is a neat nugget of the core measurement-driven gamification principles you can use for making climate and environmental action happen. Get my free Climate Action Desi…

1
Top 10 Biggest Mistakes You Might Be Making Ep81 50:36

9M ago50:36

50:36

Did you know that the vast majority of environmental professionals have NO training in the job they are hired to do? That's the job of human influence. Environmental scientists, engineers, and lawyers are often hired for the job of influencing thousands of people to take action to meet sustainability goals, yet our training is in, well, science, en…

1
The 5 Levers of Human Motivation Ep80 18:02

10M ago18:02

18:02

There are three big mistakes people make when they are trying to influence people to help the planet. In this episode, I share what these are and the five big levels you should be using instead that are proven to influence people to act. Get my free Climate Action Design Tips: ⁠https://helloworlde.com/actiontips⁠ * * * How to Save the World is a po…

1
ECOPIA: We Need Child-Centric Community Housing Ep79 29:45

10M ago29:45

29:45

In today's episode, I introduce a new endeavor I've been secretly burrowing away at. It's called ECOPIA and it's my ultimate dream project. ECOPIA's mission is to create child-centric properties that are built and designed for families to raise children together, as it's meant to be done, in groups (and with all the eco-friendly, zero-emissions, ze…

1
The 3 Axioms of Change Ep78 28:22

10M ago28:22

28:22

How do you know that your project is REALLY changing what you want to change in the world? And how do you know if you are doing it effectively? In this episode, I share the core mechanism of what change is. This is such a fundamental primary principle that we tend not to see it. You MUST have these three axioms active for change to happen. If you d…

1
The Behavioral Science of Real Estate Energy Labels, Reuven Sussman PhD Ep77 1:22:37

10M ago1:22:37

1:22:37

In today’s episode, we chat with behavioral and environmental psychologist, Dr Reuven Sussman, head of the Behavior and Health Program at The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE). He conducts research about, and advocates for, energy efficiency in buildings and transportation - a sector that makes up the lion's share of carbon e…

1
4 Evidence-Based Reasons Why You Need Positive Eco Futures Art Ep76 24:44

11M ago24:44

24:44

In this episode, I share the four social-science-backed reasons for why you need to be heavily immersed in images of the positive eco future you are working to create. We'll cover the psychology of motivation, technical problem-solving, leadership, and systems-change. This epsides explores the deeper reasons why I put together the new Ecopia Store …

1
Idea: Nudge Your Neighborhood Vegan with the V-Score Ep75 15:37

11M ago15:37

15:37

In this episode, I share an idea I designed and. I want you to steal it. It's called the V-Score. See the V-Score app design here. The most important factor that determines the health and environmentally friendliness of food is whether it comes from a plant or an animal. The measurement-driven design I teach is based on identifying a core metric of…

1
Too Many Ways to Go Green? Choice Architecture & Overload, Reuben Kline PhD Ep74 1:31:59

11M ago1:31:59

1:31:59

Does giving people long lists of multitudes of eco actions help people do more green things? Or does it overwhelm, and hence hinder action? And how does the type of action on that list make a difference? Today’s guest is Dr. Rueben Kline Ph.D. He is the Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Behavioral Political Eco…

1
Idea: Women's Bathroom Vending Machine Ep73 10:45

12M ago10:45

10:45

Today’s podcast is about an zero waste idea that is desperately needed in women’s bathrooms: a vending machine that sells reusable women’s period products like silicone cups, cloth pads, and period undies. * * * How to Save the World is a podcast about the psychology of what gets people to do eco-behaviors and take climate action: Environmental eng…

1
Idea: The Compost-a-Tron Ep72 17:23

1y ago17:23

17:23

The compost-a-TRON is an idea to encourage public composting, inspired by a curious behavioral study 30 years ago about a giant eagle shaped garbage can. How to Save the World is a podcast about the psychology of what gets people to do eco-behaviors and take climate action: Environmental engineer, designer, and author, Katie Patrick, hunts down the…

1
Do Individual Green Actions Take Away From Systems Change? Karine Lacroix PhD Ep71 1:13:14

1y ago1:13:14

1:13:14

In today’s episode, I talk with environmental and behavioral psychologist, Dr. Karine Lacroix Ph.D, about if a person’s individual eco-friendly behaviors (like riding a bike, composting, or eating less meat) can cannibalize or steer people away from taking actions that might influence bigger systems-wide change (like trying to influence your local …

1
Reimagine Your Street and Neighborhood Ep70 14:51

1y ago14:51

14:51

How to Save the World is a podcast about the psychology of what gets people to do eco-behaviors and take climate action: Environmental engineer, designer, and author, Katie Patrick, hunts down the latest behavioral science literature from top universities such as Harvard, MIT, and Stanford to unearth the evidence-based teachings you can use to rapi…

1
Education Vs Action Design: Very Different Things Ep69 15:40

1y ago15:40

15:40

How to Save the World is a podcast about the psychology of what gets people to do eco-behaviors and take climate action: Environmental engineer, designer, and author, Katie Patrick, hunts down the latest behavioral science literature from top universities such as Harvard, MIT, and Stanford to unearth the evidence-based teachings you can use to rapi…

1
Gamification of Climate Action, Dr Markus Brauer PhD PART 2 Ep68 52:46

1y ago52:46

52:46

This is the second part of the conversation with Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin AND the Executive Director of The Institute for Diversity Science, Dr Markus Brauer about what makes up real evidence-driven gamification. Markus is the social scientist behind a behavior-change game called Cool Choices - a card game that gets wo…

1
Gamification of Climate Action, Dr Markus Brauer PhD PART 1 Ep67 54:50

1y ago54:50

54:50

Games sound fun, but do they really work to get people to actually do climate and eco-friendly things? And if so, why do they work? Today's we’ll be talking with Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin AND the Executive Director of The Institute for Diversity Science, Dr Markus Brauer about what makes up real evidence-driven gamifica…

1
How to Work From Primary Principles Ep66 23:16

1y ago23:16

23:16

In this episode, I share a fundamental principle to guide your design thinking. You should always ask yourself, is this idea based on "primary principles?" And what are "primary principles" anyway? In order to make a campaign or startup that really works to get people to buy a green product or change a behavior, you need to build up your concept fr…

1
The Psychology of Pledges: A "Commitment Device" Ep65 20:38

1y ago20:38

20:38

In this episode, I explore the power of pledges in driving pro-environmental action and behavior. Pledges are seen as commitment devices, where individuals make promises or commitments to themselves or others. We highlight the effectiveness of pledges in engaging people and closing the value action gap. The episode delves into the various forms of …

1
Everyone Else is Doing it: The Surprising Power of Social Norms on a Poster, Dr Alessia Dorigoni PhD Ep64 1:17:51

1y ago1:17:51

1:17:51

In today’s episode, we dive into the surprisingly powerful effect of social norms that seem to almost effortlessly shift environmental behavior. Social norms mean“This is what everyone else is doing” or “Here’s an example of what we want you to emulate.” Our guest today is research psychologist Dr Alessia Dorigoni from the Neuroscience Consumer Lab…

1
Surefire Technique to Get It Done: Short Scoping Ep63 11:51

1y ago11:51

11:51

You probably have a new website you're trying to launch, a blog you need to finish, an app you're trying to complete, a presentation you need to give, and several unfinished art projects in your closet. I see you. I know you! In this episode, I share my own personal technique for getting complex things finished and shipped. I call it "short scoping…

1
You Need To Take Geographic Granularity Seriously Ep62 8:08

1y ago8:08

8:08

Have you considered the power that lies in heavily niching down by geography? As in, go hyper local, and then geographically niche some more. In this episode, I share my thoughts on the mistakes I've observed by social change projects diluting their impact by spreading too broad. You might get followers by casting a broad net in the beginning, but …

1
Habit Discontinuity Hypothesis and Green Behaviors, Professor Emeritus Bas Verplanken PhD Ep61 1:05:37

1y ago1:05:37

1:05:37

Our guest today is Professor Emeritus Bas Verplaken from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath. He’s very much an elder in the study of attitude and habits in relation to health and human behavior and he has also been the editor of the book, The Psychology of Habits. We discuss "Habit Discontinuity Hypothesis" which is a phenomenon…

1
Individual Action Vs Systems Change PART 4: Validate & Level Up Ep60 9:36

1+ y ago9:36

9:36

In this episode I offer an alternative strategy to shaming or criticizing small individual eco-friendly behaviors. I explain how you want to see social change like a staircase with many levels. Often taking a small individual action, like using a paper straw or driving less, is the first step a person makes on their staircase of influence. The goal…

1
Individual Action Vs Systems Change PART 3: How The Five Types of Individual Action Lead to Tipping Points Ep59 18:55

1+ y ago18:55

18:55

In this episode, I explore the ongoing debate between individual and system actions in promoting pro-environmental behavior, challenging the notion that these are the only two types of actions. This episode points out that there are five different types of actions that can bring about change: daily recurring habits, big-ticket once-off changes, lif…

1
Individual Action Vs Systems Change PART 2: A Continuum Of Six Buckets Ep58 36:58

1+ y ago36:58

36:58

People often ask me why we should practice individual environmental behavior change when what we really need is "systems change." It's not an easy question to answer. We need "systems change" implemented by governments as policy (like plastic bans), economic levers (like a carbon tax), and physical infrastructure (like bike paths). Yet, all systems…

1
Individual Action Vs Systems Change PART 1: Six Hidden Biases in the Question Ep57 23:58

1+ y ago23:58

23:58

In this episode, I unpack six unconscious assumptions that people make when they ask me the question "Why do we need to study individual behavior when we need system-level change?" There is often some flawed thinking in the way this question is asked. While it's true we need systems-level change, this doesn't undermine, nor is it in opposition to, …

1
Four Questions You Should Brainstorm For Clarity and Motivation Ep56 17:35

1+ y ago17:35

17:35

In this episode, I share a new journaling practice that I've recently started that involves answering four specific questions. This practice has been an absolute game-changer for me, and I believe it can profoundly impact your life and work too. Inspired by her previous episode on the Fun-O-Meter, I emphasize the importance of asking meaningful and…

1
Designing A Climate Action Dashboard for Cities: A Deep Dive into Behavioral Science Ep55 32:29

1+ y ago32:29

32:29

What are the behavioral science secrets behind making a climate action dashboard for cities that ACTUALLY gets people to act? In this episode, I'll take you a deep dive into the design theory behind creating a climate action dashboard for a city using a behavioral science-informed approach.I share the importance of distinguishing between action des…

1
Earth Imagination Day: Teaching Kids To Imagine a Positive Eco-Future, Sophie Poisel Ep54 1:08:00

1+ y ago1:08:00

1:08:00

In this episode, we chat with Sophie Poisel, an award-winning innovative teacher who hosted the first Earth Imagination Week with her students. Sophie showed us that when you give children the tools to imagine positive new ecological worlds, they come up with incredible work! Eco Minecraft worlds, green Lego lands, biophilic architectural illustrat…

1
The Theory of Fun: A Daily "Fun-o-Meter" Journal Practice Ep53 17:29

1+ y ago17:29

17:29

Do you gauge the quality of your work, content, and life by how "fun" it is? Weird secret - I used to HATE being asked what I did "for fun." In this episode, I share how I started taking the theory and pursuit of fun more "seriously" (lol) as a daily practice and how it's changed everything. I discovered how asking this one question "What is the mo…

1
The 7 Pillars of Behavioral Science for Climate Action Ep52 24:11

1+ y ago24:11

24:11

Don't let your audience walk away without actually doing anything. Here's the action design shorthand you need. Use each of these evidence-based techniques in your project, campaign, or startup to ensure every person you touch goes on to take a real action that shifts the numbers. Download The 7 Pillars of Behavioral Science for Climate Action Post…

1
How to Design Games for Impact, Education and Action, Dan White CEO Filament Games Ep51 1:18:12

1+ y ago1:18:12

1:18:12

Today's guest is Dan White. He is the CEO and Founder of the award-winning impact-games development company, Filament Games. Dan is an artist and entrepreneur and probably the world’s most prolific games-for-impact developer. We talk about the nuance of how to create a game that engages, educates, and transforms people and we explore what happens w…

1
When Guilt Works Better Than Pride To Get People To Go Green, Nicole Sintov PhD Ep50 1:04:30

1+ y ago1:04:30

1:04:30

This month's guest expert on the How to Save the World podcast is Nicole Sintov, Associate Professor of Behavior, Decision-Making, and Sustainability from Ohio State University. We'll be interviewing Nicole on her published research paper, "Guilt consistently motivates pro-environmental outcomes while pride depends on context." The gist of this res…

1
How to Make Environmental Campaigns Go Viral Using Augmented Reality Games, Kay Vasey + Olivier Bos MeshMinds Ep49 1:17:54

1+ y ago1:17:54

1:17:54

MeshMinds makes planet-themed augmented reality games designed to massively increase engagement and social media sharing of environmental campaigns. Kay and Olivier and I met when we were working for UNEP on the Clean Seas campaign. They do some really interesting work using the software Spark AR (that’s only used for instagram and Facebook applica…

1
The Hidden Secret of Building Community Movements: Self Efficacy, Social Diffusion, and Cultivating the Confidence to Talk to Others, Veronica Champine PhD Ep48 1:17:40

1+ y ago1:17:40

1:17:40

Today's guest is environmental psychologist, Veronica Champine, PhD Candidate and Graduate Research Assistant at Colorado State University. We're breaking down the science of "social diffusion" in her research paper "Understanding individual and diffusion behaviors related to native plant gardening" recently published in the Journal of Environmenta…

1
Five Secrets to Writing Well - Tips for Action, Engagement, and Growth Ep 47 12:21

2y ago12:21

12:21

There's a line in a song that says "Words are hotter fire. Words are wetter than water." You might not think that words possess a superpower that can help you change the world, but if you're in the job of influencing people to change, language is your secret weapon. In this episode, I talk through some of the mistakes I see people make and how you …

1
Mapping the World's Forest Data from Satellites, Alice Gottesman + Kai Kresek Global Forest Watch Ep 46 1:01:45

2y ago1:01:45

1:01:45

What would it take to make "A Fitbit of the world's forests"? As you could imagine, it would be a momentous task. Global Forest Watch is doing it. It's one of the world's most technically ambitious ecological monitoring projects that maps and monitors the entire Earth's forest cover, with high-frequency updates, and ecological health insights, and …

1
Use These 24 Fabulous Words To Hook People Into Your Environmental Vision Ep45 33:40

2y ago33:40

33:40

We can get better at telling the story of sustainability, climate, and greener futures. I wrote down these 24 evocative words, backed by science to motivate people, and riffed on ideas of how you use each of them to tell better stories to get people to join your environmental project. We need to be able to inspire epic feelings in people. Here are …

1
How to Decarbonization A Neighborhood With Gamification - A Tutorial Ep44 20:43

2y ago20:43

20:43

Have you ever seen a "sustainability street" program you thought was a great idea? In this month's Gamify the Planet Masterclass, we're creating one! In this episode, I share a simple tutorial on how you can design a gamified sustainability street program to promote decarbonization, electrification, and roof-top solar - and we'll learn the theory b…

1
People Are Greener Than You Think: How We Underestimate the Environmental Values of Others, Professor Thijs Bouman PhD Ep43 1:07:41

2y ago1:07:41

1:07:41

In this episode, we speak with Thijs Bouman, assistant professor and researcher from the Environmental Psychology group at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. He’s done some fascinating research into the relationship between group and individual environmental values. We often think of our value systems and beliefs as if they were create…

1
Common Mistake Alert! An Idea is Just a Hypothesis Ep42 16:29

2y ago16:29

16:29

We need to avoid the trap of getting caught up in a single idea. Ideas are plentiful. When it comes to climate or social change, an idea is just a hypothesis. Will your idea actually create the change you think it will? You'll only know by testing it. In this episode, I talk about how you need to have lots of ideas and rapidly iterate them. You nee…

1
Behavior Mapping for Climate Action Tutorial Ep41 1:04:08

2y ago1:04:08

1:04:08

This episode is a short tutorial on my custom behavior mapping process for climate action. It's the most powerful thing I've ever learned how to do and once I learned how to do it, it changed everything. If you're trying to influence humans to take any action at all for the climate, you need to learn how to behavior map. It's the secret to great id…

1
Why Neighbor Conversations Drive Change More Than Climate Facts, Professor Brian Southwell PhD Ep40 1:14:16

2y ago1:14:16

1:14:16

How do we persuade homeowners to make climate upgrades to their homes such as electrifying, installing solar, or improving energy efficiency? Do we persuade them using environmental facts and energy data, or is a social mechanism more effective, like sparking a conversation with a neighbor or friend? Our guest today is Brian Southwell. Brian is the…

1
How to Tell Your Climate Story Like It's Star Wars Ep39 21:39

2+ y ago21:39

21:39

You need to tell the world why your idea or mission matters – and not just in any way. You need to tell a story that deeply resonates so that people will fund you, work with you, and take action to support you. In this episode, I talk through the power of using The Hero's Journey template to tell your non-fiction story – and how discovering this tw…

1
Everyone Misses This: Passing The "Action Design Threshold" Ep38 25:49

2+ y ago25:49

25:49

People come to me with all sorts of elaborate ideas to "change the world," like games, festivals, art projects, films, and apps. Often, these ideas have little connection to how the idea will make a real change happen on the ground once people have "experienced" the idea . . . (i.e. "I suppose we'll just put a link somewhere, then people will . . .…

1
Bird Call Audio As A Game For Citizen Science, Jessie Oliver, PhD Ep36 1:27:16

2+ y ago1:27:16

1:27:16

Do you ever hear animals you never see? Secretive and rare animals, such as Eastern bristlebirds, can be most easily found by the sounds that they make. We can only do this, however, if we learn how to decipher their calls! In her PhD research, Jessie is exploring how to design future technologies that support people in becoming familiar with ident…

1
How To Write Your Power Sentence - Tips for Impact, Engagement, & Growth Ep35 24:22

2+ y ago24:22

24:22

Does your website, pitch deck, and marketing material ACTUALLY explain what you do, clearly? Or is it a confusing word salad of environmental world-saving generalities? Remember this phrase: "If you confuse, you lose." In my experience, most climate and environmental projects struggle to simply explain what they do. In this episode, I explain how t…

1
Using AR & GIS to Imagine A Radical Eco Makeover of Your Street with Sebastian Schlecht + Robin Roemer Ep34 1:12:56

2+ y ago1:12:56

1:12:56

Imagine using augmented reality outdoors on a real city street to re-imagine the street and buildings around you covered in plants, trees, green walls, cars-free - or whatever your eco-future imagination can dream up. Our guests today are Sebastian Schlecht and Robin Roemer. Sebastian is an architect from Germany who co-founded the Lala Ruhr projec…

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