Copper and steel were pivotal to the industrial revolution. But these days, it’s clear that continued reliance on these substances as our key building materials has devastating environmental implications, including habitat destruction from open-pit mining, water toxification from acid mine drainage, and air pollution from sulfur dioxide emissions. Fortunately there’s an emerging array of cutting-edge materials that hold promise for eco-conscious developers. A company named DexMat has developed a material called Galvorn, which is fantastical stuff right out of Spider-Man. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Bryan Guido Hassin, the CEO of the Houston-based DexMat, to learn more about Galvorn. Hassin explains how Galvorn is made, what makes it different from conventional materials, and the many exciting potential applications of this futuristic stuff that could get your radioactive blood pumping.

The recent Supreme Court ruling Louisiana v. Callais not only eviscerated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and allowed states to enact discriminatory maps with impunity, it was also a brutal reminder that despite record low approval ratings for the current president, reversing the negative impacts of this administration will be a big job. This week on Sea Change Radio, we enjoy a wide-ranging political conversation with John Stoehr of The Editorial Board. We discuss why holding Trump administration actors accountable should be a primary short-term goal for Democrats, look at how the illegal US/Israeli war against Iran is a bridge too far for many progressives, and touch upon the upcoming Senate race in Maine between Graham Platner and Susan Collins.

For decades, Republicans have been echoing the same mantra, that “government is not the solution, it’s the problem.” And for the most part, when the GOP is in power, this aphorism sadly rings all too true. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Ann E. Carlson, an environmental law professor and former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about her new book, Smog and Sunshine: The Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air. We discuss the sound governmental policies and practices that allowed Los Angelenos to breathe easy again, talk about how private industry lacks sufficient motivation to tackle climate change, and get a glimpse into how today’s law students regard government service.

Most of us aren’t aware of just how much carbon dioxide is emitted from biomass waste such as sawdust, forest thinnings, and agricultural residuals but woody biomass energy production emits roughly double the carbon pollution per unit of electricity of coal, and 4.5 times that of gas. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to Hannah Murnen, the Chief Technology Officer at a carbon dioxide removal startup known as Graphyte to learn more about the company and the industry as a whole. We discuss how their technology is able to safely store biomass waste that would otherwise decompose or be burned, and get a better understanding of how carbon offsets work.

With all the havoc the Trump administration is currently wreaking on humanity, it’s easy to forget the threat this reign of terror poses for wildlife, as well. Luckily, there are still many people fighting the good fight to protect vulnerable flora and fauna. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Ryan Shannon, a Senior Attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. We discuss the landmark case he helped argue to protect four key Endangered Species Act provisions that the Trump administration had weakened, examine the potential impact of the court’s ruling, and learn about a separate case where this administration’s “God Squad” is endangering whales under the guise of national security.

If you’re still driving a combustion engine vehicle, you’ve probably noticed that within a matter of weeks the price of gas has increased by about a third, courtesy of the illegal war being waged on Iran by the US and Israel. This week on Sea Change Radio, we welcome returning guest and oil expert Daniel Dicker to get an inside perspective on the latest spike in the global price of oil. We discuss the impact the high prices have on the renewable energy industry, ponder how it could affect U.S. domestic oil producers, and examine how the Trump Administration’s manipulation of markets has made oil a very risky commodity to trade.

This week on Sea Change Radio we speak with environmental journalist Meera Subramanian about her new YA graphic novel on climate change, A Better World Is Possible, written in partnership with illustrator Danica Novgorodoff. We talk about the need to educate and entertain young people on current events, and discuss the challenges of engaging young readers on heady topics like economics, religion, and science.

This week on Sea Change Radio, we take a closer look at the alternative meat industry with Matt Simon, a Senior Writer at Grist. We look back at some of the initial stumbles from companies such as Impossible Foods, what they’re doing now to make their products more appealing to consumers, examine the prospects of some of the fresher faces in the business of lab-grown meat like Mission Barns and discuss the sustainability benefits of this burgeoning segment of the food industry.