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35: Wastewater Treatment Could be a Solution for Cleaner, More Efficient Fertilizer

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Interview Summary Founder and CEO Margaret Lumley describes how Roca Water is developing electrochemical technology to recover ammonium from wastewater and convert it into fertilizer, addressing both water pollution and climate change. Drawing on her background in electrochemistry and firsthand experience with harmful algal blooms, Lumley explains how excess nutrients and current ammonia production via […]

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February 6, 2026

34: Climate Change Should Be Funnier. Seriously.

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Interview Summary This episode of Talking Climate examines how humor can be used to communicate climate change more effectively. Through clips from well-known comedians and an in-depth discussion with University of Utah Professor of Communication Sara Yeo and student Julia St. Andre, the conversation explores whether comedy can make a serious issue more engaging without […]

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December 23, 2025

33: How Utahns Could Support a Tax on Carbon Emissions

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Episode Intro A couple years ago, a Utah statewide ballot initiative called Clean the Darn Air was proposed to tackle the persistent air pollution which Wasatch Front residents deal with every year.  The proposal was to tax the things that cause the pollution — the carbon emissions – by levying a 10 cents per gallon […]

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December 10, 2025

31: Deciphering How Methane-Eating Bacteria Thrive

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Episode Intro Ross Chambless: Many believe that chemistry is foundational to understanding and solving environmental challenges. And when it comes to solving a pernicious global environmental problem – such as methane emissions – it may be basic chemistry research that ultimately leads society to innovative breakthroughs. Methane (C𝐻4) is a potent greenhouse gas. It is […]

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November 7, 2025

29: How Are Plant Ecosystems Adapting to the Shifting Climate?

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When it comes to climate change, one big question is how are ecosystems adapting to shifting weather patterns, heavier precipitation events, and hotter temperatures for longer periods of time?  Are some plants better equipped to withstand these changes than others?  And if yes, then why and how?  Jacob Levine is a Wilkes Center Postdoctoral scholar […]

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February 25, 2025

27: Could Low-dimensional Perovskites Advance Cleaner Refrigerants and Batteries?

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Perovskites are crystal structures that can be manufactured in labs for making solar panels.  They are relatively cost-effective, and efficient, and could provide a reliable thin-film alternative to the more common silicon-based solar panels.  However, perovskite solar cells face a few challenges that must be addressed before they can become a competitive commercial PV technology. […]

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January 29, 2025

26: Sizing Up the Melting Glaciers of the Himalayas

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There are an estimated 54,000 glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas. These glaciers cover 60,000 square kilometers and serve as a major source of the water in the region’s rivers, including as much as 40 percent in the Indus River system – the backbone of agriculture and food production in Pakistan, for example. But in […]

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December 9, 2024