Ep 14. How Risalat Got Here

After MUCH delay due to some pretty big life things (ahem, welcome to the world baby August) we are back to wrap up Season 2 with a fun lil’ chat about what life is like as an Assistant Professor. Assistant to the Professor (Michael Scott?) …I mean sometimes, tbh. Follow along as we talk about many added job functions as you go from postdoc to professor, and listen for the stress in our voices. It’s not all rosy, but we also have the freedom to record a podcast at work LOL!Don’t forget to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter!

This week on the podcast Steph and Rachel talk about how similar the events in their lives have been over the past two weeks, and catch up with a friend of the pod(cast hosts), Jeff Kerby. Jeff is an award-winning natural history photographer with a passion for science. He currently works as a postdoc in ecology and geography, which is the coolest, but we are here to talk to him about his photography life. He photographed his first feature story for National Geographic in 2017 on gelada monkeys living in the Ethiopian Highlands. And just this past month, National Geographic named one of his photos (of a monkey giving birth, see below) one of the 100 Best Photos from this Century.You can follow Jeff on Instagram (highly recommend), Twitter, and learn more about him, his research, and his photography at jtkerby.com!

Cate isn’t big into social media BUT she’s got a Russian Blue cat named Gorby that the world needs to know about.Check out all the good work Groundwork USA is doing here (and maybe even… I dunno… DONATE!), discover how redlining has affected your neighbor here, and get some frustration out with depave.org!

This week on How We Got Here, Steph and Rachel talk to the incomparable Ben Cosgrove. Ben is a composer-performer whose music explores themes of landscape, place, and environment. Ben has performed in every U.S. state except for Delaware (some day!), collaborated with groups ranging from rock bands to research scientists, and held residencies and fellowships with institutions including the National Park Service, the National Forest Service, and NASA. The gang talks piano lessons, flutists, and not being deterred when your college declines your proposal for an interdisciplinary major. You can follow Ben on Instagram and Twitter. Check out his latest solo album, “The Trouble with Wilderness,” and his latest collaboration with Max García Conover, “Vol. One.”And if you want to catch Ben live, check out his tour dates here.

On this episode of How We Got Here, Steph and Rachel chat with THE Aja Barber—writer, stylist, consultant, activist—whose work deals with the intersection of sustainability, fashion, colonialism, the textile industry, feminism, and all the ways the not-great systems we live with affect our buying habits. WHEW! Aja tells us all about how problematic the fashion industry is, how she found herself with a job that didn’t even exist just 10 years ago, and how dads are the kings of slow fashion (but also gender norms and social pressures UGH!). Aja teaches us how everyone can practice sustainable buying practices, including those of us who are on a tight budget (thrifting, eBay, deciding if you really need a sequined sweater from ASOS that you’ll only wear once to a holiday-work thing?) or plus size (hello, @selltradeplus and Conscious Clothing!) You can support Aja on Patreon here.Follow her on Instagram (@ajabarber, informative and delightful) and Twitter (@AjaSaysHello, informative and spicy).And, you can buy her (informative and fantastic) book Consumed at any of these links.

Scientist turned policy maker… ahh, yes, we can all dream! This week we talk to the many-a-hat-wearing Dr. Cassaundra Rose, who works for the state of Maine in the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and… the Future. So cool. Cassy is the Senior Science Analyst and Climate Council Coordinator (CCC for those in the know), where she uses her science background to form policy and organize a huge group of volunteers.Listen to Cassy tell us all about her early love for the ocean, including the time she touched a SHARK, her journey to the governor’s office, and her cats. We talk a lot about cats. Per usual.You can follow Cassy on Twitter and Instagram, AND you can follow Cassy’s cats on Instagram @tavi.and.max!

How ‘bout them apples! This week, we sit down with farmHER (yes, so sorry) Hannah Blackmer of Field Stone Farm in lovely Vermont. We talk about favorite vegetables, favorite flowers, oh, and how Hannah became a climate-friendly farmer who utilizes regenerative, no-till practices to generate healthy soil. Her journey involves driving all over the country interviewing people doing sustainable things. She maybe chatted with a cult leader. Maybe.In other important news, loving visitors brought Rachel all the comforts that she’s been missing in Denmark (no, not socialized medicine, she’s got that there): candy corn, melatonin, and huge quantities of salsa. Also, um, does anyone have climate-centric baby name suggestions for Steph? Mk thanks.You can follow Hannah on Instagram here.And if you live in or are driving through central Vermont, support Field Stone Farm!

On this episode of How We Got Here, Steph and Rachel catch each other up on their respective new lives that feel like vacations, but aren’t, so that’s a whole thing.Then, they talk to Sarah Jaquette Ray, professor of environmental studies at Humboldt State University, on her journey into the environmental humanities, and her book, “A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Cool on a Warming Planet.” Sarah is an expert on climate anxiety, which is really just the exact kind of person we need to talk to in these trying times!!!You can find amazing resources from Sarah on her website here.And, buy her book here or at your local bookstore!

Hoo boy what a treat! This week we talk with Hila Perry - a.k.a. Hila the Killa, eco-rapper extraordinaire. Oh, you didn’t know that was a viable profession? Well now ya do! Hila Perry is a rapper, comedian, educator, producer, and… an avid and skilled jungle gymmer! She does it all. Find this #climateclown running around New York City dressed as Earth spreading climate change and sustainability awareness, all the while making her community a better place to live.You may know her from songs like Wet Ass Planet, TOMATO, or Mycelium, OR you may know her from a viral video where she IS swinging from a rope, dressed as Earth, falls off the stage, and then flawlessly gets back up and keeps rapping. Join us on this journey as we chat college majors, composting, and what it was like to live a plastic-free life. And stay tuned for her next big adventure - the Earth Show! You can find Hila on all the socials!TikTokInstagramYoutubeTwitterAlso, the people of Puerto Rico and other nearby islands are currently suffering from the effects of Hurricane Fiona. If you want to / can help, you can find a list of vetted community-based organizations and non-profits here.

Welcome to Season 2 of the climate change careers podcast, How We Got Here! We are so pleased to kick it off with the incredible Risalat Khan, who—get this—is a campaigner. No, he doesn’t work on political campaigns, but on campaigns to convince the world that we can and should live in a more just environment. And YES he does get paid!!! Join us as we take a winding path (how did we get here, am I right?) through Risalat’s journey from being named Bangladesh’s top teen event-planner-extraordinaire, to striking up an email convo with his future employer, to leaning into his Myers-Briggs identity. And boy do we talk Myers-Briggs. #StephIsSuchAnINTJYou can follow Risalat on Twitter here.To help with climate-change-induced flood-relief efforts in Southeast Asia, please consider donating to:BRAC: A Bangladesh-based global nonprofitWomen Democratic Front: A Pakistani feminist network working on flood relief efforts