FROM THE EDITOR (Doug)
I’m introducing a new format for this newsletter—something quicker to read and easier to follow. There’s a lot happening across climate adaptation right now, but it’s often scattered. The goal here is to surface what actually matters and make it more accessible.
Each edition will highlight a featured episode, a few observations from across the field, and signals about where things are heading. If you’re working on something worth sharing—or seeing trends others should know about—send it my way. I’m always looking to include more voices and perspectives. And bear with me if there are formatting issues, it’s a new software platform that I’m still learning!
HEY ADAPTERS!
In episode 251 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons speaks with Jamil Wyne, founder of Hazelwood Network, to explore whether climate adaptation is finally moving into the mainstream—or if we’re seeing familiar signals that never quite add up. From growing attention in finance, consulting, and platforms like LinkedIn to real-world action in places like Singapore and across emerging markets, adaptation is gaining traction. But that momentum remains fragmented—spread across investors, governments, and innovators without clear coordination. At the same time, a major bottleneck persists: we still don’t know how to clearly communicate adaptation, often relying on abstract climate metrics that fail to resonate. Drawing on his work across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East, Wyne highlights how adaptation is already happening on the ground—often ahead of the U.S.—while the private sector cautiously begins to engage. The conversation also touches on the role of AI as both a tool and a source of new complexity. Ultimately, this episode asks a central question: if adaptation is having a moment, are we actually ready to capitalize on it?
Transcript of episode here.
Links in this episode:
Founder: Hazelwood Network
Lead author: The Climate Tech Opportunity (Oxford Saïd School of Business)
LinkedIn Learning Instructor: Climate Technology for Business Resilience and Adaptation
Articles: Forbes, SSIR, TechCrunch, WEF, World Bank, CSIS
FROM THE ARCHIVE
In episode 250 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons speaks with Dr. Thomas Zeitzoff, professor at American University and author of No Option But Sabotage: The Radical Environmental Movement and the Climate Crisis, to explore a question at the edge of today’s climate conversation: what drives movements to escalate?
In episode 249 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons takes a deep dive into the growing climate-driven insurance crisis reshaping housing and communities across the United States. Doug first speaks with Rob Moore and Alfonso Pating of the Natural Resources Defense Council about their new report…
In episode 248 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons is joined by Professor Mark Nevitt of Emory University School of Law to unpack the repeal of the Clean Air Act’s Endangerment Finding and what it means for climate governance in the United States.
In episode 247 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Dr. Mekala Krishnan, partner at the McKinsey Global Institute, for an inside look at how one of the world’s most influential private research institutions is approaching climate adaptation.
What’s Next
National Adaptation Forum
I’ll be attending the Forum May 11-14th. I’m co-chairing a panel with Karen Wolfgang, the Executive Director of the CO2 Foundation. See panel description below! If you’re attending, please connect, I would love to meet listeners in person. The panel is May 12th, 1:45 PM – 3:15 PM.
The Greatest Story Never Told: Adaptation’s Communications Gap
FULL PANEL DESCRIPTION →
Too many successful adaptation projects vanish without leaving a broader impact because communications is treated as optional. This panel will argue that communications is not garnish, but core adaptation infrastructure. We will explore how to integrate communications from the start of a project—structuring grant proposals to include meaningful funding for storytelling, building comms plans alongside technical deliverables, and identifying the right audiences early.
Panelists will highlight “silent successes”—adaptation and resilience projects that made real progress but disappeared without wider influence due to underfunded communications. They will also share examples of projects that broke through by investing in strong, creative outreach. A key theme will be the importance of defining success in communications terms, not just technical outputs. Did the story spread? Did it influence policy? Did it inspire replication? These questions are as critical as metrics like acres restored or homes elevated.
Finally, we will consider what a national adaptation communications strategy might look like in the absence of federal leadership, and who could convene and guide such an effort. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for embedding communications into their projects so that adaptation success stories reach the audiences who need to hear them.
Panel Organizers
Doug Parsons, America Adapts Media, Host/Director
Karen Wolfgang, CO2 Foundation, Executive Director
Panelists
Olga Loginova, Audiation, Inc., Producer/Reporter
Shaun Martin, World Wildlife Fund , Vice President, Adaptation and Resilience Deputy Lead, Climate Change
Beth Gibbons, Washtenaw County , Director Resiliency Office
Dr. Deb L. Morrison, UW - ISME, Learning Scientist
Pearl Marvel, Yale Climate Connections, Editora de YCC en español
To see the full Forum agenda, visit there web site here.
If you’re attending the forum, come join our panel and introduce yourself! See you in Pittsburgh!
WHAT’S AHEAD
Next episode, I’m up in New Brunswick, Canada—keynoting a climate conference at the University of New Brunswick and judging a student climate policy poster session. Great trip, and I’ll be sharing some really interesting conversations with students and faculty.
I’m partnering again with the CO₂ Foundation and already working on the next set of episodes—covering wildfire resilience, adaptation startups, cli-fi, and a conversation coming out of the National Adaptation Forum. Look for those episodes in the coming months!
And finally, I head to Florida in late May…to attend my son’s graduation from New College! It’s been a roller coaster for that university (look it up) and my son has come through like gangbusters. I’m incredibly proud of him and I might have to share pictures in a future newsletter. I might even go diving for megladon teeth off Venice Beach!
A FINAL NOTE
Share your favorite episodes on social media (Linkedin the best!). Archive here.
Got an idea or guest suggestion? Email it over!
Tell me how you’re working in adaptation. I always love hearing about the diversity of adaptation professionals out there.
Have a favorite climate resource (newsletter, web page, etc), please share and I’ll include in future newsletters!
