Extreme Heat, Beavers, and Rethinking How We Tell the Climate Story — with PBS's Miles O'Brien

In episode 260 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons talks with veteran science journalist Miles O'Brien, host of the new PBS series Resolve to Solve with Miles O'Brien. Doug and Miles explore how Phoenix and Sydney, Australia, are confronting extreme heat, from redesigned playgrounds and urban shade to fascinating research on how heat actually affects the human body. Then it's beavers—yes, beavers—and their surprising role in helping Western landscapes hold onto water, restore ecosystems, and provide refuge from wildfire. The conversation expands into a lively discussion about climate journalism: why adaptation remains underreported, the decline of dedicated science reporting, and the challenge of reaching audiences beyond the climate world. Doug and Miles also discuss adaptation as an emerging sector and why we need to invest much more seriously in telling these stories. Transcript of episode available here. Subscribe to the America Adapts newsletter here. Links in this episode:  https://www.pbs.org/show/resolve-to-solve/?utm_source=chatgpt.com Key Themes Covered in This Episode Extreme heat adaptation in Phoenix and Sydney, Australia  Designing cities and public spaces for a hotter climate Beavers as unexpected allies against drought and wildfire  Adaptation as an emerging profession, sector, and economy Why climate journalism remains too reactive Moving beyond climate doom toward realistic, pragmatic hope Taking adaptation stories beyond the adaptation community <span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-heigh