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Hot Mess

From our partners at PBS Digital Studios, Hot Mess is a show about how climate change impacts all of us, and about how we can create a better future for our planet and ourselves.

HOSTS

Joe Hanson
Joe Hanson

Joe Hanson, Ph.D., is a science writer, biologist, and YouTube educator. He is the creator and host of It’s Okay To Be Smart, an award-winning science education show from PBS Digital Studios that celebrates curiosity and the pleasure of finding things out. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, and his science writing has been published by WIRED, Nautilus, Scientific American and Texas Monthly. He lives in Austin, TX.

Miriam Nielsen
Miriam Nielsen

Miriam Nielsen is a video journalist and animator in New York. She has produced science and educational videos for The Verge and CBS News and raises awareness about environmental issues on her YouTube channel zentouro. She is pursuing a master’s degree from Columbia University in Climate and Society. Interests include biking, Frisbee and posting Instagrams of her dog, Darcy.

Talia Buford
Talia Buford

Talia Buford covers disparities in environmental impacts for ProPublica. Previously, she was an environment and labor reporter at The Center for Public Integrity, where her work focused mostly on wage theft and the Environmental Protection Agency’s lackluster enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. She also covered energy for POLITICO Pro, and started her career covering municipal and legal affairs at The Providence (R.I.) Journal. She earned a master’s degree in the study of law from Georgetown University Law Center and a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from Hampton University.

More From Hot Mess

Why Climate Change Keeps Failing at the Ballot Box

October 15, 2020

Two in three registered voters say they’re worried about climate change. Why hasn't that concern translated into actual bold steps to reduce America’s reliance on fossil fuels?

Are electric cars always better for the climate?

February 21, 2019 | Video

With all the excitement around luxury electric car brands, in some ways, electric cars cost more to the environment than old-fashioned models. So what's the best car for the climate? Our partners at Hot Mess tell us what to consider…

How can we start a conversation about climate change?

February 1, 2019 | Video

We've pretty much answered the question of "is climate change happening?" (The answer is YES.) But this episode of Hot Mess asks a tougher question, but one that has crossed most of our minds: How do we talk about it…

How can we fight climate change? Slow down fast fashion

January 11, 2019 | Video

Clothing is something we have to think about every day, but we don’t always think about how our clothes impact the planet. From the materials we use to how they get on the racks, clothes have a huge impact on…

13 Climate Stories from 2018 That You Should Know

December 26, 2018 | Video

This was a record-breaking, report-releasing, fire-burning, water-rising year. To explain the past year in the context of climate, our partners at Hot Mess tell us 13 climate stories that can help us prepare for what 2019 has to bring in…

How To Suck Carbon Dioxide Out of the Sky

December 14, 2018 | Video

Carbon dioxide gets a lot of grief these days. It’s the main cause of the global warming that’s already damaging coral reefs, ice caps, and coastlines. But for eons, life survived on Earth because natural processes kept CO2 levels within…

Will Big Oil Have To Pay Up Like Big Tobacco?

November 15, 2018 | Episode

Today, lawsuits are positioning climate change as this generation's smoking: it pollutes the air, it’s caused by burning chemicals we buy from a handful of huge companies, and it’s dangerous to human health. Fossil fuel companies are being taken to…