David W. DuBois on Building Local Climate Resilience

Hosted by youth advocate Ivan Ransom, the episode highlights DuBois’s work at the New Mexico Climate Center, where he oversees statewide efforts to integrate weather monitoring with public decision-making. His approach emphasizes that resilience is not merely reactive; it requires farmers, public health officials, and emergency planners to utilize precise, localized information before disasters strike. By chairing the state’s Drought Monitoring Workgroup and coordinating the CoCoRaHS citizen science network, DuBois demonstrates how granular data helps mitigate the risks posed by declining snowpack and worsening dust storms.

This installment of Net Zero Speaks, produced by the Planet Classroom Network and the Protect Our Planet (POP) Movement, continues a series that has now produced over 50 episodes connecting youth leaders with global climate experts. Planet Classroom CEO C. M. Rubin noted that the conversation underscores a critical shift in climate discourse: while the problem is global, the most effective strategies for survival and sustainability are forged within individual communities.