In episode 258 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons speaks with Dr. Bryan Hubbell, Senior Fellow at Resources for the Future and former EPA research leader, about how climate adaptation can move from good intentions to measurable results. Drawing on nearly three decades at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Bryan reflects on EPA's often-overlooked role in advancing adaptation across public health, ecosystems, wildfire smoke, and contaminated sites. Doug and Bryan explore one of the field's biggest challenges: how to determine whether adaptation efforts are actually reducing climate risk. They discuss the need for stronger evidence, better knowledge sharing, and new ways to connect research with real-world decision making.

Transcript of episode available here. 

Key Themes Covered in This Episode

Measuring climate adaptation success.

Lessons from nearly three decades at EPA.

Turning adaptation research into better decisions.

Building stronger adaptation institutions.

Preparing for the next era of federal climate adaptation.
 

For Educators & Students

Climate adaptation policy

Measuring adaptation success

Evidence-based decision making

Federal climate adaptation

Institutionalizing climate adaptation

Who Should Listen to This Episode
Climate adaptation professionals

Federal, state, and local government leaders

Resilience and sustainability practitioners

Researchers and university students

Anyone interested in the future of climate adaptation governance.