<p>Hello Earthlings, we are back with a new episode of the <em>What If We Get It Right?</em> podcast. This is the first episode of Season 4, which will be a short season — maybe 6 episodes? Not sure! We’ll see how it goes.</p><p>Today’s conversation, with Dr. Heidi Roop, was recorded at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/29/the-great-northern-climate-solutions-series-this-weekend">The Great Northern festival’s Climate Solutions Series</a> in Minneapolis on January 31st.</p><p>Dr. Roop is an expert in climate science and adaptation. She is the Director of the <a target="_blank" href="https://climate.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership</a>. From 2024-2025, she served two presidential administrations as the Assistant Director of Climate Services in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. During this time, she also served as Acting Executive Director of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, coordinating research and services across the over fourteen federal agencies and advising the White House on how to effectively manage climate risks.</p><p>She also wrote a wonderful book, with incredible infographics, called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/700464/the-climate-action-handbook-by-heidi-roop/"><em>The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions for Everyone</em></a>, which I highly recommend.</p><p>So... it’s a little odd that she was interviewing me and not the other way around! Yes, this is an unusual episode in that I am the one getting asked the questions. But it was such a wonderful event and conversation that I thought I’d share it to give you all a sense of where my head is at these days. These wild days.</p><p>Special thanks to <a target="_blank" href="https://thegreatnorthernfestival.com/">The Great Northern</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/event/the-great-northern-festival-keynote-by-ayana-elizabeth-johnson/">Bell Museum</a>, for hosting this conversation. And a huge shoutout to the good humans of Minneapolis, continuing to hold it down and be truly excellent neighbors and citizens.</p><p>This episode was produced by Remoy Phillip, and me, Ayana, with support from assistant producer Jenisha Shrestha.</p><p>This podcast is ad-free thanks to the support of <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/redirect/3cf78fed-f871-4787-a4b8-75333ad7cae8?j=eyJ1IjoiMjRiODluIn0.tW7wW07aeaqgJXePpjaiGOs74nDBzQY25CXTKdi2qg4">Future Being</a>, a grant making and special project studio, which supports the healing of our planet and the safeguarding of biological and cultural diversity.</p> <br/><br/>Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at <a href="https://ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4">ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe</a>