Rohnert Park, CA, April 15, 2026 – Northern California Public Media (NorCal) today debuts its new video and audio podcast series, A Fighting Chance on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major podcast platforms. A Fighting Chance adapts NorCal’s Emmy Award-winning Climate California series into a powerful digital-first call to action, bringing award-winning journalism to life with stories that inspire hope, spark solutions, and empower audiences to act.
NorCal Public Media is a national leader in environmental journalism, with its Center for Environmental Reporting producing Bay Area Bountiful, Living Downstream, and Rebels With a Cause. NorCal recently won a regional 2025 Emmy for Climate California. Now they are adapting their captivating conversations, and recording new ones, for the podcast: A Fighting Chance, with the goal of instilling a fresh vision for our planet’s future.
“There are climate solutions, and we can build that alternative world together, from evangelicals divesting from oil to oil workers winning funding for a green transition,” says host and creator Charles Loi. “Beauty, purpose, ethics, relationship – those are at the heart of our crisis. If climate change is perceived only as about parts per million and degrees of warming and carbon sequestration, we lose sight of what really motivates us.”
A Fighting Chance bridges the gap between knowledge and action, turning complex science into human stories that educate, entertain, and ignite progress. The show aims to connect viewers with real visionaries who are currently working on implementing climate solutions.
A Fighting Chance is a person-first platform that uses education and entertainment in tandem to demystify the science around climate change and make information about opportunities for action more accessible.
The first episode features faith organizer William Morris of Greenfaith, an international collective that unites local religious groups – of all faiths – to protect the environment, from activism to what’s called “eco-theology education” (the connection between religion and nature.) Greenfaith is noted for leading the fossil fuel divestment movement among faith communities, including a 2025 effort with William that successfully prompted United Methodist churches in California and Nevada to divest.
Upcoming episodes will feature prominent guests including:
Bill McKibben, world-renowned climate writer and author of Here Comes the Sun
Benji Backer, founder of Nature is Nonpartisan and author of The Conservative Environmentalist
Kristy Drutman, Co-CEO of Green Jobs Board and Founder/Host of Brown Girl Green
“Our work within the Center for Environmental Reporting has been challenging, enlightening, and so rewarding,” says president and CEO Darren LaShelle. “A Fighting Chance uses compelling storytelling to offer hope for our climate future. It meets us where we are now and highlights solutions through the stories of people who remind us of the beauty of the world and the power we already possess.”
The creative team behind A Fighting Chance includes host Charles Loi; Senior Producer Taylor Coffman, former Operations Manager at LAist Studios; and Executive Producers Darren LaShelle and Nate Tobey, former Head of Podcasts for American Public Media; Jessica Pilot founder of Pilot Collective, Shaymaa Saunders of Pilot Collective, and Kristen Hayford of The Other Westcoast Productions who lead marketing and press outreach.
About Northern California Public Media
Northern California Public Media is dedicated to utilizing media for inspiration, education, and connection in the region. Committed to serving diverse needs, we offer high-quality music, independent journalism, and innovative digital content. More than a broadcaster, we catalyze positive change through partnerships, contributing to the well-being and growth of the San Francisco Bay Area. Our commitment to public engagement extends beyond airwaves, aiming to build a brighter, more connected future. Join us on a journey of discovery and community building, amplifying voices that matter and shaping a vibrant media landscape in Northern California. Explore our website and be part of our family.
Press contact at NorCal Public Media:
Jessica Pilot
North America
+1 917 771 0767
Jessica@pilot-collective.com
Kristen Hayford
Europe
+31 619 453 623
kristen@otherwestcoast.nl
