Brendan Rivers Correspondent at Climate Central email

Brendan Rivers is the lead reporter for ADAPT, where he also writes the ADAPT email newsletter, hosts live events, and hosts and produces the ADAPT podcast profiling local people who are working on the issue of climate change. 

Brendan's climate bylines include NPR, The Guardian, Grist, The Miami Herald, and The Florida Times-Union. He is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and a former fellow with InsideClimate News and Climate Matters in the Newsroom.

Brendan has worked as a reporter for WJCT News and as a news director at Southern Stone Communications radio stations in the Daytona Beach area. 

Brendan Rivers can be reached at brivers@wjct.org and on Twitter at @BrendanRivers.

Featured image for “Fewer fumes: What the switch to electric vehicles means for Jacksonville”
Traffic flows toward Downtown Jacksonville just after rush hour.
November 2, 2021

Fewer fumes: What the switch to electric vehicles means for Jacksonville

Experts say electrification of trucks and cars would be an essential step toward canceling out America’s yearly greenhouse gas emissions…

Featured image for “A Q&A with Jacksonville’s first-ever Chief Resilience Officer”
Jacksonville's Chief Resiliency Officer Anne Coglianese standing in front of City Hall.
September 29, 2021

A Q&A with Jacksonville’s first-ever Chief Resilience Officer

Anne Coglianese, Jacksonville’s first Chief Resilience Officer, has been on the job since July, 2021. She has been tasked with…

Featured image for “Your flood insurance premium will probably rise; Climate change and coastal development are to blame”
Marlene Sulkers, left, is escorted by her granddaughter Rachel Sulkers as they evacuate from Rachel's residence in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in Jacksonville, Fla. Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. Marlene Sulkers came from Ft. Meyers to Jacksonville trying to get away from the storm. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
August 31, 2021

Your flood insurance premium will probably rise; Climate change and coastal development are to blame

The vast majority of the more than 1.7 million households in Florida that have flood insurance policies through the National…

Featured image for “A Florida city wanted to move away from fossil fuels. The state made sure it couldn’t.”
July 29, 2021

A Florida city wanted to move away from fossil fuels. The state made sure it couldn’t.

The story behind Florida’s new laws that strip cities of their ability to fight climate change.…

Featured image for “A century of altering the St. Johns River has left Jacksonville more vulnerable to flooding”
The Dutra Group, contractors for the US Army Corps of Engineers began work on the Jacksonville Harbor Deepening project on February 3, 2018. Photo credit: JAXPORT, CC BY-NC 2.0.
June 23, 2021

A century of altering the St. Johns River has left Jacksonville more vulnerable to flooding

In 1898 the St. Johns River went about 18 feet down at its deepest point. Now it’s about 40 feet…

Featured image for “What Jacksonville can learn from Nashville about fighting climate change”
May 27, 2021

What Jacksonville can learn from Nashville about fighting climate change

Compared with Nashville, Jacksonville is doing relatively little to reduce its carbon footprint and does not have a climate action…

Featured image for “Green infrastructure turns old concepts into new reality”
April 15, 2021

Green infrastructure turns old concepts into new reality

Many cities around the country now have proven examples of green infrastructure — Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, Portland and St.…

Featured image for “Making a more resilient River City: Top 10 findings from new City Council report”
March 23, 2021

Making a more resilient River City: Top 10 findings from new City Council report

The city of Jacksonville is playing catch-up when it comes to addressing climate change, but it’s now poised to take…

Featured image for “Is rooftop solar under threat in Florida? If so, Jacksonville could offer a glimpse into the future”
February 18, 2021

Is rooftop solar under threat in Florida? If so, Jacksonville could offer a glimpse into the future

Many are worried that Florida’s powerful investor-owned utilities are pushing regulators to scale back the state’s rooftop solar policy, as…

Featured image for “Climate action on the rise within local communities of faith”
House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Kathy Castor, D-Fla., right, welcomes, from left, Aji Piper, Young Evangelicals for Climate Action Co-Chair Melody Zhang, and Chris Suggs, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, April 4, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
December 17, 2020

Climate action on the rise within local communities of faith

Faith-based efforts like Green Spirits are increasingly popping up around the country as Christians — many of them young —…

Featured image for “St. Augustine struggles to fight a global threat on a small-town budget”
October 27, 2020

St. Augustine struggles to fight a global threat on a small-town budget

As the holiday season approaches and residents look ahead to the annual Nights of Lights festival an old enemy is…

Featured image for “TV weathercasters could be key to climate action”
September 11, 2020

TV weathercasters could be key to climate action

Local weathercasters are well positioned to help educate the public on climate change, which researchers say is necessary before people…

Featured image for “The officer: Julia Nesheiwat”
January 25, 2020

The officer: Julia Nesheiwat

Julia Nesheiwat is Florida’s Chief Resilience Officer  Update: Julia Nesheiwat assumed the position of Florida’s first-ever Chief Resilience Officer in July…

Featured image for “The coordinator: Sean Lahav”
January 25, 2020

The coordinator: Sean Lahav

Sean Lahav is the Resiliency Coordinator for the Northeast Florida Regional Council What does a resiliency coordinator do?   A…

Featured image for “The planner: Shane Corbin”
January 25, 2020

The planner: Shane Corbin

Shane Corbin is the City Manager of Atlantic Beach  What in your background prepared you to work in Atlantic Beach?  …

Featured image for “The city’s tree guy: Richard Leon”
January 25, 2020

The city’s tree guy: Richard Leon

Richard Leon is Jacksonville’s Urban Forestry Manager   What is an urban forestry manager? What do you do?  Half the city…

Featured image for “The conversation starter: Lauren Watkins”
January 25, 2020

The conversation starter: Lauren Watkins

Lauren Watkins teaches people how to talk about climate change as the Director of Behavior Change Strategies for Impact By…

Featured image for “The scientist: Adam Rosenblatt”
January 25, 2020

The scientist: Adam Rosenblatt

Adam Rosenblatt is an assistant professor of biology at the University of North Florida  Tell me about the letter you…

Featured image for “How to make Jacksonville more ‘resilient’: 2 committees’ suggestions”
Credit: Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union
June 27, 2019

How to make Jacksonville more ‘resilient’: 2 committees’ suggestions

After pulling out of a national resiliency initiative in 2016, the city is working on its own adaptation plans.…

Featured image for “‘Resilience hubs’ could help Northeast Floridians — including animals —  weather floods”
June 27, 2019

‘Resilience hubs’ could help Northeast Floridians — including animals — weather floods

City planners can use new data to maximize conservation projects’ impact.…

Featured image for “With weather extremes projected for Jacksonville, elected officials cool to aggressive climate action”
June 27, 2019

With weather extremes projected for Jacksonville, elected officials cool to aggressive climate action

Letting the market dictate solutions is the prevailing mantra.…

Featured image for “The new vanguard protecting historic sites from sea level rise: Volunteers”
June 27, 2019

The new vanguard protecting historic sites from sea level rise: Volunteers

The Heritage Monitoring Scouts are helping the state decide which pieces of history to save and which to abandon.…

Featured image for “The Navy is on the front lines of adapting to climate change”
June 27, 2019

The Navy is on the front lines of adapting to climate change

“Climate change will affect the Department of Defense’s ability to defend the Nation and poses immediate risks to U.S. national…

Featured image for “Sandy soil and rising seas spell septic tank disaster in Florida”
June 27, 2019

Sandy soil and rising seas spell septic tank disaster in Florida

The race is on to deal with Florida’s 2.6 million ticking stink bombs.…