For NPR’s “Climate Solutions Week” in 2026, leaning into local lessons, The Write Question team returns to host Lauren Korn’s conversation with ecologist Mark Easter, author of The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos (Patagonia Books), a finalist for the 2025 James Beard Award in the “Food Issues and Advocacy” category. Organized by the ingredients of a typical dinner party—including seafood, salad, bread, chicken, steak, potatoes, and fruit pie with ice cream—each chapter of The Blue Plate examines food through the lens of the climate crisis and reveals the causes and effects of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the social and environmental impacts of the demand for out-of-season and far-from-home foods.
In this conversation, Lauren and Mark talk about “soil accounting,” microbes and carbon, fossil fuels, livestock, innovative farming practices, and more.
Mark Easter is an ecologist who has conducted research in academia and private industry since 1988. He has authored and co-authored more than fifty scientific papers and reports related to carbon cycling and the carbon footprint of agriculture, forestry, and other land uses. He contributed analyses to multiple reports published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In 2018, Mark was named a fellow of the Colorado State University School of Global Environmental Sustainability.
Apart from his scientific work, Mark co-founded the organization Save The Poudre and is a founding board member of Save the Colorado. He works with these organizations to help restore rivers to healthy conditions and protect rivers from water development.
The Write Question team for this episode was Lauren Korn, host, co-producer, and editor; and Chris Moyles, co-producer, editor, and sound engineer. This episode is supported by Bookworks of Whitefish, offering new books of all genres, stationery, and puzzles. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Located in downtown Whitefish, Montana, in the Third & Spokane Building.
The Write Question logo and brand (2022) was designed by Molly Russell. You can see more of her work at iamthemollruss.com and on Instagram @iamthemollruss.
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Montana Public Radio
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