Climate and Environment

Melissa Hutsell is an award-winning freelance journalist with a deep rooted passion for both community and international journalism. She was born and raised in Northern California, and has lived, studied, worked, and traveled in more 20 different countries. Melissa holds a Master's degree in Global Journalism from City University London, as well as degrees in Journalism and Globalization from Humboldt State University. Though she covers various topics as both a writer and editor, she specializes in business and cannabis journalism.

My name is Kait Bolongaro and I am an award-winning journalist. My work has been published by Al-Jazeera English, BBC, The Guardian, NPR, VICE, Deutsche Welle and the Middle East Eye. I’ve covered politics, science, business, human rights and the environment from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.

Chhavi Sachdev runs Sonologue and is India's second most experienced podcaster, having started putting out podcasts on her own and for clients like the Blue Frog in 2008... long before Serial, leading her mother to tell other people "I don't know what she does. Something to do with radio on the Web."

Over the last 10 years, she has developed and launched several podcasts that are successfully running, as well as produced the LSDcast - India's definitive podcast about love, sex, and dating, and Tall Tales Takeaway -- bite size true stories, told live.
She also conducts workshops on DIY podcasting, audio editing, and consults for organizations that need a little handholding in the audio format.

To pay the bills, Chhavi is a freelance multimedia journalist and producer covering science, health, development, sustainability, and women's issues extensively. She has co-hosted episodes for BBC's World Hacks and CrowdScience and she's a frequent presenter on PRI's The World, BBC's Health Check and several Deutsche Welle programs.

She listens to podcasts while exercising, doing chores, and also when she's felled by migraines.

I'm a freelance journalist, currently based in Madrid. I used to be a News Producer at CNBC in London before, but I thought a little bit more sun might do me good. Now I write for several news organizations, covering a range of topics, from Spanish politics and human rights for Deutsche Welle to climate change for La Marea.

Javier is a Berlin-based multimedia journalist. He completed a MA in International Journalism at City, University of London and is focused on humanitarian and conflict issues.
With experience in several countries, he's covered the refugee crisis, Turkey's coup attempt and the Kurdish conflict.
Among others, his work has been published at ABC News, Al Jazeera, Channel NewsAsia, RBB, IRIN News, El Confidencial, Público or Diario ABC.

Padma has been a journalist for the past 14 years. She has primarily reported on science and environment for Indian newspapers and magazines. Since 2015, she has also been writing and hosting a science podcast, The Intersection produced by Audiomatic.

Her work has appeared in several Indian publications, such as The Times of India, The Hindu, Mint, Scroll.in, The Telegraph and many others. Internationally, she has written for San Francisco Chronicle, Global Post, Newsweek, New Scientist.

Pamela works as a Press & Communications Manager for an international NGO (IWGIA) defending indigenous peoples' rights. She holds an Erasmus Mundus MA in Journalism, Media & Globalisation from Hamburg and Aarhus University and an MA in Political Science from the University of Buenos Aires. She will be putting the eye on international media coverage of indigenous communities and their demands.

Mona Silavi is a human and women’s rights activist from the Ahwaz region in Iran. She obtained her bachelor in psychology and specialized in children and adolescence psychology at Damascus University, faculty of psychology and education. She holds a master degree in good governance and human rights in MENA region from Ca’ Foscari University in Venice. She started her activism in Damascus as member of Ahwazi Arab student association. Mona Silavi is a Project Officer at the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and is the coordinator for topics concerning freedom of religion and belief. She is also a spokesperson of the Al-Ahwaz Democratic Solidarity Party (DSPA). Since 2014 Ms Silavi lives in Belgium as a political refugee

Elena is a journalist and communication specialist based in Como, Italy. She's regularly writing for local La Provincia and national La Stampa, focusing on energy, sustainability, and climate. She's a fixer for BBC Scotland in Italy, covering political, social and cultural issues. She holds a MA in Journalism and Media within Globalisation from Aarhus and Hamburg University.

Malia Politzer is the executive editor of piqd.com, and an award-winning long-form journalist based out of Spain. She specializes in reporting on migration, international development, human rights issues and investigative reporting.

Originally from California, she's lived in China, Spain, Mexico and India, and reported from various countries in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Her primary beats relate to immigration, economics and international development. She has published articles in Huffington Post Highline, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue India, Mint, Far Eastern Economic Review, Foreign Policy, Reason Magazine, and the Phoenix New Times. She is also a regular contributor to Devex.

Her Huffington Post Highline series, "The 21st Century Gold Rush" won awards from the National Association of Magazine Editors, Overseas Press Club, and American Society of Newspaper Editors. She's also won multiple awards for feature writing in India and the United States.

Her reporting has been supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, The Institute For Current World Affairs, and the Global Migration Grant.

Degrees include a BA from Hampshire College and MS from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where was a Stabile Fellow at the Center for Investigative Journalism.

Annie Hylton is an international investigative journalist from Canada. She writes about gender, immigration, human rights, and conflict, and has worked in East Africa, the Middle East, Central America, and elsewhere. She teaches journalism at Sciences Po in Paris and was a former international lawyer focusing on situations of conflict. Hylton is a graduate of Columbia University’s Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism and also holds a J.D. and Master of Laws in international humanitarian law.