The hydrogen debate has evolved over the past two decades, shifting from how hydrogen could be used in the auto industry toward its potential use in hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as trucking, aviation, shipping and energy-intensive heavy industry. Hydrogen projects are being announced and developed all over the world. Just this week, the U.S. government committed $8 billion in infrastructure funding to build out clean hydrogen hubs across the country. But not all hydrogen is created equal. Is...
Jun 09, 2022•47 min
Some of the most important news doesn’t make big, splashy headlines. That can be because developments unfold slowly or are super-wonky, or simply get overlooked in a busy news cycle. That’s why the Political Climate team is creating a new Newsflash series, a monthly episode in your Political Climate feed in which we’ll bring you a behind-the-scenes look at a news story you might have missed. In this inaugural episode, host Julia Pyper and producer Maria Virginia Olano bring you snippets from an ...
May 26, 2022•19 min
Faced with record-high gas prices, more and more American consumers are looking to dump the pump. In the first three months of 2022, electric vehicle registrations shot up 60 percent, even as the overall car market shrunk. EVs have experienced steady sales growth over the past decade but are still far from being mainstream. Could the combination of expensive gasoline and exciting new plug-in models see the U.S. turn a corner on mass EV adoption? On this episode of Political Climate , hosts Julia...
May 19, 2022•42 min
A major push is underway to onshore energy production and manufacturing in America now that Russia’s attack on Ukraine has highlighted the vulnerabilities of global energy supply chains. But the undertaking is complicated by competing political priorities, as U.S. leaders seek to strengthen the country’s energy security while advancing its climate goals. On this episode of Political Climate , our hosts talk through efforts to boost American-made clean energy through executive action. They also c...
May 05, 2022•48 min
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — a historic $1.2 trillion investment package, passed by Congress on a bipartisan basis — has received little fanfare since President Biden signed it into law last November. The bill contains more than $80 billion to advance the clean energy transition and respond to climate change, but where exactly will those dollars go? On this episode of Political Climate host Julia Pyper and producer Maria Virginia Olano speak with Leah Rubin Shen, who leads federa...
Apr 21, 2022•38 min
The Paris Agreement of 2015 set the target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This week’s release of the latest climate assessment report from the U.N. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change underlines, once again, the need for deep decarbonization as quickly as possible for that goal to be met — even as world leaders rethink their energy policies amid the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict. On this episode of Political Climate , Julia Pyper hosts a discussion b...
Apr 07, 2022•40 min
Minerals and metals have a critical role to play in a low-carbon future — and a potentially controversial one, too. Conversations around extractive industries are complicated by supply chain issues, social impacts and national security concerns. This is a particularly pressing issue right now as Russia, one of the world’s top suppliers of metals and minerals, continues to wage war on Ukraine. The clean energy transition will require using a lot of raw materials, such as nickel, cobalt and uraniu...
Mar 24, 2022•42 min
Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine has shone a spotlight on the complex web of energy, climate and geopolitical issues — and has arguably already changed the global energy landscape in profound and lasting ways. The crisis has resurfaced debates on energy security and how to achieve it, with some rushing to call for increased oil and gas extraction to make up for Russian supply, while many others underscore the urgent need for renewable energy build-outs as a way to achieve energy independence. On t...
Mar 10, 2022•55 min
State legislatures around the country have a major impact on climate policy, and yet state political races often go unnoticed. Caroline Spears says that needs to change. Caroline created Climate Cabinet Action to help state leaders develop strong platforms and communication strategies that embrace climate as a priority. Recently, the group published a Climate Cabinet Scorecard — the first national tool to hold state legislators accountable for their climate votes. On this episode of Political Cl...
Feb 24, 2022•32 min
Senator Alex Padilla recently wrapped up his first year in the U.S. Senate as the first Latino to represent the state of California. It's been an eventful year, to put it mildly. On this episode of Political Climate , Sen. Padilla sits down with Julia, Brandon and Shane to discuss energy equity, infrastructure, prospects for the Build Back Better bill, and the future of political discourse in the U.S. The senator outlines legislation he introduced to help address the growing threat from wildfire...
Feb 10, 2022•31 min
President Joe Biden campaigned for the White House on a number key climate promises. When he officially took office, hopes were high that bold climate action would be at the center of the Biden policy platform. One year later, where does his record stand? On this episode of Political Climate , our hosts look at what the Biden administration has achieved during the president’s first year in office. Of course, a big component of President Biden’s climate agenda is still in limbo. The Build Back Be...
Jan 27, 2022•46 min
California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed spending $22.5 billion on tackling the climate crisis this week, as part of his $286.4 billion budget proposal. The so-called California Blueprint includes funding for everything from electric buses and building retrofits to support services for firefighters. As other states have stepped up on climate, some have accused California of falling behind. Could Newsom's plan reclaim the Golden State's title as climate change leader? On this episode, we discuss...
Jan 13, 2022•38 min
2021 was a productive year for climate policy – particularly for U.S. states. Both red and blue states passed ambitious climate bills last year. Several of the new laws address emissions from multiple sectors of the economy, include strong labor provisions and center environmental justice in meaningful ways. In the first Political Climate episode of 2022, we look at some of the biggest political wins of 2021 that took place around the country. From Oregon and Illinois joining the party on 100% e...
Jan 06, 2022•40 min
Is Build Back Better really dead? Could the climate and clean energy provisions live on? Political Climate weighs in on the timely issue of Senator Manchin’s “no” on President Biden’s marquee legislation. Plus, Brandon, Shane and Julia share some 2022 predictions. In the second half of the show we look at the troubling rise in global methane emissions. Methane is 80 times more potent as a global warming gas than carbon dioxide, and is responsible for roughly one-quarter of the climate warming we...
Dec 23, 2021•52 min
The clean energy transition is accelerating — but progress isn’t always smooth. The global energy crisis and related price spikes have raised some difficult political questions around the push for decarbonization. At the same time, local opposition to clean energy projects threatens to undermine meeting national net zero goals. Similarly, complexities around accessing materials needed to make cleantech solutions threaten to disrupt the sector. These are the kinds of tough issues that longtime cl...
Dec 09, 2021•41 min
As we enter the holiday season, our hosts run through 10 powerful stats that will help you navigate the inevitable question from a curious family member: “So, what’s going on with the climate?” As a listener of this podcast, you are probably no stranger to these conversations with loved ones. But this year in particular — amid more in-person visits and a slew of recent headlines on climate policy, climate impacts, and global climate summits — there is a lot of catching up to do. These stats will...
Nov 24, 2021•40 min
Climate finance has been center stage at COP26. Meeting the globe’s climate goals will require mobilizing trillions of public and private dollars. So what exactly does that look like? During the first week of the UN climate summit, 450 financial institutions with $130 trillion in assets under management pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The announcement from the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero ( GFANZ ) led by UN Special Envoy Mark Carney represents a massive commitment to s...
Nov 12, 2021•47 min
Where are the offshore wind projects in America? While turbines have become a familiar sight in states across the country, offshore wind is virtually non-existent. Even with thousands of miles of coastline, the U.S. only has around 40 MW of offshore wind production, most of it from a single wind farm. This pales in comparison to other parts of the world, particularly Europe, which has more than 25 GW of offshore wind capacity from more than 100 offshore wind farms. But the market landscape for o...
Oct 28, 2021•41 min
Policy debates on Capitol Hill today fit into a bigger political picture. In Part 2 of this conversation with David Roberts, hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut, and Shane Skelton talk about political sentiments, campaign messaging, and things Democrats don’t want to hear — as well as asymmetry in the media landscape and its impact on electoral politics today. Plus, David shares what he’s genuinely excited about when it comes to clean energy technology and how Illinois recently passed a big, bold...
Oct 21, 2021•41 min
David Roberts is worried. Democrats have control of the House, Senate and the White House and an opportunity to pass bold climate policy and political reform — perhaps their last opportunity for a long time — but are stuck in political gridlock. The stakes are high, with procedural deadlines and the COP26 global climate summit looming. On this episode, Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut and Shane Skelton speak to clean energy and politics reporter David Roberts about the state of play in Washington D....
Oct 14, 2021•46 min
With several major deadlines looming, U.S. lawmakers remain divided on how to move forward with the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Democrats’ larger $3.5 billion spending package — both of which contain critical funding and programs to fight climate change and promote clean energy. At the same time, Congress must immediately pass a spending package to avoid a government shutdown. Also (because there isn't enough going on) lawmakers must act quickly to raise the debt limit, with the nation’s ...
Sep 30, 2021•37 min
Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico is no stranger to climate and energy issues. In recent months, he’s sponsored legislation on zero-emission homes, electric transmission, energy storage, a civilian climate corps, and more. Now, these proposals are being considered as part of Democrats’ sweeping $3.5 trillion budget plan. What’s likely to stay in and what’s likely to get cut? On this episode of Political Climate , Sen. Heinrich weighs in on what’s at stake with the budget reconciliation and b...
Sep 16, 2021•43 min
The U.S. political climate has changed a lot in 2021, especially when it comes to climate and energy issues on Capitol Hill. The Political Climate podcast has changed too. Rather than debate macro politics, we’re focused on analyzing concrete proposals, policy choices, and getting at the “how” of achieving our shared climate goals. Unlike in the past, there is no shortage of policy action! On August 10, the U.S. Senate approved a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill — the largest spending for infra...
Sep 02, 2021•42 min
Political Climate is coming back to the airwaves! Catch new episodes every two weeks — wherever you get podcasts — starting Thursday, September 2nd. Brandon Hurlbut, Shane Skelton and Julia Pyper will be discussing all of the climate and energy issues that you want to know about, along with a roster of fantastic guests who know the ins and outs of the politics and policies shaping the future of our planet. This reboot of Political Climate is presented in partnership with Canary Media , and with ...
Aug 27, 2021•3 min
We always new that 2021 would start with a bang — between the Georgia Senate runoff election, the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden, cabinet announcements, coronavirus relief and, of course, earnest discussions on the future of American climate policy. A deadly assault on the United States Capitol incited by the President was not on the calendar, although the seeds of division and misinformation were sown long ago. So what’s the path forward? Democrats have secured a narrow majority in C...
Jan 15, 2021•1 hr 20 min
The past few years have been a mixed bag for climate. U.S. emissions declined to their lowest level in three decade this year, but these reductions came at an incredible cost as the economy shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic. The challenge now is to make these emissions cuts sustainable for years to come, while getting millions of Americans back to work. We dig into a new analysis on how to put the U.S. on a path to deep decarbonization and economic growth on this episode of Political Clima...
Dec 31, 2020•52 min
It will take a massive war-time mobilization effort to effectively address the climate emergency, argues Saul Griffith — inventor, MacArthur genius fellow, CEO of Otherlab , and co-founder of Rewiring America , an organization dedicated to creating millions of American jobs while combating climate change. So, what does a war-time mobilization effort look like? How much will it cost? Will we have to make sacrifices in the process? What does this shift mean for the future of utilities? And will po...
Dec 23, 2020•1 hr 13 min
Crowdfunding, blockchain, artificial intelligence and neobanks. What do all of these buzzwords have to do with fighting climate change? On this episode of Political Climate’s DITCHED series , host Julia Pyper speaks to the authors of a new report on “climate fintech,” an emerging ecosystem that leverages digital technology to help move more capital into climate change solutions. The report , published by the startup accelerator New Energy Nexus, offers a valuable overview of what this rapidly ev...
Dec 14, 2020•37 min
2020 has been a remarkable year. It witnessed the coronavirus pandemic, an economic crash, a historic and divisive U.S. election, widespread protests for racial justice and more. And yet, amid all of the turbulence, the world took several major steps toward realizing a low carbon future. The numbers are still coming in and the trends are still formalizing, but we have a pretty good sense of how the climate and energy landscape evolved over the past several months. On this episode of Political Cl...
Dec 10, 2020•43 min
Cities and states have powerful roles to play in divesting from fossil fuels and directing investments toward sustainable industries. There are a number of ways for these sub-national actors to participate in the divest/invest movement and help pave the way for more widespread action. In this episode of Political Climate’s DITCHED series, we go to the home of Wall Street and look at steps being taken by New York City and New York State to accelerate the movement of funds from brown to green reso...
Dec 08, 2020•48 min
