This week, we speak with US Representative Donald McEachin (D-VA) about the environmental justice measures contained within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and the Build Back Better Act. Rep. McEachin, representing the 4th Congressional District of Virginia, co-founded the United for Climate and Environmental Justice Task Force in the House and has been instrumental in raising awareness for environmental justice in Congress. Co-hosts Ty and Brock Benefiel also discuss the prevalence of climat...
Dec 08, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 156
The House passed President Biden's Build Back Better Bill and now this historic climate legislation sits in the Senate waiting to get final approval. So what would the bill actually mean to Biden's climate pledges on the campaign trail if it makes it through the Senate? Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) is back on the show to explain and also talk about some of the climate benefits for mitigation and adaptation in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that's already been signed into law. Finally, we get Cong...
Dec 01, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 155
This week, climate economist Gernot Wagner discusses his new book " Geoengineering: The Gamble ". Gernot Wagner was the co-founding director of Harvard's Geoengineering Research Program and provides an honest assessment of the pros, cons, and unknowns of solar geoengineering. This interview is a must-listen for anyone that wants to understand the climate, economic, political, and philosophical implications of geoengineering. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the importance of ...
Nov 24, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 154
After a two year wait, COP26 has finally concluded. We are left with the Glasgow Climate Pact, which is no doubt disappointing and fails in several key areas. But all was not lost at COP26. Several major commitments were made and pressure continues to mount on world leaders to do more. We review the outcome with Michael Sheldrick , Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer at Global Citizen . Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also reflect on the year-long series co...
Nov 17, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 153
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we speak with the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, Inger Andersen about the UNEP gap reports, the meaning of the COP26 pledges, and the importance of real actions by world leaders to decarbonize and ensure a just transition. Co-hosts Ty and Brock Benefiel also discuss recent comments by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the long work stil...
Nov 12, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 152
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we speak with Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy, and Transport, Michael Matheson . He provides insight into what all levels of government, not just national governments, can do to deliver a just and sustainable transition and why future COPs should be inclusive of local governments as well. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the first draft of the COP26 Cover Decision and the Unit...
Nov 11, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 151
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we look at how to leverage science and technology to decarbonize the global economy with Bertrand Piccard , a legendary explorer, founder and chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation , and first person to fly around the globe in a solar airplane. We discuss how to deploy sustainable solutions to improve people's lives and how to convince more people to join the fight for a better future. Thank you to our sponsor O...
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 150
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we discuss gender equality and representation with Amiera Sawas , Director of Programmes and Research at Climate Outreach . She explains what we lose when women are underrepresented in climate media, climate negotiations, and climate science authorship, the specific burden women around the world face with the climate crisis, and how COP26 has faired when it comes to achieving its stated goal of achieving "the full...
Nov 09, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 149
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we look at why global migration policy is crucial to adaptation in the face of climate change with J ulia Blocher , researcher on the linkage between climate change and migration at The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and President of the The International Youth Federation. We explore what people often get wrong about climate migration, why young people are so often on the frontlines of dealing with ...
Nov 08, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 148
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we celebrate COP26's Nature Day with two exceptional guests. Jackie Savitz , Oceana 's Chief Policy Officer of North America, joins the show to discuss how world leaders should act to protect oceans and how the Build Back Better Act can help progress in the United States. Then, Dr. Bernadette Arakwiye , manager of the World Resources Institute 's AFR100 Initiative, explains the importance of the announcement earli...
Nov 06, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 147
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we welcome Indian environmental and climate justice activist John Paul Jose to the show to discuss how young leaders are fighting to make their voices heard at COP26 and the strategies activists are using to make real change at this critical event and beyond. We discuss how young leaders are pushing climate action that delivers just and equitable outcomes, how to elevate the voices of more young people in the Glob...
Nov 05, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 146
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we welcome back Rep. Sean Casten to the show to discuss what global solutions we need to accelerate the adoption of clean energy and what needs to be accomplished at COP26 to help make it happen. We also talk about the obstacles facing the world's clean energy transition - from fossil fuel subsidies and misinformation across the globe to inaction in Congress at home - and what the state of U.S. domestic policy mea...
Nov 04, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 145
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we look at how to mobilize public and private finance for climate action with investor and former presidential candidate Tom Steyer. As COP26's Finance day unfolds, we discuss what governments need to do to increase private finance in climate solutions, how much needs to be invested, and how to center equity and justice to accelerate mitigation and improve adaptation across the globe. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Broc...
Nov 03, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 144
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we look at the big picture of the climate crisis with The Economist's Oliver Morton to talk about their latest Special Report " Stabilising the climate ." We go in-depth on the state of the crisis, greenhouse gas emissions, and what it will take to hit the goals set out in the Paris Agreement almost 6 years ago as we arrive at the second day of the World Leader's Summit. We discuss the realities world leaders face...
Nov 02, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 143
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we kickoff our two week special coverage of COP26 in Glasgow with Time Magazine's Justin Worland, senior correspondent covering climate change, about what to expect from this year's critical United Nation's conference on climate change. Justin explains the biggest issues on the table at this year's negotiations, why this year's conference is a big test for multilateralism, and what it's like to be in Glasgow durin...
Nov 01, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 142
We're mixing it up for this episode to celebrate our favorite spooky holiday with an exceptional guest that gives us the very real climate-related inspiration behind Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein. Dr. Michael Wysession, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, talks about his 2018 essay " Frankenstein Meets Climate Change: Monsters of Our Own Making " and explains how not only was the story influenced by a brief period of extreme climate change, but ...
Oct 30, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 141
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , Dr. Jane Goodall , the legendary primatologist and anthropologist, joins the show to discuss why she wanted to serve as a COP26 Advocate, how everyone can get involved to fight climate change and the destruction of the natural world, and what she's learned over the course of her life and work that gives her hope for a better future. Dr. Goodall is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and the organization Root...
Oct 27, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 140
How did our ancestors handle catastrophic changes to their climate? Brian Fagan has been researching that very question for decades. As one of the world's leading archaeological writers and recognized authorities on world prehistory, he has put together several great works on ancient climate change including the New York Times bestseller The Great Warming . Now, he's co-authored a new book Climate Chaos: Lessons on Survival from Our Ancestors with Cambridge University-trained archaeologist and w...
Oct 20, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 139
This week, Saul Griffith joins the show to talk about his new book Electrify: An Optimists Playbook for Our Clean Energy Future . Saul is the co-founder and Chief Scientist of Rewiring America , a non-profit dedicated to widespread electrification and decarbonization. We discuss how replacing or adding just a handful of products in our homes and our businesses can help transform and decarbonize our electricity grid, making us all healthier and saving us money at the same time. Brock and Ty also ...
Oct 13, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 138
This week, we look into the future of decarbonizing transportation with two great writers featured in National Geographic's October cover story on the issue. First, Craig Welch talks about his piece "The Future of Driving is here - and it's Electric" that examines the car industry and how quickly the electric vehicle market is developing all around the world. Second, Sam Howe Verhovek joined the show to discuss his article " How Green Can We Make Air Travel? And How Soon?" Sam outlines the probl...
Oct 06, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 137
This week, we take a deep dive into how climate change is exacerbating extreme droughts and accelerating wildfires with bioclimatologist Park Williams. Dr. Williams is an associate professor at UCLA's Department of Geography. His particular expertise in the causes and consequences of drought guides us through a wide-ranging conversation on the transformative changes we are seeing in the American West as temperatures rise and how we should adapt to a future of more frequent droughts and dangerous...
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 136
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , Runa Khan , founder and Executive Director of Friendship International, joins the show to talk about the work her organization has done to help people displaced by the climate crisis, and why more needs to be done by the richest countries in the world at COP26 and beyond to help developing nations mitigate emissions and adapt to a warming planet. Learn more about Friendship Alexander Kauffman's article about Biden...
Sep 24, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 135
This week, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe joins the show to talk about her new book, Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World . Her book is an incredibly helpful guide for anyone that wants to feel more comfortable talking about climate change, and talking about climate change is one of the most important things we can do. Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist and an endowed chair and distinguished professor in the department of Political Scientist at Texas ...
Sep 22, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 134
This week, Ben Franta joins the show to talk about his latest paper, " Weaponizing Economics: Big oil, economic consultants, and climate policy delay ". He explains how fossil fuel companies knew for decades that their product was warming the planet and instead of investing in new energy options, leveraged economic experts to help slow necessary action to combat the climate crisis. We also discuss Harvard University's decision to divest from fossil fuels, which Ben advocated for as a student of ...
Sep 15, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 133
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we talk to Elizabeth Wathuti , the Global South Co-Chair of the COP26 Civil Society and Youth Advisory Council, about advocating for the Global South as one of the world's foremost young leaders in the climate movement. She explains how COP26 can better represent the needs and solutions of all people around the world and why most global leaders are failing to recognize the rampant inequality between nations during...
Sep 08, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 132
Hurricane Ida was a Category 4 hurricane, first causing massive damage to Louisiana as it made landfall and later flooding New York City and other areas across the eastern half of the United States. At the same time, the Caldor Fire and Dixie Fire are burning across South Lake Tahoe and the Sierras. Why are we experiencing more extreme weather disasters? CBS News Meteorologist and Climate Specialist Jeff Berardelli explains how a warming planet has made hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, and flood...
Sep 03, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 131
This week, we talk to Dr. Richard Thaler about the new edition of his book, Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness , and what we can learn from behavioral economics that better helps us understand solutions to the climate crisis. Dr. Thaler is the 2017 recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to the field of behavioral economics. He is currently the Charles R. Walgreen Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Econom...
Sep 01, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 130
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we talk to the World Health Organization's Director of Public Health and Environment Dr. Maria Neira about the 7 million premature deaths caused by air pollution every year and what international leaders can do to adequately address the issue at COP26. Dr. Neira has been working for the WHO since 1993, except for the three years she served as Spain's Vice Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs from 2002 to 2005. ...
Aug 25, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 129
On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy , we talk to the Hon James Shaw , New Zealand's Minister for Climate Change, Associate Minister for the Environment (Biodiversity), MP, and Co-Leader of the Green Party. We discuss what he learned from New Zealand's pandemic response and how that should inform global discussions on climate change. We also dig into why COP25 was such a big failure, what could be the biggest obstacles at COP26, and some of the biggest...
Aug 18, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 128
Dr. Sylvia Earle is the perfect guest for a deep dive into a very important conversation: ocean exploration and conservation. As a National Geographic Explorer At Large, Dr. Earle is an internationally renowned oceanographer and author of the forthcoming book National Geographic Ocean: A Global Odyssey , Dubbed TIME Magazine's first 'Hero of the Planet,' Dr. Earle serves as President & Chairman of Mission Blue/The Sylvia Earle Alliance and was the first female chief scientist of the U.S. Nat...
Aug 16, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 127
