This week, a coalition headed to Washington D.C. to try to halt changes to the National Environmental Protection Act. WE ACT's Kerene Tayloe, Director of Federal Legislative Affairs, was part of the coalition and joins the show to explain what is under threat, how to oppose the changes, and what WE ACT is doing as an organization to help support environmental justice. Then, the Washington Post published an Op-Ed this week comparing Sen. Bernie Sanders' approach to climate to President Trump's ju...
Feb 29, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast Both the continent of Antarctica and the month of January hit new record temperatures in 2020. How did this happen? We talk to Matthew Cappucci of The Washington Post about these weather patterns, how a meteorologist spots the impact of climate change in bizarre weather, and also talk about the Broomstick Challenge, the movies "Sharknado" and "Twister," and even Al Roker. Then, we are joined by the University of Arizona's Dr. John J. Wiens and Cristian Román-Palacios, who recently published a st...
Feb 20, 2020•52 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we take a look at ways to improve media coverage around the climate crisis with two of the most innovative, important voices in the industry. First, we're joined by Mary Annaïse Heglar, writer and co-host of the Hot Take podcast, a great new show on media criticism on climate coverage. Mary discusses her own approach to climate writing and vision for better coverage this decade. Then, Mark Hertsgaard, veteran climate journalist and co-creator of Covering Climate Now, discusses his new...
Feb 12, 2020•54 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast Big show this week! First, Felix Salmon (chief financial correspondent for Axios, Slate's Money podcast, Axios Edge Newsletter) joins the show to discuss why all that talk at the World Economic Forum in Davos may be cheap, why Greta wasn't speaking in a bigger room, where he sees some of the biggest needs for economic policy to address climate change, and how attitudes are changing on the financial prospects of fossil fuel companies. We ask Felix: Is Jim Cramer the Greta Thunberg of financial ca...
Feb 05, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast This week, Dr. Gavin Schmidt, Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, joins the show to review the results of NASA and NOAA analyses on 2019 climate data. He explains what the second hottest year on record means for an increasingly concerning trend. Then, Citizens' Climate Lobby's Daniel Palken explains to us about how to talk to conservatives and Republican lawmakers. He discusses what motivates right-leaning voters, how CCL approaches reaching out to this group, and their upc...
Jan 30, 2020•52 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast Two interviews this week discussing two major topics we haven't covered on the podcast. First, Zahra Hirji returns to the show to discuss her investigative reporting into George Luber, a former official in the CDC's climate program, and explains what former and current staffers told her about his dismissal. Then, Vice's Adi Renaldi joins us from Jakarta to talk about the devastating flooding in the Indonesian city, how climate change is impacting Jakarta, and the growing issue of air pollution. ...
Jan 22, 2020•46 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at the widespread destruction that has been caused by the Australian bushfires and misinformation circulating to create a bizarre counter-narrative to argue against climate change as a main factor driving the crisis. Brian Kahn of Earther joins the show to explain how this misinformation started spreading and what impact this has had on news coverage. Then, Dr. Bin Jalaludin of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney explains how these ongoing bushfires cause air qu...
Jan 15, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast The Australian bushfires keep burning, creating a growing path of devastation and destruction in its wake. One of the many horrific aspects of the crisis is the havoc these bushfires have wreaked on Australia's wildlife. It's estimated that more than one billion animals have been killed. Dr. Stuart Blanch, senior manager of Land Clearing and Restoration for WWF-Australia, joins the show this week to talk about how the bushfires have impacted local wildlife, what this means for the endangered koa...
Jan 08, 2020•41 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast Just in time for the New Year! Two exceptional guests talking about the future of energy! This episode, we're joined by Jigar Shah of Generate Capital and "The Energy Gang" podcast AND Julia Pyper, host of the "Political Climate" podcast and contributing editor for Greentech Media. We dive into a wide range of energy topics - storage, hydrogen fuel cells, the path to renewable energy, litigation against fossil fuel corporations, and much more on the policies, politics, and predictions that will ...
Dec 31, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast Here it is - our big end-of-the-year, end-of-the-decade episode. First, we discuss some of the biggest stories of the past ten years with The Verge's Justine Calma. Then, we review the first year of The Climate Pod, featuring clips from past guests like Drilled's Amy Westervelt, UCB's Connor Ratliff, Axios' Amy Harder, Huffington Post's Chris D'Angelo, Earther's Yessenia Funes, WWF's Vanessa Perez-Cirera, and many more from some of our favorite episodes and the biggest topics of the year. This e...
Dec 28, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we discuss the underwhelming results at COP25, as the World Wildlife Fund's Vanessa Perez-Cirera joins the show to talk about her experience in Madrid and where she feels the summit fell short. An incredibly insightful and informative discussion. Then, Rob Bilott, author of "Exposure" and the real-life inspiration for the film "Dark Waters," talks to us about the dangers of "forever chemicals" and his years-long legal battle against polluting corporations. How did this happen? What do...
Dec 18, 2019•45 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast A recent study made news last week when it confirmed many past climate models were pretty damn accurate. We talk to Zeke Hausfather, one of the study's co-authors, about why his group did the study, what exactly they found, and what it means to climate science. Then, we talk to Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, who was named 350.org's North American Director in 2019. This is a fascinating, wide-ranging conversation about building a better climate movement and driving real change in the face of a growing ...
Dec 11, 2019•45 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast World leaders are meeting at COP25 in Madrid, Spain as a wave of new reports continue to be released outlining the growing climate crisis. Will this make a difference? What's at stake for COP25? The Guardian's Environmental Correspondent Fiona Harvey joins the show from Madrid to report on the summit. Then, Fiona McPherson, Senior Editor at the Oxford English Dictionary, joins the podcast to explain why "climate emergency" was 2019's Oxford Word of the Year. This is a very good conversation with...
Dec 04, 2019•37 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast On Tuesday, the United Nations released its annual "emissions gap" report to determine how the world is progressing towards the goals set in the Paris Agreement. The Washington Post's Brady Dennis joins to show to explain the findings in the report, what this means for world leaders set to meet in Spain to discuss climate next month, and how scientists are viewing the bleak reality outlined in their report. Then, we talk to two protesters from Fossil Free Yale about Saturday's demonstration duri...
Nov 27, 2019•39 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast Our first live show! This week, we were at Lincoln Hall in Chicago to discuss the climate crisis in the Windy City with inspiring local activists and hilarious comedians for a night benefiting Friends of the Chicago River. With a panel that includes Naomi Davis of Blacks In Green, Justin Goldberg of the Sunrise Movement Chicago, Jenny Kendler of Extinction Rebellion Chicago, Amelia Diehl of Rising Tide Chicago, Melissa Brice of 350 Chicago, and comedian Adam Burke ("Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me," "...
Nov 20, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast NEXT MONDAY: The Climate Pod is live at Lincoln Hall at 7 pm. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE *** This week, we discuss the outbreak of bushfires in New South Wales in Australia. Peter Hannam of The Sydney Morning Herald joins the show to discuss the situation in New South Wales and how climate change is contributing to the problem. Then, we talk to Stanford University's Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson about strategies and timelines for a 100% renewable energy future. He explains where he has found success, what tec...
Nov 13, 2019•34 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast ANNOUNCEMENT - The Climate Pod Live is happening on November 18th at 7 pm at Lincoln Hall in Chicago! GET TICKETS HERE *** This week, the Trump Administration announced formal plans to exit the Paris Climate Agreement. What does this mean? What happens next? How will voters feel about it? Axios' Amy Harder joins the show to explain the stakes and weigh in on our attitudes toward the agreement and climate change overall. Then, Mark Arax, author of The Dreamt Land , discusses revisiting Paradise, ...
Nov 06, 2019•49 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast Recently, the House held hearings on Big Oil to allow former Exxon scientists to testify and explain what the company knew about climate change and when they knew it. E&E News' Nick Sobczyk breaks down the day and what Democrats in the House may want to accomplish with these hearings. Also, as a prominent Republican lawmaker complains about the hearings being held by the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee, Earther's Yessenia Funes explains why that's exactly the right place for these ...
Oct 30, 2019•53 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast Busy week! Finally, one of the 14 climate lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry will go to court, as Exxon faces trial this week. We talk to Umair Irfan of Vox about what's at stake with these litigation efforts, how it compares to the Big Tobacco in the 1990s, and what the 2020 Democratic candidates are saying about it. Then, we are joined by Liz Perera, Sierra Club's Climate Policy Director, talks about why mayors around the country will be flying into Washington D.C., to advocate for a fe...
Oct 23, 2019•35 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at a few of the more disastrous aspects of climate adaptation and energy management in the face of changing weather and rising temperatures. First, we untangle the messy Pacific Gas and Electric blackouts last week with The Guardian's Susie Cagle, who explains why the power was shutoff for almost one million people and why it's so difficult for the utility to change. Then, Paris Martineau, Staff writer, WIRED, joins us to discuss why big tech HQs were spared from the PG&E blac...
Oct 16, 2019•36 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at the growing issue of plastics with Sharon Lerner of The Intercept. She explains how little plastic we recycle, how the plastics industry fights meaningful change, and the threat to our health and climate that we face because of plastics. Then, we talk to Danny Richter, vice president of government affairs at Citizens' Climate Lobby, about the value of bipartisanship in climate legislation and how to turn climate change into a bridge issue instead of a wedge issue. Danny als...
Oct 09, 2019•41 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Andrea Dutton and Dr. Stacy Jupiter, two MacArthur "Genius" Fellows (just named last week!), join the podcast this week to talk about their research and careers, what it was like to receive this incredible honor, and how this grant will impact their careers. We also get their take on last week's IPCC report on the state of our oceans. Plus, Dusty Baker, legendary baseball manager, player, and now, solar entrepreneur, talks to us about why he got into the renewable energy business (and also a...
Oct 02, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast It's Climate Week! We're back from the Climate Strike in Chicago to share conversations with some amazing activists and entertainers doing their part in the fight for a better planet. First, we talk to writer/producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach ("Lost," "The Middleman") about working on the new Netflix show, "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance." He talks about the show's deliberate climate change themes, the legacy of Jim Henson, and even shares an amazing Mark Hamill story. Then, we talk to Glenn ...
Sep 25, 2019•59 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast This is a big week! On Friday, activists across 150 countries will join #ClimateStrike. We discuss our plans for the climate protest and talk to 350's Thanu Yakupitiyage, who is the epitome of cool, about climate activism and expressing beliefs through art. Then, we chat with Cassie Flynn of United Nations Development about the UN Climate Action Summit 2019, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, The Paris Agreement, and how to get really important world leaders to agree on major climate i...
Sep 18, 2019•44 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast Two great guests this week! First, Leslie Fields, senior director of environmental justice and healthy communities for The Sierra Club, joins the show to talk about how The Equitable and Just Climate Platform aims to help those most impacted by climate change. Then, John Schwartz, science writer for The New York Times, reviews his reporting on how climate change affected Hurricane Dorian, what scientists fear most with increasingly intensifying storms, and tries to untangle this very strange sit...
Sep 11, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast CNN hosted a 7-hour #ClimateTownHall on Wednesday night. We watched all of it. To review the marathon climate discussion with us, we have Buzzfeed's Zahra Hirji. And to talk about her breaking news story that rocked the Climate Town Hall, The Intercept's Akela Lacy joins the show. She finally settles the Joe Biden Fossil Fuel Fundraiser controversy once and for all. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hif...
Sep 05, 2019•37 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Last week, the Trump Administration announced rollbacks to Obama-era regulations on methane emissions. What's happening? Why is this so bad? What can be done about it? We're joined this week by Earther's Yessenia Funes and Environmental Defense Fund's Ben Ratner to discuss the changes and to answer those questions. Also, we review updates on the Amazon wildfire recovery and discuss rain forest protections in the United States. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimat...
Sep 04, 2019•43 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast This week we discuss the horrific, human-caused fires burning in the Amazon, and National Geographic's Natasha Daly tells us how the millions of plant and animal species living in the world's largest tropical rainforest are affected by these fires. Next, we talk to Dr. Miriam Goldstein, the Director of Ocean Policy at the Center for American Progress, about all the ways that humans are negatively impacting the ocean and the species that call it home. Chad the Bird is back this week to talk about...
Aug 28, 2019•52 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast This is a wide-ranging and wonderful episode. First, we are joined by Earther's Brian Kahn to talk about ecofascism and the dangerous discourse occurring around climate around the globe. Then, we ask Vox's David Roberts a whole lot of energy policy questions that span carbon taxes, electric vehicles, renewable energy goals, the filibuster, The Green New Deal, Waxman-Markey, New York's new plan and the devastating impact of the dying coal industry in Wyoming. Pretty wide-ranging, right?! As alway...
Aug 21, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast On Monday, the Trump Administration announced changes to weaken the Endangered Species Act. This decision comes just three months after the United Nation's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) released a study that reported up to 1 million species are now threatened with extinction around the globe. We discuss these changes and what it means with Chris D'Angelo, environmental reporter for the Huffington Post, and Angela Grimes, CEO of Born Free...
Aug 14, 2019•44 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast 
