The world lost a legendary biologist and conservationist when Dr. Thomas Lovejoy passed away in December at the age of 80. Carter Roberts , president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund in the United States, knew Dr. Lovejoy well. So we asked him to join us on the podcast today to honor the memory of Dr. Lovejoy and share what he meant to WWF and talk about the legacy he leaves behind. Carter also discusses the recent passing of another conservation legend, Dr. E.O. Wilson, and what he meant as a lum...
Jan 08, 2022•47 min•Ep 161•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we spoke with Dr. Richard Alley, a glaciologist and member of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaborative, about why this particular glacier - dubbed the 'Doomsday Glacier by Jeff Goodell - could raise sea levels beyond catastrophic levels and cause so much damage to coastal communities around the world. We also discuss how soon and how likely that might actually happen, and the latest findings that his group recently published. Dr. Richard Alley is the Evan Pugh University Profe...
Jan 05, 2022•54 min•Ep 160•Transcript available on Metacast When Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in 2020, it marked a massive shift for the direction of the United States' action on climate change. And once President Biden was inaugurated in 2021, his administration brought big expectations to the Oval Office for how it would combat the crisis. So what would Joe Biden commit to through executive action? What would Congress pass to fight climate change? How would the United States repair its own reputation on climate action on the international stage? We ...
Dec 29, 2021•34 min•Ep 159•Transcript available on Metacast After decades of denial and delay tactics by the fossil fuel industry, in 2021, America was largely unprepared for multiple climate-fueled extreme weather disasters. Wildfires. Heatwaves. Hurricanes. Droughts. Floods. Tornadoes. How did a warming planet impact these weather events? Why haven't America's leaders done more to combat the climate crisis? What are fossil fuel companies still doing to delay action? We answer all of those questions and more in Part One of The Climate Pod's 2021 Year in...
Dec 22, 2021•24 min•Ep 158•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we talk to Jeffrey Ball , who lead the recent study " Hot money: Illuminating the financing of high-carbon infrastructure in the developing world ." In this conversation, we ask: if renewables are so cheap, why is fossil fuel infrastructure still being built in the developing world? Ball helps us understand what is happening and, more importantly, where the money is coming from to power the nation's most in need of more energy resources. He also explains the possible solutions and wha...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep 157•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 156•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 155•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 154•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 153•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 152•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 151•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 150•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 149•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 148•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 147•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 146•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 145•Transcript available on Metacast 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 w hat 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 Bro...
Nov 03, 2021•49 min•Ep 144•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 143•Transcript available on Metacast 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, s enior 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 duri...
Nov 01, 2021•47 min•Ep 142•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 141•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 140•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 139•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 138•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 137•Transcript available on Metacast 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 dangerou...
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep 136•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 135•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 134•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 133•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 132•Transcript available on Metacast 
