The Climate Pod

This episode kicks off The Climate Pod's "Road To COP26", our months-long series of conversations with world leaders about the importance of the United Nations' COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, and what must be accomplished in order to successfully combat the climate crisis happening around the globe. The United Kingdom's Shadow Secretary of State for Justice David Lammy joins our show to explain why i...

With a bipartisan agreement reportedly in place on a smaller Senate infrastructure package, President Biden has signaled he will not sign the bill without additional legislation to address climate change. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) joins to talk about why the clean electricity standard is essential to good climate policy and action on the crisis, how it can pass through the Senate's reconciliation pro...

Malcolm Turnbull , the 29th Prime Minister of Australia, joins the show this week to discuss the growing threat of misinformation to liberal democracy, the role Rupert Murdoch and News Corp are playing to exacerbate the problem, the obstacles to international cooperation on reducing emissions, the responsibility and needed role of the United States and Australia on the global stage, and his hopes...

Dallas Goldtooth and Jane Kleeb have been fighting pipelines for years. Like so many others, opposing the Keystone XL pipeline has been a remarkable experience in their political and personal lives and part of an ongoing fight to bring about greater racial, economic, and environmental justice. As news last week confirmed TC Energy was finished with the Keystone XL pipeline and water protectors in...

This week, Tim Jackson joins the podcast to discuss his new book, Post Growth: Life after Capitalism . He discusses how we reshape our economy to be in better balance with our natural world, prioritize our well-being, and truly value the aspects of our society that create real prosperity - and how we got so far off-track. Tim Jackson is the Director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainab...

Two great guests discuss a few of the most important aspects of the climate crisis conversation. First, Alex Steffen , author, speaker, and futurist, talks about his new newsletter, podcast, and book project called The Snap Forward . He discusses what he's most passionate about exploring in his writing after 30 years of covering the space, how we should reimagine our future and present as we face...

Last week, we saw massive news break for some of the world's biggest fossil fuel companies. ExxonMobil was one of the companies that received backlash for climate inaction and our guest this week, Dr. Naomi Oreskes, has been following the company for a long time. Her recent paper with Dr. Geoffrey Supran, "Rhetoric and frame analysis of ExxonMobil's climate change communications" looks at the comp...

Recently, NOAA released their new U.S. Climate Normals map, which is updated every ten years. It's yet another reminder that we are living in an increasingly warm world. So how will we adapt? Three expert guests join us for a roundtable discussion on how we deal with the health, economic, justice, and climate repercussions of a hotter country and planet.    Kathy Baughman McLeod is the Senior Vice...

How do we prevent future pandemics? As COVID-19 has continued to rage across the globe, Dr. Peter J. Hotez has been working tirelessly to answer that question - in addition to leading efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine and explain crucial details about the current pandemic to the public. In his new book, Preventing the Next Pandemic: Vaccine Diplomacy in a Time of Anti-science , Dr. Hotez expla...

This week, Tony Hiss joins the show to talk about his new book, Rescuing the Planet: Protecting Half the Land to Heal the Earth . Tony talks about the history of conservation biology and highlights several people who have led conservation efforts in North America over the last 100 years. Tony Hiss is the author of 15 books, including the award-winning book, The Experience of Place . Previously, Hi...

This week, Cass Sunstein joins the show to discuss his new book, Averting Catastrophe: Decision Theory for COVID-19, Climate Change, and Potential Disasters of All Kinds . His book lays out how policymakers can make decisions that avoid our natural biases and result in better outcomes, especially in the face of catastrophic outcomes like those posed by the climate crisis. Cass Sunstein is a profes...

This week, Parker Molloy , editor at large at Media Matters For America , joins the show to discuss how recent lies about Biden's climate plans became widespread on right-wing media outlets. We discuss the bogus origins of Biden's #Burgergate, how it took hold on Fox News, and why some mainstream media outlets accepted the false premise in their coverage.  Then, Tyler J. Kelley, a journalist who h...

This week, Kate Aronoff , staff writer at The New Republic and author of the new book, Overheated: How Capitalism Broke the Planet- And How We Fight Back , joins the show to discuss neoliberalism's influence over bad climate policy and how America can combat the climate crisis best by building a more democratic society that benefits the lives of everyone. We also talk about how a Green New Deal ca...

This week, Rep. Earl Blumenauer joins the show to discuss his new legislation to reinstate superfund taxes and make polluters pay for toxic cleanup. He discusses why eliminating tax breaks are essential to the cleanup of toxic and hazardous waste sites throughout the United States. Then, Dr. Robbie Shilliam discusses his new book  Decolonizing Politics: An Introduction and how international politi...

This week, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) talks to us about dark money in politics, the biggest obstacles to passing big, bipartisan climate laws, and what he hopes President Joe Biden can accomplish during this term.  Then, Maurice Mitchell , National Director of the Working Families Party , joins the show to talk about centering racial and economic justice in infrastructure plans and how to buil...

This week, two expert guests, Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Yonah Freemark , join the show to talk about the American Jobs Plan and how we can better decarbonize our economy with smart infrastructure spending. Professor Sachs explains how to best aim spending plans to create sustainable jobs, build up a green economy, and reduce inequality in the process. Freemark tells us why transportation emissio...

This week, Nathaniel Rich , award-winning journalist and author of Second Nature: Scenes From a World Remade  joins the show to talk about what he's learned covering the scientists, politicians, and corporations that are reshaping our planet and its inhabitants for better and for worse.  About Our Guest: Nathaniel Rich is an award-winning journalist and author. In 2019, he wrote "Losing Earth: A R...

This week, Kim Stanley Robinson, renowned science fiction writer and author of "The Ministry For The Future," joins the show for a wide-ranging discussion on the systemic collapse that's led to the climate crisis, the power and importance of language and fiction in dissecting complicated policies and decisions, his problem with most economists, and what keeps him optimistic about what could happen...

This week, Michelle Nijhuis , author of Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction , joins the show to discuss the history of the conservation movement. Michelle explains how conservation expanded beyond local efforts to an international movement, why so many inspiring and problematic people alike have taken up the conservation fight, and what climate activists can learn from the hi...

This week, Dr. Stephanie Kelton joins the show to discuss how American politicians totally misunderstand the national debt and how the Federal government can use fiscal policy to create a just and sustainable society. Her book, The Deficit Myth , explains Modern Monetary Theory and shows why America can and must spend big on just climate solutions or we'll create the real intergenerational debt th...

This week, three of the authors behind  Dirty Gold: The Rise And Fall Of An International Smuggling Ring   join the show to talk about the tragic human and environmental loss stemming from illegal gold mining and the illegal international trade that fuels the issue. Authors Jay Weaver , Jim Wyss , and Nicholas Nehamas explain how the true crime story at the center of their reporting unfolded, how...

This week, we look back on the winter weather disaster in Texas and assess the lessons moving forward: how do we properly adapt to a changing climate that's affecting our winters? Dr. Gabriel Filippelli , Professor of Earth Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, explains why winter weather is getting weirder and American Clean Power CEO Heather Zichal discusses the accelera...

Sonia Shah 's new book  The Next Great Migration is an essential read for the climate movement. What are most people missing when it comes to migration across the globe? Shah discusses the common misconceptions, where it originated, and the awful history of many environmental leaders promoting xenophobia and ecofascism.  Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the Texas winter weather...

Commander Scott Kelly is here! The renowned space explorer and author of the new children's book Goodnight, Astronaut , joins the show to discuss the adventures he documents in the book, why he wants to inspire kids to dream big, what space is like, growing up with his twin brother Sen. Mark Kelly, and how looking down on Earth affected his outlook on climate change.  Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Broc...

What do activists do when you have a U.S. president that actually takes climate change seriously? May Boeve , co-founder and Executive Director of 350.org and 350 Action , has a plan and she's ready to accelerate action by continuing to push for just, equitable transition to a sustainable future. She joins the show this week to discuss the beginning of the Biden Era and the end of the Trump presid...