The Climate Pod

This week, we look at the very strange relationship between air pollution and COVID-19. Dr. Marshall Burke, Stanford University Earth System Science Professor and Deputy Director of Center on Food Security and the Environment, explains his piece " COVID-19 reduces economic activity, which reduces pollution, which saves lives. " What happens when you calculate the health impacts of the drop of emis...

How is the novel coronavirus creating new concerns in the fight against climate change? This week, we dig into the subject with a couple of great guests.  First, TIME's Justin Worland joins the show to talk about how the global pandemic could impact international negotiations, the Paris Agreement, oil price wars, and climate activism.  Then, Joel Makower, chairman and co-founder of GreenBiz, tells...

This week, we talk to Rep Sean Casten (D-IL) about his career as an energy entrepreneur before joining Congress, how climate change factored into his decision to run for a House seat in 2018, and what bills he is sponsoring to address the issue. Then, Washington Post's Chris Mooney joins the show to discuss how the coronavirus is impacting global greenhouse emissions. What does this mean in both t...

This week, we talk to Julian Brave NoiseCat about a variety of climate issues. He tell us about his journey to the climate movement, how the Green New Deal developed, how the Democratic Primary process has influenced climate policy, and how the experience of Indigenous communities should help inform our adaptation to the climate crisis. Plus, The Hill's Rebecca Klar discusses a recent study that e...

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 pub...

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 t...

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, M...

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 financia...

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 discus...

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 t...

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 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 wee...

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 a...

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 Pere...

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 ch...

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 con...

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 expl...

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 the...

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 Risin...

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 strategie...

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...

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 Lib...

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 Directo...

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, Pari...

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 climat...