The Planet Today

Matt and Nick talk about the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi ( Running water returns in Mississippi capital – but it’s still undrinkable | Mississippi | The Guardian ), Potential to save the Colorado River ( A Washington river could provide an example of how to save the Colorado River and help Lake Powell and Lake Mead (sltrib.com) ), Oil-giant Chevron peddling misinformation ( ‘Wildfire of d...

Matt interviews Leif Cocks, the founder of the International Tiger Project , an organization that aims to ensure the survival of Sumatran tigers in their natural habitat by undertaking genuine, measurable and effective tiger conservation. They discuss the challenges facing the 400 Sumatran tigers existing in the wild, a number that continues to shrink. Additionally, the Sumatran tiger’s rainforest...

Matt and Nick talk about a South African court upholding a ban on Shell’s oil and gas exploration ( South African court bans offshore oil and gas exploration by Shell | Marine life | The Guardian ), The author of “Limits to Growth” discussing the impact on society and our climate caused by the world’s richest 10% ( Report says rich must pay bill to avert social collapse | AP News ), Going off the...

Matt and Nick talk about Freya the Walrus unfortunately being euthanized in Norway ( A famous walrus is killed, and Norwegians are divided | The Seattle Times ) And Banff National Park’s bison herd is growing ( Sixteen bison calves born to Banff herd this year - RMOToday.com )!

Matt and Nick talk about the massive floods in Pakistan ( Pakistan floods: One third of country is under water - minister - BBC News ), California’s gas-powered car ban ( California to ban gas-powered car sales by 2035 – pv magazine USA (pv-magazine-usa.com) ), The Department of the Interior’s grant to plug up natural gas wells ( Interior grants $560 million across 24 states to plug more than 10,0...

Matt and Nick talk about the future of the United States’ climate. First they cover a megastorm that is becoming increasingly more likely in California as the climate continues to warm. Next, they discuss the extreme heat that will face roughly 25% of the US by 2053. Sources for today’s episode. The Coming California Megastorm - The New York Times (nytimes.com) 100 million Americans will be in ‘ex...

Matt and Nick talk about the effects of fracking on children living nearby ( Children Living Close to Fracking Sites Have Two to Three Times Higher Risk of Leukemia - DeSmog ), Water reuse projects to combat drought in the US ( Biden administration announces $310M in funding for water reuse projects amid widespread drought | The Hill ), Some good news for Scotland’s butterfly population ( Scotland...

Matt interviews Rob Rastovich , CTO of ThingLogix . ThingLogix recently launched their newest product, Thermic.ai, which is a wireless temperature and humidity monitoring system that collects data 24/7 and sends alerts when it detects equipment failure. It prevents food spoilage while putting money back in your pocket. Rob also has his own cattle ranch, called Barley Beef , in Central Oregon. The...

Matt and CJ discuss 2022’s record profits for coal producers ( Coal Giants Are Making Mega Profits as Climate Crisis Grips the World - Bloomberg ), Warming in the Arctic is worse than previous models predicted ( Arctic Warming 4 Times as Fast as the Rest of the Planet, New Analyses Find - The New York Times (nytimes.com) ), World leaders will meet at the UN in New York later for more talks to save...

Matt and Nick talk about a woman-led mission to save India’s mangroves ( How nine women are helping save India’s mangroves – with foraging and eco-tours | Global development | The Guardian ), Sea animals helping algae reproduce ( Like Bees of the Seas, These Crustaceans Pollinate Seaweed - The New York Times (nytimes.com) ), Kentucky’s flooding amid a changing climate ( White House warns of ‘inten...

Matt and Nick talk about climate change increasing flood risk for three major US cities ( How climate change will increase storm surge flooding in NYC, Miami and D.C. : NPR ), Climate change causing Las Vegas to get rid of lawns under Nevada law ( Due to climate change, Nevada says goodbye to grass - CBS News ), Could Germany cancel its plans to abandon nuclear power? ( Germany’s conservative lead...

Matt interviews Maija, who runs the TikTok , Instagram , and Facebook accounts @SustainablyMaija! Maija runs social media pages dedicated to sustainable living and picking up litter. She provides links to several different petitions on her Linktree page, including some dedicated to wildlife conservation, holding big oil accountable, and environmental policy advocacy. She has even started a petitio...

Matt and Nick talk about Joe Manchin changing his mind and agreeing to the Senate’s climate and energy programs ( Manchin, in Reversal, Agrees to Quick Action on Climate and Tax Plan - The New York Times (nytimes.com) ), A solar tower creating sustainable jet fuel ( All-in-one solar tower produces jet fuel from CO2, water and sunlight (newatlas.com) ), The fossil of the earliest known animal preda...

Matt and Nick talk about the projected boom in solar panel recycling ( Solar panel recycling market to be worth billions by 2030, say researchers | RenewEconomy ) And the Pan-African committee focused on protected areas to conserve wildlife ( First IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress opens in Kigali, Rwanda - Press release | IUCN )!

Matt interviews Tara Lordi and Bobby O’Shields. Their company, Weedoo , is on the forefront of waterway cleanup in an environmentally safe manner. Weedoo is the industry’s leading manufacturer of aquatic weed harvesters and weed cutters. They value our natural resources and aim to keep herbicides and toxic chemicals out of the water in order to provide solutions that preserve nature. Tara has expe...

Matt and Nick talk about a study that predicts an increase in armed conflict in Africa. They also get into the U.S. Military's carbon emissions and pollution levels, and why climate change can increase wars but wars also increase climate change. They break down the impacts climate change will have on people as water and food availability decrease and the number of climate refugees increases. Some...

Matt and Nick talk about an $18.4 million commercialization fund to support clean energy technologies ( Energy Department to fund initiatives focused on ‘barriers’ to clean energy tech | The Hill ), A copper shortage means bad news for renewables ( Copper is key to electric vehicles, wind and solar power. We're short supply (cnbc.com) ), Europe’s current heat wave ( Europe broils in heat wave that...

Matt interviews Charles Henry, the President of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) , a non-profit organization that works with libraries, cultural institutions, and higher learning communities to improve research, teaching, and learning environments through the digitization and preservation of cultural heritage. Charles believes preserving cultural heritage connects us with hu...

Matt is joined by recurring guest co-host Dan Walsh of Vala Alta Check them out on Tiktok an Instagram @Vala_Alta. They talk about a weedkiller ingredient found in 80% of human urine samples ( ‘Disturbing’: weedkiller ingredient tied to cancer found in 80% of US urine samples | US news | The Guardian ), The proposed Willow oil project ( Biden Administration Signals Support for Controversial Alaska...

Matt and Giselle talk about California placing recycling costs on plastic producers ( California Requires Plastics Makers to Foot the Bill for Recycling - The New York Times (nytimes.com) ), Canada’s ban on grocery bags, takeout containers, and stir sticks ( Canada is banning the sale, production and import of some single-use plastics | Engadget ), High amount of plastic in Asian elephant diet in...

Matt and Giselle talk about the link between birds and wildfires ( How an Electrocuted Bird Might Start a Wildfire - The New York Times (nytimes.com) ), Cooling earth through reflecting sunlight ( MIT proposes Brazil-sized fleet of “space bubbles” to cool the Earth (freethink.com) ), How scientists and fishers are working together to protect overfished sharks ( A shark 'superhighway' is being prot...

Matt and Nick talk about a sustainable leather made from invasive fish species ( Fish leather is here, it’s sustainable – and it’s made from invasive species to boot | Invasive species | The Guardian ) And a power, internet, and cell service outage in Northern British Columbia caused by one single beaver ( What caused B.C. power outage? | CTV News )! Trigger Warning: Matt and Nick start the show b...

Matt and Nick talk about Beam Suntory’s sustainability goals ( Beam Suntory's $1 Billion Mission Toward Sustainable and Socially-Conscious Spirits (c3newsmag.com) ) Climate change intensifying droughts and making wildfires worse ( How climate change is making fires worse | The Hill ), A probe launched to determine the cause of turtles and dolphins found dead off Guatemala's Pacific Coast ( Dozens...

Checking in with a quick bonus episode to explain the history of today's ruling. This is a supercut of our March 28th episode, where Matt and Giselle went over the U.S. Supreme Court hearing oral arguments that could weaken the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to mitigate climate change. Source material for today’s show: Supreme Court limits EPA in curbing power plant emissions | AP News...

Matt and Nick talk about the Dust Bowl, and how unsustainable agriculture, the Great Depression, and population growth led to this phenomenon in the Midwest. After the break, they discuss how something similar is currently happening in Salt Lake City, Utah. The reasons may be different, but the current situation also poses a serious threat to public health and the local environment.. Sources for t...