The Sweaty Penguin

A few months ago, The Guardian did a five-month investigation into  “carbon bombs,”  or fossil fuel projects that would, over the course of their life, emit over one billion tons of carbon. They found that there are 195 planned oil and gas carbon bombs around the world, and if they proceed as planned, these projects alone would blow past internationally agreed upon climate targets. For o...

The 49-day period between July 3 and August 21 (when this episode was recorded) marks the third longest gap between named Atlantic tropical storms since 1995. Does this uncharacteristically slow start to hurricane season disprove climate change? Not at all. Ethan breaks down why 2022 has been a lucky year up to this point and how climate advocates could bring more nuance and sensitivity to the hur...

Cryptocurrency has been quite the trend in recent years. There are over 19,000 cryptocurrencies circulating around the world right now, and in 2021, the global market value of cryptocurrency doubled. But some coins have turned out to be major energy sucks, impacting the global climate and many local communities. Bitcoin alone uses 150 terra-watt hours of electricity per year, which is more than th...

The spotted lanternfly — an insect native to Asia — has invaded fourteen states mostly in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The pest is not toxic to humans, but threatens many important plants and crops, including apple trees, cherry trees, peach trees, and grapevines. Ethan breaks down the latest on this invasive species and contemplates if the issue is being...

Monarch butterflies are a scientifically unique, economically valuable, and culturally significant species. But due to climate change, habitat loss, pesticides, and more, Monarchs are under threat. In fact, just a couple weeks ago, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature officially declared the Monarch butterfly an endangered species. Today, we explore why Monarch butterflies are im...

Last weekend, the Inflation Reduction Act passed the Senate in a 51 to 50 vote. The bill would invest an estimated 369 billion dollars into climate change and energy security over the next ten years. Ethan breaks down what the bill aims to do and what climate change and inflation (in theory) have to do with each other in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.” The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril an...

A few months ago, The Guardian did a five-month investigation into  “carbon bombs,”  or fossil fuel projects that would, over the course of their life, emit over one billion tons of carbon. They found that there are 195 planned oil and gas carbon bombs around the world, and if they proceed as planned, these projects alone would blow past internationally agreed upon climate targets. One p...

Among a flurry of major climate news stories last week, one really big one failed to make front page news. The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution declaring that access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a universal human right. Ethan breaks down the significance of this resolution and considers the impact of this odd lack of news coverage in this week’s “Tip of th...

Skiing is a really popular sport around the world, with 6,116 ski resorts worldwide. In the United States, ski and snowboarding resorts are a 3 billion dollar industry. But due to climate change, winters are getting shorter and many regions are feeling a reduction in snowfall, putting ski resorts in a tricky situation. Artificial snowmaking has served as the primary adaptation for the time being,...

Last week saw a list of climate misconceptions floating around the Internet, including a story that 90% of Atlantic Ocean plankton had disappeared, a suggestion that a national emergency on climate would lead the country back into lockdown, text from a 1922 Washington Post article on ice loss in the Arctic, and the idea that this summer’s heat waves have been nothing out of the ordinary. Ethan bre...

Almonds have become the world’s most popular nut, and with almond milk on the rise, that demand is only expected to grow. But 80% of the world’s almonds are grown in California, where drought, climate change, and the loss of honeybees have made it increasingly difficult for the industry to keep up. Today, we explore the relationship between almonds and their environment and consider how this impor...

July heat waves have persisted all over the world, leading to health issues, casualties, and a slew of other issues. The media is covering these events, but are they taking them seriously enough? Are they identifying the links to climate change? Ethan breaks down some analyses from Media Matters and Columbia Journalism Review and contemplates where the news may be falling short in this week’s “Tip...

A few months ago, The Guardian did a five-month investigation into “carbon bombs,” or fossil fuel projects that would, over the course of their life, emit over one billion tons of carbon. They found that there are 195 planned oil and gas carbon bombs around the world, and if they proceed as planned, these projects alone would blow past internationally agreed upon climate targets. Six of those proj...

Last week, 50,000 people in and around Sydney, Australia were ordered to evacuate their homes as eight months worth of rain hit the region in about four days. The magnitude of this flood prompted a TikTok conspiracy theory that the Australian government was controlling the weather via a process called cloud seeding. Ethan breaks down why cloud seeding can’t really drive a flood of this magnitude,...

The United States has seen numerous waves of lost honeybee colonies in the last few decades, most recently between April 2020 and April 2021 where beekeepers in the United States lost 45.5 percent of their managed honeybee colonies. Bees are facing numerous threats from pesticides, infestations, climate change, and more, and these population declines have a major impact on the agriculture sector,...

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its authority in regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. How was this ruling decided, and what was its significance for future climate policy in the United States? Ethan walks through a history of some of the regulations and precedents that played into the West Virginia v. EPA and reflect...

Dairy is the fifth largest provider of energy and third largest protein source that humans consume. It is also a key source of macronutrients such as calcium and magnesium and micronutrients such as selenium and riboflavin. But for many in the climate world, dairy has come under scrutiny due to carbon dioxide and methane emissions from belching, manure, and land use. Today, we explore what environ...

The 2022 baby formula shortage isn’t a climate topic in itself, but given that climate change exacerbates issues of food and water insecurity, observing the United States’ response to this food emergency can provide insights for how prepared we are for the all-but-certain food emergencies in our future. During Covering Climate Now’s Joint Coverage Week on Food & Water, Ethan reflects on the ba...

Over recent years, terms such as “climate anxiety” and “eco-anxiety” have become more and more prominent. According to Pew Research Center, 51% of social media users said they felt anxious about the future after viewing climate content. That number goes up to 59% for millennials and 69% for Gen-Z. Today, we explore where this anxiety can come from, how it might manifest, and where we go from here....

Last week, Milwaukee hit a record June high of 109°F. North Platte, Nebraska hit a June record of 108°F. Phoenix hit 114°F. Death Valley hit 123°F. And to boot, there were 30 active wildfires in various parts of the United States. Ethan reflects on the brutal weather entering summer 2022 in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.” The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initi...

Seasons 2, 3, and 4 of The Sweaty Penguin each ended with a Kahoot competition, and now, the three winners face off in the Winners’ Circle. Which of our team members is the true expert on all things climate? See how much you remember from the podcast and listen to us crown the ULTIMATE Sweaty Penguin Kahoot champion. Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as littl...

In the first ever Ethan-less episode, Producers Shannon Damiano and Megan Crimmins sit down for a conversation about the children’s book “What Is Climate Change.” Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at  patreon.com/thesweatypenguin .

Known for their monogamous relationships and male pregnancies, the seahorse was the Ocean Conservancy’s 2019 Father of the Year. But due to fishing for traditional medicine, curios, and aquariums, the ocean’s superdad is under threat, and climate change only stands to make matters worse. Today, we explore why seahorses are important, what factors have driven steep population declines in several se...

Climate ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union met last week and released a communiqué with some new goals and commitments for addressing climate change. The agreement could shift about 33 billion dollars per year from fossil fuels to clean energy sources, and as part of that, there was a pledge to end taxpayer funding fo...

Believe it or not, “overpopulation” is not the cause of all the world’s environmental woes. Saying so would be to deny the notion that humans can live sustainably. But the idea that the world is overpopulated has gained a lot of traction regardless, and has led to some disastrous policy attempts around the world to limit population growth. This week, we explore where the idea of overpopulation cam...