The Sweaty Penguin

For drought-stricken regions of the world such as India, Australia, West Africa, and the American Southwest, the monsoon rainfall is a welcome gift. But as climate change worsens, the amount of rain may increase, and the actual rainstorms may become less frequent and more severe, leading to less water retention, damage, and even casualties. This week, we explore what monsoons are, how climate chan...

A close relative of the manatee found in the Indo-Pacific, dugongs are a hit for tourists and an important part of coastal marine ecosystems. But between climate change, harmful fishing practices, and a host of other issues, dugongs are under threat. Today, we’ll dive into the challenges facing dugongs, why dugongs matter, and what we can do to protect them. With special guest Dr. Alana Grech: Ass...

From trees to green roofs to rain gardens, urban greenspace provides a laundry list of environmental, economic, health, and social benefits to their communities. But between upfront costs and regulatory hurdles, missed opportunities for synergies, and a track record of being unequally distributed, urban greenspace has yet to reach its full potential. Today, we’ll discuss why urban greenspace can b...

As cute plants that survive on very little water, succulents are rapidly gaining popularity as houseplants. But despite their ability to live with minimal water and inhospitable conditions, many succulent species are actually threatened or endangered, facing challenges from climate change, habitat loss, and a global illegal trade market where rare succulents can be poached and sold for up to $1,00...

Our interview segments in our episodes usually last around 15 minutes, but did you know Ethan talks to the experts for a full half hour? This week, we bring you a behind the scenes look at the FULL interview from one of our top downloaded episodes: “37. Corn” with Dr. Natalie Hunt Enjoy this extended cut? Every month, we are now releasing a new exclusive extended cut for our Patreon supporters ($1...

Our interview segments in our episodes usually last around 15 minutes, but did you know Ethan talks to the experts for a full half hour? This week, we bring you a behind the scenes look at the FULL interview from one of our top downloaded episodes: “42. Brownfields and Superfund Sites” with Dr. Lemir Teron. Enjoy this extended cut? We’ve got our first patron-only extended cut coming out on Monday,...

After some of the latest environmental news updates, Ethan sits down with Leo Brother and Velina Georgi for a bipartisan conversation on episode 33: “Plastic Straws.” Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin .

Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons lead to lost homes, wrecked environments, billions in cleanup costs, and even fatalities. And as climate change worsens, these storms are worsening too. Today, we’ll take a look at how tropical cyclones are formed, how climate change is affecting them, and how we can work to minimize the destruction they cause. With special guest Dr. Suzana Camargo: Marie Tharp L...

It’s hard to pass policies that aggressively address climate change, public health, and other environmental issues. So when a country does pass them, it’s all the more frustrating that more and more frequently, multinational corporations sue them through an international investment court system for millions, even billions of dollars. And since these cases are decided behind closed doors by a group...

After a scientist found a plastic straw lodged in a sea turtle’s nose, sea turtles rose to fame in the environmental world, and became the mascots of anti-plastic campaigns. But the issues facing sea turtles go well beyond plastic. Today, we’ll take a look at how sea turtles are impacted by climate change, commercial fishing, illegal trade, and more issues, what sea turtles mean for our oceans and...

Chickens might not burp and fart methane like cows do, but raising and feeding them still has a significant impact on the climate. And on top of that, chicken production currently faces issues ranging from waste management to antibiotic resistance to a business model that impedes free market competition and places huge burdens on farmers often driving them to bankruptcy. Today, we take a look at t...

After some of the latest environmental news updates, Ethan sits down with Christian Alberga and Matt Grottkau for a bipartisan conversation on episode 37: “Corn.” Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin .

Ultraviolet radiation has a few upsides in small quantities, but too much can cause a slew of health effects from sunburns to skin aging to even skin and eye cancer. Luckily, due to an unprecedented international treaty called the Montreal Protocol, the issue is improving, but as climate change worsens, there are still some reasons to be concerned. Today, we discuss where we’re at now with UV, wha...

Though we might not think about it much, seagrass is really important. It provides food and shelter for many fish and crustaceans, a source of oxygen for the ocean, and a special ability to absorb carbon that makes it an even more efficient carbon sink than forests. But due to temperature changes, extreme weather, agricultural runoff, and other human activities, seagrass populations are declining...

As one of the world’s largest international organizations, the World Bank’s economic development activities have far reaching implications for the environment. Of course, the World Bank has done plenty to help the environment, but they also fund projects that contribute to fossil fuel growth, biodiversity loss, and land degradation, all while preaching a steadfast commitment to climate change miti...

There isn’t anything inherently bad about tea, but the current tea agriculture system faces a number of issues, from excessive pesticide use to deforestation to extremely inhumane working conditions. And as climate change progresses, tea flavor and antioxidant content is worsening, tea yields themselves are decreasing, and the aforementioned environmental and human rights issues are poised to wors...

After some of the latest environmental news updates, Ethan sits down with Christian Alberga and Matt Grottkau for a bipartisan conversation on episode 30: “International Accountability.” Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin .

While climate change threatens most marine species, jellyfish could be poised to come out stronger than ever. Research remains ongoing, but many scientists suggest the populations of certain species of jellyfish could be increasing, which could lead to more harmful stings, impeded tourism and fishing industries, and disrupted marine ecosystems. Today, we explore what we know about jellyfish so far...

Happy belated Earth Day, and happy almost one year anniversary of The Sweaty Penguin! Earth Day is a special holiday for many reasons, one of which being that it is organized by an NGO, or nongovernmental organization. And there are an estimated 10 million NGOs around the world working on a range of causes, with a prime one being climate change. However, on top of a long list of documented success...

From old petroleum sites to chemical dumping grounds, toxic waste sites are disproportionately located in low income and minority communities, and carry lots of adverse health and environmental impacts. And today, climate change threatens to make it even worse, with floods, hurricanes, and wildfires ravaging brownfields and spreading toxins into these communities. Today, we cover what brownfields...

It’s in the news all the time, but what actually is fracking, and why is it under such heavy scrutiny? To kick off season three, we’re diving into one of the most high profile climate issues, examine how fracking adversely impacts climate, water, land, health, justice, and the economy, and considering some directions we can go to improve the practice and/or sensibly transition away from it. With s...

Sometimes, climate change IS a laughing matter. Every week, The Sweaty Penguin cuts through the noise and the doom-and-gloom of the climate conversation with late-night-comedy-style monologues and in-depth conversations with leading global experts on a variety of environmental issues. Through a nonpartisan approach, The Sweaty Penguin makes environmental issues less overwhelming and politicized an...

After some of the latest environmental news updates, Ethan sits down with The Sweaty Penguin’s Producers Shannon Damiano, Frank Hernandez, and Caroline Koehl to recap season 2. They’ll share favorite episodes, biggest takeaways, best behind the scenes moments, plus a surprise bonus segment and some exciting updates about season 3.

When we talk about natural resource issues whether they be food, water, energy, land, or materials, we typically discuss them one at a time and craft policy for them one at a time. Because of that, it’s easy to forget that all these resources are interconnected and interdependent. As climate change worsens, those interconnections become more important than ever, as resource scarcity issues can lea...

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world, home to 427 mammal species, 1,300 bird species, 378 reptile species, over 400 amphibian species, and 30 million people. It’s also a massive carbon sink, pulling an amount of CO2 out of the atmosphere that’s equivalent to around three years worth of global emissions. But due to cattle ranching and soybean farming among other industries,...