Drilled
Pushkin Industries
Drilled is a true-crime climate change podcast exposing how corporate corruption and political operatives built decades of climate denial and delay. Hosted and reported by award-winning investigative climate journalists and led by Amy Westervelt, each season unravels new evidence of deception, disinformation, and the power structures keeping real climate solutions out of reach.
In September 2025, a group of Brazilian ministers trekked all the way to chilly North Dakota to see a presentation on a new type of clean energy project, one that promised to help them deliver Brazilian President Lula’s dream of turning Brazil into “the Saudi Arabia of sustainable aviation fuels.” It was the latest in a string of projects from Midwest Republican kingmaker and corn ethanol magnate Bruce Rastetter, whose investments in Brazil might just transform him into a global carbon czar, even as his Summit pipeline carbon project faces fierce opposition from Iowa to North Dakota. The problem? It all requires loads of land and none of it does a thing about climate change.
In September 2025, a group of Brazilian ministers trekked all the way to chilly North Dakota to see a presentation on a new type of clean energy project, one that promised to help them deliver Brazilian President Lula’s dream of turning Brazil into “the Saudi Arabia of sustainable aviation fuels.” It was the latest in a string of projects from Midwest Republican kingmaker and corn ethanol magnate Bruce Rastetter, whose investments in Brazil might just transform him into a global carbon czar, even as his Summit pipeline carbon project faces fierce opposition from Iowa to North Dakota. The problem? It all requires loads of land and none of it does a thing about climate change.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 5, 2023 • 42min
Modern-Day Bead Trading: How the Fossil Fuel Industry Co-opts Indigenous Protest in Canada
In this podcast, reporter Martha Troian explores the ongoing battle between the Wet'suwet'en people and the fossil fuel industry in Canada. The podcast discusses the confrontation and arrests at the protest camp, the refusal to acknowledge indigenous decisions on building the pipeline, the use of court-ordered injunctions to suppress indigenous rights, the concerning issue of the strength of indigenous groups' legal position in Canada, and the determination of the land defenders to reclaim their territory.
Nov 14, 2023 • 35min
Living on the Frontlines of War and Climate Crisis: Abeer Butmeh in Palestine
Abeer Butmeh, coordinator of the Palestinian NGOs Network, discusses battling for survival when your identity is criminalized. Topics include Israeli settlements, movement restrictions, blockades in Gaza, power dynamics, environmental impact of the occupation, and challenges faced by Palestinian environmental defenders.
Nov 1, 2023 • 1h 13min
Messy Conversations: Magatte Wade on Africa, Climate, and Free Speech
Magatte Wade, who runs the Center for African Prosperity at the Atlas Network, discusses the relationship between poverty, climate crisis, and free speech. They explore indigenous land control, energy poverty, and the need for collaboration in Africa's development. The podcast also delves into the conflict between activists and the Atlas network regarding free speech and property rights.
Oct 17, 2023 • 32min
The Tomato Soup “Controversy”: Do Disruptive Climate Protests Actually Work?
Climate activism has shifted over the past few years—it's more constant now and includes more direct action than ever before. Some of that action has sparked backlash from critics, including climate scientists and advocates, worried that protest will turn the public away from the urgent need to act on the climate crisis. Social science researchers who study structural change and protest say there's no evidence to back up that fear and that the only time social movements have ever affected change is when they've been wildly disruptive. We hear from social scientists on how radical or not climate protests really are, and what factors make direct action work or fail. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 10, 2023 • 28min
Why Indigenous Land Defenders Face Repression
Explore the ongoing fight to protect native land and water rights, with a focus on the events leading up to the Standing Rock protests. Highlight the struggles of the Uruwawa people in the Brazilian Amazon to protect their land from agribusiness and logging. Examine the history and impact of the Doctrine of Discovery, a legal doctrine used to justify land seizure from Indigenous peoples. Discover the concept of Tera Nellius and the use of drones to safeguard Indigenous territories.
Oct 9, 2023 • 27min
Guyana Gas-to-Energy Project: Who Really Benefits?
A critical analysis of Guyana's Gas to Energy project, questioning its necessity and highlighting potential risks. Issues with government's working assumption and lack of planning, resulting in an unreliable energy system. Discussion on the possibility of building petrochemical facilities in Guyana and challenges of oversupply in the single-use plastics market. Questioning the electricity needs in Guyana and doubting the necessity of a gas plant.
Oct 3, 2023 • 50min
Joanna Smith on "Conspiring Against the United States" with Fingerpaint
Joanna Smith, activist who vandalized a Degas statue, discusses her arrest for protesting the climate crisis and the unexpected felony charges she faced. The podcast explores the criminalization of protests and highlights the admirable commitment and sacrifices of activists. It also delves into the importance of recognizing activists as normal people with reasonable concerns. Additionally, the episode touches on shifting capital towards a carbon-free future, protest actions, media coverage, and the speaker's personal circumstances that allow them to advocate for change.
Sep 26, 2023 • 31min
Living with Loss: Climate Damage in Nigeria
Explore the impact of extreme seasonal flooding in Nigeria's Niger Delta region, highlighting the resilience of flood survivors and their struggle with rebuilding after natural disasters. Learn about the challenges faced by communities, the cycle of damage and repair, and the need for climate justice and local climate solutions amidst discussions on fossil fuel development in Africa.
Sep 19, 2023 • 43min
How Think Tanks Paved the Way to Criminalize Climate Protest
Journalists from Drilled and DeSmog discuss the global network of libertarian think tanks and their influence in vilifying climate protestors. The podcast explores the origins of a climate group in Germany, the role of the Montpelleran Society in climate protests, the influence of think tanks in shaping public opinion, and the spread of climate denial through the Atlas Network.
Sep 11, 2023 • 22min
Vietnam's Tax Evasion Charges Are Used to Jail Climate Activists
The podcast explores the use of trumped-up tax evasion charges in Vietnam to suppress civil society groups and imprison climate activists. It discusses the political motives behind the charges, the impact on open debate, and President Biden's visit. The chapters cover the imprisonment of activists, the lack of democratic control in Vietnam, the criminalization of climate activism, and the alarming increase in human rights abuses.
