The Climate Pod

This week, actor Rainn Wilson joins the show to discuss his new docuseries with SoulPancake, "An Idiot's Guide To Climate Change." We discuss how he became passionate about the climate crisis, what he wanted to explore in the series, and what he and the SoulPancake team hope to accomplish with it. Then, Kathy Baughman McLeod, Director of the Adrienne Arsht–Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center at the Atlantic Council, joins to talk about naming heatwaves. She helps us better understand the danger of extreme heat and how to raise awareness on the issue. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss Hurricane Laura, updates on the California wildfires, and the New South Wales (NSW) Bushfire Inquiry report, and something about Exxon Mobil and the Dow Jones that Brock didn't entirely understand. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to our new YouTube channel! Further Reading: Laura is now a hurricane and is forecast to strengthen more before hitting the Gulf Coast Australian bushfires likely to happen again -- and they could be even worse, inquiry warns California Has Australian Problems Now Exxon Mobil Exits: The Dow Drops Its Oldest Member

With wildfires breaking out in the western United States, we talk to reporter Lizzie Johnson at the SF Chronicle and Dr. Daniel Swain, climate scientist at UCLA and author of the Weather West blog, about the epicenter of the devastation in California. We discuss the conditions that caused the fire, the stress on firefighting resources, how long-term climate disruption is leading to more intense, prolonged fires, and how residents are coping with the devastation. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to our new YouTube channel! Further Reading: Over 1 million California acres have burned since July as monster fires rage in Bay Area How Can We Plan for the Future in California? Colorado wildfires update Record heat, unprecedented lightning fire siege in Northern California; more dry lightning to come Northern California 'drastically short' of firefighters while an onslaught of blazes rages

This week, the DNC held the first-ever virtual convention by a major party. Meanwhile, for the climate crisis, the week of was both historic and eventful. We dig into all of it - from Calimari Man to the DNC platform controversy to the amazing climate advocacy on display during the convention - with four exceptional experts fighting for climate action. Featuring: Lori Lodes, Executive Director of Climate Power 2020 Danielle Deiseroth, Climate Data Analyst for Data for Progress Mattias Lehman, Digital Director of Sunrise Movement Sam Ricketts, Senior Fellow at CAP Energy Policy and Co-Founder of Evergreen Action As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to our new YouTube channel! Learn more about these organizations: https://www.climatepower2020.org/ https://www.dataforprogress.org/ https://evergreenaction.com/ https://www.sunrisemovement.org/

This week, author and climate activist Jamie Margolin joins the show to talk about her new book, Youth to Power. We discuss how she found her voice in activism, how the youth movement is help powering climate action, what it's been like dealing with politicians, and activism in the COVID era. Then, Dr. Michalea King joins the show to discuss being the lead author on a new study on the Greenland Ice Sheet. What does it mean if the ice sheet has hit the "point of no return"? We dig into the science. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss wild temperatures in Death Valley and a new study on air pollution. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to our new YouTube channel! Further Reading: Buy Youth to Power by Jamie Margolin World Economic Forum: 2020 set to be first or second warmest year on record Excessive Heat Awareness Future of Human Climate Niche Ditching fossil fuels would pay for itself through clean air alone By David Roberts Death Valley reaches 130 degrees, hottest temperature in U.S. in at least 107 years by Jeff Berardelli

This week, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist, former public health official, host of the "America Dissected" podcast, and author of "Healing Politics", joins the show to explain why understanding the climate crisis is essential for a better health care system. We discuss the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, an excellent episode on his podcast he recently did on his podcast, "Environmental Justice & COVID-19," and much more. Then, Outside Magazine columnist Wes Siler explains exactly how Republican politicians aim to transfer public lands into private ownership. We also discuss his recent piece on the inconsistent mask regulations at national parks, and he even gives us a tip about bears. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss methane rollbacks going into effect, Canada's ice shelf breakup, and the Mauritius oil spill. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to our new YouTube channel! Further Reading: Pre-order Dr. El-Sayed's next book with Micah Johnson, "Medicare for All: A Citizen's Guide"

This week, we talk to Australian reporter Graham Readfearn, who's part of an incredible environment and climate team at The Guardian Australia that is putting together the remarkable series "After the bushfires." We discuss what scientists have discovered regarding the devastating impacts to Australia's wildlife, biodiversity, and natural habitat, and how Australians are coping with the back-to-back disasters now that COVID-19 has hit and another bushfire season looms. We also finish talking about Graham's incredible wildlife feature story about a love story that rose from the ashes of the disaster. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the New York Times' reporting on the flooding in Bangladesh. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to our new YouTube channel! Further Reading: Australia after the bushfires by Graham Readfearn Life and death: what readers in Australia are seeing post-bushfires by Phoebe Weston and Guardian Readers Australia's environment in unsustainable state of decline, major review finds by Lisa Cox Support The Guardian Past Episodes on The Bushfires Australia is Burning, Pt. 1 - The Wildlife Crisis (w/ WWF Australia's Dr. Stuart Blanch) Australia is Burning, Pt. 2 - Widespread Damage and Misinformation (w/ Earther's Brian Kahn, and UNSW's Dr. Bin Jalaludin and Dr. Stuart Khan) Dr. Michael Mann on the Australian Bushfires and Combating Climate Denial in Australia Bushfires Breakout in New South Wales (w/ Peter Hannam of The Sydney Morning Herald)

This week, we're joined by Eric Holthaus, meteorologist and writer, to talk about his new book "The Future Earth." Eric shares his radical vision for what he expects in the coming decades, explains how the book came to be, and identifies what is most lacking right now. We also discuss how the future he lays out in the book seems even more relevant during the current pandemic. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss Lisa Friedman's piece "E.P.A. Inspector General to Investigate Trump's Biggest Climate Rollback" and a new report on climate sensitivity. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to our new YouTube channel! Thank you to our sponsor Hero Power. Learn more about Hero Power's nationwide Solar Share program. Buy "The Future Earth" by Eric Holthaus

This week, Tom Steyer joins the show again to talk about his new role as chairman of Joe Biden's Climate Engagement Advisory Council and get his thoughts on the vice president's new climate plan. We also discuss how to drive climate-concerned voters to the polls, what he's learned founding and working with NextGen America, and how he plans to help win down ballot races with GiveGreen. Then, world-renowned climate scientist Dr. Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, explains why he's deeply concerned with new climate modeling data that could suggest greater climate sensitivity to carbon emissions and faster global warming as a result. Dr. Rockström explains how we should react and why 2020 is still a super year for climate action. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss their reaction to Biden's climate plan. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to our new YouTube channel! Thank you to our sponsor Hero Power. Learn more about Hero Power's nationwide Solar Share program. Further Reading: The Gap in Joe Biden's $2 Trillion Climate Plan Reveals the Biggest Fight to Come by Brian Kahn Joe Biden has endorsed the Green New Deal in all but name by Julian Brave NoiseCat

This week, Bill Nye joins the podcast to talk about the importance of sticking to science when it comes to handling the current pandemic and understanding how to address the climate crisis. We discuss his podcast Science Rules! with Bill Nye, how he became passionate about climate issues, what he thinks of social media, battling science skeptics, and that amazing appearance on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Then, Wawu Gatheru joins the show to talk about her piece in VICE, "It's Time for Environmental Studies to Own Up to Erasing Black People." She tells us how environmental scholarship often excludes Black people, what a better climate and environmental movement need, and how we should fight against Black criminalization in nature. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss Emily Atkin's conversation with Jamie Margolin and former Gov. John Kasich and Hiroko Tabuchi's piece "Fracking Firms Fail, Rewarding Executives and Raising Climate Fears." As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to our new YouTube channel! Thank you to our sponsor Hero Power. Learn more about Hero Power's nationwide Solar Share program.

This week, John Podesta, former White House Chief of Staff and founder of the Center for American Progress, joins the show to talk about Climate Power 2020's memo on President Trump's electoral weakness on climate change. We also discuss Facebook's failure to stop climate misinformation and the Democrats can win back power and pass meaningful legislation. Then, Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) , Chair of the House Committee on the Climate Crisis, joins the show to discuss the House Democrats' massive climate plan released last week. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the big pipeline defeats and what it could mean going forward. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Thank you to our sponsor Hero Power. Learn more about Hero Power's nationwide Solar Share program.