The Climate Pod

This week, we look at the growing issue of plastics with Sharon Lerner of The Intercept. She explains how little plastic we recycle, how the plastics industry fights meaningful change, and the threat to our health and climate that we face because of plastics. Then, we talk to Danny Richter, vice president of government affairs at Citizens' Climate Lobby, about the value of bipartisanship in climate legislation and how to turn climate change into a bridge issue instead of a wedge issue. Danny also provides us with an update on the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. 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! Follow Sharon Lerner on Twitter @fastlerner Follow Citizens' Climate Lobby on Twitter @citizensclimate For more information on the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act: https://citizensclimatelobby.org/energy-innovation-and-carbon-dividend-act/ Further Reading: The Plastic Industry's Long Fight To Blame Pollution On You: https://theintercept.com/2019/10/03/plastics-industry-plastic-pollution/ How the Plastics Industry is Fighting to Keep Polluting The World: https://theintercept.com/2019/07/20/plastics-industry-plastic-recycling/

Dr. Andrea Dutton and Dr. Stacy Jupiter, two MacArthur "Genius" Fellows (just named last week!), join the podcast this week to talk about their research and careers, what it was like to receive this incredible honor, and how this grant will impact their careers. We also get their take on last week's IPCC report on the state of our oceans. Plus, Dusty Baker, legendary baseball manager, player, and now, solar entrepreneur, talks to us about why he got into the renewable energy business (and also a little baseball...because, hey, it's October!). 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! Follow Dr. Andrea Dutton on Twitter @DrAndreaDutton Follow Dr. Stacy Jupiter on Twitter @StacyDJupiter The MacArthur Fellow video profile on Dr. Andrea Dutton: https://www.macfound.org/fellows/1035/ The MacArthur Fellow video profile on Dr. Stacy Jupiter: https://www.macfound.org/fellows/1041/ For more info on the Baker Energy Team: https://www.bakerenergyteam.com/ Further Reading: The Oceans We Know Won't Survive Climate Change (by Robinson Meyer at The Atlantic): https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/09/ipcc-sea-level-rise-report/598765/ The IPCC's "Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate" https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/home/

It's Climate Week! We're back from the Climate Strike in Chicago to share conversations with some amazing activists and entertainers doing their part in the fight for a better planet. First, we talk to writer/producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach ("Lost," "The Middleman") about working on the new Netflix show, "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance." He talks about the show's deliberate climate change themes, the legacy of Jim Henson, and even shares an amazing Mark Hamill story. Then, we talk to Glenn Hurowitz, CEO of Mighty Earth, about the international corporations that are tied to the deforestation and burning in the Amazon. He discusses what these companies are doing to make the problem worse and how consumers can help push back. In Chicago, we talk to members of Climate Reality Chicago, the Illinois Environmental Council, and the contemporary ensemble Lakeshore Rush. 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! Follow the Javier Grillo-Marxuach on Twitter @OKBJGM Follow Glenn Hurowitz on Twitter @glennhurowitz Follow Mighty Earth on Twitter @StandMighty Follow Climate Reality Chicago on Twitter @realitychicago Follow the Illinois Environmental Council on Twitter @ilenviro Learn more about Lakeshore Rush: http://www.lakeshorerush.com/ and follow Lakeshore Rush on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakeshore_rush/ Further Reading: Deforestation Continues Because Companies Aren't Trying http://www.mightyearth.org/deforestation-continues-because-companies-arent-trying/

This is a big week! On Friday, activists across 150 countries will join #ClimateStrike. We discuss our plans for the climate protest and talk to 350's Thanu Yakupitiyage, who is the epitome of cool, about climate activism and expressing beliefs through art. Then, we chat with Cassie Flynn of United Nations Development about the UN Climate Action Summit 2019, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, The Paris Agreement, and how to get really important world leaders to agree on major climate initiatives. She's brilliant and this was fun. 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! Follow Cassie Flynn on Twitter @cassie_flynn Follow Thanu Yakupitiyage on Twitter @ty_ushka Learn more about The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld Check out the trailer's for Thanu Yakupitiyage's MigrantScape: http://www.migrantscape.com/ NBC News, "Thanu Yakupitiyage Is Amplifying Sounds, Immigrant Voices" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/thanu-yakupitiyage-amplifying-sounds-immigrant-voices-n600761 NPR, "EPA Makes Rollback Of Clean Water Rules Official, Repealing 2015 Protections" https://www.npr.org/2019/09/12/760203456/epa-makes-rollback-of-clean-water-rules-official-repealing-2015-protections Thanu Yakupitiyage, "If You Care About Climate Change, You Should Care About Anti-Immigrant Policy" https://350.org/climate-change-and-immigration/

Two great guests this week! First, Leslie Fields, senior director of environmental justice and healthy communities for The Sierra Club, joins the show to talk about how The Equitable and Just Climate Platform aims to help those most impacted by climate change. Then, John Schwartz, science writer for The New York Times, reviews his reporting on how climate change affected Hurricane Dorian, what scientists fear most with increasingly intensifying storms, and tries to untangle this very strange situation occurring at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Ty and Brock also talk climate denial and, after Jonathan Franzen melted Climate Twitter with his piece in The New Yorker, irrational climate pessimism. 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! Follow the Sierra Club on Twitter @SierraClub Follow John Schwartz on Twitter @jswatz Further Reading: Learn more about the Equitable and Just Climate Platform here: https://ajustclimate.org/ John Schwartz in the New York Times, "How Has Climate Change Affected Hurricane Dorian" https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/03/climate/hurricane-dorian-climate-change.html NOAA Chief, Defending Trump on Dorian, Also Tries to Buoy Scientists https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/10/climate/neil-jacobs-noaa-hurricane-dorian.html Commerce Chief Threatened Firings at NOAA After Trump's Dorian Tweets, Sources Say https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/09/climate/hurricane-dorian-trump-tweet.html What on EARTH?! Newsletter: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/455050/

CNN hosted a 7-hour #ClimateTownHall on Wednesday night. We watched all of it. To review the marathon climate discussion with us, we have Buzzfeed's Zahra Hirji. And to talk about her breaking news story that rocked the Climate Town Hall, The Intercept's Akela Lacy joins the show. She finally settles the Joe Biden Fossil Fuel Fundraiser controversy once and for all. 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! Follow Zahra Hirji on Twitter @Zhirji28 Follow Akela Lacy on Twitter @akela_lacy Further Reading: Read Zahra's recap of the Town Hall: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/democratic-presidential-candidates-are-embracing-bigger Read Akela's breaking news on the Biden fundraiser: https://theintercept.com/2019/09/04/after-climate-forum-biden-heads-to-a-fundraiser-co-hosted-by-a-fossil-fuel-executive/

Last week, the Trump Administration announced rollbacks to Obama-era regulations on methane emissions. What's happening? Why is this so bad? What can be done about it? We're joined this week by Earther's Yessenia Funes and Environmental Defense Fund's Ben Ratner to discuss the changes and to answer those questions. Also, we review updates on the Amazon wildfire recovery and discuss rain forest protections in the United States. 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! Follow Yessenia Funes on Twitter @yessfun Follow Ben Ratner on Twitter @ratnerben Further Reading: Read Yessenia's piece on California's incarcerated fire fighters: https://earther.gizmodo.com/california-is-blaming-prison-reform-for-incarcerated-fi-1837612038 Read Yessenia's piece on the rollback of methane regulations: https://earther.gizmodo.com/trump-epa-moves-to-gut-clean-air-act-by-deregulating-a-1837705618 Read the New York Times' piece (where Ben is quoted) on last week's decision by Trump's EPA: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/29/climate/epa-methane-greenhouse-gas.html

This week we discuss the horrific, human-caused fires burning in the Amazon, and National Geographic's Natasha Daly tells us how the millions of plant and animal species living in the world's largest tropical rainforest are affected by these fires. Next, we talk to Dr. Miriam Goldstein, the Director of Ocean Policy at the Center for American Progress, about all the ways that humans are negatively impacting the ocean and the species that call it home. Chad the Bird is back this week to talk about algae blooms in Lake Eerie. As always, follow us on @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! Follow Dr. Miriam Goldstein on Twitter @miriamgoldste Follow Natasha Daly on Twitter @natashaldaly Further Reading: Read Natasha Daly's piece on the plight of wildlife in the Amazon fires: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/08/how-the-amazon-rainforest-wildfires-will-affect-wild-animals/ Read Aaron Mak's coverage of the Amazon fires: https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/the-amazon-fires-what-you-need-to-know.html

This is a wide-ranging and wonderful episode. First, we are joined by Earther's Brian Kahn to talk about ecofascism and the dangerous discourse occurring around climate around the globe. Then, we ask Vox's David Roberts a whole lot of energy policy questions that span carbon taxes, electric vehicles, renewable energy goals, the filibuster, The Green New Deal, Waxman-Markey, New York's new plan and the devastating impact of the dying coal industry in Wyoming. Pretty wide-ranging, right?! 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! Follow Brian Kahn on Twitter @blkahn Follow David Roberts on Twitter @drvox Further Reading: Read Brian's piece on ecofascism: https://earther.gizmodo.com/how-climate-change-is-becoming-a-deadly-part-of-white-n-1837010929 Read David's piece on methane and fracking: https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/8/15/20805136/climate-change-fracking-methane-emissions Ben Smee's piece on Michael McCormack in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/aug/16/pacific-islands-will-survive-climate-crisis-because-they-can-pick-our-fruit-australias-deputy-pm-says?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Tweet Tom McKay's piece on Iceland: https://earther.gizmodo.com/icelanders-mourn-loss-of-okjokull-glacier-with-ceremony-1837354287

On Monday, the Trump Administration announced changes to weaken the Endangered Species Act. This decision comes just three months after the United Nation's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) released a study that reported up to 1 million species are now threatened with extinction around the globe. We discuss these changes and what it means with Chris D'Angelo, environmental reporter for the Huffington Post, and Angela Grimes, CEO of Born Free USA. Also, Chad the Bird is back to talk about feral hogs and animal migration. Read Chris' story on the changes to the ESA here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-endangered-species-rule_n_5cf7b7b4e4b01713bed4df9b You can follow Born Free USA on Twitter and Facebook @bornfreeusa and Chris D'Angelo on Twitter @c_m_dangelo. Follow Chad The Bird on Twitter @chadthebird and listen to his podcast, "Chad The Podcast." 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!