Political Climate

Latest Episodes:

The Path to a Net-Zero Economy: Where Do We Stand? Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

There’s more political momentum than ever around achieving net zero emissions by 2050, especially following the release of House Democrats’ new Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy.

But where do we currently stand on that trajectory? And is the path to zero as inclusive as it should be?

On this episode, the last in our monthly “Path to Zero” series supported by the public policy think tank Third Way, we talk climate targets and what it’s going to take to meet them.

To bookend the series, we speak to Josh Freed, the founder and leader of Third Way’s climate and energy program, to get a read on progress toward carbon neutrality in America amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and renewed calls to combat racial injustices.

Then in the second half of the show, we speak to Nathaniel Smith, founder of the Partnership for Southern Equity, an organization working to advance racial equality and shared prosperity in Atlanta and across the South, about making the low-carbon economy inclusive of Black communities.

We look at what policymakers are getting right and getting wrong. And we end by discussing what Black voters want to see from candidates in 2020. Hint: R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Recommended reading:

GTM: House Democrats Spell Out Climate, Clean Energy Priorities in Sweeping Plan
WaPo: Most Americans believe the government should do more to combat climate change, poll finds
Path to Zero

Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.

“Path to Zero” is created in partnership with the public policy think tank Third Way. Episodes air monthly on the Political Climate podcast feed. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!

Saving the Planet for Sports and Craft Beer Jun 25, 2020

Show notes

There aren’t many sporting events taking place amid the pandemic, but athletes and the brands that support them aren’t sitting idle.

Protect Our Winters, a non-profit representing the outdoor sports community on climate issues, recently spent a week virtually lobbying Congress for bolder climate action and environmental protections.

Professional snowboarder and two-time X-Games gold medalist Danny Davis was among the participants in POW’s advocacy week. Steve Fechheimer, CEO of New Belgium Brewing, also took part.

Sports have always been political to some degree. But these days, athletes, teams and entire sporting organizations are choosing to get off the sidelines and take a more active role in public policy.

On this show, we speak to Danny and Steve about why they decided to be more outspoken on climate issues, about leadership and corporate responsibility, and about how sports and beer are intertwined with one of the biggest challenges of our time.

Recommended reading:

CNN: Climate change is threatening winter sports' very existence
Wired: Don't Save the Planet for the Planet. Do It for the Beer
Protect Our Winters: Policy Agenda

Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!

Have a moment? Please leave us a review! Chat with us on Twitter @Poli_Climate.

How Lyft Will Achieve 100% Electric Vehicles by 2030 Jun 17, 2020

Show notes

Lyft is going 100% electric. The rideshare company just pledged to transition every vehicle on its platform to an EV by 2030.

But this decision isn’t as simple as buying a few new cars. It will require building out an entire ecosystem of electric vehicle infrastructure and incentives, and getting into the weeds on policy. On this episode, we speak to Lyft’s director of sustainability, Sam Arons, about this bold new strategy.

We talk to Sam about the EV target and how to meet it, as well as related policies and how electric rideshare vehicles can support the power grid. We also talk a lot about the broader transportation ecosystem, the future of cities, and Lyft’s evolving role as a “multimodal technology platform,” as Sam put it.

Lyft's announcement also speaks to how companies are looking to play a bigger role in the fight against climate change, in an era of increasing public pressure for greater corporate responsibility.

Learn more about Lyft's sustainability strategy in this exclusive, in-depth interview. And while you're listening, we'd love you to give Political Climate an Apple Podcasts review! Your 5-star ratings help us grow and bring this content to wider audiences. Thank you!

Recommended reading:

Lyft: Leading the Transition to Zero Emissions: Our Commitment to 100% Electric Vehicles by 2030
GTM: Lyft Pledges Shift to 100% Electric Vehicles by 2030
LA Times: Taking an Uber or Lyft pollutes more than driving, California finds. Next stop: Regulations
GTM: Electric Ridesharing Benefits the Grid, and EVgo Has the Data to Prove It

Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!

Find us on Twitter @Poli_Climate.

Protests, Pollution, Pandemics and Solutions Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

Deep-seated racial justice issues have been brought to the fore in recent weeks by a series of nationwide protests over police violence. These protests are taking place in the midst of a global pandemic, which has exposed, and in many cases worsened, long-standing issues of racial inequality.

The energy and climate space is not immune to racial discrimination. But some politicians have questioned whether this is the right moment to talk about issues such as pollution, calling it a misplaced political move.

Mustafa Santiago Ali has been on the frontlines of the fight for environmental justice since he was a teenager and throughout his 24 years at the EPA. Now, as vice president of environmental justice, climate and community revitalization for the the National Wildlife Federation, Ali says he’s hopeful this historic moment will accelerate equitable energy solutions.

On this episode, Ali connects the dots between the clean air, affordable energy and the racial justice movement. We also discuss the implications of recent environmental rollbacks by the Trump Administration and take a hard look at how the clean energy industry can promote greater diversity.

Plus, we discuss Republican approaches to combatting inequality, teeing off of comments made by Representatives John Shimkus (R-Illinois) and David McKinley (R-West Virginia) at this week’s House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on frontline communities — where Ali testified.

Recommended reading:

The Hill: Trump's latest environmental rollback threatens minority communities, experts warn
Politico: California lawmakers rebuke top regulator who invoked 'I can't breathe' in air quality fight
HuffPost: Solar Power Has A Diversity Problem
GTM:‘We Too Must Improve’: Clean Energy Industry Looks Into Mirror on Racial Inequity
Political Climate: Fighting Energy Injustice and Coronavirus in African American Communities

Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!

The Left Unites Around a Justice-Centered Climate Platform Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

Democrats are beginning to rally around a progressive, three-part climate platform that prioritizes environmental justice. But will Joe Biden fully embrace it? If so, could it sway the 2020 election? Or will few voters care in this turbulent year?

On this episode of Political Climate, we speak to Maggie Thomas, political director at Evergreen Action, a new group created by former Jay Inslee campaign staffers to promote a comprehensive climate plan for Democrats.

We discuss how the left came to unite around the concept of pursuing rapid decarbonization through sector-specific standards, large-scale public investments, and a commitment to justice and equity (as Vox's David Roberts first reported). We also learn how Thomas and her colleagues crafted Inslee’s environmental justice plan — a plan that’s all the more relevant in light of recent protests.

Plus, we get a read on the most politically attractive elements of the crystalizing climate platform. Are there policies that progressive Bernie Sanders supporters, moderate Biden fans and perhaps even some Republicans could support?

Recommended reading:

Evergreen Action Plan
Vox: At last, a climate policy platform that can unite the left
Vox: Joe Biden has a chance to make history on climate change
Medium: A Week of Podcasts for the Advocate New to Climate Justice
WaPo: I’m a black climate expert. Racism derails our efforts to save the planet.

Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!

This episode is also supported by the nonprofit environmental forum EarthX. The EarthxOcean virtual event takes place June 9-June 11. Tune in to learn about protecting ocean life support systems. Register at www.earthx.org/earthxocean.

How to Jump-Start a Stalled Electric Vehicle Market May 28, 2020

Show notes

Buckle up. Electric vehicle sales are expected to take a big hit this year amid the current health and economic crisis. Industry analysts say the long-term prospects for EVs remain strong, but the jury’s still out on how quickly the market will rebound.

The EV market outlook could have a major impact on the U.S. economy overall. Boosting government investment in clean transportation is being championed by advocates and several lawmakers as a way to put Americans back to work and build out of the coronavirus downturn. The EV growth trajectory will also have a direct impact on whether or not the U.S. will be able to achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

In the sixth episode of Political Climate's monthly “Path to Zero” series, supported by the public policy think tank Third Way, we discuss what it will take to decarbonize the transportation sector, with a focus on accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles.

We speak to Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, representative for Michigan's 12th congressional district, about what it will take to reboot the American automotive industry and get the U.S. EV market back on track coming out of the economic recession.

We also speak to James “Jim” Chen, vice president of public policy at the high-profile electric vehicle startup Rivian. The Detroit-based company set out on a mission to “keep the world adventurous” by building rugged,long-range, high-performance electric trucks and SUVs. Rivian’s R1T and R1S have generated a lot of fanfare (and raised a lot of money). But are electric adventure vehicles really going to make a dent in reducing transportation emissions?

Plus, Political Climate co-host Brandon Hurlbut describes what he likes about driving electric and the killer deal he got on his EV purchases.

Recommended reading:

Detroit News: Rep. Dingell aims to jump-start Washington electric-vehicle debate
Politico: The One-Woman Campaign to Get Michigan Back for the Dems
Verge: Rivian races ahead of other EV startups with $1.3 billion in new funding
Axios: These electric vehicle companies have the best shot at surviving
GTM: 4 Takeaways From Amazon’s Huge Electric Delivery Van Order

Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.

'Need for Speed': Why Solving Climate Change Is About More Than CO2 May 21, 2020

Show notes

The skies may look clearer these days. But don’t get too excited. Levels of smog and other short-lived climate pollutants (remember HFCs?) are still high and climbing.

The good news: there’s a long track record of international cooperation to get these harmful pollutants in check. The challenge: finding the political will to eliminate them entirely.

Short-lived climate pollutants include black carbon or soot, methane, hydrofluorocarbons and tropospheric ozone, or what we think of as city smog. In addition to heating up the atmosphere, they dirty our air, make people sick and affect the ozone layer.

In this episode, we speak to legendary environmental litigator, professor, author and advocate Durwood Zaelke about why the world needs to prioritize non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gases and what’s being done to curb them (with support from both sides of the political aisle).

Zaelke is the founder and President of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development in Washington, DC and Paris, where he focuses on fast mitigation strategies to protect the climate. He’s received numerous awards for his work on the Montreal Protocol and his efforts to enact the Kigali Amendment to phasedown HFCs for climate protection.

Recommended reading:

NPR: Traffic Is Way Down Because Of Lockdown, But Air Pollution? Not So Much
The Hill: Trump drags feet on climate treaty, and Republicans aren’t happy
The Guardian: Study finds shock rise in levels of potent greenhouse gas
Short-Lived Climate Pollutants

Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!

This episode is brought to you with support from Eavor, the first truly scalable form of clean baseload power. Learn more at eavor.com.

EU Ambassador: 'Green Growth Will Be the Key' to Europe’s Recovery May 14, 2020

Show notes

Late last year, the European Union introduced a $1 trillion plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and achieve a just transition away from polluting technologies.

Europe’s Green Deal enjoys strong backing from many of the EU’s top political figures. But it faces pushback from coal-heavy member states. Implementation of the Green Deal has now been further complicated by the urgent need for governments to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

On this episode, we bring you a conversation with EU Ambassador to the U.S. Stavros Lambrinidis about the implications of COVID-19 for Europe’s energy and climate agenda.

Not only that — we also discuss the fallout from plummeting oil prices, what to do with stranded fossil fuel assets, the outlook for a U.S. green recovery plan, and corporate clean energy commitments amid coronavirus with a stellar panel of experts from Google, The Aspen Institute and elsewhere. This episode you'll also hear from:

Nikos Tsafos, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Kevin Book, managing director of research at Clearview Energy Partners
Marsden Hanna, head of sustainability and climate policy for the government affairs team at Google
Greg Gershuny, executive director of the Aspen Institute's energy and environment program

Political Climate host Julia Pyper moderates this conversation, which originally took place as a virtual event hosted by the EU Delegation to the U.S.

Recommended reading:

GTM: Moonshot Moment: Europe Announces Green Deal
GTM: EU Green Deal Should Be Canceled Because of Coronavirus, Czech PM Says
Euractiv: EU leaders back ‘green transition’ in pandemic recovery plan
Virtual event: How COVID-19 affects the climate and energy agenda

Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!

This episode is brought to you with support from Eavor, the first truly scalable form of clean baseload power. Learn more at eavor.com.

Julian Brave NoiseCat on Using Data for Climate Action May 07, 2020

Show notes

Are progressive ideas on how to tackle climate change a political poison pill? New opinion polling challenges this commonly held assumption.

On this week's episode of Political Climate, we discuss how data is helping decode where the American public stands on progressive issues with Julian Brave NoiseCat, vice president of policy and strategy at the left-wing think tank Data for Progress.

We dig into new polling on the Green New Deal and passing a green stimulus bill in response to COVID-19. We also look at public views on nationalizing the U.S. oil and gas industry and potential Democratic picks for vice president.

Plus, Julian puts a question to co-host Shane Skelton about the Republican response to climate change. As always, we end with our segment “Say Something Nice.”

Recommended reading:

Politico: What AOC Gets that Bernie Didn’t
Data for Progress: Voters Want a Green Stimulus
Data for Progress: The Coronavirus Pandemic Has Made Voters More Supportive of the Green New Deal
Data for Progress: Nationalize the Fossil Fuel Industry
No Place Like Home

Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Find us on Twitter @Poli_Climate! Tweet at our hosts at @JMPyper @BrandonHurlbut @ShaneSkelton.

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!

Fighting Energy Injustice and Coronavirus in African American Communities Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

African Americans are struggling with a disproportionate death toll from COVID-19 and severe financial strain from the economic downturn. This crisis has exposed preexisting racial disparities created by deep-seated social, economic and political factors.

These same underlying issues make African Americans more vulnerable to health damage from pollution, as well as from heat waves, storms and other effects of climate change.

Meanwhile, African Americans are missing out on wealth creation opportunities in the clean energy economy, which could be an effective solution to some of these underlying issues — bringing jobs and environmental benefits to communities that need it the most.

In this episode of Political Climate, the fifth in our "Path to Zero" series with Third Way, we look at how COVID-19 and climate change are affecting Black communities, and how these issues can be tackled in tandem.

We speak to Jared DeWese and Akunna Cook at Third Way about the multiple crises facing Black Americans today. We also hear from Naomi Davis, a grassroots leader and green village builder in Chicago’s Southside, who succeeded in shaping a landmark clean energy bill in Illinois.

Finally, we speak to Tony Reames, assistant professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, about the issue of “energy injustice.” We also discuss takeaways from preliminary research on how African Americans are thinking about climate and energy issues in 2020.

Recommended reading:

National Geographic: African Americans struggle with disproportionate COVID death toll
NYT: New Research Links Air Pollution to Higher Coronavirus Death Rates
Quartz: The overwhelming whiteness of US environmentalism is hobbling the fight against climate change
ISEA: Future Energy Jobs Act Workforce Development Programs
HuffPost: Solar Power Has A Diversity Problem

Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.