The Climate Pod

Latest Episodes:

What Does The Build Back Better Act Mean To Biden's Climate Pledges? (w/ Rep. Sean Casten) Dec 01, 2021

Show notes

The House passed President Biden's Build Back Better Bill and now this historic climate legislation sits in the Senate waiting to get final approval. So what would the bill actually mean to Biden's climate pledges on the campaign trail if it makes it through the Senate? Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) is back on the show to explain and also talk about some of the climate benefits for mitigation and adaptation in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that's already been signed into law. Finally, we get Congressman Casten's reaction to COP26 results and what Congress still needs to do to address climate if the Build Back Better Act passes.

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss how the 1970s energy crisis is back in the news and Biden's decision to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter "The Climate Weekly": https://theclimateweekly.substack.com/

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! Join our Facebook group. Check out our updated website!

Further Reading:

Some climate campaigners praise Biden for releasing emergency oil reserves

Is Geoengineering Worth The Gamble? (w/ Gernot Wagner) Nov 24, 2021

Show notes

This week, climate economist Gernot Wagner discusses his new book "Geoengineering: The Gamble". Gernot Wagner was the co-founding director of Harvard's Geoengineering Research Program and provides an honest assessment of the pros, cons, and unknowns of solar geoengineering. This interview is a must-listen for anyone that wants to understand the climate, economic, political, and philosophical implications of geoengineering.

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the importance of the US House of Representatives passing the Build Back Better Act.

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter "The Climate Weekly": https://theclimateweekly.substack.com/

COP26 Is Over - Where Do We Go From Here? (w/ Global Citizen's Michael Sheldrick) Nov 17, 2021

Show notes

After a two year wait, COP26 has finally concluded. We are left with the Glasgow Climate Pact, which is no doubt disappointing and fails in several key areas. But all was not lost at COP26. Several major commitments were made and pressure continues to mount on world leaders to do more. We review the outcome with Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer at Global Citizen.

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also reflect on the year-long series covering COP26 and what to look forward now that meetings have concluded.

Thank you to our sponsor Octopus Energy, a 100% renewable electricity supplier. Octopus Energy is currently serving millions of homes around the globe in countries like the United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand, and Germany.

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter "The Climate Weekly": https://theclimateweekly.substack.com/

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen On Why Climate Ambition Can't Stop At COP26 Nov 12, 2021

Show notes

On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy, we speak with the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, Inger Andersen about the UNEP gap reports, the meaning of the COP26 pledges, and the importance of real actions by world leaders to decarbonize and ensure a just transition.

Co-hosts Ty and Brock Benefiel also discuss recent comments by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the long work still ahead for COP26 negotiators.

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter "The Climate Weekly": https://theclimateweekly.substack.com/

COP26: How All Governments Can Address Climate Change (w/ Scotland Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Michael Matheson) Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy, we speak with Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy, and Transport, Michael Matheson. He provides insight into what all levels of government, not just national governments, can do to deliver a just and sustainable transition and why future COPs should be inclusive of local governments as well.

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the first draft of the COP26 Cover Decision and the United States and China agreement to boost cooperation in combating climate change.

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter "The Climate Weekly": https://theclimateweekly.substack.com/

COP26: Technologies We Need To Fight Climate Change (w/ Bertrand Piccard) Nov 10, 2021

Show notes

On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy, we look at how to leverage science and technology to decarbonize the global economy with Bertrand Piccard, a legendary explorer, founder and chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, and first person to fly around the globe in a solar airplane. We discuss how to deploy sustainable solutions to improve people's lives and how to convince more people to join the fight for a better future.

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter "The Climate Weekly": https://theclimateweekly.substack.com/

COP26: Progressing Gender Equality In Climate Action (w/ Climate Outreach's Amiera Sawas) Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy, we discuss gender equality and representation with Amiera Sawas, Director of Programmes and Research at Climate Outreach. She explains what we lose when women are underrepresented in climate media, climate negotiations, and climate science authorship, the specific burden women around the world face with the climate crisis, and how COP26 has faired when it comes to achieving its stated goal of achieving "the full and meaningful participation of women and girls in climate action."

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss what's at stake in the second week of COP26 and the depressing reality of nations undercounting emissions.

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter "The Climate Weekly": https://theclimateweekly.substack.com/

Further Reading:

Countries' climate pledges built on flawed data, Post investigation finds

Negotiations at COP26 are about to get a lot tougher

COP26: Why Migration Policy Is Critical To Climate Adaptation (w/ Julia Blocher) Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy, we look at why global migration policy is crucial to adaptation in the face of climate change with J ulia Blocher, researcher on the linkage between climate change and migration at The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and President of the The International Youth Federation. We explore what people often get wrong about climate migration, why young people are so often on the frontlines of dealing with migration, and what policies are needed at COP26 to make migration safer and easier around the world.

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the underwhelming efforts to provide global financing for adaptation and mitigation and loss and damage and what may happen as a result.

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter "The Climate Weekly": https://theclimateweekly.substack.com/

COP26: Protect And Restore Nature (w/ Oceana's Jackie Savitz and World Resource Institute's Bernadette Arakwiye) Nov 06, 2021

Show notes

On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy, we celebrate COP26's Nature Day with two exceptional guests. Jackie Savitz, Oceana's Chief Policy Officer of North America, joins the show to discuss how world leaders should act to protect oceans and how the Build Back Better Act can help progress in the United States. Then, Dr. Bernadette Arakwiye, manager of the World Resources Institute's AFR100 Initiative, explains the importance of the announcement earlier in the week to end deforestation by 2030 and the biggest needs to further land and forest restoration across the globe.

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the tension between future climate pledges and actual progress, ongoing activism at COP26, and what to watch for at the rest of the conference.

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter "The Climate Weekly": https://theclimateweekly.substack.com/

COP26: Young Leaders Fight To Be Heard (w/ John Paul Jose) Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy, we welcome Indian environmental and climate justice activist John Paul Jose to the show to discuss how young leaders are fighting to make their voices heard at COP26 and the strategies activists are using to make real change at this critical event and beyond. We discuss how young leaders are pushing climate action that delivers just and equitable outcomes, how to elevate the voices of more young people in the Global South, and why new climate organizations led by younger people are making a bigger impact.

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss big (but complicated!) announcements on phasing out coal and the major ways in which youth leaders are transforming the climate conversation around the globe.

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter "The Climate Weekly": https://theclimateweekly.substack.com/

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected