The Climate Pod

Latest Episodes:

Kurt Andersen on "Evil Geniuses" and The Unmaking of Environmental and Climate Protections Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

This week, Kurt Andersen, best-selling author, co-founder of Spy magazine, former editor-in-chief of New York magazine, and legendary journalist, joins the show to discuss his new book, Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America - A Recent History . Kurt discusses how a paradigm shift in recent decades has radically transformed the American economy for the worse and set the conditions to accelerate the climate crisis.

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the Sébastien Roblin's recent piece on how the U.S. military will have to respond to climate change at home.

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!

Buy Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America - A Recent History

Rep. Mike Levin on California Wildfires and Climate Change at the Debates Sep 16, 2020

Show notes

This week, Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA), who represents California's 49th district, joins the show to discuss how Congress should handle the ongoing wildfires, why he's leading an effort to urge more climate change questions at the upcoming presidential debates and vice president debate, and how his experience fighting for climate action inspired him to run for Congress.

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss misinformation around the Western wildfires and Hiroko Tabuchi's reporting on secret recordings of oil executives' private views on climate change.

Further Reading:

A Secret Recording Reveals Oil Executives' Private Views on Climate Change

Fox News host Tucker Carlson says only liberals believe climate change and systemic racism are real

Democratic lawmakers demand climate questions in presidential debates

Zach Carter On the Keynesian Approach to Climate Action And a Green New Deal Sep 09, 2020

Show notes

This week, Zach Carter, author of The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy and the Life of John Maynard Keynes, joins the show (14:58) for a wide-ranging and in-depth conversation on the legendary economist and what a Keynesian approach to green recovery should look like. Would Keynes support a Green New Deal? We dig into it.

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the record-setting heat in California and wildfire outbreaks across the Western states.

Further Reading:

California wildfires: Fire chief says dozens of major blazes have state in 'dire situation'

80% of the buildings in an eastern Washington town were destroyed during a Labor Day firestorm

Record Heat Wave Creates 'Kiln-Like' Conditions In California

California Facing Santa Ana Winds After Sweltering in All-Time Record Heat and Wildfire Smoke

https://weatherwest.com/

PG&E power shutoffs expected to last through Wednesday

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-generate

Nothing to see here, folks

Vann R. Newkirk II on "Floodlines" and Hurricane Katrina's 15th Anniversary | Bob Henson on Hurricane Laura Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

This week, Bob Henson gives us an update on the 2020 hurricane season and what happened when Hurricane Laura made landfall last week (3:07).

Then, Vann R. Newkirk II joins the show to talk about "Floodlines," which looks back on the 15th anniversary of the levees breaking after Hurricane Katrina and the unnatural disaster that followed (32:33).

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss their thoughts on Hurricane Laura, the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and the E.P.A. removing protections from toxic waste from coal plants.

Further Reading:

The Thinking Person's Guide to Climate Change, 2 ed. by Bob Henson

Typhoon Maysak on track to slam South Korea

E.P.A. Relaxes Rules Limiting Toxic Waste From Coal Plants

2020's "extremely active" hurricane season, explained

Some Louisiana residents won't have power for weeks, if not months, after Hurricane Laura

A post-Laura heat wave has no name

Rainn Wilson on "An Idiot's Guide To Climate Change" | Kathy Baughman McLeod on Naming Heat Waves Aug 26, 2020

Show notes

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.

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

The West is Burning (w/ SF Chronicle's Lizzie Johnson and UCLA and Weather West's Dr. Daniel Swain) Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

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.

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

Climate Experts React to DNC Convention (w/ Climate Power 2020's Lori Lodes, Sunrise Movement's Mattias Lehman, Data for Progress' Danielle Deiseroth, and Evergreen Action's Sam Ricketts) Aug 22, 2020

Show notes

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

Learn more about these organizations:

https://www.climatepower2020.org/

https://www.dataforprogress.org/

https://evergreenaction.com/

https://www.sunrisemovement.org/

Jamie Margolin on Powering the Youth Climate Movement | Dr. Michalea King on Greenland Ice Sheet's Point Of No Return Aug 19, 2020

Show notes

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.

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

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed on the Public Health Case for Climate Action | Wes Siler on Public Lands Under Threat Aug 12, 2020

Show notes

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.

Further Reading:

Pre-order Dr. El-Sayed's next book with Micah Johnson, "Medicare for All: A Citizen's Guide"

Revisiting Australia's Bushfires (w/ The Guardian's Graham Readfearn) Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

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.

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)