The Climate Pod

Latest Episodes:

Australia is Burning, Pt. 2 - Widespread Damage and Misinformation (w/ Earther's Brian Kahn, and UNSW's Dr. Bin Jalaludin and Dr. Stuart Khan) Jan 15, 2020

Show notes

This week, we look at the widespread destruction that has been caused by the Australian bushfires and misinformation circulating to create a bizarre counter-narrative to argue against climate change as a main factor driving the crisis.

Brian Kahn of Earther joins the show to explain how this misinformation started spreading and what impact this has had on news coverage. Then, Dr. Bin Jalaludin of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney explains how these ongoing bushfires cause air quality and health problems. Finally, Dr. Stuart Khan (also of UNSW) talks about potential water quality issues caused by the bushfires and how water systems are damaged by the disaster.

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!

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Further Reading:

Dr. Stuart Khan for The Guardian, Bushfires threaten drinking water - and the consequences could last decades

Brian Kahn for Earther, It's Not Arson, You Absolute Fucking Morons

Jessie Yeung for CNN, Australia Wildfires: Here's what you need to know

Sarah Martin for The Guardian, Emergency payments for people affected by Australia's bushfires 'seriously inadequate'

Ben Butler for The Guardian, Josh Frydenberg demands insurers provide unprecedented detail about bushfire property losses

Lily Mayers for ABC, NSW bushfires leave many struggling without insurance on their homes

Amaani Siddeek for The Guardian, Australia fires: heavy rain and cooler temperatures 'unlikely' to end bushfire threat

Australia is Burning, Pt. 1 - The Wildlife Crisis (w/ WWF Australia's Dr. Stuart Blanch) Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

The Australian bushfires keep burning, creating a growing path of devastation and destruction in its wake. One of the many horrific aspects of the crisis is the havoc these bushfires have wreaked on Australia's wildlife. It's estimated that more than one billion animals have been killed.

Dr. Stuart Blanch, senior manager of Land Clearing and Restoration for WWF-Australia, joins the show this week to talk about how the bushfires have impacted local wildlife, what this means for the endangered koala population, and how climate change is increasingly creating conditions that threaten these habitats from ever being able to recover from the disaster. This is a hard conversation that confronts the reality of the climate crisis, but it is a necessary one. Dr. Blanch is a truly remarkable person.

To donate to WWF Australia and learn more about the bushfire emergency, visit their website here: https://donate.wwf.org.au/

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Further Reading:

David Roberts, "1.5 degrees Celsius: The sad truth about our boldest climate target"

Reuters, "Australia's leaders unmoved on climate action after devastating bushfires"

The Future of Energy (w/ Jigar Shah of Generate Capital and Julia Pyper of Political Climate) Dec 31, 2019

Show notes

Just in time for the New Year! Two exceptional guests talking about the future of energy! This episode, we're joined by Jigar Shah of Generate Capital and "The Energy Gang" podcast AND Julia Pyper, host of the "Political Climate" podcast and contributing editor for Greentech Media.

We dive into a wide range of energy topics - storage, hydrogen fuel cells, the path to renewable energy, litigation against fossil fuel corporations, and much more on the policies, politics, and predictions that will shape the next decade. We also leave you with an indie Canadian music recommendation and discuss our favorite Jimmy Buffett song. I'm not sure how that happen either, but this is an extraordinary hour of podcasting.

A Decade of Climate Change (w/ The Verge's Justine Calma) Dec 28, 2019

Show notes

Here it is - our big end-of-the-year, end-of-the-decade episode. First, we discuss some of the biggest stories of the past ten years with The Verge's Justine Calma.

Then, we review the first year of The Climate Pod, featuring clips from past guests like Drilled's Amy Westervelt, UCB's Connor Ratliff, Axios' Amy Harder, Huffington Post's Chris D'Angelo, Earther's Yessenia Funes, WWF's Vanessa Perez-Cirera, and many more from some of our favorite episodes and the biggest topics of the year.

This episode was sponsored by Hero Power, Chicago's newest 100% renewable energy option that provides affordable, reliable electricity to Illinois residents at the same price as ComEd. Learn more at myheropower.com.

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Further Reading:

This was the decade climate change slapped us in the face by Justine Calma

The COP25 Failure and the Fight Against "Forever Chemicals" (w/ WWF's Vanessa Perez-Cirera and "Dark Waters" inspiration Rob Bilott) Dec 18, 2019

Show notes

This week, we discuss the underwhelming results at COP25, as the World Wildlife Fund's Vanessa Perez-Cirera joins the show to talk about her experience in Madrid and where she feels the summit fell short. An incredibly insightful and informative discussion.

Then, Rob Bilott, author of "Exposure" and the real-life inspiration for the film "Dark Waters," talks to us about the dangers of "forever chemicals" and his years-long legal battle against polluting corporations. How did this happen? What do we do now? Rob helps us better understand the issue. This is a great conversation with a true environmental hero.

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Further Reading:

Climate crisis: what is COP and can it save the world by Fiona Harvey

Word of the Year 2019 by Oxford Dictionaries

Examining The U.N.'s "Bleak" Report And Understanding The Harvard-Yale Protest (w/ The Washington Post's Brady Dennis and Fossil Free Yale's Martin Man and Alex Cohen) Nov 27, 2019

Show notes

On Tuesday, the United Nations released its annual "emissions gap" report to determine how the world is progressing towards the goals set in the Paris Agreement. The Washington Post's Brady Dennis joins to show to explain the findings in the report, what this means for world leaders set to meet in Spain to discuss climate next month, and how scientists are viewing the bleak reality outlined in their report.

Then, we talk to two protesters from Fossil Free Yale about Saturday's demonstration during the Harvard-Yale football game. Martin Man and Alex Cohen tell us what it was like to be on the field, why they felt the protest was a necessary step in their divestment campaign, and what happens now to all the students that were arrested and still face pending charges. To learn more about their organization visit https://nobodywins2019.home.blog/.

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Further Reading:

In bleak report, U.N. says drastic action is only way to avoid worst effects of climate change by Brady Dennis

2°C: Beyond The Limit - Extreme climate change has arrived in America by Steven Mufson, Chris Mooney, Juliet Eilperin and John Muyskens

Live in Chicago with Local Activists and Comedians! Nov 20, 2019

Show notes

Our first live show! This week, we were at Lincoln Hall in Chicago to discuss the climate crisis in the Windy City with inspiring local activists and hilarious comedians for a night benefiting Friends of the Chicago River.

With a panel that includes Naomi Davis of Blacks In Green, Justin Goldberg of the Sunrise Movement Chicago, Jenny Kendler of Extinction Rebellion Chicago, Amelia Diehl of Rising Tide Chicago, Melissa Brice of 350 Chicago, and comedian Adam Burke ("Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me," "Doug Loves Movies"). Plus, performances by Jill Hopkins (Vocalo Radio's "The Morning AMp," WBEZ' "Making Beyoncé") and Chad The Bird, and an interview with Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River. This is the best show ever. Our guests were amazing. We put a bird puppet on the stage.

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The Path to 100% Renewable Energy and Fires in New South Wales (w/ Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson and The Sydney Morning Herald's Peter Hannam) Nov 13, 2019

Show notes

NEXT MONDAY: The Climate Pod is live at Lincoln Hall at 7 pm. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE

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This week, we discuss the outbreak of bushfires in New South Wales in Australia. Peter Hannam of The Sydney Morning Herald joins the show to discuss the situation in New South Wales and how climate change is contributing to the problem.

Then, we talk to Stanford University's Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson about strategies and timelines for a 100% renewable energy future. He explains where he has found success, what technologies aren't working well, and what gives him hope about the transition to renewable sources.

Follow Peter Hannam on Twitter

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Further Reading:

Is there a link between climate change and bushfires? by Peter Hannam

The health and climate impacts of carbon capture and direct air capture by Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson