The Sweaty Penguin

Latest Episodes:

Tip of the Iceberg E21: West Virginia v. EPA Jul 06, 2022

Show notes

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its authority in regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. How was this ruling decided, and what was its significance for future climate policy in the United States? Ethan walks through a history of some of the regulations and precedents that played into the West Virginia v. EPA and reflects on what comes next in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.”

The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

CREDITS

Writer: Ethan Brown, Shannon Damiano, Maxwell Pociask, Naomi Rubin, Maddy Schmidt

Fact Checker: Isabel Plower

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano

Ad Voiceover: Naomi Rubin

Music: Brett Sawka

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

90. Milk Jul 01, 2022

Show notes

Dairy is the fifth largest provider of energy and third largest protein source that humans consume. It is also a key source of macronutrients such as calcium and magnesium and micronutrients such as selenium and riboflavin. But for many in the climate world, dairy has come under scrutiny due to carbon dioxide and methane emissions from belching, manure, and land use. Today, we explore what environmental issues milk creates, how that fits into broader economic and health discussions, and how dairy can become more sustainable. With special guest Dr. Ermias Kebreab: Sesnon Endowed Chair in Sustainable Animal Agriculture at University of California, Davis. This episode is part of Covering Climate Now’s “Food & Water” joint coverage week.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

CREDITS

Writers: Hallie Cordingley, Maddy Schmidt, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Ysabel Wulfing

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano

Ad Voiceover: Maxwell Pociask

Music: Brett Sawka

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

Tip of the Iceberg E20: The baby formula shortage Jun 29, 2022

Show notes

The 2022 baby formula shortage isn’t a climate topic in itself, but given that climate change exacerbates issues of food and water insecurity, observing the United States’ response to this food emergency can provide insights for how prepared we are for the all-but-certain food emergencies in our future. During Covering Climate Now’s Joint Coverage Week on Food & Water, Ethan reflects on the baby formula shortage from a climate lens in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.”

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

CREDITS

Writer: Ethan Brown, Shannon Damiano, Maxwell Pociask, Naomi Rubin, Maddy Schmidt

Fact Checker: Hallie Cordingley

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano

Ad Voiceover: Naomi Rubin

Music: Brett Sawka

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

89. Climate Anxiety Jun 24, 2022

Show notes

Over recent years, terms such as “climate anxiety” and “eco-anxiety” have become more and more prominent. According to Pew Research Center, 51% of social media users said they felt anxious about the future after viewing climate content. That number goes up to 59% for millennials and 69% for Gen-Z. Today, we explore where this anxiety can come from, how it might manifest, and where we go from here. With special guest Marc Cortez: Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship and Technology Commercialization at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

CREDITS

Writers: Ysabel Wulfing, Ethan Brown

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano

Ad Voiceover: Lindsay Cronin

Music: Brett Sawka

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

Tip of the Iceberg E19: Unusual weather we're having, ain't it? Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

Last week, Milwaukee hit a record June high of 109°F. North Platte, Nebraska hit a June record of 108°F. Phoenix hit 114°F. Death Valley hit 123°F. And to boot, there were 30 active wildfires in various parts of the United States. Ethan reflects on the brutal weather entering summer 2022 in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.”

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

CREDITS

Writer: Ethan Brown, Maxwell Pociask, Naomi Rubin

Fact Checker: Hallie Cordingley

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano

Ad Voiceover: Maxwell Pociask

Music: Brett Sawka

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

Bonus: The Sonic Question Jun 17, 2022

Show notes

Seasons 2, 3, and 4 of The Sweaty Penguin each ended with a Kahoot competition, and now, the three winners face off in the Winners’ Circle. Which of our team members is the true expert on all things climate? See how much you remember from the podcast and listen to us crown the ULTIMATE Sweaty Penguin Kahoot champion.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

Bonus: Don’t Read About Looney Tunes Jun 15, 2022

Show notes

In the first ever Ethan-less episode, Producers Shannon Damiano and Megan Crimmins sit down for a conversation about the children’s book “What Is Climate Change.”

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

88. Seahorses Jun 10, 2022

Show notes

Known for their monogamous relationships and male pregnancies, the seahorse was the Ocean Conservancy’s 2019 Father of the Year. But due to fishing for traditional medicine, curios, and aquariums, the ocean’s superdad is under threat, and climate change only stands to make matters worse. Today, we explore why seahorses are important, what factors have driven steep population declines in several seahorse species, and where we go from here. With special guest Dr. Sarah Krejci: Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Science at Bethune-Cookman University.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

CREDITS

Writers: Isabel Plower, Shannon Damiano, Ethan Brown

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Frank Hernandez

Ad Voiceover: Lindsay Cronin

Music: Brett Sawka

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

Tip of the Iceberg E18: Say "oil" and "gas" Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

Climate ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union met last week and released a communiqué with some new goals and commitments for addressing climate change. The agreement could shift about 33 billion dollars per year from fossil fuels to clean energy sources, and as part of that, there was a pledge to end taxpayer funding for new fossil fuel projects overseas. To a climate advocate, the majority of the document would likely play as good news. But there still seemed to be a hesitancy to directly mention oil and gas, which made a few parts of the document slightly confusing. Ethan shares his initial thoughts reading the communiqué and poses some questions about oil and gas in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.”

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

CREDITS

Writer: Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Hallie Cordingley

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Frank Hernandez

Ad Voiceover: Naomi Rubin

Music: Brett Sawka

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

87. Population Growth Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

Believe it or not, “overpopulation” is not the cause of all the world’s environmental woes. Saying so would be to deny the notion that humans can live sustainably. But the idea that the world is overpopulated has gained a lot of traction regardless, and has led to some disastrous policy attempts around the world to limit population growth. This week, we explore where the idea of overpopulation came from, why it’s misguided and actually damaging, and what some more pertinent population dynamics might be. With special guest Dr. Jennifer Sciubba: Associate Professor of International Studies at Rhodes College and Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

CREDITS

Writers: Hallie Cordingley, Maddy Schmidt, Ethan Brown

Editor: Frank Hernandez

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Frank Hernandez

Ad Voiceover: Lindsay Cronin

Music: Brett Sawka

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected