The Sweaty Penguin

Latest Episodes:

Tip of the Iceberg E17: Let’s talk monkeypox Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

Monkeypox — a zoonotic disease native to tropical rainforest regions of central and west Africa — has spread outside its usual range, reaching Europe and North America. Seeing the global reaction to this new pathogen prompted a few questions. How serious is monkeypox? Why were we not discussing monkeypox when it was causing dozens of deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this year? Why are we not discussing other pathogens in the Global South right now? And as climate change worsens and zoonotic diseases spread more easily, how do we prepare? Ethan contemplates all these questions and more 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, Maxwell Pociask, Maddy Schmidt

Fact Checker: Isabel Plower

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.

86. Ice Shelves May 27, 2022

Show notes

In March, news outlets everywhere rang alarm bells after the collapse of the Conger Ice Shelf — a mass of ice the size of Rome in East Antarctica. But what is an ice shelf? And why are they so important? This week, we explore what purpose ice shelves serve, why they collapse, and where we go from here. With special guest Dr. Peter Neff: Assistant Research Professor of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota.

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

CREDITS

Writers: Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Ysabel Wulfing

Editor: Frank Hernandez

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

Ad Voiceover: Maddy Schmidt

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 E16: Our climate targets are under threat by secretly planned "carbon bombs" May 25, 2022

Show notes

Following last year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, The Guardian did a five-month investigation piecing together as clear a picture as possible of planned future oil and gas exploration and production. They found that the world’s biggest fossil fuel firms are quietly planning 195 projects nicknamed carbon bombs, due to the fact that they would emit over a billion tons of carbon from start to finish. If they proceeded as planned, these 195 projects together would produce 646 billion tons of carbon emissions and make global climate targets all but impossible to achieve. Ethan breaks down The Guardian’s report, discusses why the economic interests of oil and gas companies aren’t aligned with those of the overall economy, and considers what comes next in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.”

**Correction: In the "Ask Me Anything" segment, Ethan mistakenly says that to have a 50:50 chance of containing global warming to 2°C, the world would be able to emit 1.5 trillion tons of carbon. The correct figure is 1.35 trillion tons.**

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, Maddy Schmidt

Fact Checker: Hallie Cordingley

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.

85. Cannabis May 20, 2022

Show notes

Outdoor cannabis cultivation can have several environmental benefits, from sequestering carbon to remediating polluted soil. But most U.S. cannabis is grown inside greenhouses with sophisticated climate-control systems and high-powered lights that require a lot of energy — over 1% of total U.S. electricity use. Seeing as cannabis is projected to have a $70 billion market by 2028, this energy issue has the potential to get a lot worse if left unchecked. Today, we discuss how cannabis cultivation affects the environment, the links between cannabis and climate change, and how policymakers could help steer the industry’s environmental, economic, and social impacts in the right direction. With special guest Dr. Brandy Phipps: Research Assistant Professor of Food, Nutrition and Health at Central State University.

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

CREDITS

Writers: Olivia Amitay, Maddy Schmidt, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Isabel Plower

Editor: Frank Hernandez

Producers: Olivia Amitay, Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Frank Hernandez, Dain Kim, Caroline Koehl

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 E15: Understanding the 1.5°C climate goal May 18, 2022

Show notes

Last week, the World Meteorological Organization issued a report stating that there is a 50:50 chance that at some point in the next five years, the global annual temperature could spike past 1.5°C hotter than preindustrial times. The goal that nearly every country in the world has agreed upon is to keep global warming under a threshold of 1.5°C by 2100, making the possibility of breaching it in the next five years particularly noteworthy. However, there is an important distinction: a blip over 1.5°C in a single year does not mean the world failed its climate goal. Ethan explains why year-to-year average temperatures are not the measuring stick for climate change and how the WMO’s report successfully explained that nuance 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

Writers: Ethan Brown, Shannon Damiano, Maddy Schmidt

Fact Checker: Hallie Cordingley

Editor: Frank Hernandez

Producers: Olivia Amitay, Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Frank Hernandez, Dain Kim, Caroline Koehl

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.

84. Housing May 13, 2022

Show notes

For many people, sustainable housing brings to mind either show heads and toilets with zero water pressure or futuristic buildings that look like a spaceship. In reality, sustainable houses can actually look quite normal, and achieve carbon emission cuts, water conservation, and long-term cost savings. But what will it take to make millions of houses sustainable? Today, we explore what sustainable housing could look like, what stands in the way of making it happen, and how any of those hurdles could be overcome. With special guest Dr. Andréanne Doyon: Assistant Professor of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University.

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, Shannon Damiano, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Megan Crimmins

Editor: Frank Hernandez

Producers: Olivia Amitay, Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Frank Hernandez, Dain Kim, Caroline Koehl

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 E14: Climate change is linked to sexual and reproductive health May 11, 2022

Show notes

Last week, Politico published a leaked draft opinion in the Mississippi abortion case facing the Supreme Court, showing the majority of justices in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade’s precedent of a constitutional right to abortion. In the climate world specifically, this draft sparked many conversations about how sexual and reproductive health is, in fact, a climate issue. So what do these two seemingly unrelated topics have to do with each other? Ethan gives a very truncated summary of the links between climate change and sexual and reproductive health and shares some climate solutions that could help both issues 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, Maddy Schmidt

Fact Checker: Hallie Cordingley

Editor: Frank Hernandez

Producers: Olivia Amitay, Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Frank Hernandez, Dain Kim, Caroline Koehl

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.

83. El Yunque National Forest May 06, 2022

Show notes

Located in northeastern Puerto Rico, El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical forest in the United States, the home to many rare species such as the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot, and the source of 50% of the water supply for the San Juan metro area. It also is one of the most important destinations in the Caribbean for ecotourism, hosting one million visitors and contributing $5.5 billion to the Puerto Rican economy every year. But between more severe droughts and more extreme hurricanes such as Maria, the forest is undergoing several changes that could put many of these important ecosystem services at risk. Today, we explore the significance of El Yunque, what risks hurricanes and droughts pose to the forest and nearby communities, and how the forest and island can adapt for the future. With special guest Dr. Maria Uriarte: Professor of Biology at Columbia 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, Maddy Schmidt, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Hallie Cordingley

Editor: Frank Hernandez

Producers: Olivia Amitay, Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Frank Hernandez, Dain Kim, Caroline Koehl

Ad Voiceover: Shannon Damiano

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 E13: Is "emergency" the right word for SoCal's water shortage? May 04, 2022

Show notes

In an unprecedented move, Southern California officials declared a water shortage emergency last week and ordered outdoor water usage be restricted to just one day a week for about 6 million people in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties. From a policy perspective, the move may make sense. But when climate change clearly shows water availability in Southern California is only going to get worse, is framing the problem as an “emergency” giving false hope of a future day where the water shortage is over? Ethan reflects on why it may be less overwhelming to acknowledge the tough reality and put more emphasis on strategic, collaborative, money-saving water conservation solutions 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, Maddy Schmidt

Fact Checker: Megan Crimmins

Editor: Frank Hernandez

Producers: Olivia Amitay, Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Frank Hernandez, Dain Kim, Caroline Koehl

Ad Voiceover: Frank Hernandez

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.

82. Stormwater Apr 29, 2022

Show notes

When rain or other precipitation runs off to a new location, it usually picks up a lot of gunk along the way. In fact, an estimated 10 trillion gallons of untreated stormwater runoff, containing everything from raw sewage to trash to toxins, enters U.S. waterways from city sewer systems every year. This polluted water can ruin water quality, erode streambanks, and cause algal blooms that devastate marine ecosystems. And with climate change causing more extreme rains, the stormwater issue is poised to get even worse. Today, we explore the problems caused by stormwater, how they affect our economy and health, and how to better manage stormwater moving forward. With special guest Dr. Mitchell Pavao-Zuckerman: Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Maryland.

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

CREDITS

Writers: Olivia Amitay, Maddy Schmidt, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Isabel Plower

Editor: Frank Hernandez

Producers: Olivia Amitay, Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Frank Hernandez, Dain Kim, Caroline Koehl

Ad Voiceover: Maddy Schmidt

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.

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