The Sweaty Penguin

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HOLIDAY SPECIAL! 109. Menstrual Products Dec 23, 2022

Show notes

In recent years, millennials and Gen-Zers have increasingly raised concerns over the environmental impact of disposable tampons and pads, and brands have stepped up with a variety of reusable alternatives. But running parallel to this issue is a very concerning combination of period poverty, stigma around menstruation, and health and human rights issues, and different communities see these problems play out in different ways. And surprisingly, climate change threatens to exacerbate all of that. In the spirit of Christmas, Ethan is gifting hosting duties to Sweaty Penguin Producers Maddy Schmidt and Shannon Damiano for this episode. They’ll explore a bit about menstrual product sustainability, break down how economics, social stigma, and climate change affect menstrual hygiene, and consider where we go from here. With special guest Raffaella Villa: Professor of Environmental Bioengineering at De Montfort University.

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

Writers: Maddy Schmidt, Shannon Damiano, Megan Crimmins, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Hallie Cordingley

Editor: Ethan Brown

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Maddy Schmidt

Ad Voiceover: Madeleine Salman

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 E40: The notable absence at the UN Biodiversity Conference Dec 16, 2022

Show notes

World leaders are currently gathered in Montreal for the fifteenth UN Biodiversity Conference, or COP15, working toward a global treaty to help stave off mass extinctions, mitigate climate change, and conserve economically important natural resources for decades to come. But there’s one notable absence from this effort: the United States. Though not invisible at COP15, the U.S. is the only country in the world that has not yet ratified the 1992 treaty that established the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity. Ethan breaks down why the convention is in line with the United States’ existing conservation priorities, what misconceptions have stalled our involvement, and how joining the convention would benefit us and the rest of the world 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

Editor: Megan Antone

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Maddy Schmidt

Ad Voiceover: Madeleine Salman

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.

108. Muskoxen Dec 11, 2022

Show notes

Though not endangered, many of the world’s muskoxen populations are facing threats, ranging from hunting to disease to climate change to animals literally head butting each other and causing brain trauma. And with muskoxen being an extremely valuable source of food and wool, humans have a strong vested interest in protecting them. Today, we explore why muskoxen matter, what issues they face, and how we can conserve them moving forward. With special guest Dr. Astrid Andersen: Associate Professor of Culture and Learning at Aalborg University.

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

CREDITS

Writers: Sarika Sawant, Maddy Schmidt, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Owen Reith

Editor: Ethan Brown

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Maddy Schmidt

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 E39: The new loss and damage fund is a win for the United States too Dec 02, 2022

Show notes

And now for the good news from the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27: the creation of a loss and damage fund to support developing countries recover from the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Many proponents of the fund have treated it as a purely moral issue, but there’s actually a lot more to it. Ethan breaks down why, purely from an American perspective, the loss and damage fund is beneficial and exciting 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, Bobbie Armstrong, Madeleine Salman, Maddy Schmidt

Editor: Megan Antone

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Maddy Schmidt

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 E38: No, the 1.5°C climate target is not dead Nov 25, 2022

Show notes

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27, wrapped up in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt on Sunday, and the outcome contained good news and bad news. To start, we look at the bad news: India’s proposal to include a phase down of fossil fuels in the final agreement, which was backed by much of the world including the EU, UK, and US, ultimately failed to make the final agreement. This result was disappointing for many reasons, but also led to some over the top takes that global climate targets were officially doomed to fail. Ethan explains why even in spite of this bad news, there is room for optimism and hope around our climate goals and energy transition 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: Megan Crimmins

Editor: Megan Antone

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Maddy Schmidt

Ad Voiceover: Megan Antone

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.

107. The Bakken Formation Nov 18, 2022

Show notes

A few months ago, The Guardian did a five-month investigation into “carbon bombs,” or fossil fuel projects that would, over the course of their life, emit over one billion tons of carbon. They found that there are 195 planned oil and gas carbon bombs around the world, and if they proceed as planned, these projects alone would blow past internationally agreed upon climate targets. For our sixth deep dive on carbon bombs, we take a look at the Bakken Formation: a 200,000 square mile region spanning northwestern North Dakota, northeastern Montana, and southern Saskatchewan that is home to the sixth highest emitting oil and gas project in the United States. The oil industry in the Bakken began recently and grew fast, creating environmental and health issues in the region and turning once peaceful rural communities into crime-ridden messes. Today, we explore why the Bakken Formation became so popular, what challenges the region faces, and how the region can achieve a more environmentally and economically prosperous future. With special guest Dr. Wesley Blundell: Assistant Professor of Economic Sciences at Washington 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: Megan Crimmins, Maddy Schmidt, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Sarika Sawant

Editor: Megan Antone

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Maddy Schmidt

Ad Voiceover: Megan Antone

Music: Brett Sawka

Tip of the Iceberg E37: COP27 begins Nov 11, 2022

Show notes

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27, kicked off on Sunday in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, bringing 198 countries together to negotiate the next batch of global climate agreements. And in setting the stage for the conference, one word has stood out among the rest: implementation. Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Convention Simon Stiell opened the conference saying, “Today a new era begins — and we begin to do things differently. Paris gave us the agreement. Katowice and Glasgow gave us the plan. Sharm el-Sheik shifts us to implementation.” After years of pledges looking decades into the future, an implementation-focused conference may sound exciting, but there’s still a few things to clear up. Ethan discusses where current plans fall short, which issues don’t have plans at all yet, and more optimistically, why it would be wrong to say this is the “first” talk of implementation 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: Ysabel Wulfing

Editor: Megan Antone

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Maddy Schmidt

Ad Voiceover: Megan Antone

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.

106. Grocery Bags Nov 04, 2022

Show notes

Plastic bags have been a surprisingly hot topic in the environmental world, with eight states having gone so far as to enact single-use plastic bag bans. Plastic bags do present issues across their supply chain from climate, health, and justice concerns in the manufacturing process to pollution and biodiversity concerns after their disposal. But are bans or paper bags or tote bags actually viable solutions? Today, we explore what issues plastic bags create, why many proposed solutions have major shortcomings, and some lesser known possibilities for how our grocery bag use could become more sustainable. With special guest Dr. Rebecca Taylor: Senior Lecturer of Economics at the University of Sydney.

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

CREDITS

Writers: Sarika Sawant, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Hallie Cordingley

Editor: Megan Antone, Trevor Snow

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Maddy Schmidt

Ad Voiceover: Megan Antone

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 E36: It’s a tough time to be a painting Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

There have been a string of stunts recently with climate activists targeting artwork, from Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting to Monet’s “Grainstacks” painting to Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” painting last week. These protests have reinvigorated conversations about the “3.5% rule,” which suggests a movement needs only 3.5% of the population involved to be successful. Or, at least that’s what some climate activists have claimed. Ethan argues why the 3.5% rule might not be applicable to climate advocacy and why leading with the goal of inspiring as many people as possible could produce more success 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, Madeleine Salman, Maddy Schmidt

Fact Checker: Ysabel Wulfing

Editor: Megan Antone

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Maddy Schmidt

Ad Voiceover: Sabrina Rollings

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.

105. Soy Oct 28, 2022

Show notes

Soy is in most of the processed foods we eat, fed to the animals we eat, and has become a staple in vegan diets. But unfortunately, intensive agricultural practices such as monocropping, monoculture, pesticide use, and deforestation have created a number of environmental issues around the crop. As the world’s leading soy producer, Brazil in particular has been the topic of global dialogue around agriculture-driven deforestation in the Cerrado and the Amazon, especially with an important runoff election coming up in two days. Today, we explore what issues soy presents, how climate change intersects with these issues, and what we can do from here to make soy more sustainable. With special guest Dr. Raoni Rajão: Professor in Social Studies of Science at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.

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, Bobbie Armstrong, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Sarika Sawant

Editor: Megan Antone, Trevor Snow

Producers: Ethan Brown, Megan Crimmins, Shannon Damiano, Maddy Schmidt

Ad Voiceover: Sabrina Rollings

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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