The Sweaty Penguin

Latest Episodes:

Bonus: This Is Worse Than the Bear Carcass Sep 16, 2022

Show notes

LIVE from Third Wheel Hollywood, Ethan reflects on the first 100 episodes of the podcast. He discusses some of the biggest takeaways, what struck him so deeply about the recent carbon bomb story, and why he remains so motivated and optimistic about the future given today’s climate crisis.

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

LIVE FROM HOLLYWOOD! 100. Penguins Sep 09, 2022

Show notes

We at The Sweaty Penguin may be biased, but penguins are a really cool animal. They play important roles in their ecosystems, they drive tourism revenue for many communities, and they themselves are fascinating for a number of their special traits and rituals. But unfortunately, 11 out of 18 penguin species are globally threatened, with climate change, pollution, and commercial fishing all playing major roles in penguins’ decline. Coming to you from Third Wheel Hollywood, in our first in-person episode with an audience, we explore why penguins are important, why their populations are changing, and where we go from here. With special guest Dr. Heather Lynch: Institute for Advanced Computational Sciences Endowed Chair for Ecology & Evolution at Stony Brook 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: Ethan Brown, Maxwell Pociask, Naomi Rubin, Maddy Schmidt

Fact Checker: Owen Reith

Editor: Will Andronico

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

Ad Voiceover: Will Andronico

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 E30: A third of Pakistan is underwater Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

On August 25, Pakistan declared a state of emergency after a summer that has brought the worst flooding in the country’s history. The floods have affected 33 million people, killed over 1,300 people including 416 children, created an economic loss of 10 billion dollars, and as of August 29, around one third of the country was underwater. Ethan breaks down how climate change made these floods more severe and what lessons we can learn from these floods about extreme weather 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: Will Andronico

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

Ad Voiceover: Will Andronico

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.

99. Avocados Sep 02, 2022

Show notes

Avocados are rising in popularity fast. Over the past two decades, consumption of avocados in the United States tripled to more than eight pounds per person per year. Unfortunately, the avocado industry is up against several challenges, from high water demand to deforestation to extortion and violence at the hands of Mexican drug cartels. Today, we explore what issues avocados face, how climate change may exacerbate some of them, and how to improve the production of this beloved, valuable fruit. With special guest Dr. Roman Grüter: Research Associate at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences’ Geography of Food Research Group.

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, Maddy Schmidt, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Sarika Sawant

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, 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.

Tip of the Iceberg E29: The common industrial solvent poised to tackle the PFAS crisis Aug 31, 2022

Show notes

Nicknamed “forever chemicals,” PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have spread all throughout our environment, and have been linked to a long list of health problems including cancer. But according to a new paper in Science, an industrial solvent called dimethyl sulfoxide can actually break down a subset of PFAS chemicals. Ethan breaks down how this solvent works, how much this solution could help combat the PFAS crisis, and what science enthusiasts can take away from this discovery 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, Maddy Schmidt

Fact Checker: Ysabel Wulfing

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, 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.

98. The Rovuma Basin Aug 26, 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 third deep dive on carbon bombs, we take a look at the Rovuma Basin: a 64,000 square kilometer region primarily off the coast of northern Mozambique. The Rovuma Basin is home to a 30 billion dollar offshore liquefied natural gas project set to emit about a billion tons of carbon dioxide over the next three decades. In addition to the global climate impact, this project has damaged crucial surrounding ecosystems, displaced hundreds of families, and potentially worsened an armed insurgency that has been playing out in the region for years. And unfortunately, while local Mozambicans have had to endure these consequences, they have seen none of the jobs, money, or electricity resulting from this project. Today, we explore what is happening at the Rovuma Basin, how it has impacted the local community, and what a path forward might look like. With special guest Dr. Ruy Blanes: Associate Professor of Global Studies at the University of Gothenburg.

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

CREDITS

Writers: Owen Reith, Isabel Plower, Maxwell Pociask, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Sarika Sawant

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, 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.

Tip of the Iceberg E28: The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season is historically quiet... so far Aug 24, 2022

Show notes

The 49-day period between July 3 and August 21 (when this episode was recorded) marks the third longest gap between named Atlantic tropical storms since 1995. Does this uncharacteristically slow start to hurricane season disprove climate change? Not at all. Ethan breaks down why 2022 has been a lucky year up to this point and how climate advocates could bring more nuance and sensitivity to the hurricane conversation 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: Owen Reith

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, 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.

97. Cryptocurrency Aug 19, 2022

Show notes

Cryptocurrency has been quite the trend in recent years. There are over 19,000 cryptocurrencies circulating around the world right now, and in 2021, the global market value of cryptocurrency doubled. But some coins have turned out to be major energy sucks, impacting the global climate and many local communities. Bitcoin alone uses 150 terra-watt hours of electricity per year, which is more than the entire country of Argentina. Today, we explore what cryptocurrency is, why some coins are using so much energy, and how they can reduce their climate impact moving forward. With special guest Dr. Benjamin Jones: Associate Professor of Economics at the University of New Mexico.

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, Naomi Rubin, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Sarika Sawant

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, Shannon Damiano

Ad Voiceover: Will Andronico

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 E27: The spotted lanternfly invasion Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

The spotted lanternfly — an insect native to Asia — has invaded fourteen states mostly in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The pest is not toxic to humans, but threatens many important plants and crops, including apple trees, cherry trees, peach trees, and grapevines. Ethan breaks down the latest on this invasive species and contemplates if the issue is being communicated properly to people 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, Maddy Schmidt

Fact Checker: Owen Reith

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, 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.

96. Monarch Butterflies Aug 12, 2022

Show notes

Monarch butterflies are a scientifically unique, economically valuable, and culturally significant species. But due to climate change, habitat loss, pesticides, and more, Monarchs are under threat. In fact, just a couple weeks ago, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature officially declared the Monarch butterfly an endangered species. Today, we explore why Monarch butterflies are important, how they’ve reached endangered status, and what we can do to save them. With special guest Dr. Karen Oberhauser: Director of the University of Madison-Wisconsin Arboretum.

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, Ysabel Wulfing, Ethan Brown

Fact Checker: Owen Reith

Editor: Will Andronico

Producers: Ethan Brown, Shannon Damiano

Ad Voiceover: Will Andronico

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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