Political Climate

Climate change didn’t stop while the world turned its attention to combating the coronavirus. Will leaders seize the moment to tackle more than one crisis?The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act offered no explicit support for the energy sector. Will Congress use the next stimulus bill to accelerate the green economy as part of the COVID-19 recovery? If so, when and how? Or will climate friendly stimulus measures fall by the wayside for now?Plus, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it will allow companies to break pollution laws during the pandemic and did not set a timeline to start implementing the laws again. We discuss how this compares to the crisis response of past administrations.. We end with some tips on how to weather through COVID-19 and related economic troubles, including a breakdown of the financial support available to cleantech startups under the recently passed CARES Act.Recommended reading: E&E News: Does climate change still matter in the election? The Guardian: Trump administration allows companies to break pollution laws during coronavirus pandemic Medium: A Green Stimulus to Rebuild Our Economy Wired: The Analogy Between Covid-19 and Climate Change Is Eerily Precise The Guardian: Polar ice caps melting six times faster than in 1990s Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!This episode is brought to you by the nonprofit environmental forum EarthX. The Earthx2020 Conference and Film Festival will be held virtually from April 22-27 to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Find more information at www.earthx.org!

Labor groups and environmentalists have a complicated relationship.Efforts to mitigate climate change stand to create new employment opportunities in a thriving, low-carbon economy. But they also stand to eliminate many unionized jobs, particularly in the fossil fuel industry.So how can organized labor and the environmental movement work together to promote a just and sustainable society? We discuss in a candid conversation with Lee Anderson, director of government affairs at the Utility Workers Union of America, and Anna Fendley, director of regulatory and state policy at the United Steelworkers.We also explore how policymakers can support blue collar workers and expand job prospects, while dramatically cutting down carbon emissions. Does the prospect of another economic stimulus bill in response to COVID-19 present an opportunity to accelerate America's blue-green economy?This is the fourth episode of Political Climate’s monthly “Path to Zero” series, brought to you by the public policy think tank Third Way. The series explore how people are being affected by the transition to cleaner energy resources, and the economic challenges and opportunities created in the process. It examines the technologies and policies we will need to implement to drive down carbon emissions, and the politics driving this dialogue. Listen and subscribe to all “Path to Zero” episodes here!Recommended reading: Solidarity for Climate Action Politico: Energy Issues in Stimulus Limbo A Green Stimulus to Rebuild Our Economy Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.“Path to Zero” is created in partnership with the public policy think tank Third Way. Episodes air monthly on the Political Climate podcast feed. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!

With cases recorded in more than 140 countries, the novel coronavirus has become a global health crisis. In the U.S., bars and offices have been closed, conferences cancelled and kids kept home from school in an attempt to slow the spread. President Trump has declared a national emergency and invoked the Defense Production Act to accelerate the virus response.So why aren’t we reacting as swiftly to climate change -- another human-propelled global catastrophe that could harm human health and wellbeing for generations to come?These threats are not the same, but they do share certain attributes. We discuss with risk and behavioral scientist Sweta Chakraborty, founder of Adapt to Thrive and co-host the live weekly radio show “Risky Behavior.”Recommended reading: NBC: Me, worry? For coronavirus, it depends on your politics GTM: For Wind and Solar Sectors, Biggest Coronavirus Risk May Be a Damaged Economy GreenBiz: COVID-19 and climate change: A healthy dose of reality London Real: Jonathan Haidt - Climate Change Ideology Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!This episode is brought to you by the nonprofit environmental forum EarthX. Looking for a new activity? Challenge yourself to take on the 50 for 50 Challenge — 5 Pledges x 10 Actions = 50 Ways to Protect our Planet in honor of Earth Day's 50th anniversary. Sign up at www.earthx.org!

It's been pretty hard to miss the latest news. Coronavirus spreads! Oil prices plummet! Stock market crashes!What does all of this have to do with climate and clean energy? A lot, actually.On Monday, oil prices had their worst day since the 1991 Gulf War, falling 24 percent to around $34 per barrel. So how did we get here? And what does the combination of rock bottom oil prices and the coronavirus mean for clean energy?We break it down on this episode of Political Climate in an interview with David Livingston, senior analyst at the political risk consultancy Eurasia Group with a focus on energy and global macroeconomics.Recommended reading: E&E News: EVs, shale and Trump: 5 takeaways from the oil crash WaPo: White House likely to pursue federal aid for shale companies hit by oil shock, coronavirus downturn GTM: Coronavirus May Challenge Solar Industry’s Tax Credit Strategy Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!This episode is brought to you by the nonprofit environmental forum EarthX. This April marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and there’s no better way to celebrate than at the EarthX Expo, Conference and Film Festival in Dallas, Texas. This event is for everyone, including you! Visit earthx.org to learn more and register.

Joe Biden had a super, Super Tuesday. We discuss the results and what they mean for climate in the 2020 Democratic Primary. We also touch on the sweeping Senate energy bill that could come to a vote any day now.Plus, there was another big winner this week! We share the results of our policy bracket competition from last week’s Decarb Madness episode.In the latter half of this show (26 min), we discuss how to pick the best policies for decarbonizing the U.S. economy with experts at the think tank Energy Innovation who created the policy simulator we used to evaluate last week’s policy brackets.If you haven’t heard the Decarb Madness episode yet, we recommend going back to give it a listen.Recommended reading: WaPo: Sweeping Senate Energy Bill Could Come to a Vote This Week GTM: Sweeping Senate Energy Bill Could Come to a Vote This Week Energy Innovation: A Policy Pathway To Reach U.S. Net Zero Emissions By 2050 Decarb Madness: How Would You Build a Policy Bracket to Decarbonize the Power Sector? Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!This episode is brought to you by the nonprofit environmental forum EarthX. This April marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and there’s no better way to celebrate than at the EarthX Expo, Conference and Film Festival in Dallas, Texas. This event is for everyone, including you! Visit earthx.org to learn more and register.

Welcome to Decarb Madness! The policy bracket game for energy wonks who don’t want to play with our future. With March Madness just around the corner and a climate crisis closing in, Political Climate challenged four energy experts to build their ideal policy bracket for decarbonizing the electricity sector.For the third episode in our “Path to Zero” series, contestants were asked to select five federal-level policies that they think will win the day — both in terms of carbon reductions in 2050 and political feasibility.Decarb Madness 2020 features Jesse Jenkins, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering Princeton University, and Leah Stokes, assistant professor of political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Political Climate co-hosts Brandon Hurlbut and Shane Skelton also gave it a shot.  In round one, each player explains why they made their respective policy picks. Following that, host/referee Julia Pyper steps in to explain how each bracket ranks on emissions reductions using the Energy Policy Simulator, a computer model developed by the nonpartisan climate policy firm Energy Innovation.In round two, each contestant makes the case for why their policy bracket is the most politically and technologically feasible. And then you come in! As soon as you hear this episode, head over to the Political Climate Twitter page @poli_climate and vote for whose bracket you think is the best. We will announce the winner on our next show.Game on.Recommended reading: Policy list Jesse's policy bracket Leah's policy bracket Brandon's policy bracket Shane's policy bracket Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.“Path to Zero” is created in partnership with the public policy think tank Third Way. Episodes air monthly on the Political Climate podcast feed. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!

Is the United States positioned to lead long-term as the global energy mix continues to shift?Fossil fuels have shaped the geopolitical map over the last two centuries. Now, the rapid deployment of renewables has set in motion a global energy transition that could have profound geopolitical consequences.In this episode of Political Climate, we speak to Daniel Simmons, assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, about how the U.S. Energy Department is thinking about intersection of geopolitics and cleantech.We also discussed the DOE’s new Energy Storage Grand Challenge and how the agency is deploying capital to support clean energy innovation more broadly under President Trump — and how the DOE is defining “clean energy innovation” under President Trump.Plus, we hear from Matt Myers, vice president of EarthxCapital. He’s just launched a new, bipartisan initiative with the DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions to address commercialization barriers for cleantech solutions. We’ll learn more about it. Finally, the Political Climate crew couldn’t ignore the latest news. So we also touch on this week’s fiery Democratic debate and Jeff Bezos’ new $10 billion commitment to fund climate action. Recommended reading: Washington Examiner: Bloomberg: US can't afford to ban fracking 'for awhile' GTM: What Would It Take for the US to Become an Energy Storage Manufacturing Powerhouse? Report: Bridging the U.S. Environmental Technology Gaps to Market Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.Listen and subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast or any of these other services. Find us on Twitter @Poli_Climate! Follow our hosts at @JMPyper @ShaneSkelton and @BrandonHurlbut.This episode is brought to you by the nonprofit environmental forum EarthX. This April marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and there’s no better way to celebrate than at the EarthX Expo, Conference and Film Festival in Dallas, Texas. This event is for everyone, including you! Visit earthx.org to learn more and register.

We’re off to the races! The Democratic primary started slow off the blocks in Iowa, but the nomination process is now well underway following the New Hampshire vote.What have we learned so far in this election? Where have we seen climate and energy play in? And what’s to come next?On this week’s episode of Political Climate, we discuss the latest developments in arguably the most consequential ⁠— or at least the most contentious ⁠— election in U.S. history. Plus we touch on a handful of energy policy updates.Recommended reading: The Nation: Climate Is on the Ballot in New Hampshire GTM: Time to Reinvent BP, Says New CEO NYT: In Crucial Pennsylvania, Democrats Worry a Fracking Ban Could Sink Them Earther: The Trump Administration Is Withholding Almost $1 Billion in Renewable Energy Funding Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.Listen and subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast or any of these other services. Find us on Twitter @Poli_Climate! Follow our hosts at @JMPyper @ShaneSkelton and @BrandonHurlbut.This episode is brought to you by the nonprofit environmental forum EarthX. This April marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and there’s no better way to celebrate than at the EarthX Expo, Conference and Film Festival in Dallas, Texas. This event is for everyone, including you! Visit earthx.org to learn more and register.

What the heck happened in Iowa? Democratic co-host Brandon Hurlbut shares a first-hand account of the caucus reporting glitch and top voter issues in the first state to hold a presidential nominating contest. We look at where climate ranked.Meanwhile in the capitol, House Democrats have unveiled draft legislation and policy roadmap to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Is this the kind of bold climate leadership that advocates have been calling for? And are there proposals in the CLEAN Future Act that Republicans could back? Co-host Shane Skelton argues that there are.Not to be left out, House Republicans are floating their own climate plan that focuses on planting trees, removing plastic pollution and funding clean energy innovation. But is it the kind of innovation that the planet needs or is it a smokescreen? A good first step or pure optics?We discuss what innovation means to Republicans and where there's common ground with Democrats on this week's episode of Political Climate!Recommended reading: WaPo: Climate change among top concerns for Iowa Democratic caucus-goers NPR: Iowa Farmer Says He's Disenchanted With President Trump E&C: E&C Leaders Release Draft CLEAN Future Act Axios: What’s in Republicans’ new climate-change push Vox: “Innovation”: the latest GOP smokescreen on climate change policy NRDC: Promising Bipartisan Movement Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.Listen and subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast or any of these other services. Find us on Twitter @Poli_Climate! Follow our hosts at @JMPyper @ShaneSkelton and @BrandonHurlbut.

Science tells us we must reach net zero emissions by 2050 to stave off the most devastating impacts of climate change. But do we have all of the technologies we need to do it?In the second episode of Political Climate's “Path to Zero” series, we put that question to physicist, professor, Nobel Laureate, and former U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.Under his leadership, the DOE launched several new initiatives to help put the United States at the forefront of cleantech development, including the creation of Energy Innovation Hubs and the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, or ARPA-E. Chu also oversaw $90 billion in Recovery Act funding for strategic clean energy investments.Together these measures helped jumpstart America’s modern green economy. But what now? Do we have what we need to reach net zero?Find out in this episode of “Path to Zero” series, presented with support from Third Way — a leading public policy think tank based in Washington, DC that champions thoughtful and data-driven climate solutions to put the United States on the fastest and fairest path to net-zero emissions by 2050.“Path to Zero” episodes will air monthly on the Political Climate podcast feed. Episode one "The Urgency of Reaching Net Zero" is available here. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!Recommended reading: The Atlantic: The 'Silent Green Revolution' Underway at the Department of Energy The Onion: Hungover Energy Secretary Wakes Up Next To Solar Panel Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.Listen and subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast or any of these other services.