Political Climate

It’s week two of the United Nations COP25 climate summit, and it’s the last few days of Congress before the winter recess. What have American policymakers accomplished? We get an update from the U.S. Climate Action Center on site at the UN climate talks. We look at wildfire victim relief in California. And we discuss 12 pieces of clean energy legislation that House Republicans are calling on Democrats to support. What's the political strategy at play?Plus, a prominent former senator weighs in on the climate, energy and security nexus and how to avoid the game of “political football” that climate policy has become today.Later in this show, we speak to former Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire about what she calls “common-sense” solutions to combat climate change.Recommended reading: Al Jazeera: As Trump walks away from climate pact, America's Pledge steps up Vox: The future of the Paris climate agreement is being decided this week NYT: PG&E Reaches $13.5 Billion Deal With Wildfire Victims E&C: Bipartisan Solutions to Protect the Environment and the Economy Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, and thanks to invaluable support from producer Victoria Simon.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast or any of these other services.

Fossil fuel companies could be facing a Big Tobacco moment.This fall, Exxon Mobil went to court, facing charges that the oil giant lied to shareholders and to the public about the costs and consequences of climate change. And that’s just one of several legal cases seeking to hold oil and gas firms responsible for their contribution to global warming.As we discuss with UCLA environmental law professor Ann Carlson in this episode of Political Climate, the litigation could cost fossil fuel companies billions of dollars and fundamentally change the way the world approaches energy production. But lawsuits aren’t the only venue for challenging the fossil fuel industry. This battle is also being waged in the court of public opinion, which has put a spotlight on how oil companies can promote their positions on social media. In this episode, we also hear from journalist Emily Atkin, author of the newsletter Heated, about why she and others are angry about the oil industry’s political ads.With the United Nations COP25 climate summit also taking place this week, fossil fuels are in the crosshairs.Recommended reading: Inside Climate: Where the Major Climate Change Lawsuits Stand Today Heated: Exxon climate ads aren’t "political," according to Twitter Axios: To tackle climate change, clean energy isn’t enough NYT: ‘Bleak’ U.N. Report on a Planet in Peril Looms Over New Climate Talks GTM: Spanish Oil Giant Repsol Sets Net-Zero Emissions Target for 2050 Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, and thanks to invaluable support from producer Victoria Simon.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast or any of these other services.

The holidays can be difficult. It can be tough to get along in these polarized times. Family conversations on climate change can get heated. We get it.Sometimes we have those heated conversations on this show. But it’s all in the interest of breaking out of our self-contained opinion bubbles.So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, on this episode of Political Climate we say thank you to our listeners for engaging with this podcast — even when the feedback comes in the form of a mean Tweet.Then we cheers to the climate action happening on both sides of the aisle in an extended edition of our “Say Something Nice” segment of the show, where our Democrat and Republican co-hosts have to say something redeeming about the opposing political party.Gobble. Gobble.Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, and thanks to invaluable support from producer Victoria Simon.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast or any of these other services.

In the shadow of public impeachment hearings, a group of House Democrats is attempting to advance a bold climate action plan that the entire party can rally around. On Thursday, House members introduced legislation that would set a nationwide goal of achieving a 100 percent clean energy economy by 2050. The bill was announced with more than 150 co-sponsors.In this episode of Political Climate, we conduct an exclusive in-depth interview with one of the bill’s authors, Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY). Tonko serves as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's environment and climate change subcommittee, where he’s been holding hearings for several weeks to flesh out what a 100 percent clean economy would look like. "There is a lot going on beyond the impeachment inquiries that have begun, and the people need to know that," Tonko said.We ask Rep. Tonko about the newly introduced 100% Clean Economy Act of 2019 and get his outlook on how to get the bill to the president's desk. Plus, we get his thoughts on extending clean energy tax credits and what he makes of the Republican stance on climate policy. (Interview segment begins 13:50)This week’s show opens with a first-hand account of what happened at the California Democratic State Convention, and with takeaways from a lunch with Southern Republican lawmakers touring California for tips on how to grow their local clean energy sectors. Recommended reading: McEachin, Haaland, Dingell, Blumenauer, Tonko & Pingree Introduce 100% Clean Legislation Washington Examiner: House Democrats Plan 100% Clean Economy Bill Thursday to Unite Party  GTM: Renewable Tax Credits Get Another Shot in Congress NYT: Obama Says Average American Doesn’t Want to ‘Tear Down System’ Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, and thanks to invaluable support from producer Victoria Simon.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast or any of these other services.

We’re officially less than one year away from the 2020 election.What do the latest polls tell us about how the presidential candidates are stacking up? What do the 2019 elections tell us about how this could play out? And what does all of this mean for climate and energy policy?In this episode of Political Climate, we look at Democrat wins in Virginia and Kentucky. We also discuss the results of a New York Times/Siena College poll that offers a mixed bag for Democratic candidates.Plus, billionaire climate-action champion Michael Bloomberg flirts (once again) with entering the 2020 race. Does his campaign stand a chance?Finally, we discuss a rift between Democrats and Republicans over climate language included in a defense bill. Are Democrats stalling on this climate measure in hopes for a bigger legislative win?Recommended reading: GTM: Virginia’s Democratic Sweep and Its Implications for Dominion Energy’s Future NYT: Recent Polls Show Trump’s Support Is Flagging in the Suburbs — and Beyond CS Monitor: Why these Kentucky Democrats still love President Trump Cook Political: Democrats Need to Mind the Gap Between Their Base and Swing Voters BBC: US election 2020: Michael Bloomberg mulls presidential bid Washington Examiner: Why a key Democrat is holding back a bipartisan climate bill Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, and thanks to invaluable support from producer Victoria Simon.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast or any of these other services.

If you’re following political news then you’ve probably heard of The Squad, a group of four newly elected congresswomen advocating for progressive policies like the Green New Deal.But have you heard of the New Democrat Coalition and its plans for dealing with climate change? In this episode of Political Climate, we hear from a lawmaker who is leading that charge.Last year, Sean Casten ran one of the most overtly pro-climate action campaigns of the 2018 midterms, in a historically Republican district. In the end, Casten, a biochemical engineer and a clean energy entrepreneur, beat out six-term Republican Rep. Peter Roskam.Rep. Casten’s race in the Illinois 6th District was identified as a 2018 battleground that could have determined whether or not Democrats took control of the House. And it’s a moderate, suburban district that Democrats will want to keep in 2020.As you’ll hear in this interview, Rep. Casten is intent on finding solutions to climate change and doesn’t shy away from getting wonky on topics like energy storage and attracting capital to the solar sector. But he also has a critical view of some of the policies his fellow Democrats have put forward.Recommended reading: New Democrat Coalition Climate Principles ThinkProgress: Newly elected Democratic congressman casts doubt on Green New Deal GTM: A Green Wave? How Climate and Clean Energy Are Playing Into the 2018 Midterms Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, and thanks to invaluable support from producer Victoria Simon.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast or any of these other services.

There has been no shortage of climate related news in recent days ⁠— from President Trump’s attack on California’s emissions-trading system to Senator Schumer’s $450 billion electric vehicle proposal, and disastrous wildfires raging in the West to the anniversary of Superstorm Sandy in the East.It’s a grab bag of climate headlines on this week’s episode of Political Climate.We begin by revisiting the wildfire crisis in California, as co-host Shane Skelton copes with a power outage and warnings that his community may soon have to evacuate. Governor Gavin Newsom's administration inherited this challenge, but now that he's in power what's his plan for coping with it?Next we look at the Trump administration's attack on a foundational California climate policy: its cap-and-trade system. Did California overstep by partnering with the province of Quebec? We also look at the latest developments in the clash over California's clean vehicle standards.Finally, we check in on the new bipartisan climate caucus in the Senate and debate the Republican backlash over the Democrats' climate agenda in the House.Recommended reading: Vox: Wildfires and blackouts mean Californians need solar panels and microgrids SacBee: Gov. Newsom calls for Warren Buffett to buy PG&E as widespread power shutoffs continue WSJ: Trump Administration Sues California Over Cap-and-Trade Market Reuters: Senate Democrat Schumer proposes plan to swap gas cars for electric vehicles Reuters: GM, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler back Trump on California Emissions Challenge Washington Examiner: Republicans mount counter to Democrats’ ‘100 by 50’ climate plan Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, and thanks to invaluable support from producer Victoria Simon.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast or any of these other services.

Are cites the world’s best hope for combating climate change? Many cities have committed to meeting the Paris Agreement goals. But are those targets translating to action on the ground?In this episode of Political Climate, we look at San Diego’s quest to achieve 100 percent carbon free electricity by 2035 and what other cities can learn from this experience. We recorded this episode at the UCSD School of Global Policy and Strategy, where we were joined by Cody Hooven, the first chief sustainability officer for the City of San Diego.We covered everything from how the city’s Republican mayor pushed through a bold climate action plan, to the community choice aggregation program San Diego is pursuing, to how cities are coping with the intersection of climate and equity issues. Before delving into the role that cities play in the fight against climate change, we touched on a few federal climate related news items. Here’s that conversation, we hope you enjoy.Recommended reading: Politico: Trump to nominate Dan Brouillette as Energy secretary The Hill: Senate Dems lose forced vote against EPA power plant rule WSJ: City Pledges for ‘100% Renewable Energy’ Are 99% Misleading San Diego Tribune: San Diego City Council takes the leap into community choice energy GTM: San Diego Moves Ahead With 100% Clean Energy Community Choice Program Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, and thanks to invaluable support from producer Victoria Simon.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast or any of these other services.

Last week, Pacific Gas & Electric, intentionally cut the power off to 800,000 electricity customers in Northern California — affecting roughly 2 million people — in an attempt to avoid sparking another potentially deadly wildfire.  Classes were cancelled, businesses closed, food spoiled and people who rely on medical devices panicked. There was no fire, but the blackout has caused tempers to flare and political tensions to rise.  How did we get to a point where California’s largest utility is resorting to planned power outages to prevent destructive wildfires? And how will politicians manage the increasing risk that wildfires present going forward?We discuss on this week’s episode of Political Climate with Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University and a member of California's Commission on Catastrophic Wildfire Cost and Recovery (begins 17:00).We kick off the show with a look at the fourth Democratic presidential debate, plus Brandon announces his 2020 candidate! As always, we end with our segment: “Say Something Nice.” Political Climate is recording a live show at UC San Diego on Monday, October 21st. The event begins at 5pm and it’s free. You just need to sign up here. So if you’re in the San Diego area — come join us! Recommended reading: GTM: California on Edge as PG&E’s Power Outage Plan Goes Into Effect LA Times: There’s a quick way to help prevent wildfires: Shut off the power grid Guardian: California power shutoffs: when your public utility is owned by private investors NPR: PG&E's Blackouts Panic California's Vulnerable Population LA Times: Newsom and legislative leaders decline to embrace changes to California’s wildfire liability law WaPo: Green groups grapple with how to respond to Hunter Biden's gas company role Eventbrite: Political Climate podcast live show Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, and thanks to invaluable support from producer Victoria Simon.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast or any of these other services.

This week, we bring you a special episode from our friends at The Years Project. David Gelber, creator of the Emmy Award-winning series “Years of Living Dangerously,” has teamed up with Jeff Nesbit, executive director of Climate Nexus and author of the book This is the Way the Earth Ends, on a new podcast called Climate 2020. Each week David and Jeff will discuss the latest developments in the political fight to mitigate the climate crisis in the lead up to the 2020 election. In this episode, they speak with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes about where the Democratic candidates stand on climate and which policy proposals make the most sense. They also discuss the recent climate strikes and UN Climate Action Summit, as well as new climate news project from veteran journalist Kyle Pope. Then they hear from voters in a Pennsylvania swing district.  Political Climate has a shared mission to create a robust climate action dialogue in the lead-up to the 2020 election, so we’re publishing the first episode of Climate 2020 this week on the feed. Next week, we will return to our regularly scheduled programming. Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, and thanks to invaluable support from producer Victoria Simon.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast or any of these other services.