Political Climate

This summer, the United States celebrated the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing. Fifty years later, many people wonder: if we can get to the moon, surely we can fix the environmental issues here on Earth?In this episode, we get NASA astronaut Scott Kelly’s perspective on fighting climate change, having seen the challenge we’re up against from the unique viewpoint of space.Kelly has spent a whole lot of time in space — 520 days, to be exact. Upon his return from a continuous one-year mission, scientists were keen to study the impacts of spaceflight on his body, and compare the results to his identical twin, astronaut and politician Mark Kelly, who remained on Earth. Scott, meanwhile, used his time in orbit to study the impacts of humanity on the planet.The Political Climate team sat down with Scott Kelly to discuss technology, politics and the unique perspective that traveling to space offers on the climate crisis. We also ask if he’d ever run for office — like his twin brother Mark, husband to former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who is currently campaigning for Senate in Arizona as a Democrat.Recommended reading: Newsweek: Scott Kelly Says View From Space Shows Earth Is Covered in Pollution and 'We Need Leadership to Protect It' NYT: Scott Kelly Spent a Year in Orbit. His Body Is Not Quite the Same. Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Overcast or any of these other services! 

There were several moments of legitimate engagement on climate change at last week’s Democratic presidential debates. But did any of it resonate with voters?In this episode, we break down the key points candidates made on stage in Detroit — from promoting direct air capture to climate justice — with help from Jigar Shah, president and co-founder of Generate Capital and co-host of the Energy Gang podcast.Plus, top Republican pollster, Frank Luntz, gives Senate Democrats a lesson on climate change communication. We discuss the GOP strategist’s about face on climate change.Finally, lawmakers in Ohio just passed an enormous subsidy package for coal and nuclear plants, while gutting the state’s renewable energy and efficiency standards. Utility FirstEnergy lobbied hard and helped elect allies to office to get $1.1 billion in ratepayer funds for its aging nukes. We round out the show with a look at Ohio’s controversial new law. Recommended reading: Grist: In Detroit, Democratic candidates actually did some climate debating Mother Jones: Joe Biden’s Climate Plan Melted During the Debate The Hill: Democratic senators turn to GOP for help in reaching conservatives on climate messaging Vox: Ohio just passed the worst energy bill of the 21st century Inslee profile pic Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Overcast or any of these other services! 

The climate movement doesn’t have a persuasion problem; it has a turn out problem. Data reveal that environmentalists don’t show up to vote as often as the overall population in an election. So what gives? And could this impact races in 2020?In this episode of Political Climate we take a hard look at how many Americans care about climate issues, and how many of those people actually vote — or don’t.To figure this out the podcast team sat down with Nathaniel Stinnett, founder of the Environmental Voter Project, a non-partisan non-profit that identifies environmentalists across the United States and makes sure that they vote in every election.We also discussed a new Democratic proposal to achieve 100 percent carbon neutrality by 2050. The idea was recently put forward by a group of more moderate, established Democrats rather than progressives. Is this a sign of policy alignment on the left? Or will this so-called Green New Deal alternative be a source of conflict within the party?We recorded this show live on stage last week at the Sun Valley Forum in Ketchum Idaho. Take a listen!Recommended reading: Environmental Voter Project ASU: House Committee Calls for Zero Greenhouse Gas Pollution by 2050 TNR: The Democrats’ New Climate Plan Can’t Be Serious Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Overcast or any of these other services! 

Billionaire hedge fund executive and environmental activist Tom Steyer is officially making a run for the White House — and putting an aggressive climate action plan at the center of his campaign.In this episode of Political Climate, we speak with the newest contender in the 2020 Democratic primary about why he entered the crowded race, and how he plans to use "emergency powers" to combat climate change.After the first Democratic debate it looked as though the field of presidential candidates could be thinning out. That is, until Steyer entered the race, pledging to spend $100 million on his bid.He boosted his campaign on July 25 with the launch of a bold climate action plan — the only climate action plan to effectively address the climate crisis with the urgency that it demands, according to Steyer.Political Climate sat down with the candidate for an in-depth interview the day after he announced his new climate policy.Recommended reading: Politico: How Tom Steyer would address climate change PBS: What does Tom Steyer believe? Where the candidate stands on 6 issues Framework for a Justice-Centered Climate Plan Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Overcast or any of these other services! 

What is going on in Washington D.C.? A bubbling House Democrat feud followed by a series of racially offensive presidential tweets has unleashed chaos in the U.S Capitol. Meanwhile, there’s one thing we’re not seeing much of: governingIn this episode of Political Climate we look at where we’re seeing attempts at climate action, and where we’re seeing a whole lot of climate distraction. A slate of clean energy bills have been introduced in Congress this year. Do they have any hope of passing before the 2020 election?We also take a look at President Trump’s recent speech on the environment and the launch of a new Republican caucus on conservation. Does this prove that Republicans are seeing a real need to show leadership on the environment?Finally, we check in on the Democratic presidential primary, which just saw billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer enter the race and momentum slide for a candidate forum of climate change. Recommended reading: GTM: Clean Energy Policy Push Faces Steep Climb Ahead of 2020 Election The Hill: Republicans form conservation caucus to take on environment, climate change Huffington Post: Fox News Cuts Into Trump Speech To Deliver A Brutal Real-Time Fact Check Gizmodo: Update on Our 2020 Climate Summit Politico: Schwarzenegger to Trump: 'You have to dial down Donald' Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Overcast or any of these other services! 

Twenty Democratic presidential candidates faced off last week in the first debate of the 2020 election. It was a mixed bag — not only for the candidates, but also for climate.There were more questions on climate change than in previous years, and yet climate issues saw just 15 minutes of airtime over the four hours the contenders were on stage. Did Democrats hit the right notes in their (brief) responses? Or did the first showing justify calls for a dedicated climate debate?Also, who were the overall winners and losers? And are Democrats more united or divided heading into the race against President Trump?In this week’s episode, we discuss how did candidates and climate change fared in the first round of debates.Plus, what the heck happened in Oregon? Republican legislators fled the state last month to resist voting on a cap-and-trade bill, and then fringe right-wing militia groups said they would protect the politicians if law enforcement officials tried to bring them back. We discuss how a climate bill went off the rails and whether Democrats can ever count on Republicans to act in good faith on climate.Recommended reading: Inside Climate: First 2020 Debates Spent 15 Minutes on Climate Change. What Did We Learn? HuffPo: Democrats To Consider Climate Debate Amid Mounting Pressure NYT: Biden, Recalling ‘Civility’ in Senate, Invokes Two Segregationist Senators NPR: Oregon GOP State Senators Go Into Hiding To Avoid A Climate Vote Oregon Live: How Oregon’s climate-change bill ran out of gas Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Overcast or any of these other services! 

We often can’t see or feel air pollution — and yet, it is taking a toll. Air pollution is responsible for the early deaths of some 7 million people every year, around 600,000 of who are children, according to the United Nations. In this episode, we hear stories of how people around the world are calling attention to this invisible killer.We speak to Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, a mother campaigning to have pollution officially named as her daughter’s cause of death [3:30].We also talk to Beth Gardiner, the author of “Choked,” a book about science, politics and personal experiences linked to pollution [12:55].We hear from entrepreneur Romain Lacombe at Plume Labs, about his mission to map out city pollution the way that Google maps out traffic [20:00].And we learn about how a group of women in Southern California are trying to protect their town from the real-world health impacts of online-shopping in an interview with Grist reporter Justine Calma [28.05].Recommended reading: BBC: Ella Kissi-Debrah: New inquest into girl's 'pollution' death Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution Bloomberg: This Wearable Pollution Monitor Detects How Dirty Your Air Is Grist: The town that online shopping built — and women are trying to save Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Overcast or any of these other services!

Democrats are dominating the public dialogue on climate change. That is just a fact. It’s part of their party platform in a way that it’s simply not for Republicans. And yet, things aren’t entirely black and white — or blue and red. In this episode, we look at a range of Republican views on climate issues, from flat out denialism to reticent acceptance to legitimate climate commitments. We discuss President Trump’s replacement for Obama’s Clean Power Plan, we look at new polling numbers that show Republican voters are concerned about their party’s stance on climate change, and we dig into conservative alternatives to the Green New Deal.The Republican Party stance on climate change is shifting — but will any conservative climate proposals actually address the issue?We sit down with former six-term South Carolina Congressman Bob Inglis, a thought leader of the eco-right, to get his take is on the current state of American politics and hear how he’s continuing to advance a conservative climate platform through his non-profit RepublicEN. Recommended Reading: The Hill: Addressing Climate Change Is A Win For Republicans - Why Not Embrace It? GTM: Trump Administration Finalizes Revamp of Obama-Era Coal Rule The Hill: GOP Pollster Luntz: Majority Of Younger Republicans Worried By Party Stance On Climate Change Third Way: The New Climate Consensus E&E News: GOP Ready To “Cross The Rubicon” On Climate - Graham Matt Gaetz: Addressing Climate Change Through A Green Real Deal Greentech Media: A Divided Climate Means We All Lose RepublicEN Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Overcast or any of these other services!

We are losing the fight against climate change, warns UN Secretary General António Guterres.Even if countries were on track to meet their Paris Agreement goals — which they’re not — the world would experience catastrophic levels of warming by the end of the century.But there are still signs of hope.In this episode Political Climate, we discuss the state of global climate action with Mr. Guterres in an interview recorded last week at the R20 Austrian World Summit in Vienna.Plus, Republicans attack their own on climate policy, while Democratic presidential hopefuls Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren roll out bold climate change plans. We begin the show with a check-in on U.S. politics.Recommended reading: Axios: Paris + 2: Climate jolted faster than projected E&E: GOP criticizes its own on climate NYT: What Biden’s Climate Plan Shows About the Democratic Field FP: China Rises in U.N. Climate Talks, While U.S. Goes AWOL Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Overcast or any of these other services!

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg was all alone when she started protesting the lack of political action on climate change last year outside of the Swedish parliament. Today, climate strikes inspired by Thunberg are drawing out more than 1 million young people around the world. But as she tells Political Climate: the fight is “not over yet.”This week’s podcast was recorded at the R20 Austrian World Summit in Vienna, where former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up with Thunberg to call attention to the climate crisis. We sit down with Schwarzenegger to get his reaction to meeting Greta. Plus, we speak with the 16-year-old Swedish protester about her advice to climate activists in the U.S.We also discuss takeaways from the recent EU Parliament elections, where Green Party members saw big gains in some of Europe’s largest countries. Could these results foreshadow a green wave in the next U.S. election?Recommended reading: WaPo: Teen activist Thunberg urges leaders to admit climate crisis Guardian: European elections: triumphant Greens demand more radical climate action YouTube: Greta Thunberg Joins Arnold Schwarzenegger & More To Deliver Speeches On Climate Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay and Overcast.