Political Climate

The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, which comes with both opportunities and risks.Climate change is opening up new shipping routes and increasing access to fossil fuel reserves, while also threatening ecosystems and fueling geopolitical tensions. Are we approaching the end of the polar peace zone?Earlier this month, the Arctic Council met in Finland to frame a collaborative agenda on economic development and environmental protection. But for the first time since the Council’s inception, participants failed to sign a joint declaration after the U.S. refused to accept language on climate change — sparking fury and confusion.In this episode, we speak with Retired Rear Admiral David Titley (9:45), meteorology professor at Penn State University, about the consequences of a warming Arctic.We also talk to Malte Humpert (28:35), founder of The Arctic Institute, about the significance of the Pompeo’s statements and takeaways from the latest Arctic Council summit.Plus, we discuss if there’s any chance of seeing climate policy pass in an infrastructure bill and co-host Brandon Hurlbut celebrates his first semi-viral tweet. As always, Political Climate ends with our segment called “Say Something Nice,” where our Democrat and Republican co-hosts have to say something redeeming about the opposing political party (43:00).Tweet us your feedback on this episode @Poli_Climate!Recommended Reading: Reuters: US sinks Arctic accord due to climate change differences The Atlantic: The Next ‘South China Sea’ Is Covered In Ice The Inquirer: Our transportation plan will improve infrastructure and tackle climate change The Hill: Markey releases infrastructure suggestions that align with Green New Deal goals Brandon Hurlbut goes viral 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. 

House Democrats disinvited former Congressman Carlos Curbelo from a climate change hearing this week, just days before the Florida Republican was scheduled to testify. Did the Dems prioritize politics over finding climate solutions?In this episode we're joined by Curbelo, a strong advocate for a national carbon tax, to get his view of what happened (15:15). Plus co-hosts Shane Skelton and Brandon Hurlbut spar over what this political play says about the future of climate action in the U.S. We also delve into reports of Joe Biden’s “middle ground” climate plan. Reuters says Biden plans to "appeal to both environmentalists and the blue-collar voters who elected Donald Trump.”The former Vice President and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate has yet to officially release a climate platform, but the backlash has already begun — including from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.Recommended Reading: Reuters: Presidential hopeful Biden looking for a ‘middle ground’ on climate policy ABC: Ocasio-Cortez attacks Biden on climate change policy, Biden says he's 'never been middle of the road' The Hill: Dems cancel plans to bring in Republican as climate change witness Washington Examiner: Landmark hearing exposes climate change gulf among Republicans and Democrats Former Congressman Curbelo’s testimony Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and The Leonardo DiCaprio FoundationSubscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay and Overcast. 

Democrats came together last week to present a united front on tackling climate change, but will it matter before 2020?Political Climate speaks with Representative Kathy Castor (FL-D) on the passage of HR 9, the first meaningful climate change bill to pass the House of Representatives in nearly a decade. We find out why passing a bill to keep the U.S. in the Paris climate agreement was an important political move, despite zero chance of getting it past the self-proclaimed “Grim Reaper” Mitch McConnell.Also, we revisit the scuffle between Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke and the youth-led climate activist group The Sunrise Movement. In a quick turnaround, Sunrise walked backed their critique of Beto’s climate action plan, while Beto signed on to the "No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge." Is this a kumbaya moment or egg on their faces?Not to be outdone by O'Rourke, fellow presidential hopeful, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, presented part one of his “Climate Mission” plan last week. Political Climate discusses the details and whether Biden will offer up his own climate change plan now that he’s entered the race.Recommended Reading: Roll Call: House Passes Climate Bill With Few Republican Backers Slate: Why The Left Needs More Climate In-Fighting Earther: How Students Convinced Beto O’Rourke To Stop Taking Fossil Fuel Money Vox: Jay Inslee Promised Serious Climate Policy and He’s Delivering Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and The Leonardo DiCaprio FoundationSubscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay and Overcast. 

Democratic Presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke unveiled a comprehensive climate change plan this week that seeks to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in the U.S. by 2050. The $5 trillion proposal is the most detailed climate plan announced by a 2020 presidential candidate to date.But the policy wasn't even a day old when the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate group backing the progressive Green New Deal, slammed O'Rourke for not being more ambitious.O'Rourke isn't the only Democratic politician to face criticism for his climate plan in recent days. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti also saw pushback over his Green New Deal plan for the city.On this week’s episode of Political Climate, we look at how green Democrats need to be to win support from progressive members of their own party. Is this type of in-fighting a genius political strategy to push the envelope on what’s possible? Or will it end up muddling plans to address climate change?Recommended reading: The Atlantic: Why Beto’s Climate Plan Is So Surprising The Hill: Group backing Green New Deal blasts O'Rourke's climate plan Streetsblog: Garcetti’s Green New Deal for Los Angeles Under Attack for Being Too Car-Centric Bloomberg: Ex-Trump Aide Who Backed Paris Accord to Join House Panel, Sources Say NYTimes: We Asked the 2020 Democrats About Climate Change (Yes All of Them). Here Are Their Ideas. Axios: What Biden and Beto just told us about the 2020 climate fight Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and The Leonardo DiCaprio FoundationSubscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay and Overcast. 

The Green New Deal is all over the news these days. But how did it get there?Efforts to reform the U.S. economy in a more sustainable and equitable way didn't start with the introduction of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal resolution. And they certainly don't end there.In this episode, Political Climate sits down with Green New Deal architects Rhiana Gunn-Wright, Demond Drummer and Zach Exley for an in-depth interview on the sweeping -- and evolving -- plan to address both climate change and economic inequality.What can the climate movement learn from the original New Deal and World War II mobilization? Is there a viable alternative to the neoliberal policy model? Can progressive Democrats ever work with Republicans? We discuss all of this and more in a candid conversation (starts 21:00) with Gunn-Wright, Drummer and Exley, who currently lead the progressive policy shop New Consensus.Plus, what does rapper and comedian Lil Dicky have in common with AOC? We kick off this episode with a look at two influential climate videos making their way around the Internet.Recommended reading: Lil Dicky -- "Earth" The Intercept: A Message From the Future With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez E&E: Meet the scholar crafting the 'Green New Deal' GTM: Green New Deal Resolution Calls for 100% ‘Clean, Renewable and Zero-Emission Energy Sources’ Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and The Leonardo DiCaprio FoundationSubscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay and Overcast. 

What do bodybuilding and gerrymandering have to do with the fight against climate change? Arnold Schwarzenegger explains in an exclusive Political Climate interview.The former California governor and global environmental leader has been tackling the related issues of climate change and pollution for years by working across the political aisle. In this episode (13:30), Schwarzenegger explains why he still believes in working with people of all political stripes.The show kicks off with a look at recent headlines, including the clash between former Secretary of State John Kerry and Rep. Thomas Massie over climate science. Plus, Democratic Senators introduce a carbon pricing bill. We ask: is this an effective political strategy?Recommended reading: Vox: Viral John Kerry-Thomas Massie exchange over climate NYT: The Problem With Putting a Price on the End of the World E&E: Whitehouse, Schatz float latest version of carbon fee bill The Hill: Schwarzenegger teams up with Holder to 'terminate' gerrymandering LA Times: Here’s why Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kevin de León are teaming up on climate change Schnapps Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and The Leonardo DiCaprio FoundationSubscribe to the Political Climate podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay and Overcast. 

Political Climate is back after a four-month hiatus. Did we miss anything?Well, there was the Green New Deal resolution and launch of the new House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. There was also the introduction of a Republican-backed clean energy plan and the kickoff of a climate-centric presidential election. So there’s that.In this episode, the Political Climate co-hosts catch up on the latest headlines. Plus, the podcast makes some news of its own!Recommended reading: Slate: Why the Green New Deal Rollout Was Kind of a Mess Axios: Democrats vote "present" as Green New Deal fails Senate test Newsweek: Here's How the Green New Deal Compares to a Proposed Republican Climate Plan — The Green Real Deal The Hill: Newly-formed House climate panel holds first hearing Axios: Green New Deal: Where the 2020 presidential candidates stand Vox: Nancy Pelosi is trying to force Trump to return the US to the Paris climate agreement Political 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. 

The Political Climate partial shutdown comes to an end on April 8. Climate politics are evolving rapidly as the 2020 election looms large. The bipartisan podcast team will be back to discuss all of the latest twists and turns in an exciting new season.

Is there a bipartisan path forward on meaningful climate policy in America? If so, what does it look like?Those are questions we’ve been grappling with on Political Climate this entire podcast season. Now we’re putting them — point blank — to our Democrat and Republican co-hosts.This is our solutions show, and our final episode for 2018.We kick it off with a rundown of the latest news headlines and issues to watch heading into the new year, including a coal-friendly Democrat taking a top spot on the Senate Energy and Committee, a new carbon fee and dividend bill, and a big utility’s voluntary 100 percent clean energy target.Then the pressure is on co-hosts Brandon and Shane to share their climate policy solutions (21:30). We get both a big picture vision and specifics around what they think decision-makers can get done in the coming years. Plus, a cameo from the Governator.We wind down show by reflecting on our takeaways from Season One of this bipartisan podcasting effort, where things get a little personal (47:50).Then, as always, we cap it all off with our “Say Something Nice” segment — where our Democrat and Republican co-hosts have to say something redeeming about the opposing political party.This is our last podcast of the year, but this doesn’t have to be goodbye! You can always catch up on previous episodes you may have missed, featuring interviews with Senator Martin Heinrich, Top Trump EPA official Mandy Gunasekara, Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board, and many other decision-makers and thought leaders in climate and energy.Then look out for a whole new season in 2019! Thank you for listening.Recommended reading: NYT: Joe Manchin Faces Liberal Opposition in Bid to Be Energy Panel’s Top Democrat Bloomberg: Bipartisan Climate Fee Backers to Plant Flag During Lame Duck GTM: Xcel Energy Commits to 100% Carbon-Free Electricity by 2050 Vox: US climate politics just got even more polarized. Here’s how Democrats can move forward. Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via ApplePodcasts, GooglePlay, TuneIn, Overcast, Stitcher and Spotify.Follow Political Climate on Twitter @Poli_Climate.

The Sunrise Movement over a blue wave.It sounds like a tropical scene, but it was actually the state of affairs last week on Capitol Hill.As Democrats prepare to take control of the House in 2019, a group of young activists — backed by Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — have put climate change front and center on the post-election agenda. And on protest signs right in front of Nancy Pelosi’s office door, as she seeks to become the next House speaker.In this episode of Political Climate, we discuss how established Democrats are responding to pressure from left to act on climate. And we speak with a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement about the group’s quest to establish a Select Committee on a Green New Deal.Plus, how did the 2018 midterms ultimately shake out? Things have changed quite a bit since our previous episode. We end, as always, with our “Say Something Nice” segment.Recommended reading: Green New Deal New Yorker: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nancy Pelosi, and the Democratic Battles to Come in 2019 NYT: ‘Message of Change’: 16 Rebel Democrats Vow to Oppose Pelosi Washington Examiner: Defiant in defeat, Carlos Curbelo says climate change activism will help GOP Subscribe to the Political Climate podcast via ApplePodcasts, GooglePlay, TuneIn, Overcast, Stitcher and Spotify.Follow Political Climate on Twitter @Poli_Climate.