Climate One

With the US midterm elections looming, the window for enacting meaningful climate policy may be closing. November’s elections will determine which party controls Congress, and that will have far reaching implications for the planet. Historically, the midterms have been bad news for the party in control of the White House, but the Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act may have changed that calculus. Where do voters stand going into the midterms, and how does climate factor into their decisions? Guests: Nathaniel Stinnett, Founder & Executive Director, Environmental Voter ProjectChelsea Henderson, Director of Editorial Content, RepublicENJean Chemnick, Climate Reporter, E&E NewsFor show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, hundreds of thousands of people in high-risk disaster areas across the US have been dropped from their insurance policies, leaving them both physically and financially vulnerable. At the same time, premiums have sky-rocketed, making insuring homes and businesses out of reach for many. And federal insurance and relief programs have come under scrutiny for payouts that contribute to inequality.  The insurance industry wasn’t set up to account for climate change, which is increasing the frequency, scale and severity of disaster claims. From Hurricane Ian flooding communities across the coast of Florida to fires in the Pacific Northwest, and further storm damage from Puerto Rico to Nova Scotia, we’ve seen frequent and fierce weather take lives and devastate communities. As more people and property face loss due to extreme weather events, who will pay to protect and rebuild communities? And what policies are being constructed to help the insurance industry stay afloat? Guests:Junia Howell, Urban Sociologist, University of Illinois ChicagoSimon Young, Senior Director, Climate and Resilience Hub, Willis Towers WatsonCarolyn Kousky, Associate Vice President for Economics and Policy, Environmental Defense Fund; author of Understanding Disaster Insurance: New Tools for a More Resilient FutureUmair Irfan, Climate and Covid Reporter, VOXEric Letvin, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Mitigation, FEMAFor show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In August, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. The IRA allocates around $370 billion over ten years to invest in renewable energy, make EVs more affordable, address climate inequities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help mitigate the climate crisis. But like any law, the way the money is doled out matters, and the law’s implementation will ultimately determine its success. Some of the IRA money moves through state governments, including some that are outright hostile to the law. Consumers will have access to a suite of rebates and credits designed to electrify their lives, if they can get the necessary support to take advantage of them. How can government agencies, companies, investors and individuals take the law from words on a page to real functioning programs? Guests: Carla Frisch, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Policy for the U.S. Department of Energy Ryan Panchadsaram, Advisor to the Chairman at Kleiner Perkins Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, Berkeley LawDan Bowerson, Senior Director, Energy & Environment, Alliance for Automotive InnovationFor show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a 20-year career as a tech reporter for CNET, the New York Times, and the public radio program Marketplace, Molly Wood has come to see the climate crisis as an engineering problem requiring an acceleration of investment. And so, after producing the acclaimed climate podcast “How We Survive” for Marketplace, she recently left that program to begin a new career in venture capital. Now, in conversation with Climate One Host Greg Dalton, Molly Wood explores the limits of media in changing human behavior and the role of capital in addressing the climate crisis, even while considering that capitalism itself may be incompatible with survival. Guests:Molly Wood, Investor, PodcasterFor show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the tech world, there’s a common belief that once a new device hits 5% market penetration, it rapidly goes from a niche to mass adoption. According to Bloomberg, the US has just passed that critical 5% tipping point for new EV purchases. Norway, an oil-rich country, was first to hit that 5% mark in 2013 and today boasts a stunning 86% of new cars being fully electric. Now California is driving the US along a similar road away from gasoline and diesel by passing a new law that will only allow emission free vehicles to be sold by 2035. Even with that California law, how confident can we be that all new American cars will be running clean? What does the 5% tipping point mean for other clean tech adoption? Guests:Albert Cheung, Head of Global Analysis, BloombergNEFFor show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most Americans support climate action, but you wouldn’t know it from Congress or the courts – or from most of the media. People on both the left and the right experience the same devastating floods, the same life-threatening heatwaves and the same catastrophic wildfires. Yet individuals tend to socialize within insulated political tribes, operate in completely different information bubbles and see the problems and solutions through different lenses. How can we learn to bridge ideological divides, develop trust, and find the common ground needed to rebuild respectful civil discourse?Guests:Chloe Maxmin, Maine State SenatorJoan Blades, Co-founder, LivingRoomConversations.orgJohn Gable, Co-founder, AllSides.comFor show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused horrific damage and casualties, in spite of Ukraine’s remarkable efforts to defend itself. The conflict has disrupted energy markets, grain shipments and is still destabilizing the global economy. All of this has shoved climate further down the list of international priorities, as has happened so many times before. Yet within conflict zones, many brave individuals and organizations work every day to stave off the even greater threat of climate catastrophe. We talk with climate activists in Ukraine and the Middle East about the realities of operating environmental organizations in conflict zones, and how to balance immediate needs with working toward a better future.Guests:Roman Zinchenko, Co-Founder, GreencubatorNada Majdalani, Palestine Director, EcoPeace Middle EastFor show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For those of us who love to travel, climate guilt weighs heavily. Civil aviation accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and that number is going up. But while electrifying cars and trucks is already well underway, flying planes on anything other than liquid fuels remains devilishly difficult. Despite that difficulty, there are options. Sustainable aviation fuels, or SAFs, hold the most promise, as they can theoretically drop right into existing engines and infrastructure. Beyond that, a number of startups are tinkering with electric battery-powered aircraft, as well as hydrogen-powered electric planes. But how sustainable are these options, and are they really ready for prime time? Guests:Fred Ghatala, Director of Carbon & Sustainability, Advanced Biofuels Canada Stephanie Searle, Fuels Program Director, ICCTScott Cary, Project Manager, NREL Christina Beckman, Co-creator, Tomorrow’s Air; Vice President, Adventure Travel Trade Association Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For nearly six decades, the US government passed no comprehensive climate legislation. Now that’s changed. The Inflation Reduction Act contains approximately $370 billion of investments in clean energy and climate solutions. But not everyone is happy. To get through the Senate, the bill offered carrots to entrenched fossil fuel interests, along with investments in renewable power. Many in disadvantaged communities, who so often bear the brunt of climate-induced disasters, feel they’ve been left out yet again.Guests: Chelsea Henderson, Director of Editorial Content, RepublicEnSam Ricketts, Co-Founder, Evergreen Action Ozawa Bineshi Albert, Co-Executive Director, Climate Justice AllianceSomini Sengupta, International Climate Reporter & Anchor, Climate Forward Newsletter, New York TimesFor show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick Ridgeway estimates he’s spent about five years of his life sleeping in tents, often in the world’s most remote places alongside fellow outdoor adventure luminaries. Ridgeway worked for Patagonia for 15 years and was behind the company’s infamous “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad campaign, which paradoxically advocated sustainability and increased sales. Outdoor companies like Patagonia may push for sustainability, but they largely still present a mostly white, wealthy experience with nature, which can be off-putting for people of color. “You know if you can't see yourself in those spaces then it’s hard to feel invited or welcome in that movement,” says writer and social justice facilitator Amanda Machado.  What is the role of corporations in conservation? And how can the outdoor industry help make nature more safe, accessible and welcoming for all?Guests:Rick Ridgeway, former Vice President of Public Engagement, PatagoniaAmanda Machado, writer and social justice facilitatorFor show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices