The Climate Pod

This week, we look at the widespread destruction that has been caused by the Australian bushfires and misinformation circulating to create a bizarre counter-narrative to argue against climate change as a main factor driving the crisis.  Brian Kahn of Earther joins the show to explain how this misinformation started spreading and what impact this has had on news coverage. Then, Dr. Bin Jalaludin of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney explains how these ongoing bushfires cause air quality and health problems. Finally, Dr. Stuart Khan (also of UNSW) talks about potential water quality issues caused by the bushfires and how water systems are damaged by the disaster.  As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Follow Brian Kahn on Twitter Follow Dr. Bin Jalaludin on Twitter Follow Dr. Stuart Khan on Twitter Further Reading: Dr. Stuart Khan for The Guardian, Bushfires threaten drinking water - and the consequences could last decades Brian Kahn for Earther, It's Not Arson, You Absolute Fucking Morons  Jessie Yeung for CNN, Australia Wildfires: Here's what you need to know Sarah Martin for The Guardian, Emergency payments for people affected by Australia's bushfires 'seriously inadequate' Ben Butler for The Guardian, Josh Frydenberg demands insurers provide unprecedented detail about bushfire property losses Lily Mayers for ABC, NSW bushfires leave many struggling without insurance on their homes Amaani Siddeek for The Guardian, Australia fires: heavy rain and cooler temperatures 'unlikely' to end bushfire threat  

The Australian bushfires keep burning, creating a growing path of devastation and destruction in its wake. One of the many horrific aspects of the crisis is the havoc these bushfires have wreaked on Australia's wildlife. It's estimated that more than one billion animals have been killed.   Dr. Stuart Blanch, senior manager of Land Clearing and Restoration for WWF-Australia, joins the show this week to talk about how the bushfires have impacted local wildlife, what this means for the endangered koala population, and how climate change is increasingly creating conditions that threaten these habitats from ever being able to recover from the disaster. This is a hard conversation that confronts the reality of the climate crisis, but it is a necessary one. Dr. Blanch is a truly remarkable person.   To donate to WWF Australia and learn more about the bushfire emergency, visit their website here: https://donate.wwf.org.au/ Follow WWF Australia on Twitter  Follow Dr. Stuart Blanch on Twitter As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Further Reading:  David Roberts, "1.5 degrees Celsius: The sad truth about our boldest climate target" Reuters, "Australia's leaders unmoved on climate action after devastating bushfires"

Just in time for the New Year! Two exceptional guests talking about the future of energy! This episode, we're joined by Jigar Shah of Generate Capital and "The Energy Gang" podcast AND Julia Pyper, host of the "Political Climate" podcast and contributing editor for Greentech Media. We dive into a wide range of energy topics - storage, hydrogen fuel cells, the path to renewable energy, litigation against fossil fuel corporations, and much more on the policies, politics, and predictions that will shape the next decade. We also leave you with an indie Canadian music recommendation and discuss our favorite Jimmy Buffett song. I'm not sure how that happen either, but this is an extraordinary hour of podcasting.   As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more!

Here it is - our big end-of-the-year, end-of-the-decade episode. First, we discuss some of the biggest stories of the past ten years with The Verge's Justine Calma.  Then, we review the first year of The Climate Pod, featuring clips from past guests like Drilled's Amy Westervelt, UCB's Connor Ratliff, Axios' Amy Harder, Huffington Post's Chris D'Angelo, Earther's Yessenia Funes, WWF's Vanessa Perez-Cirera, and many more from some of our favorite episodes and the biggest topics of the year. This episode was sponsored by Hero Power, Chicago's newest 100% renewable energy option that provides affordable, reliable electricity to Illinois residents at the same price as ComEd. Learn more at myheropower.com. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Follow Justine Calma on Twitter Further Reading: This was the decade climate change slapped us in the face by Justine Calma

This week, we discuss the underwhelming results at COP25, as the World Wildlife Fund's Vanessa Perez-Cirera joins the show to talk about her experience in Madrid and where she feels the summit fell short. An incredibly insightful and informative discussion.  Then, Rob Bilott, author of "Exposure" and the real-life inspiration for the film "Dark Waters," talks to us about the dangers of "forever chemicals" and his years-long legal battle against polluting corporations. How did this happen? What do we do now? Rob helps us better understand the issue. This is a great conversation with a true environmental hero.  This episode was sponsored by Hero Power, Chicago's newest 100% renewable energy option that provides affordable, reliable electricity to Illinois residents at the same price as ComEd. Learn more at myheropower.com. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Follow Rob Bilott on Twitter Follow Vanessa Perez-Cirera on Twitter Further Reading/Action: COP25: Key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Madrid Get Rob Bilott's book "Exposure" https://www.amazon.com/Exposure-Be-Confirmed/dp/1501172816 Learn more about "Fight Forever Chemicals" here Learn more about the World Wildlife Fund here

A recent study made news last week when it confirmed many past climate models were pretty damn accurate. We talk to Zeke Hausfather, one of the study's co-authors, about why his group did the study, what exactly they found, and what it means to climate science. Then, we talk to Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, who was named 350.org's North American Director in 2019. This is a fascinating, wide-ranging conversation about building a better climate movement and driving real change in the face of a growing threat to the planet and powerful interests pushing back against progress.  This episode was sponsored by Hero Power, a 100% renewable energy option that provides affordable, reliable electricity to Illinois residents at the same price as ComEd. Learn more at myheropower.com. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Follow Zeke Hausfather on Twitter Follow 350.org on Twitter Further Reading/Watching: Evaluating the performance of past climate model projections Ty's appearance on Hal Sparks Radio Program Megaworldwide (13 min mark) 

World leaders are meeting at COP25 in Madrid, Spain as a wave of new reports continue to be released outlining the growing climate crisis. Will this make a difference? What's at stake for COP25? The Guardian's Environmental Correspondent Fiona Harvey joins the show from Madrid to report on the summit.  Then, Fiona McPherson, Senior Editor at the Oxford English Dictionary, joins the podcast to explain why "climate emergency" was 2019's Oxford Word of the Year. This is a very good conversation with a lot of really good words.  Two Fionas in one show! Give it a listen and thanks for being great.  This episode was sponsored by Hero Power, a 100% renewable energy option that provides affordable, reliable electricity to Illinois residents at the same price as ComEd. Learn more at myheropower.com. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Follow Fiona Harvey on Twitter Follow Oxford English Dictionary on Twitter Further Reading: Climate crisis: what is COP and can it save the world by Fiona Harvey Word of the Year 2019 by Oxford Dictionaries 

On Tuesday, the United Nations released its annual "emissions gap" report to determine how the world is progressing towards the goals set in the Paris Agreement. The Washington Post's Brady Dennis joins to show to explain the findings in the report, what this means for world leaders set to meet in Spain to discuss climate next month, and how scientists are viewing the bleak reality outlined in their report. Then, we talk to two protesters from Fossil Free Yale about Saturday's demonstration during the Harvard-Yale football game. Martin Man and Alex Cohen tell us what it was like to be on the field, why they felt the protest was a necessary step in their divestment campaign, and what happens now to all the students that were arrested and still face pending charges. To learn more about their organization visit https://nobodywins2019.home.blog/. This episode was sponsored by Hero Power, a 100% renewable energy option that provides affordable, reliable electricity to Illinois residents at the same price as ComEd. Learn more at myheropower.com. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Follow Brady Dennis on Twitter Follow  Fossil Free Yale on Twitter Further Reading: In bleak report, U.N. says drastic action is only way to avoid worst effects of climate change by Brady Dennis   2°C: Beyond The Limit - Extreme climate change has arrived in America by Steven Mufson, Chris Mooney, Juliet Eilperin and John Muyskens

Our first live show! This week, we were at Lincoln Hall in Chicago to discuss the climate crisis in the Windy City with inspiring local activists and hilarious comedians for a night benefiting Friends of the Chicago River.  With a panel that includes Naomi Davis of Blacks In Green, Justin Goldberg of the Sunrise Movement Chicago, Jenny Kendler of Extinction Rebellion Chicago, Amelia Diehl of Rising Tide Chicago, Melissa Brice of 350 Chicago, and comedian Adam Burke ("Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me," "Doug Loves Movies"). Plus, performances by Jill Hopkins (Vocalo Radio's "The Morning AMp," WBEZ' "Making Beyoncé") and Chad The Bird, and an interview with Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River. This is the best show ever. Our guests were amazing. We put a bird puppet on the stage.  This episode was sponsored by Hero Power, a 100% renewable energy option that provides affordable, reliable electricity to Illinois residents at the same price as ComEd. Learn more at myheropower.com. As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Follow Friends of Chicago River on Twitter Follow 350 Chicago on Twitter Follow Blacks In Green on Twitter Follow Extinction Rebellion Chicago on Twitter Follow Rising Tide Chicago on Twitter Follow Sierra Club Chicago on Twitter Follow Sunrise Movement Chicago on Twitter Follow Adam Burke on Twitter Follow Jill Hopkins on Twitter Follow Chad The Bird on Twitter        

NEXT MONDAY: The Climate Pod is live at Lincoln Hall at 7 pm. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE *** This week, we discuss the outbreak of bushfires in New South Wales in Australia. Peter Hannam of The Sydney Morning Herald joins the show to discuss the situation in New South Wales and how climate change is contributing to the problem. Then, we talk to Stanford University's Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson about strategies and timelines for a 100% renewable energy future. He explains where he has found success, what technologies aren't working well, and what gives him hope about the transition to renewable sources.  As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and more! Follow Peter Hannam on Twitter  Follow Mark Z. Jacobson on Twitter Further Reading:  Is there a link between climate change and bushfires? by Peter Hannam The health and climate impacts of carbon capture and direct air capture by Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson