A Massive Climate Political Problem (w/ Nathaniel Stinnett)

Become a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show! It's fun. All the cool kids are doing it! This week, Nathaniel Stinnett, founder and executive director of the Environmental Voter Project, is back on the show to explore one of the most frustrating obstacles to climate action: the lack of political engagement from many climate-concerned voters. Despite the growing awareness and concern about climate change, many voters that say they care about the issue still don't perceive it as a political problem. Nathaniel delves into the reasons behind this disconnect and shares insights from recent research that highlights the challenges and opportunities in mobilizing these voters. Throughout the conversation, we explore the importance of voting as a tool for climate advocacy and why we need to stop putting so much faith and passion into individual politicians and focus instead on building real power for the movement. We also talk about the need to shift the narrative on systemic change, making voters feel more empowered and focused on collective action. You'll learn why we actually need to politicize climate change more, without making it more of a partisan issue. As always, Nathaniel's passion and expertise shine through as he offers practical advice for those looking to make a difference, whether by voting, volunteering, or simply spreading the word. I always enjoy our conversations.  Learn more about the Environmental Voter Project here. EVP's annual fundraiser will take place on Wednesday, September 17.  Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show. Your contributions will make the continuation of this show possible.  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, and more! Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

You can't talk about climate action without discussing inequality. Afterall, the effects of climate change are distributed incredibly unequaly. Furthermore, it's the people who are responsible for the least amount of carbon emissions that most often face the deadliest and most damaging consequences of the crisis.  On today's episode, we sit down with Tony Juniper, renowned environmentalist and author of Just Earth to explore the profound intersection of inequality and the climate crisis. As the climate emergency intensifies, the disparities between those who contribute the least to climate change and those who suffer the most from its impacts are only gettting worse. Juniper sheds light on how economic and social inequalities exacerbate inaction, creating a vicious cycle that hinders all global efforts to combat the climate crisis. We delve into the historical context of these issues, examining how past and present policies and global agreements have shaped the current landscape. Juniper shares insights from his extensive career, highlighting the importance of integrating social justice into environmental strategies and where the movement has often fallen short in doing so. He argues that without addressing the root causes of inequality, efforts to mitigate climate change are doomed to fail. In this conversation, Juniper provides a deeper understanding of the systemic changes needed to create a more equitable and sustainable world. From policy reforms to grassroots movements, he outlines actionable steps that individuals and communities can take to drive meaningful change based off what he's learned in his nearly 40-year career doing this work.  Tony Juniper CBE has spent decades fighting for major climate and environmental initiative. His career has included leading major environmental nonprofits, running global campaigns, and serving as a government advisor. He's an author and his books include the multi-award winning What Has Nature Ever Done For Us? and Harmony, which was co-authored with King Charles III. He has received many awards and widespread recognition for his environmental work and in 2017 he was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to conservation. He is now the Chair of the British Government’s official conservation agency Natural England and a Fellow with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show. Your contributions will make the continuation of this show possible.  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, and more! Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Read Just Earth: How a Fairer World Will Save the Planet

Five years ago, on the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we looked back with Vann Newkirk II on the complexities of the disaster. Newkirk did a thorough recounting of Katrina for his narrative podcast series, Floodlines. Since that conversation, I've often wondered about the role of the federal government in the wake of these disasters. Have we learned much in the 20 years since Hurricane Katrina? Why is FEMA so critical when a disaster strikes a certain area? Are we better prepared now or in worse shape? How is the climate crisis impacting all of this? To answer all these questions and more, I invited Samantha Montano, an associate professor of emergency management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, on the show. She is also the author of the book, Disasterology: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Climate Change. In this conversation, we talk about the intricate processes behind emergency management, from the initial assessment of a disaster to the deployment of resources and personnel. She explains how FEMA collaborates with state and local agencies as well as nonprofits. Montano also sheds light on some of the strategies that drive successful recovery and resilience in communities affected by natural and man-made disasters and how Hurricane Katrina shaped her career.  Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show. Your contributions will make the continuation of this show possible.  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, and more! Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Read Disasterology: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Climate Change.  

This has been a rough year for the US climate movement. And few people have spent as many years or invested as much time in thinking about the climate movement than Bill McKibben, author of the first book on climate change, The End of Nature. In this perilous moment we find ourselves in, McKibben is finding some inspiration in the transformative potential of renewable energy and how it can help both power the planet and revitalize the climate movement. In his new book, Here Comes The Sun, he offers both the grim reality we face as warming worsens and the very real advances in clean energy that have suprised even him in the past couple of years. We delve into the surprising trajectory of global warming estimates, the rapid advancements in solar technology, and the pivotal role of activism in accelerating the transition to clean energy. McKibben shares insights on the geopolitical implications of fossil fuel dependency and the liberating potential of renewable energy for communities worldwide, particularly in the Global South. We also explore the critical importance of storytelling, activism, and community engagement in shaping a sustainable future. This is a great conversation for this dark moment.   Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show. Your contributions will make the continuation of this show possible.  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, and more! Subscribe to our YouTube channel.  

On July 23, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion that many are regarding as a groundbreaking legal moment for the fight against climate change. But what was included in the actual opinion? What does this mean for the future of climate litigation? And most importantly, what will this mean for the future of climate action? To answer all these questions and more, we talk to Dr. Maria Antonia Tigre, the Director of Global Climate Change Litigation at the Sabin Center. She explains how this decision sets a new precedent in international law by recognizing the extensive legal obligations countries have in combating climate change. We explore how the opinion integrates customary international law, human rights, and environmental treaties, offering a robust framework for future climate cases. Dr. Maria Antonia Tigre also details the fascinating backstory of how a class project from the University of South Pacific in Vanuatu evolved into a global movement, culminating in this historic opinion. She shares insight into the legal community's reaction, the potential ripple effects on domestic and international cases, and the strengthened legal arguments that could emerge from this decision. We also explore the role science played in informing the court's decision, particularly the emphasis on the 1.5-degree threshold as a legal standard. Finally, we discuss the broader implications for fossil fuel regulation, climate reparations, and the responsibilities of both developed and developing nations. Dr. Maria Antonia Tigre is the Director of Global Climate Change Litigation at the Sabin Center. She manages the Sabin Center's Global Climate Change Litigation Database with the support of the Sabin Center's Peer Review Network of Climate Litigation. Maria Antonia is a leading expert in the field of climate change law and climate litigation, having published dozens of articles on the topic. She also co-heads the Sabin Center and GNHRE's project on Climate Litigation in the Global South.  Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show. Your contributions will make the continuation of this show possible.  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, and more! Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

This week, Dr. Kate Marvel, author of Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet, is on the show to discuss the complex ways she processes varying emotions while studying climate change and thinking about this planetary crisis. Marvel talks about her journey from a high school student disinterested in science to studying cosmology to eventually becoming a leading climate scientist. She explains why she's inspired by this work and the people that do it. We talk about the creative and fun aspects of working with climate models, some of the certainities and uncertainites that come with any scientific exploration, and what scares her most about climate change. Marvel shares some of the deep emotions that are evoked by everyday climate science and the importance of the narratives we tell living through this crisis. We also explore what it's like for climate science and scientists to be attacked, ignored, and/or belittled, and why it's critical to appreciate the amazing contributions we've received from years of hardworking scientists studying this issue.  Dr. Kate Marvel is one of the world's best-known climate scientists working today. She received a PhD in theoretical physics from Cambridge University, led the “Climate Trends” chapter in the U.S. Fifth National Climate Assessment, and has both given a TED Talk and testified before the U.S. Congress! She has written for Scientific American, Nautilus magazine, and the On Being Project.  Read Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show. Your contributions will make the continuation of this show possible.  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, and more! Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Other stuff referenced in this episode: The 50 Worst Songs of the ’00s from the Village Voice  

The climate crisis seems to be missing from the overwhelming majority of the popular culture that we consume. But is that really the case? In this compelling conversation Mark Bould, a distinguished professor of film and literature at the University of the West of England, explains how we might be able to uncover the crisis in TV, books, and film where it isn't obvious at first glance. Bould is the author of The Anthropocene Unconscious: Climate Catastrophe Culture, which challenges our conventional understanding of climate change narratives and encourages us to uncover the implicit climate themes woven into various forms of media. Bould explains in this conversation how science fiction especially can serve as a powerful lens through which we can examine the complexities of climate change and its cultural implications. Throughout this episode, we journey through a diverse array of media, including the Sharknado, Arrival, World War Z, The Edge of Tomorrow, The Purge, and the Fast & Furious franchise to examine how climate themes appear in unexpected plas. From the explosive rise of zombie films to the nuanced storytelling of literary novels, Bould shares his insights on how these narratives not only reflect societal anxieties but also shape our collective consciousness regarding the climate crisis. Whether you're a film nerd or a climate change champion, this episode offers a thought-provoking exploration of how fiction can illuminate the biggest challenges we face.  Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show. Your contributions will make the continuation of this show possible.  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, and more! Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

This week, David Wallace-Wells is back on the show for a wide-ranging conversation on the climate crisis unfolding in 2025. I was struck by David’s recent essay, “We Can Adapt and Prepare for Floods. But Will We?” in the wake of the horrific flooding in Texas. As David explains, the climate disasters we face today are increasingly unpredictable and widespread, challenging our traditional understanding of what our climate risks are where they can happen. Despite the rising frequency and cost of these disasters, David notes that increasingly it appears that our most commons response is largely to normalize these events. He suggests that instead of being jolted into action, we are adapting to these new realities mostly by just accepting it as inevitable.  In this conversation, we also discuss a number of other recent events, from the repeal of major parts of the Inflation Reduction Act to budget cuts to federal services to China’s big clean energy in push in recent years. It’s wide-ranging and the kind of fascinating talk you can always expect when David joins the show. David Wallace-Wells is the New York Times essayist, best-selling science writer and author of The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming. His subscriber-only newsletter he explores climate change, technology, the future of the planet and how we live on it. His recent piece on the tragic floods in Texas “We Can Adapt and Prepare for Floods. But Will We?” Check out our past conversations with David, first in 2021 and later with Ty in 2023. He’s always an exceptional guest and a very considerate person. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show. Your contributions will make the continuation of this show possible.  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, and more! Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Why were there so many serial killers in the US in the 1970s and 80s? Why were so many in the Pacific Northwest? This week, we explore the Lead Crime Hypothesis with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Caroline Fraser. In her new book, Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers, she explores the potential link between mid-20th century pollution from leaded gasoline and industrial smelters and the spike in violent crime. We also examine how the reduction of lead in the environment could explain the subsequent drop in crime rates since the 1990s, but how we still face a threat today. We discuss how lead pollution became such a problem, its known impacts on human behavior, and why our understanding of pollution can challenge some conventional crime reduction strategies and beliefs. Caroline grew up outside of Seattle in the 1970s, while Ted Bundy and other murderers were in the area. We talk about her personal history with the area and how it's driven her work on the topic.  Caroline Fraser is the author of Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder, which won the Pulitzer Prize as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Heartland Prize, and the Plutarch Award for Best Biography of the Year. She is also the author of God’s Perfect Child: Living and Dying in the Christian Science Church, and her writing has appeared in the New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, and the London Review of Books, among other publications. Check out Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show. Your contributions will make the continuation of this show possible.  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! Subscribe to our YouTube channel.        

We’re living through a time of extraordinary change to the US energy landscape. As Robbie Orvis, Senior Director of Modeling and Analysis at Energy Innovation argues, the combination of surging demand for electricity with new policies designed to slow the build out of cheaper, cleaner, faster energy sources like wind, solar, and batteries will result in higher utility bills, fewer jobs, and slower economic growth. And that will impact everyone, likely in more ways than you’d expect. Orvis joins The Climate Pod this week for an in-depth examination of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. How much less clean energy will actually be built in the coming years? How much could it increase energy costs? What will be the economic losses suffered as a result? Will international momentum towards clean energy continue in absence of the United States’ leadership? Orvis answers all these questions and more as we get into the weeds of the new energy environment. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show. Your contributions will make the continuation of this show possible.  Check out more of Robbie's work at Energy Innovation here. 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! Subscribe to our YouTube channel.