The Climate Pod covers the latest climate issues with the journalists, activists, academics, artists, and more at the center of the story. Hosted by brothers Ty and Brock Benefiel.
Podcasting about the policy and politics shaping our clean energy economy.
T
The Climate Pod


1
The True Crime Story Behind 'Dirty Gold' (w/ Nicholas Nehamas, Jim Wyss, and Jay Weaver)
1:11:03
1:11:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:11:03
This week, three of the authors behind Dirty Gold: The Rise And Fall Of An International Smuggling Ring join the show to talk about the tragic human and environmental loss stemming from illegal gold mining and the illegal international trade that fuels the issue. Authors Jay Weaver, Jim Wyss, and Nicholas Nehamas explain how the true crime story at…
T
The Climate Pod


1
Renewable Energy and Climate Lessons From Winter Weather Disasters (w/ Dr. Gabriel Filippelli and American Clean Power CEO Heather Zichal)
54:45
54:45
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
54:45
This week, we look back on the winter weather disaster in Texas and assess the lessons moving forward: how do we properly adapt to a changing climate that's affecting our winters? Dr. Gabriel Filippelli, Professor of Earth Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, explains why winter weather is getting weirder and American Clea…
T
The Climate Pod


1
How To Understand The Next Great Migration (w/ Sonia Shah)
1:09:56
1:09:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:09:56
Sonia Shah's new book The Next Great Migration is an essential read for the climate movement. What are most people missing when it comes to migration across the globe? Shah discusses the common misconceptions, where it originated, and the awful history of many environmental leaders promoting xenophobia and ecofascism. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock…
T
The Climate Pod


1
Scott Kelly Gives Us An Astronaut's View On Climate Change
56:56
56:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
56:56
Commander Scott Kelly is here! The renowned space explorer and author of the new children's book Goodnight, Astronaut, joins the show to discuss the adventures he documents in the book, why he wants to inspire kids to dream big, what space is like, growing up with his twin brother Sen. Mark Kelly, and how looking down on Earth affected his outlook …
T
The Climate Pod


1
Climate Activism In The Biden Era (w/ 350.org and 350 Action's May Boeve)
1:05:22
1:05:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:05:22
What do activists do when you have a U.S. president that actually takes climate change seriously? May Boeve, co-founder and Executive Director of 350.org and 350 Action, has a plan and she's ready to accelerate action by continuing to push for just, equitable transition to a sustainable future. She joins the show this week to discuss the beginning …
T
The Climate Pod


1
Why Climate Needs You To Run For Office (w/ Run For Something's Amanda Litman)
1:05:16
1:05:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:05:16
This week, Amanda Litman, executive director of Run For Something, joins the show to talk about why running for local office matters greatly to climate issues and how you can get involved now. We discuss the importance of electoral politics in climate action and what the new generation of activists might mean for the movement. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel …
Dr. Michael Mann is back on the show! The world-renowned climate scientist and author of the recently released book, The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet, discusses how public opposition to climate action has shifted, the ongoing fight against misinformation, and the choices we have to avoid the greatest crises to come. Subscribe …
T
The Climate Pod


1
How To Make Climate Policy Work (w/ Danny Cullenward and David Victor)
1:07:06
1:07:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:07:06
What happens when market-based climate policies meet real world politics? That's exactly what Danny Cullenward and David Victor wanted to explore in their new book Making Climate Policy Work. The authors join the show to discuss the shortcomings of cap-and-trade reforms and how better regulations can deliver solutions instead. Cullenward is Policy …
T
The Climate Pod


1
Tom Steyer On What Biden's Victory and Georgia Senate Wins Mean For Clean Energy Jobs
47:38
47:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
47:38
This week, Tom Steyer is back! We talk about the Georgia Senate wins, upcoming Biden Administration, renewed Trump impeachment calls, and how better leadership sets the stage for a renewed effort for spurring clean energy jobs. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss what a Democratic majority in the Senate means for climate action. Su…
T
The Climate Pod


1
Michael Grunwald On Clean Energy Lessons From The Obama Era
1:13:09
1:13:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:13:09
This week, Michael Grunwald, senior writer for Politico Magazine and author of The New New Deal: The Hidden Story of Change in the Obama Era, joins the show to discuss how the Obama Administration transformed clean energy with the 2009 stimulus package and what President-elect Joe Biden is likely to learn as a result of leading the effort. Co-hosts…
T
The Climate Pod


1
"A Children's Bible" Author Lydia Millet On Climate Fiction And Envisioning Crisis
1:16:52
1:16:52
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:16:52
This week, Lydia Millet, author of "A Children's Bible", a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction and one of the New York Times' Ten Best Books of the Year, joins the show to talk about why she wanted to explore intergenerational responses to the climate crisis in her new novel. We discuss coping mechanisms, the role of religion, parentin…
T
The Climate Pod


1
Ian Haney López On Building Multiracial Coalitions For Climate Action
1:22:27
1:22:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:22:27
This week, Ian Haney López, author of Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America and Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Public Law at the University of California, Berkeley, joins the show (3:30) to explain the race and class narrative, dog whistle politics, and how defeating racism is essential to combat the clima…
T
The Climate Pod


1
Climate Change In 2020: America Confronts Compounding Crises
47:04
47:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
47:04
America faced an inflection point in the climate crisis in 2020. Record-setting fires and environmental devastation were inescapable sights on the news, as the tragic consequences of a warming planet were on display at home and abroad. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic showed us the reality of living under multiple ecological disasters and the murde…
T
The Climate Pod


1
What Motivates Environmental Voters? (w/ Nathaniel Stinnett of Environmental Voter Project)
1:15:28
1:15:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:15:28
This week, Nathaniel Stinnett, founder and executive director of the Environmental Voter Project, joins the show to answer one basic question: what the hell is going on with environmental voters? Just kidding...kinda. We dig into the facts with Nathaniel to better understand what motivates environmentally-friendly voters, why it matters that many d…
T
The Climate Pod


1
Catherine Coleman Flowers On The Sanitation Inequality At The Heart Of "Waste"
57:18
57:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
57:18
Catherine Coleman Flowers is the author of "Waste: One Woman's Fight Against America's Dirty Secret" and the founder and current director of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice. Since 2008, Catherine has been the rural development manager at the Race and Poverty Initiative of the Equal Justice Initiative. She also serves as a …
T
The Climate Pod


1
Heather McTeer Toney on Building An Equitable Environment, Climate, and Future For All Children
1:06:34
1:06:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:06:34
This week, Heather McTeer Toney, Senior Director of Moms Clean Air Force, joins the show to discuss raising the next generation for climate action and the "mom-partisan" approach to the environment. She also discusses her prior work in the EPA, addressing the BP oil spill with the impacted local communities, environmental justice initiatives, and h…
T
The Climate Pod


1
Jamil Smith on How the Biden Administration Should Fight Environmental Racism
1:02:48
1:02:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:02:48
This week, Jamil Smith, Senior Writer at Rolling Stone for national affairs and culture and an Emmy winner, joins the show to discuss his piece "Another Reason We Can’t Breathe" and the importance of fighting environmental racism during the Biden Administration. We discuss the president-elect's plan, the role of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, …
T
The Climate Pod


1
Dr. Mark Hyman on the Food Fix Our Planet Needs
58:23
58:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
58:23
This week, Dr. Mark Hyman, author of Food Fix: How to Save Our Health, Our Economy, Our Communities, and Our Planet—One Bite at a Time, joins the show to discuss how to fix our broken food system, sequester more carbon from soil, and eat better for the planet. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the 2020 election results and proof …
T
The Climate Pod


1
Pulitzer Prize Winner Chris Hamby on the Abandoned Miners In "Soul Full Of Coal Dust"
52:33
52:33
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:33
This week, Chris Hamby, New York Times investigative reporter and author of "Soul Full of Coal Dust: A Fight for Breath and Justice in Appalachia," joins the show to discuss his new book on how coal companies endangered coal miners and prevented workers from receiving health benefits. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss false promi…
T
The Climate Pod


1
"Sea Fever" Is A Nightmare Climate Allegory (w/ Director Neasa Hardiman)
52:27
52:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:27
This week, Neasa Hardiman, writer and director of Sea Fever, joins the show to discuss her ecological thriller film and why she was thinking about the climate crisis while telling the story. We explore how science and scientists are portrayed in film and why environmental destruction can be some of the scariest stories to tell. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel…
T
The Climate Pod


1
Sean McElwee of Data For Progress on Changing Climate Politics
1:18:11
1:18:11
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:18:11
This week, Sean McElwee, Co-founder and Executive Director of Data for Progress, joins the show to discuss how the political landscape is changing to affect climate issues. How should Democrats talk about fracking? How do we pass progressive climate legislation? What are the biggest political shifts in climate? We dig into it all. Co-hosts Ty Benef…
T
The Climate Pod


1
The Supreme Court and Climate Change Law (w/ Michael Gerrard of Columbia University)
54:32
54:32
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
54:32
This week, Michael Gerrard of Columbia University's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law joins the show to discuss the changing Supreme Court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearing and comments on climate change, the EPA, climate liability lawsuits, and how climate action can be accomplished in the courts. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Ben…
T
The Climate Pod


1
How Does Climate Change Affect Individual Extreme Weather Events? (w/ "Angry Weather" author Dr. Friederike Otto)
1:19:04
1:19:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:19:04
This week, Dr. Friederike Otto, author of Angry Weather, and acting director of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford and co-investigator on the international project World Weather Attribution, joins the show to talk about how climate change impacts individual extreme weather events like wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, hea…
T
The Climate Pod


1
Zephyr Teachout on Why Breaking Up Big Business is Critical to Climate Action
1:07:15
1:07:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:07:15
This week, Zephyr Teachout, Fordham law professor and author of Break 'Em Up, joins the show to discuss how weakened antitrust regulations have led to environmental and employee harm, how fossil fuel subsidies have prevented stronger competition from renewables, and why breaking up monopolies is good for the planet. Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock B…
T
The Climate Pod


1
Dr. Genevieve Guenther on Ending Climate Silence in Media
1:13:40
1:13:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:13:40
This week, Dr. Genevieve Guenther, founder and director of End Climate Silence, joins the show to discuss how to improve media coverage on climate topics. She tells us what strategies she uses, explains how language plays an important role in climate action, and why her past non-climate career helps her better understand how to communicate the cris…