Matt and Nick are joined by guest co-host Dan Walsh to talk about climate change misinformation and a new decision by Google/YouTube to prevent its spread. Their Quick Hits of the week include an update on how climate change is impacting coral reefs (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/04/climate/coral-reefs-climate-change.html?referringSource=articleShare), Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments being restored (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/bears-ears-and-grand-staircase-escalante-national-monuments-to-be-expanded-by-biden-administration-utah-governor-says/ar-AAPfqgk?ocid=uxbndlbing), the environmental impacts of returning clothes (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/11/free-returns-online-shopping/620169/), and how Covid-19 is impacting the upcoming COP26 talks (https://atmos.earth/cop26-covid-superspreader-justice-vaccine/?utm_campaign=No%20campaign&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=169110740&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9WVx5QUp08hzqlJsdF7thYNT25tXsPKlCFQeaVeYysl2t2l1ixuJSIT5-J_1JgzL8dPjeyRRupZPsHnQzcbTQgps7NZg&utm_content=169110740&utm_source=hs_email).
Matt interviews Eddy Badrina of Eden Green Technology and Seed Effect! Their Quick Hits of the week include several extinction updates (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/climate/endangered-animals-extinct.html?referringSource=articleShare), the return of wolves in Europe (https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/the-return-of-the-wolf-in-europe?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=species&utm_content=link), just how bad the wildfires have been in California in the last decade (https://thehill.com/policy/equilibrium-sustainability/574928-1-in-8-acres-in-california-has-burned-in-last-decade), an oil spill off the coast of California (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-02/coast-guard-rushes-to-contain-newport-beach-oil-slick), Earth dimming due to climate change (https://phys.org/news/2021-09-earth-dimming-due-climate.html), and fossil fuel prices rising while renewables get cheaper (https://ieefa.org/as-fossil-fuel-prices-skyrocket-globally-renewables-grow-steadily-cheaper/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=as-fossil-fuel-prices-skyrocket-globally-renewables-grow-steadily-cheaper&utm_source=Weekly+IEEFA+Newsletter&utm_campaign=fc862d59fd-IEEFA_WeeklyDigest&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_30c2b8506b-fc862d59fd-128776699)!
Nick and Matt review the Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher! This episode starts off with a call to action about fossil fuel subsidies (https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-the-petition-end-fossil-fuel-tax-giveaways?source=direct_link&referrer=group-ccan&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fgive.ccanactionfund.org%2Fpage%2F15812%2Fdonate%2F1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=federal&utm_content=Fed-Pollutertaxpayouts-0921-c4+C). Their Quick Hits of the week include another Chinese conservation success story (https://news.mongabay.com/2021/09/the-cat-is-back-wild-amur-tigers-rebound-in-china-thanks-to-govt-policies/), China’s pledge to stop building coal-fired power projects abroad (https://www.reuters.com/world/china/xi-says-china-aims-provide-2-bln-vaccine-doses-by-year-end-2021-09-21/), how goats help prevent wildfires (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/18/business/wildfires-goats-prevention.html), a paint so white that it helps lower your energy costs (https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2021/Q2/the-whitest-paint-is-here-and-its-the-coolest.-literally..html), the world’s first battery-electric freight train (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/16/battery-electric-freight-train-wabtec-rail-transport-emissions), great renewable energy financing news (https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2021/09/28/transalta-targets-renewable-energy-growth-in-canada-the-u-s-and-australia/), and limits placed on HFCs and refrigerants by the EPA (https://apnews.com/article/epa-hydrofluorocarbon-rules-hfcs-greenhouse-gases-043715b9ee50d5a42ce0364ed28ffdff).
Nick and Matt talk about the UN’s stark warning to countries regarding their Paris Agreement Commitments! Their Quick Hits of the week include a fungus that causes white nose syndrome found in Saskatchewan (https://ca-news-yahoo-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/ca.news.yahoo.com/amphtml/fungus-thats-killed-millions-bats-080000707.html), some electric vehicle news from Volkswagen (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-09-16/vw-pulls-back-curtain-on-new-electric-car-battery-lab-in-germany), pollution in Florida’s freshwater springs (https://api.nationalgeographic.com/distribution/public/amp/environment/article/pollution-and-overuse-threaten-floridas-fragile-freshwater-springs?__twitter_impression=true), the role of Indigenous Peoples in fighting climate change (https://grist.org/protest/indigenous-resistance-has-cut-u-s-and-canadas-annual-emissions/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linktree&utm_campaign=study%3A+indigenous+resistance+has+staved+off+25%25+of+u.s.+and+canada%E2%80%99s+annual+emissions), and The House Oversight Committee expanding its probe of Big Oil’s climate misinformation https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/16/climate/exxon-oil-disinformation-house-probe.html). To our listeners from Florida, check out FL5.org to read and sign the petition for the five conservation amendments proposed for the 2022 ballot.
Matt interviews Kristen Pruett to discuss her time at Yellowstone National Park, her volunteer work with dogs, cooking vegetarian meals, and more! First, Matt and Nick break down some of this week’s stories, including California simplifying recycling (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/08/climate/arrows-recycling-symbol-california.html?referringSource=articleShare), Taco Bell’s recycling program (https://abc7.com/taco-bell-sauce-packets-recycling/11011216/), The Netherlands vs. Fossil Fuel commercials (https://gizmodo.com/netherlands-officials-tell-shell-to-stop-its-ads-greenw-1847613583), Some big renewables news out of Illinois (https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2021/09/10/illinois-house-passes-clean-energy-bill-with-some-big-solar-wins/), and a potential return of woolly mammoths through science (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/mammoth-elephant-hybrids-could-be-created-within-the-decade-should-they-be).
Matt and Nick discuss the public health impacts of Climate Change (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/06/more-than-200-health-journals-call-for-urgent-action-on-climate-crisis?fbclid=IwAR1CH_4E_4L_4SzIVxFwVamQK1q1IQTnjplPxZPzzXchydZJy6qX55Q-XmA)! Their Quick Hits of the week include Tesla recycling it’s battery materials (https://amp-interestingengineering-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.interestingengineering.com/tesla-says-it-can-now-recycle-92-of-battery-cell-materials), a new offshore wind to green hydrogen plant in Denmark (https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/green-superpower-denmark-plans-second-gigascale-offshore-wind-to-hydrogen-plant/2-1-1060264), a potential elephant reunion (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/03/science/nania-elephant.html), the Biden administration’s solar and wind goals (https://news.trust.org/item/20210831100001-wdh18/), a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/earthquake-mexico-acapulco-7-1-magnitude/) and updates to the IUCN’s endangered species list (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/good-news-for-tuna-populations-in-latest-iucn-update?cmpid=org%3Dngp%3A%3Amc%3Dsocial%3A%3Asrc%3Dtwitter%3A%3Acmp%3Deditorial%3A%3Aadd%3Dtw20210904animals-newanimalsiucnupdate&sf249204443=1&loggedin=true).
Matt and Nick review the 2015 documentary After the Spill! Their Quick Hits of the week include Climate Change Reporting (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/27/insider/united-nations-climate-report.html), IKEA selling renewable energy (https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/ikea-now-selling-new-product-renewable-energy), Salmon in the Lower Snake River (https://earthjustice.org/brief/2021/salmon-extinction-climate-change-heat-waves-snake-river), the Caldor Fire (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/thousands-forced-flee-lake-tahoe-california-s-caldor-fire-rages-n1278076), heat pump systems, (https://www.nrdc.org/experts/alex-hillbrand/thinking-buying-air-conditioner-consider-heat-pump), and Hurricane Ida (https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/hurricane-ida-live-updates-new-orleans-loses-power-after-landfall/ar-AANRUPE?ocid=uxbndlbing).
Matt and Nick discuss Tropical Storm Henri and the rarity of landfall occurring in New England for storms like this. Their Quick Hits include California’s Solar Panel Mandate (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/11/business/energy-environment/california-solar-mandates.html?referringSource=articleShare), the cost of climate inaction (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/aug/11/climate-action-bargain-britain-net-zero), a wandering herd of Chinese elephants (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-58196663), broken tech and E-waste (http://static5.businessinsider.com/broken-tech-right-to-repair-devices-environment-disaster-2021-8#:~:text=Broken%20tech%20is%20causing%20a%20mounting%20environmental%20disaster.,new%20stuff.%20This%20is%20causing%20an%20environmental%20disaster), a water shortage in the Colorado River (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/16/climate/colorado-river-water-cuts.html), and an Alaskan judge halting the Willow pipeline (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/18/climate/alaska-willow-oil.html?referringSource=articleShare).
Matt is joined by Tyler Smith to talk about his role as a Wildland Firefighter, wildfires, droughts, prescribed burning, and more!
In perhaps their most unhinged episode yet, Matt and Nick are joined by recurring guest co-host CJ Bonifati to talk about the Billionaire space race and its impact on the environment. Their Quick Hits of the Week include flooding risks (https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58087479), President Biden’s automobile goals (https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/566446-biden-to-strengthen-vehicle-mileage-standards-set-50-percent-ev), an update about the Dixie Fire (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/08/us/dixie-fire.html?referringSource=articleShare), the Kenyan wildlife census (https://news.yahoo.com/no-animal-left-behind-kenya-055445857.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall), and the IPCC’s latest climate report (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/aug/09/humans-have-caused-unprecedented-and-irreversible-change-to-climate-scientists-warn?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other). Source material for the feature story can be found here: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/science/2021/jul/19/billionaires-space-tourism-environment-emissions, https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-jeff-bezos-branson-spacex-blue-origin-virgin-2021-5, & https://twitter.com/ajplus/status/1424801149626961942?s=21