The Planet Today

The Planet Today

by Matt Norden and Nick Gennusa
NewsNature

Guest Interview: Doug Tallamy (Nature’s Best Hope)

Matt interviews Dr. Doug Tallamy of the University of Delaware’s Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology. Dr. Tallamy’s book Nature’s Best Hope Young Readers’ Edition: How you can Save the World in Your Own Yard is an adaptation of his New York Times Bestseller Nature’s Best Hope that aims to inspire kids to join the Homegrown National Park movement and learn how to protect the planet through small and approachable acts of conservation at home. Nature’s Best Hope is a guide to fighting the decline in wildlife populations through the use of native plants. Now, kids can join the Homegrown National Park movement and learn how to protect the planet through small and approachable acts of conservation in their own backyards. Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Kitcaster with a special offer for friends of our show to become guests on other podcasts.
E170
Jul 7, 2023
27:32

A train derails in the Yellowstone River, the US air pollution satellite, & more!  

Matt and Nick talk about mosquito-borne virus risk on the rise because of climate change (Climate change leads to growing risk of mosquito-borne viral diseases, EU agency says), A train derailment in in the Yellowstone River (Train carrying hazardous materials derails into Yellowstone River in Montana), A quick note on the wildfire smoke still affecting the United States, Power companies fight back against a non-profit utility in Maine (Power companies spend millions to fight Maine’s proposed non-profit utility), Canada’s new regulations on cruise liners (Canada clamps down on cruise liners dumping sewage, green groups want more), A new satellite dedicated to air pollution in the US (New air pollution satellite could support environmental justice), And Burmese peacock turtles hatch in Myanmar (Watch Rare Burmese Peacock Turtles Hatching)! Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta and use promo code “TPT” for 15% off.
E169
Jun 30, 2023
25:57

2023 on pace to be one of the hottest years on record, a virgin crocodile birth, & more!  

Matt and Nick talk about the temperature spikes around the world (Fears of hottest year on record as global temperatures spike | Climate crisis),Antonio Guterres calling for an end to fossil fuels (UN chief says fossil fuels are ‘incompatible with human survival,’ calls for credible exit strategy),Switzerland’s new net-zero goals (As Switzerland’s glaciers melt, Alpine nation backs climate bill with net zero target for 2050),An EU law for smartphone batteries (Smartphones Must Have User-Replaceable Batteries by 2027),New climate investments in the US (Biden $600 million climate investments California trip),Wasted water through an abandoned golf course (This community lost 5 million gallons of clean, drinkable water a day — all because of an abandoned golf course),And the first known virgin crocodile birth (Scientists discover the first virgin birth in a crocodile)!Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta and use promo code “TPT” for 15% off.
E168
Jun 23, 2023
23:47

Guest Interview: Beth McDaniel (Reactive Surfaces)

Matt interviews Beth McDaniel. Beth is a c-suite executive in the science and technology space, a successful entrepreneur, an accomplished attorney, and an advisor on climate technology. Beth’s company, Reactive Surfaces, works to make naturally-occuring, non-toxic paints and coatings that can be used to remove carbon from the atmosphere and convert it into biochar and other environmentally friendly solutions. She is also the co-founder of Team Lichen, the leading XPRIZE team for carbon reduction, who recently released a groundbreaking peer-reviewed whitepaper entitled, “Integrated Techno-Economic And Life Cycle Assessment Of A Novel Algae-Based Coating For Direct Air Carbon Capture And Sequestration”. Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Kitcaster with a special offer for friends of our show to become guests on other podcasts.
E167
Jun 19, 2023
28:38

Wildfire smoke in the US and Canada, Fungi vs. Climate Change, & more!  

Matt and Nick talk about last week’s wildfire smoke (Maps, satellite images show Canadian wildfire smoke enveloping parts of U.S. with unhealthy air), How fungi can help in the fight against climate change (Fungi may offer ‘jaw-dropping’ solution to climate change), Environmentalists fighting for a healthy, livable climate in Montana (Youth environmentalists bring Montana climate case to trial after 12 years, seeking to set precedent), Ford Motor and Tesla strike a deal to allow GM vehicles to use Tesla chargers (GM’s Electric Vehicles Will Use Tesla’s Charging Network), Arizona’s desalination plan (Arizona, Low on Water, Weighs Taking It From the Sea. In Mexico), Summer ice in the arctic will no longer exist in the near future (Too late now to save Arctic summer ice, climate scientists find | Climate crisis), And red wolf conservation in North Carolina (Endangered red wolf families released in Eastern North Carolina)! Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta and use promo code “TPT” for 15% off.
E166
Jun 16, 2023
27:49

A settlement for Forever Chemicals, how meat and dairy impact deforestation, & more!  

Matt and Nick talk about Earth reaching several tipping points (Earth is 'really quite sick now' and in danger zone in nearly all ecological ways, study says), Exxon’s decarbonization deal through carbon capture (Exxon signs decarbonization contract with steel maker Nucor), Germany and Denmark’s offshore wind cooperation deal (Germany, Denmark sign offshore wind power cooperation deal), Arizona’s halt on construction in Phoenix due to lack of groundwater (Arizona announces new limits on construction in Phoenix area as groundwater disappears), The International Energy Agency’s June 2023 forecast (Renewable Energy Market Update), The first settlement for producing Forever Chemicals (Three ‘Forever Chemicals’ Makers Settle Public Water Lawsuits), And how meat and dairy farming have led to deforestation of the Amazon (More than 800m Amazon trees felled in six years to meet beef demand | Amazon rainforest)! Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta and use promo code “TPT” for 15% off.
E165
Jun 9, 2023
29:16

Monday Mini-sode: Major decrease in electricity costs for Finland and title! 

Matt and Nick talk about Finland’s electricity prices decreasing thanks to nuclear and renewables (Nuclear power helps bring down electricity prices by 75% in Finland (thenationalnews.com)/)And how climate change is impacting rice (How Global Rice Farming Is Being Transformed by Climate Change - The New York Times (nytimes.com))! Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Kitcaster with a special offer for friends of our show to become guests on other podcasts.
E164
Jun 5, 2023
11:36

A United Nations report on Plastic Pollution, The Supreme Court weakening the Clean Water Act, & more!  

Matt and Nick talk about the United Nations’ report on plastic pollution (Plastic pollution could be slashed by 80% by 2040, UN says | Plastics),The Supreme Court weakening an EPA rule on water pollution (Supreme Court Limits EPA’s Power to Address Water Pollution),California’s plan to fix its transmission line system (California has a new $7.3B plan to fix its…),State Farm has stopped accepting homeowner’s insurance applications in California (State Farm no longer accepts homeowner insurance applications in California),German police raiding climate protests (German police conduct raids on climate activists as impatience mounts),Amazon abandoning one of its climate goals (Amazon Gives up Shipment Zero, a Key Part of Its Climate Pledge),An update on the Indian Cheetah cubs we spoke about last month (Precious cheetah cubs die in India national park),And 3-D printed artificial reefs (3D-printed reefs to help restore marine biodiversity in the Kattegat in Denmark)!Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta and use promo code “TPT” for 15% off.
E163
Jun 2, 2023
27:27

Enforcing Carbon Neutrality claims, an agreement to help the Colorado River, & more!  

Matt and Nick talk about the UK potentially banning products being labeled “carbon neutral” through offsets (Adverts claiming products are carbon neutral by using offsetting face UK ban | Carbon offsetting)A temporary deal to protect the Colorado River (Deal Is Reached to Keep Colorado River From Going Dry, for Now),Colorado moving to protect pollinators (Save the Bees: Legislature passes bill limiting bee-killing pesticides),A new tax on Electric Vehicles in Texas (Electric vehicles in Texas face new tax as Gov. Abbott signs law),A Montana bill banning climate impact assessments (Gianforte signs bill banning state agencies from analyzing climate impacts | Environment),The world’s largest ocean restoration project in Dubai (Dubai could become home to the world's largest ocean restoration project),And a bird flu vaccine to protect California Condors (Bird Flu Vaccine Authorized for Emergency Use in California Condors)!Check out our Vala Alta and use promo code “TPT” for 15% off.
E162
May 26, 2023
27:59

The EPA taking on power plant pollution, an Amazon deforestation update, & more!  

Matt and Nick talk about the EPA’s power plant pollution plan (The EPA has a plan to eliminate climate pollution from power plants, but will it survive in court? (msn.com)),Deforestation in the Amazon down under Lula (Amazon Deforestation Down 40 Percent So Far This Year (yahoo.com)),The EU’s latest renewable energy plan (EU countries to finalise 42.5% renewable energy target | Reuters),Ecuador protecting the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador Strikes Landmark Deal to Protect the Galápagos Islands - One Green Planet),Argentina’s woodlands decreasing (High grains prices, low fines spur loss of Argentina's woodlands | Reuters),How climate misinformation is infiltrating the legal system (Climate misinformation is becoming law (heated.world)),And the return of the Platypus after 50 years to Sydney’s Royal National Park (Platypuses return to Sydney's Royal National Park after disappearing for decades - ABC News)!Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta and use promo code “TPT” for 15% off.
E161
May 19, 2023
27:54
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