Fossil fuels have helped bring people out of poverty around the world, and many people working in the industry are proud of their contribution. William Vollmann writes about the lives of laborers and executives in different parts of the vast fossil fuel system. Discussing an alternative path for these communities, National Director of Green for All Michelle Romero advocates, “for some, retraining is a viable option and for others nearing retirement...maybe providing a benefit package that will help.” Explore the lives of those who remain captives of an economy run on carbon.


Guests

Michelle Romero
National Director, Green For All


William Vollmann
Author, No Good Alternative: Volume 2 of Carbon Ideologies
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Carbon Captives: The Human Experience

We’re living through a climate emergency; addressing this crisis begins by talking about it. Co-Hosts Greg Dalton and Ariana Brocious bring you empowering conversations that connect all aspects of the challenge — the scary and the exciting, the individual and the systemic. Join us.
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Social Sciences

Science & Medicine

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Science

News Commentary

Earth Sciences

On behalf of the People of the State of California, Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against five of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, along with the lobbying organization American Petroleum Institute, for willfully misleading the public about climate change. How big a deal could this lawsuit be?
Guest:
Rob Bonta, California Attorney General
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SF Climate Week 2024: California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Suing Big Oil

Artificial intelligence can do some pretty amazing things, including for the climate. AI can help optimize the electric grid, make heating and cooling buildings more efficient, and pinpoint exactly where greenhouse gas emissions are coming from all around the world. 
On the other hand, the energy use of AI is massive and growing. A recent study estimates that in just a few years, the extra energy needed will equal whole countries the size of Sweden or Argentina. How do we make sure the benefits of AI outweigh its energy costs?
Guests
Karen Hao, Contributing Writer, The Atlantic 
Gavin McCormick, Cofounder and Executive Director, WattTime; Cofounder, Climate TRACE
Priya Donti, Assistant Professor, MIT; Co-founder and Chair of Climate Change AI 
Amy McGovern, Professor of Computer Science, University of Oklahoma 
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Artificial Intelligence, Real Climate Impacts

In August 2022, Congress passed the biggest piece of climate legislation in our nation’s history: The Inflation Reduction Act, which put $400 billion into boosting the transition to a clean energy economy over the next ten years. The IRA has spurred companies to announce nearly $110 billion of investment in new factories to build EVs, batteries and renewable energy facilities. That’s driving investments, reshoring of manufacturing, and real change.
This week we check in on the impact of the IRA in the last 18 months. What impact has the IRA really had on US emissions so far? Has the IRA distributed money to fulfill its climate justice initiatives? 
Guests:
Trevor Houser, Partner, Rhodium Group
Danny Kennedy, CEO, New Energy Nexus
Bineshi Albert, Former Co-Executive Director, Climate Justice Alliance
This piece also includes a reported feature from Emily Jones of WABE in Atlanta and Grist.
Climate One will be celebrating SF Climate Week with a series of programs featuring California and the San Francisco Bay Area’s leading voices in policy, climate justice, and business. 
The week will showcase interviews with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Senators Nancy Skinner and Scott Wiener, and California Environmental Justice Association’s Energy Justice Director Mari Rose Taruc, among others, about the challenges and opportunities facing the nation’s innovation capital when it comes to addressing climate change. 
On Tuesday, Climate One will also be hosting an Action Lounge, where attendees will be able to join local climate and environmental organizations, apply for green jobs, and receive guidance from climate career coaches. See you there!
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Nearly 2 Years In… Is the Inflation Reduction Act Delivering Yet?

Even before Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” brought climate change to the mainstream, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Elizabeth Kolbert was on the beat. Her reporting in the early 2000s culminated in her book “Field Notes from a Catastrophe,” which sounded the alarm on the causes and effects of global warming. 
Nearly 20 years later, Kolbert is still bringing the climate story to the public with her new book “H Is for Hope: Climate Change from A to Z.” The book is told in bite size vignettes that paint a picture of our climate present, what the future may hold and where there may be space for hope. 
Guests:
Elizabeth Kolbert, Journalist and Author
Molly Wood, Climate Solutions Investor and Podcaster
Sister True Dedication, Zen Buddhist Nun
Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., CEO, Hip Hop Caucus
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Elizabeth Kolbert headshot copyright Elizabeth Kolbert
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Elizabeth Kolbert on Hope, Despair, and Everything In Between

Climate change means extreme weather, shifting landscapes, and generally more instability. More and more, you can feel the impacts of climate disruption in your wallets. Drought is pushing up the cost of candy and leading to shipping delays in the Panama Canal. 
Globally, researchers say climate could add one percent to inflation every year until 2035. The costs of car insurance, health insurance and property insurance are rising. And whether it’s tea in the morning or wine in the evening, disrupted climate patterns and extreme weather are making certain foods more expensive. 
This week, we unpack how climate change drives inflation. 
Guests:
Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Chair of Economics and Government, London School of Economics
Jeremy Porter, Head of Climate Implications Research, First Street Foundation
Avery Ellfeldt, Reporter, E&E News
Lea Borkenhagen, Senior Vice President, EDF+Business
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Carbon Captives: The Human Experience

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