September 23, 2019

Ep 39: Joseph Majkut, Director of Climate Policy at Niskanen Center

1 hour 2 minutes

Today’s guest is Joseph Majkut, Director of Climate Policy at Niskanen Center.

Joseph is an expert in climate science, climate policy, and risk and uncertainty analysis for decision making. He is frequently cited by prominent media outlets; his writing has been featured in scientific journals, public media, and environmental trade press; and he has been invited to testify before Congress on climate and scientific research. Before joining the Niskanen Center, he worked on climate change policy in Congress as a congressional science fellow, supported by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He holds a PhD from Princeton University in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, a master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from the Delft University of Technology, and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Harvey Mudd College.

In today’s episode, we cover:

Joseph’s background pre-Niskanen, including why he left academia and came to DC

Overview of Niskanen and their work

Niskanen origin story, including how it is similar and different to the Cato Institute

Joseph’s role as director of climate policy and how his team fits in

Initiatives they are currently working on, and how they select and prioritize

Discussion about carbon pricing, viability and implications

Discussion about political landscape and best way to make headway in polarized climate

Advice to others looking to help

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

Niskanen Center: https://niskanencenter.org/

Joseph’s bio: https://niskanencenter.org/blog/staff/director-of-climate-science-2/

AAAS fellowship program: https://www.aaas.org/programs/science-technology-policy-fellowships

Jerry Taylor bio: https://niskanencenter.org/blog/staff/jerry-taylor/

Cato Institute: https://www.cato.org/

Article on Supreme Court decision from 2014: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court-limits-epas-ability-to-regulate-greenhouse-gas-emissions/2014/06/23/c56fc194-f1b1-11e3-914c-1fbd0614e2d4_story.html

Waxman-Markey: https://www.c2es.org/document/waxman-markey-short-summary/

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

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