Political Climate

David Roberts is worried. Democrats have control of the House, Senate and the White House and an opportunity to pass bold climate policy and political reform — perhaps their last opportunity for a long time — but are stuck in political gridlock. The stakes are high, with procedural deadlines and the COP26 global climate summit looming. 

On this episode, Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut and Shane Skelton speak to clean energy and politics reporter David Roberts about the state of play in Washington D.C. and why he’s both anxious and (surprisingly) optimistic. Roberts is the founder and writer of the newsletter Volts, host of the podcast by the same name, and Editor-At-Large at Canary Media. 

Part 2 of this conversation will air on the podcast feed next week! Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

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With several major deadlines looming, U.S. lawmakers remain divided on how to move forward with the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Democrats’ larger $3.5 billion spending package — both of which contain critical funding and programs to fight climate change and promote clean energy. 

At the same time, Congress must immediately pass a spending package to avoid a government shutdown. Also (because there isn't enough going on) lawmakers must act quickly to raise the debt limit, with the nation’s borrowing authority set to expire on October 18, which would be devastating for the U.S. economy.

On this episode of Political Climate, hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut and Shane Skelton discuss the rifts on Capitol Hill and what to expect from Congress in the coming days. Plus, they talk through some of the most significant commitments made by governments and the private sector during Climate Week NYC — a stepping stone to the UN’s COP26 climate summit.

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

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Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico is no stranger to climate and energy issues. In recent months, he’s sponsored legislation on zero-emission homes, electric transmission, energy storage, a civilian climate corps, and more. Now, these proposals are being considered as part of Democrats’ sweeping $3.5 trillion budget plan. What’s likely to stay in and what’s likely to get cut?

On this episode of Political Climate, Sen. Heinrich weighs in on what’s at stake with the budget reconciliation and bipartisan infrastructure bills, and how climate impacts are influencing political action. Plus, we discuss the significance of President Biden’s cross-country climate tour and Governor Gavin Newsom’s big win in the California recall.

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Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

P.S. We have a brand new show page on Canary Media! Check it out. 

The U.S. political climate has changed a lot in 2021, especially when it comes to climate and energy issues on Capitol Hill. The Political Climate podcast has changed too. Rather than debate macro politics, we’re focused on analyzing concrete proposals, policy choices, and getting at the “how” of achieving our shared climate goals. Unlike in the past, there is no shortage of policy action!

On August 10, the U.S. Senate approved a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill — the largest spending for infrastructure projects in the country in over a decade — with bipartisan support. Senators also approved a budget measure along party lines that paved the way for Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending package, which includes a suite of climate and social initiatives.

After a weeks-long stalemate between moderates and leadership in the House over the two large pieces of legislation, it’s now crunch time for Democrats to pass their climate and clean energy priorities. This episode offers an insider perspective on how policy negotiations are evolving, what the top priorities are for House and Senate leadership, as well as the Biden White House, and what we can expect in the next month as both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Democrats’ massive spending package move forward (or not). 

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Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Political Climate is coming back to the airwaves! Catch new episodes every two weeks — wherever you get podcasts — starting Thursday, September 2nd. 

Brandon Hurlbut, Shane Skelton and Julia Pyper will be discussing all of the climate and energy issues that you want to know about, along with a roster of fantastic guests who know the ins and outs of the politics and policies shaping the future of our planet. 

This reboot of Political Climate is presented in partnership with Canary Media, and with support from the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.

There is no shortage of action on climate and energy these days. Get the latest news and analysis with a side of debate and friendly banter on upcoming episodes of Political Climate.

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

We always new that 2021 would start with a bang — between the Georgia Senate runoff election, the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden, cabinet announcements, coronavirus relief and, of course, earnest discussions on the future of American climate policy. 

A deadly assault on the United States Capitol incited by the President was not on the calendar, although the seeds of division and misinformation were sown long ago. 

So what’s the path forward? 

Democrats have secured a narrow majority in Congress, which will have an enormous impact on how policy moves in the months ahead. We discuss pathways for climate action. We also opine on the future of the Republican Party and how that could influence the broader political landscape.

But first, we kick it all off with some Political Climate news!

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Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate!

The past few years have been a mixed bag for climate. U.S. emissions declined to their lowest level in three decade this year, but these reductions came at an incredible cost as the economy shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

The challenge now is to make these emissions cuts sustainable for years to come, while getting millions of Americans back to work.

We dig into a new analysis on how to put the U.S. on a path to deep decarbonization and economic growth on this episode of Political Climate — the final episode in our "Relief, Rescue, Rebuild" series. Lindsey Walter, senior policy advisor for Third Way’s Climate and Energy program, breaks down the policies and technology pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050 in an equitable and affordable way. 

Plus, we speak to two wind energy technicians who are training the next generation of wind workers in the Midwest about how the industry has affected their region, the opportunities for growth and their message to policymakers. 

Mike Gengler is the wind energy coordinator at Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa. Jay Johnson in an assistant professor for the wind energy technician program at the Lake Region State College in Devil’s Lake North Dakota.

The "Relief, Rescue, Rebuild" series is supported by the think tank Third Way. The series theme song was created by @AYMusik.

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Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate!

It will take a massive war-time mobilization effort to effectively address the climate emergency, argues Saul Griffith — inventor, MacArthur genius fellow, CEO of Otherlab, and co-founder of Rewiring America, an organization dedicated to creating millions of American jobs while combating climate change. 

So, what does a war-time mobilization effort look like? How much will it cost? Will we have to make sacrifices in the process? What does this shift mean for the future of utilities? And will politicians ever get on board? Griffith explains in this episode of Political Climate. 

Plus, he weighs in on the massive year-end spending bill that passed in Congress this week and includes significant climate and clean energy measures. If signed into law, will this legislation put the U.S. on the right track to achieve deep decarbonization?

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Political Climate is hosted by Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut and Shane Skelton and supported by the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Listen and subscribe to on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts! We're also on Twitter @Poli_Climate.

Crowdfunding, blockchain, artificial intelligence and neobanks. What do all of these buzzwords have to do with fighting climate change? 

On this episode of Political Climate’s DITCHED series, host Julia Pyper speaks to the authors of a new report on “climate fintech,” an emerging ecosystem that leverages digital technology to help move more capital into climate change solutions. The report, published by the startup accelerator New Energy Nexus, offers a valuable overview of what this rapidly evolving ecosystem looks like today. 

Andrew Chang, New Energy Nexus climate fintech program director based in Shanghai, and Aaron McCreary, New Energy Nexus fintech lead for Europe and the United States, describe how and why traditional finance is being disrupted by new technology — and what this means for decarbonization. 

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If you’re just joining us, the DITCHED series is all about fossil fuel divestment and the rapidly evolving world of green finance. We’re airing these episodes in addition to our regular Thursday shows on climate and energy politics and policies.

You can find all segments in the DITCHED series on the Political Climate podcast feed, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get podcasts! You can also find the series on the Political Climate website or via the leading independent environmental news platform Our Daily Planet.

2020 has been a remarkable year. It witnessed the coronavirus pandemic, an economic crash, a historic and divisive U.S. election, widespread protests for racial justice and more.

And yet, amid all of the turbulence, the world took several major steps toward realizing a low carbon future.

The numbers are still coming in and the trends are still formalizing, but we have a pretty good sense of how the climate and energy landscape evolved over the past several months.

On this episode of Political Climate, hosts Brandon Hurlbut, Shane Skelton and Julia Pyper discuss how climate action and the clean energy transition fared in 2020.

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Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts!