A Matter of Degrees

The Devious Plan to Keep Us Hooked on Gas


Listen Later

Advocates are turning their attention to a new front in the climate war: the fossil-gas hookups in our homes that fuel burners, boilers, and other household appliances.

If we want to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, we need to electrify the hundreds of millions of machines inside our homes and buildings as fast as possible. But the gas industry won't go down without a fight.

Gas industry front groups are infiltrating neighborhood groups, hiring social media influencers, and barraging citizens with messages in order to stir up controversy around local bans on new fossil gas connections. That's exactly what happened to the residents of Santa Barbara, California last year.

This week, we'll hear from activists, reporters, and industry professionals who are following the gas industry's battle to keep fossil fuels in our homes.

How far will gas companies go to stop electrification? And where does the electrification movement stand?

Leah Stokes speaks with Sierra Club's Santa Barbara Chapter Chair Katie Davis; EarthJustice Senior Attorney Matt Vespa; Earther Staff Writer Dharna Noor; and Former BlocPower Senior Strategist Associate Rose Stephens-Booker.

Resources:

  • RMI research on the dangers of gas stoves
  • Dharna Noor on why gas is so problematic in our homes
  • Saul Griffith on electrifying everything, starting now

Follow our co-hosts and production team:

  • Leah Stokes
  • Katharine Wilkinson
  • Stephen Lacey
  • Jaime Kaiser
  • Dalvin Aboagye

A Matter of Degrees is a production of Post Script Audio. For more episodes and transcripts, visit our website.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

A Matter of DegreesBy Dr. Leah Stokes, Dr. Katharine Wilkinson

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

508 ratings


More shows like A Matter of Degrees

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

91,297 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,837 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,609 Listeners

The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

10,747 Listeners

Living on Earth by World Media Foundation

Living on Earth

467 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

113,121 Listeners

The War on Cars by The War on Cars, LLC

The War on Cars

927 Listeners

Drilled by Pushkin Industries

Drilled

2,208 Listeners

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast by Persephonica and Global Optimism

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

466 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,592 Listeners

The Climate Question by BBC World Service

The Climate Question

178 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,525 Listeners

Volts by David Roberts

Volts

638 Listeners

Catalyst with Shayle Kann by Latitude Media

Catalyst with Shayle Kann

279 Listeners

Zero: The Climate Race by Bloomberg

Zero: The Climate Race

230 Listeners