The Sweaty Penguin

For drought-stricken regions of the world such as India, Australia, West Africa, and the American Southwest, the monsoon rainfall is a welcome gift. But as climate change worsens, the amount of rain may increase, and the actual rainstorms may become less frequent and more severe, leading to less water retention, damage, and even casualties. This week, we explore what monsoons are, how climate change affects them, and what we could do to adapt moving forward. With special guest Dr. Michela Biasutti: Lamont Associate Research Professor of Ocean and Climate Physics at Columbia University.

The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

A close relative of the manatee found in the Indo-Pacific, dugongs are a hit for tourists and an important part of coastal marine ecosystems. But between climate change, harmful fishing practices, and a host of other issues, dugongs are under threat. Today, we’ll dive into the challenges facing dugongs, why dugongs matter, and what we can do to protect them. With special guest Dr. Alana Grech: Assistant Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University.

The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

From trees to green roofs to rain gardens, urban greenspace provides a laundry list of environmental, economic, health, and social benefits to their communities. But between upfront costs and regulatory hurdles, missed opportunities for synergies, and a track record of being unequally distributed, urban greenspace has yet to reach its full potential. Today, we’ll discuss why urban greenspace can be so beneficial, where it might be falling a little short, and how we could improve our greenspaces in the future. With special guest Dr. Harriet Bulkeley: Professor of Geography at Durham University.

The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

As cute plants that survive on very little water, succulents are rapidly gaining popularity as houseplants. But despite their ability to live with minimal water and inhospitable conditions, many succulent species are actually threatened or endangered, facing challenges from climate change, habitat loss, and a global illegal trade market where rare succulents can be poached and sold for up to $1,000 per plant. This week, we discuss these threats to succulents, contemplate if casual plant parents need to be concerned or not, and consider where we go from here. With special guest Dr. Jared Margulies: Assistant Professor of Political Ecology at the University of Alabama.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

Our interview segments in our episodes usually last around 15 minutes, but did you know Ethan talks to the experts for a full half hour? This week, we bring you a behind the scenes look at the FULL interview from one of our top downloaded episodes: “37. Corn” with Dr. Natalie Hunt

Enjoy this extended cut? Every month, we are now releasing a new exclusive extended cut for our Patreon supporters ($10 tier and above). Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, new exclusive extended cuts, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

Our interview segments in our episodes usually last around 15 minutes, but did you know Ethan talks to the experts for a full half hour? This week, we bring you a behind the scenes look at the FULL interview from one of our top downloaded episodes: “42. Brownfields and Superfund Sites” with Dr. Lemir Teron.

Enjoy this extended cut? We’ve got our first patron-only extended cut coming out on Monday, July 26, exclusive to $10 and above patrons. Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, this new extended cut, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

After some of the latest environmental news updates, Ethan sits down with Leo Brother and Velina Georgi for a bipartisan conversation on episode 33: “Plastic Straws.”

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons lead to lost homes, wrecked environments, billions in cleanup costs, and even fatalities. And as climate change worsens, these storms are worsening too. Today, we’ll take a look at how tropical cyclones are formed, how climate change is affecting them, and how we can work to minimize the destruction they cause. With special guest Dr. Suzana Camargo: Marie Tharp Lamont Research Professor in the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University.

The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from PBS flagship station The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

It’s hard to pass policies that aggressively address climate change, public health, and other environmental issues. So when a country does pass them, it’s all the more frustrating that more and more frequently, multinational corporations sue them through an international investment court system for millions, even billions of dollars. And since these cases are decided behind closed doors by a group of commercial lawyers, most of us never even hear about them. Today, we’ll cover what these investor-state dispute settlements are, what threat they pose to climate progress, and how the system could be reformed. With special guest Dr. Kyla Tienhaara: Canada Research Chair in Economy and Environment at Queen’s University.

The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from PBS flagship station The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

After a scientist found a plastic straw lodged in a sea turtle’s nose, sea turtles rose to fame in the environmental world, and became the mascots of anti-plastic campaigns. But the issues facing sea turtles go well beyond plastic. Today, we’ll take a look at how sea turtles are impacted by climate change, commercial fishing, illegal trade, and more issues, what sea turtles mean for our oceans and economy, and what we might be able to do about these challenges. With special guest Dr. Mark Hamann: Associate Professor of Marine Biology at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia.

The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from PBS flagship station The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.