Episodes

Former Senator Harry Reid explains why he believes ending the filibuster is necessary for the U.S. to pass critical legislation, including on climate change.

The Political Climate team sits down with NASA astronaut Scott Kelly to discuss technology, politics and the unique perspective that traveling to space offers on the climate crisis.

There were several moments of legitimate engagement on climate change at last week’s Democratic presidential debates. But did any of it resonate with voters? In this episode, we break down the key points candidates made on stage in Detroit — from promoting direct air capture to climate justice — with help from Jigar Shah, president and co-founder of Generate Capital and co-host of the Energy Gang podcast. Plus, top Republican pollster, Frank Luntz, gives Senate Democrats a lesson on climate ch...

Environmentalists don’t show up to vote as often as the overall population in an election. What gives?

We speak to billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer about why he's making a bid for president and using "emergency powers" to combat climate change.

What is going on in Washington D.C.? A Democrat feud, controversial tweets, and very little action on climate policy.

Winners and losers in the first round of Democratic debates.

We often can’t see or feel air pollution — and yet, it is taking a toll. In this episode, we hear stories of how people around the world are calling attention to this invisible killer.

Democrats are dominating the public dialogue on climate change. That is just a fact. And yet, things aren’t entirely black and white — or blue and red.

We are losing the fight against climate change, warns UN Secretary General António Guterres on this week's episode of Political Climate.

We speak to teen climate activist Greta Thunberg and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger about the climate crisis at the R20 Austrian World Summit in Vienna.

The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, which is opening up new shipping routes and increasing access to fossil fuel reserves, while also threatening ecosystems and fueling geopolitical tensions. Are we approaching the end of the polar peace zone?

House Democrats disinvited former Congressman Carlos Curbelo from a climate change hearing this week, just days before the Florida Republican was scheduled to testify. Did the Dems prioritize politics over finding climate solutions? In this episode we're joined by Curbelo, a strong advocate for a national carbon tax, to get his view of what happened (15:15). Plus co-hosts Shane Skelton and Brandon Hurlbut spar over what this political play says about the future of climate action in the U.S. We...

Democrats came together last week to present a united front on tackling climate change, and pass the first meaningful climate bill in the House of Representatives in nearly a decade. But will it matter before 2020?

Democratic Presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke unveiled a comprehensive climate change plan this week that seeks to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in the U.S. by 2050. The $5 trillion proposal is the most detailed climate plan announced by a 2020 presidential candidate to date. But the policy wasn't even a day old when the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate group backing the progressive Green New Deal, slammed O'Rourke for not being more ambitious. O'Rourke isn't the only Democratic polit...

Political Climate sits down with Green New Deal architects Rhiana Gunn-Wright, Demond Drummer and Zach Exley for an in-depth interview on the sweeping -- and evolving -- plan to address both climate change and economic inequality. Plus, we discuss rapper and comedian Lil Dicky's new song: "Earth."

What do bodybuilding and gerrymandering have to do with the fight against climate change? Arnold Schwarzenegger explains in an exclusive Political Climate interview. The former California governor and global environmental leader has been tackling the related issues of climate change and pollution for years by working across the political aisle. In this episode (13:30), Schwarzenegger explains why he still believes in working with people of all political stripes. The show kicks off with a look ...

Political Climate is back after a four-month hiatus, with some news!

The Political Climate partial shutdown comes to an end on April 8. Climate politics are evolving rapidly as the 2020 election looms large. The bipartisan podcast team will be back to discuss all of the latest twists and turns in an exciting new season.

Is there a bipartisan path forward on meaningful climate policy in America? If so, what does it look like? Those are questions we’ve been grappling with on Political Climate this entire podcast season. Now we’re putting them — point blank — to our Democrat and Republican co-hosts. This is our solutions show, and our final episode for 2018. We kick it off with a rundown of the latest news headlines and issues to watch heading into the new year, including a coal-friendly Democrat taking a top s...

The Sunrise Movement over a blue wave. It sounds like a tropical scene, but it was actually the state of affairs last week on Capitol Hill. As Democrats prepare to take control of the House in 2019, a group of young activists — backed by Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — have put climate change front and center on the post-election agenda. And on protest signs right in front of Nancy Pelosi’s office door, as she seeks to become the next House speaker. In this episode of Politica...

Democrats have claimed the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections. It gives the party powerful new oversight authority. But will it translate to meaningful action on climate and clean energy? Several moderate Republicans were voted out of Congress this week, casting doubt on any hope of bipartisan legislation. At the same time, Democrats now have chance to block the GOP's deregulatory activity and put climate and clean energy back the national agenda. Then there are the states,...

We’ve heard a lot about the potential for a "blue wave" in this year’s midterms — but what about a green one? We’re talking about all things climate and clean energy in the 2018 midterm election in this special episode of Political Climate, recorded live at Yale University. It’s less than a week until voting day. So how are climate and clean energy playing into this year’s election, for both Democrats and Republicans? In this show we’ll dissect campaign ads, talk about some tight races, track ...

A battle over the future of U.S. clean car standards just stepped up a gear. We sit down with the woman leading the charge against Trump to keep more stringent fuel economy rules in place. Mary Nichols is currently on her second tour as chair of the California Air Resources Board. Arguably no single individual has done more to advance the Golden State’s pioneering — and bipartisan — effort to clean up its air and combat climate change. In this episode, we get the backstory on California’s effo...