Political Climate
161 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 242 ratingsA podcast on energy and environmental issues in America and around the world. Presented by the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and Canary Media. Political Climate goes beyond echo chambers to bring you civil conversations, fierce debates and insider perspectives on the policy landscape. Join hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut and Shane Skelton as we explore how energy and climate decisions get made and the political interests powering them.
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Episodes
Too Alarmist? Not Alarmist Enough?
August 17, 2018 19:13 - 54 minutesAre people who care about climate change downplaying the issue under social and political pressure? Has their alarmism been too muted? Or has the outcry become so loud that it's drowning out the possibility of collective action? The jury is out. In this episode of Political Climate, we tackle a difficult question posed by a listener on the severity of the climate threat and the appropriate policy response. Amy Harder, energy and climate reporter for Axios, joins us to discuss. But first we ...
LIVE: 'What's So Upsetting?'
August 06, 2018 13:20 - 46 minutesPolitical tribalism has created gridlock on climate policy — even more so than the polarization on climate science — according to a new peer-reviewed study. If that’s the case, is there any hope of action any time soon? Tensions are running high. It’s officially less than 100 days until the 2018 midterm election. Democrats are angry and hell-bent on taking back Congress. Republicans are fighting to keep it. Will climate change even be on the election agenda? We discuss in this episode, reco...
Millennials Seek Bipartisan Action on Climate
July 25, 2018 22:24 - 59 minutesWhat does the rise of millennials mean for climate action? Will this plugged-in generation make climate change a priority? Can they find common ground between liberals and conservatives to solve this issue collectively? Millennials are on the brink of becoming the largest generation in America. That means they will have an enormous impact on U.S. politics in the years ahead. In fact, they’re having an impact on politics already. In this episode of Political Climate we talk to millennials who ...
Top EPA Official Talks Policy Post Pruitt
July 11, 2018 00:47 - 1 hourScott Pruitt is officially out at the Environmental Protection Agency. Former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler has stepped in as acting administrator. What does this mean for U.S. climate policy? We asked a top EPA official. In this episode, Mandy Gunasekara, principal deputy assistant administrator at the EPA Office of Air and Radiation, joins us in-studio to discuss the agency's priorities in the wake of the leadership shake-up. Gunasekara weighs in on replacing the Clean Power Plan and vehic...
Fossil Fuel Dollars and Democrats
June 20, 2018 11:30 - 59 minutesThe Democratic National Committee recently decided to no longer accept campaign donations from fossil fuel companies. The move signals the party’s commitment to addressing climate change. But could blocking contributions from oil, gas and coal companies end up hurting Democrats in the midterm election? We discuss the new DNC policy with RL Miller, political director at Climate Hawks Vote, chair of the California Democratic Party’s environmental caucus, and a co-author of the resolution. Befor...
The Hypocritical Politics of Gas Prices
June 05, 2018 19:30 - 38 minutesGas prices are always a hot-button political issue, and especially in an election year. In the latest showdown, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blames a spike in gas prices on President Trump’s “reckless decision” to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. Republicans say these claims are insincere. If Democrats are so worried about high gas prices, why do they oppose oil drilling in the U.S. and support increasing gas taxes? We’ve seen this play out before. When President Obama wa...
The 2018 Election Preview
May 29, 2018 12:33 - 58 minutesThere are a lot of questions swirling around the 2018 midterm election — including how energy and climate issues will play into this broader political moment. Can pro-climate Republicans hold on to their seats in Congress? Will Democratic candidates with cleantech industry experience win over voters? Could the outcome of Nevada’s Senate race affect how the nation deals with nuclear waste? Then there’s California and Texas, the nation’s leading clean energy states, where the results of this ye...
LIVE: 'The Only Way to Save Ourselves'
May 04, 2018 19:33 - 59 minutesRepublicans are often viewed as enemies of the clean energy transition. Some people believe the GOP will never embrace climate action. So is voting them out the only way to save the planet? If you ask environmental policy pioneer Terry Tamminen, the solution isn’t that simple. As Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pick to lead the California EPA, Tamminen found ways to craft ambitious clean energy policies and programs with buy-in from both Democrats and Republicans. In his current role as CEO...
Winners and Losers in Trump's America
April 27, 2018 19:11 - 51 minutesPresident Trump is considering the use of a Cold War-era defense act to shore up struggling coal and nuclear power plants, something the administration argues is essential to U.S. national security. But critics say this is the government picking winners and losers for political purposes. Republicans repeatedly slammed President Obama for investing taxpayer dollars in clean energy technologies during his tenure. Obama even invoked the Defense Production Act, the same law Trump is looking to u...
Paul Ryan Bows Out, Scott Pruitt in Hot Water
April 16, 2018 20:05 - 39 minutesHouse Speaker Paul Ryan announced last week that he won't seek reelection in 2018. His decision will have major consequences for the Republican Party — and potentially for climate and energy policy. In the second episode of GTM’s new podcast Political Climate, co-host Shane Skelton, former energy adviser to Paul Ryan, explains why losing the Wisconsin lawmaker's leadership in Congress will be bad for advancing environmental legislation. Next, we tackle the controversy surrounding EPA Adminis...
The Inaugural Episode
April 12, 2018 10:59 - 38 minutesThe November midterm election is coming up fast. It could trigger a major power shift with both the House and Senate up for grabs. Will energy and climate be voting issues in 2018? Recent Gallup polling shows the partisan divide is widening over human-caused climate change. At the same time, a majority of Americans say they prioritize environmental protection over energy production, and favor clean energy resources over fossil fuels. How candidates respond to these trends could influence whet...