Tag Archives: Climate Change

The New Arctic: A Thawed Diamond

This week on Sea Change Radio we begin a two-part series on the Arctic. If you’re looking for present-day observable impacts of global warming, head North, where the melting of the polar ice cap has opened up oil reserves, shipping lanes, and many other opportunities for trade and transport. If you’re looking for a preview of the unanticipated consequences of climate change, including new sorts of geopolitical conflict over territory and commerce, the Arctic is also a good place to watch that unfold.

Our guest this week is author David Fairhall, whose book Cold Front: Conflict Ahead in Arctic Waters explores these very issues. Fairhall and host Alex Wise talk about the environmental, economic, and political ramifications of a new, thawed Arctic, and discuss whether the last best hope for ecological preservation in the Arctic lies in the hands of the scientific community.

Chris Mooney: Inside The Republican Brain and Climate Denialism

If you’re listening to this show, chances are you believe that climate change is real, that it’s a problem, and that human actions have brought us to where we are today. Some Sea Change Radio listeners are Democrats, some are Republicans, and a large number may not identify with either party – but all are probably pretty concerned about responsible environmental stewardship, irrespective of their specific political party affiliation.

There is one political party here in the United States, however, whose official position is to deny the threat of climate change and block any and all attempts to slow environmental degradation, in spite of the large body of scientific research that contradicts that position. Our guest this week on Sea Change Radio is Chris Mooney, whose book The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science — and Reality explores why so many Republicans refuse to accept things that most experts identify as factual. Mooney talks with host Alex Wise about the book, what he posits, and the research that backs him up.

Richard Heinberg: A Post-Carbon Conversation

What will a post-carbon tomorrow look like? Most experts agree that the end of the age of cheap fossil fuels will mark a fundamental change in human history. The question that no one can answer, though, is how well will our species adapt to these new realities. [amazon-product]0865716951[/amazon-product]This week’s guest on Sea Change Radio, author Richard Heinberg, believes that a key to better understanding the current global economic slowdown lies in how we gauge progress itself. The author of ten books, including Peak Everything and Blackout, Heinberg’s latest book, The End of Growth suggests that in order to thrive during this post-carbon transition, we need to realign our goals to promote human and environmental well-being, rather than continuing to pursue the almighty dollar. Sea Change Radio host Alex Wise talks with Heinberg about the policies and conditions that need to be in place for our species to evolve in the face of ballooning population, dwindling resources and global climate change.

Podcast Exclusive: The Hardest Hit By Climate Change (not for radio distribution)

Founder of Sungevity (a Sea Change Radio sponsor), long-time social entrepreneur, and a former Greenpeace campaign manager, Danny Kennedy sits down with host Alex Wise to discuss how global climate change is disproportionately affecting those who can least afford it.

Flight of Fancy: The Air Travel Dilemma

Airplanes transport over 2.2 billion passengers a year but they are also a significant contributor to climate change, producing approximately 600 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. One transatlantic flight for a family of four creates more CO2 than that family generates domestically in an entire year. And while the benefits of the smaller planet that airline travel has created are immeasurable, can it be justified in light of the potentially life-damaging effects of climate change? And if we can’t justify it, are we capable of stopping? George Monbiot writes, “When it comes to flying, there seems to be no connection between intention and action. This is partly because the people who are most concerned about the inhabitants of other countries are often those who have traveled widely.”

This week on Sea Change Radio, the first part of our two-part series on air travel. We speak with two veterans of the airline industry to learn more about what steps airlines are taking to lessen the environmental impact of this revolutionary mode of transportation. First, host Alex Wise talks to David Swierenga, the former chief economist for the Air Transport Association and now an airline consultant in Texas. Next, Alex speaks with Bob McAdoo, Senior Research Analyst at Avondale Partners and previously the CEO of Vanguard Airlines and CFO at People Express Airlines.

Solutions for a Changing Planet

This week on Sea Change Radio, host Alex Wise talks with Joe Marlin, a biofuels station manager in San Francisco who thought their really ought to be a better way to fire up your summer grill. Marlin talks about his invention, BioLighter, and the great, unexplored potential for replacing petroleum-derived products with biologically-derived, cleaner, greener alternatives. Later, we hear from Dan Ferber, co-author of Changing Planet, Changing Health. The book focuses on the multiple detrimental impacts of climate change, but our conversation centers on what can be done on an individual, local and global scale to curtail the progress of disaster.

Smil and the Whole World Smils with You: Part I of Vaclav Smil Interview

This week on Sea Change Radio, a rare interview with renowned energy expert and futurist, Vaclav Smil. A Distinguished Professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Manitoba in Canada, Smil is the author of 29 books dealing with energy, environment, population, history, and technical advances.[amazon-product]0313381771[/amazon-product] In Part I of host Alex Wise‘s two part discussion with him, Professor Smil delves into why he has shied away from radio and television appearances since being labeled a “climate change denier” by some environmentalists. He discusses his latest book on energy transitions and shares his thoughts on how long it may actually take for us to wean ourselves from a fossil fuel-based global economy.

Climate Change Policy In A Changing Political Climate

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the first half of 2010 was the warmest January to July on record. At this point, to be skeptical of the overwhelming evidence of climate change is to “replace a faith in science with a belief in science fiction.” With the wounds of the Copenhagen climate summit still open, what should we expect as the world goes back to the negotiating table in Cancún at the end of this month? If the continued lack of leadership from the US is any indication, probably not much. And the recent Republican takeover in the House doesn’t inspire much optimism, either. When asked about his party’s plans to address climate change last year, incoming House Speaker, John Boehner told ABC: “The idea that carbon dioxide is acarcinogen, that it is harmful to our environment, is almost comical.”

It’s enough to make a person feel pretty hopeless. So what can be done? One of the first steps is to really understand the history, politics and policies behind climate change. This week on Sea Change Radio, we take an in-depth look at the key climate change proposals that have emerged from the past two decades of talks – cap and trade, and the carbon tax. First Eric Pooley, the author of The Climate War, lays out the players and the policies for us. Then, we speak to Peter Umhofer, former advisor on energy and environmental issues to Senators Harry Reid and Tom Daschle, who gives an overview of the history of climate change policy in the US.

California’s Prop. 23 – A State Measure With Global Implications

When it comes to legitimate, progressive climate change policy, the U.S. has certainly dropped the ball on the global stage. In 2006, California began a bid to reverse this trend with Assembly Bill 32 – the Global Warming Solutions Act, that aggressively tries to address the climate crisis. Since California is the nation’s most populous state and the world’s 8th largest economy, its leadership on climate change can have a far-reaching impact. But the Global Warming Solutions Act is under attack. This Fall, Californians will vote on Proposition 23, a ballot initiative designed to reverse themeasures of the 2006 climate law.

This week on Sea Change Radio, we take an in-depth look at Proposition 23. We hear from LA Times environmental reporter, Margot Roosevelt and speak to activists and legislators working to to defeat Prop. 23, including No On 23 spokesman, Steve Maviglio, California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, and Democracy For America‘s Janet Stromberg.

Read the show transcript

Water Water Everywhere, Nor Any Drop to Drink

The title of today’s show, which quotes Samuel Coleridge in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, aptly describes the dilemma companies are starting to face when it comes to water management.  Today, we speak with Jeff Erikson of SustainAbility, a think tank that recently surveyed experts globally on corporate impacts on water, and Cameron Brooks of IBM’s Big Green Innovations team, which has been focusing on “Smarter Water Management.”

Read the show transcript