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The Climate Minute examines current news on global warming, climate change, renewable energy and the prospects for progress on international negotiations, carbon taxes and clean energy policy.
Episodes
Saturday Aug 19, 2017
The Baker Plan on the Climate Minute Podcast
Saturday Aug 19, 2017
Saturday Aug 19, 2017
We investigate Baker’s true climate motives, which are heroic in comparison to the clandestine efforts to sabotage the EPA that Scott Pruitt is undertaking. We salute a conservative Texas Mayor whose city runs on renewables. Tune in for those details.
Friday Aug 04, 2017
Every Polluter's Ally: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Aug 04, 2017
Friday Aug 04, 2017
In a scathing article in Rolling Stone, Jeff Goodell writes, “While the rest of the Trump administration has been mired in scandal or incompetence (or both)….Pruitt has been quietly tearing down decades of environmental progress.” There is no regulation that seems safe from Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. We think that a more appropriate title for him would be administrator of Commerce and Fossil Fuels, as his main interests lie squarely in the pro-fossil fuel and pro-chemical corner. We are crossing our fingers (and toes) that Pruitt goes in the same direction as Anne Gorsuch. But Pruitt seems to be using his position to pivot toward a greater political office—perhaps governor or senator of Oklahoma. If there is an environmental disaster along the lines of BP that reveals Pruitt’s incompetence—that could force him out. Al Franken opposed Pruitt’s confirmation and said that “having a guy like Pruitt in charge of the EPA is evidence of the dangerous, bizarro world we now live in.”
The EPA’s “so-called” scientific integrity committee gave Scott Pruitt the clearance to lie. In a panel convened by the committee, they decided that Pruitt did not violate any scientific integrity policy with his claim that there is no connection between CO2 emissions and climate change. The committee’s decision was that, “the freedom to express one’s opinion is fundamental to EPA’s Scientific Integrity Policy, even (and especially) when that point of view might be controversial.” In an article for ThinkProgress, Joe Romm noted that this committee misinterpreted the statutes of EPA. The committee cherry-picked sentences from the statutes and used a section of the policy that was intended to apply to internal disagreements; furthermore, the “opinions” expressed needed to be backed up by rationale submitted internally, preferably in writing. If the opinion is expressed externally, the scientists and managers of the EPA must clarify that they are presenting personal views and not the views of the EPA. A plain reading of the EPA statutes makes it clear that Pruitt violated EPA policy when he denied the factual connection between CO2 and climate. Apparently, scientific integrity is another entity that has been corrupted by the Trump Administration.
Understandably, many dedicated EPA officials are leaving the EPA. Notably, Elizabeth Southerland resigned today, citing Trump and Pruitt as problematic. Elizabeth worked at the EPA for 30 years and was Director for the Office of Science and Technology for the Agency’s Water Office when she submitted her resignation. Her farewell letter is posted publicly by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). It is a stirring letter, but the sad element of the resignation is that all of these veteran EPA officials who have the knowledge, passion, and commitment to the EPA’s mission are essentially being chased out by the Trump administration. In her letter, Elizabeth writes, “Today the environmental field is suffering from the temporary triumph of myth over truth…The truth is there is NO war on coal, there is NO economic crisis caused by environmental protection, and climate change IS caused by man’s activities.” She mentioned that the current repeal two regulations for every new regulation implemented creates a kind of “Sophie’s Choice” situation. Should the EPA repeal the laws protecting infants from neurotoxins so that a new rule designed to protect adults from a newly discovered liver toxin can be put in place? Who health matters more? Southerland paints a stark picture for future generations, suggesting that they will have to pay polluters bills via increased taxes, or worse, they will have to live with a degraded environment and increased public health and safety risks.
Friday Jul 28, 2017
When HONESTy isn't the best policy: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Jul 28, 2017
Friday Jul 28, 2017
Our focus today was the HONEST act (a.k.a the disHONEST act) and Scott Pruitt – the invisible leader of the EPA. Guest host Regina McIntyre guided us through the climate news this week. Listen in!
Friday Jul 07, 2017
Friday Jul 07, 2017
The courts have forced the EPA to follow the law. It said that a delay in enforcement of rules governing methane leaks was the same as a new rule. This means EPA must present real scientific data in order to change the Obama era rules. (Note to Scott- that may be harder than you think.) The court ruling has a lot of implications for other EPA plans.The EPA also is considering holding public evaluations of climate science (“red team/blue team” in the current language.) Sunlight and public discussion is good, but the approach here seems to be to attempt to legitimize the tiny fraction of opinion that holds climate science as suspect. Beware the smoke and confusion!
Friday Jun 30, 2017
Reading the leaves: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Jun 30, 2017
Friday Jun 30, 2017
This week we discuss phenology (whatever that is) Massachusetts polls and cool things to do with MCAN this summer. Listen in.
Friday May 26, 2017
Mass Action: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday May 26, 2017
Friday May 26, 2017
There is a lot of climate action at the state level. We discuss what’s been going on here in Massachusetts and around the country.
Tuesday May 02, 2017
Voices from the People’s Climate Mobilization:The Climate Minute Podcast
Tuesday May 02, 2017
Tuesday May 02, 2017
April 29, 2017 was the day of the People’s Climate Mobilization. It was a great day, with 150 to 200,000 people marching in DC and even more around the country. We had the good fortune to chat with people of all kinds, students from Salem State University, activists from California and Utah as well as concerned folks from all over. Listen in to just a few of the thousands of committed citizens in DC last Saturday.
Friday Apr 21, 2017
Why March for Science? The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Apr 21, 2017
Friday Apr 21, 2017
The mission statement of the Science March says it “… champions robustly funded and publicly communicated science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity. We unite as a diverse, nonpartisan group to call for science that upholds the common good and for political leaders and policy makers to enact evidence based policies in the public interest.” We discuss what dark motives could be driving those ‘political leaders and policy makers’ in their delusional jihad against the facts. Listen in!
Monday Apr 17, 2017
Monday Apr 17, 2017
The People’s Climate Mobilization will happen on April 29th in DC and cities across the country. As this big day draws near, it is worthwhile tracing the history of public protests dedicated to climate issues. From the original ‘Step It Up’ in 2007 to the 2014 March in NYC, the people power of climate marches keeps growing. Listen in as we discuss.
Friday Apr 07, 2017
Putin nominee confirmed, what next for climate?: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Apr 07, 2017
Friday Apr 07, 2017
The ‘nuclear option’ has been used. What will the consequences be for climate policy? Only time we tell, but we take a look at some leading indicators. Listen in!