As climate change drives the melt of Arctic sea ice, polar bears are facing a major challenge. Scientists have said it is likely the global population of polar bears will fall by more than a third within the next three generations. But why does this issue matter, beyond polar bears being really cute? Today, we explore the ecological and economic importance of polar bears, the variety of threats they face in a changing climate, and a variety of tangible solutions to protect polar bears moving forward. With special guest Dr. Andrew Derocher: Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. Now more than ever, The Sweaty Penguin needs your help to continue! Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at ⁠patreon.com/thesweatypenguin⁠. CREDITS Writers: Aana Shenai, Emma Quarequio, Emma Jones, Ethan Brown Fact Checker: Alia Bonanno Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Megan Antone Ad Voiceover: Mo Polyak Music: Brett Sawka

In The Sweaty Penguin’s second annual “Holiday Mailbag,” Ethan rounds up a few of the most cynical audience questions from 2023. Learn why the change from “global warming” to “climate change,” where climate alarmists may have taken things too far, and ChatGPT’s response to everyone calling Ethan a clown in this can’t miss bonus episode to conclude another year of The Sweaty Penguin. Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

If and when humans completely stop emitting carbon dioxide, how will the climate respond? For some time, communicators were operating with the misconception that there would be a “carbon lag” — carbon previously emitted would still be in the atmosphere, still be trapping heat, and still be warming the planet, and this lagged warming would continue for several decades. Recently, scientists clarified that this was not quite right. This lagged warming effect does exist, but simultaneously, oceans suck carbon out of the atmosphere creating a cooling effect. The two ultimately cancel out, and the global climate can stabilize as quickly as three years after emissions halt. Today, we explore how the greenhouse effect has worked through history, what this updated science means for both us and our oceans, and why this science should mostly be seen as good news moving forward. With very special guest Dr. Michael Mann: Presidential Distinguished Professor of Earth and Environmental Science and Director of the Center for Science Sustainability in the Media at the University of Pennsylvania. Now more than ever, The Sweaty Penguin needs your help to continue! Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. CREDITS Writers: Mikaela Gonzalez, Emma Jones, Ethan Brown Fact Checker: Sophie Colbert Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Megan Antone Ad Voiceover: Mo Polyak Music: Brett Sawka

A couple weeks ago, world leaders descended on Dubai for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) — a reminder of the fact that the United States cannot mitigate climate change alone, and needs China and India to curb their emissions too. But that’s not an argument to slow climate progress at home. Ethan explains that while global participation is necessary for the climate, smart climate solutions also have benefits for local environments, health, justice, security, and the economy in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.” **Note: This episode was written prior to COP28, so the opening references some pessimism I was feeling going into the conference. As it turns out, the conference had some pretty exciting successes, which we’ll break down in Tip of the Iceberg 62. However, due to some delays in editing, we were not able to release this episode before the conference as planned. The rest of the episode remains relevant though, so we hope you still enjoy!** Now more than ever, The Sweaty Penguin needs your help to continue! Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. CREDITS Writer: Ethan Brown, Velina Georgi, Mo Polyak, Emma Quarequio Fact Checker: Aana Shenai Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Megan Antone Ad Voiceover: Velina Georgi Music: Brett Sawka

Maritime shipping is a bit of a paradoxical climate issue. On the one hand, it accounts for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, burns extremely dirty bunker fuel, and has a number of inefficiencies leading to outsized pollution. On the other hand, it is also by far the most sustainable mode of transporting goods, as compared to planes, trains, and trucks — making it a sort of climate solution. Unfortunately, in the United States, that solution is being blocked by a regulation called the Jones Act, which requires any ships traveling from one U.S. port to another to be built, flagged, and crewed in the U.S. Meant to protect national security and support American shipbuilders, the regulation has substantially driven up the cost of American goods particularly in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, wrecked entire industries (including offshore wind), and led only 2% of U.S. freight to be carried by ships — leaving 98% to be carried by more expensive and more polluting alternatives. Today, we explore why maritime shipping isn’t living up to its full potential as a sustainable transportation mechanism, how the Jones Act has impacted it, and what steps we could take to rectify the situation moving forward. With special guest Dr. Russell Hillberry: Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. Now more than ever, The Sweaty Penguin needs your help to continue! Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. CREDITS Writers: Emma Jones, Emma Quarequio, Ethan Brown Fact Checker: Alia Bonanno Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Megan Antone Ad Voiceover: Mo Polyak Music: Brett Sawka

A staple food for over half the world population, rice is perhaps one of the most universally enjoyed foods. But recently, as India enacted an export ban on rice and other countries have considered the same, global prices have spiked, Americans began panic buying, and many farmers and consumers around the world have suffered the consequences. At the root of the problem is climate change. Today, we explore how climate change impacts rice, why rice has a surprisingly high impact on climate change, and what common sense solutions could make rice farming more sustainable in the future. With special guest Dr. Sonali McDermid: Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at New York University. Now more than ever, The Sweaty Penguin needs your help to continue! Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. CREDITS Writers: Ainsley Jane Tambling, Hallie Cordingley, Velina Georgi, Ethan Brown Fact Checker: Alia Bonanno Editor: Saige Gipson Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Megan Antone Ad Voiceover: Mo Polyak Music: Brett Sawka

Many climate solutions are extremely exciting, but none are perfect. All have their limitations, and Hywind Tampen — the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm — is a prime example. Owned by fossil fuel company Equinor, Hywind Tampen is used to power drilling operations in the North Sea. It will lead to more fossil fuel extraction and potentially some greenwashing, but it will also reduce carbon emissions from this project and potentially encourage fossil fuel companies to see the advantages of clean energy. So how should we react? After completing the Solutions Journalism Network’s Climate Beacon Newsroom Initiative, Ethan reflects on this question, exploring why covering limitations of solutions is important but why we can still get excited about imperfect baby steps in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.” Now more than ever, The Sweaty Penguin needs your help to continue! Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. CREDITS Writer: Ethan Brown, Velina Georgi, Mo Polyak, Emma Quarequio Fact Checker: Alia Bonanno Editor: Saige Gipson Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Megan Antone Ad Voiceover: Velina Georgi Music: Brett Sawka

Last year, The Guardian did a five-month investigation into “carbon bombs,” or fossil fuel projects that would, over the course of their life, emit over one billion tons of carbon. They found that there are 195 planned oil and gas carbon bombs around the world, and if they proceed as planned, these projects alone would blow past internationally agreed upon climate targets. For our thirteenth deep dive on carbon bombs, we take a look at the North Dome Gas Field: the world’s largest gas field located in northern Qatar, singlehandedly home to eleven carbon bomb projects that collectively could emit over 41 billion tons of carbon dioxide. But North Dome has a unique history, transforming Qatar from a largely impoverished nation to one with one of the highest GDPs per capita, rapidly blossoming education and tourism, and the home of global sporting competitions like 2022’s FIFA World Cup. Despite these exciting developments, the North Dome Gas Field does present challenges from an environmental, human rights, geopolitical, and even economic perspective. This week, we cover the issues facing the North Dome Gas Field, why Qatar has incentive to transition away from natural gas exports and diversify their economy, and what a sustainable and feasible path forward could look like. With special guest Dr. Geoff Harkness: Associate Professor of Sociology at Rhode Island College. Now more than ever, The Sweaty Penguin needs your help to continue! Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. CREDITS Writers: Alia Bonanno, Owen Reith, Mo Polyak, Ethan Brown Fact Checker: Ainsley Jane Tambling Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Megan Antone Ad Voiceover: Mo Polyak Music: Brett Sawka

As Hurricanes Idalia and Lee hit Florida and ocean temperatures reach record highs across the world, there's much reason to be concerned about the state of our oceans. Unfortunately, some in the media took this sentiment way too far. A few weeks ago, several news outlets published stories with headlines saying the Gulf Stream could collapse as soon as 2025, sparking global climate chaos. The study they reference found that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) — not the Gulf Stream — could collapse sometime in the next century, with error bars spanning from 2025 to 2095. Moreover, this was one study, far from scientific consensus. An AMOC collapse would be very bad, but it is extremely unlikely to happen in two years. Ethan breaks down the current state of our oceans, the difference between the Gulf Stream and AMOC, and why this mixup damages the public’s understanding of climate change in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.” Now more than ever, The Sweaty Penguin needs your help to continue! Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. CREDITS Writer: Ethan Brown, Velina Georgi, Mo Polyak, Emma Quarequio Fact Checker: Aana Shenai Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Megan Antone Ad Voiceover: Emma Quarequio Music: Brett Sawka

In addition to being a tasty appetizer, oysters produce $186 million dollars and supports 1.7 million jobs in the U.S. each year. They’re also essential role players in the global nitrogen and carbon cycles, making them building blocks for life on earth. Unfortunately, climate change and other human activities have posed some serious threats to these important mollusks. Today, we explore why oysters matter, what challenges they face, and how we can best conserve them moving forward. With special guest Dr. Wally Fulweiler: Professor of Earth & Environment and Biology at Boston University. Now more than ever, The Sweaty Penguin needs your help to continue! Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. CREDITS Writers: Dare Fitzpatrick, Maddie Salman, Ethan Brown Fact Checker: Mikaela Gonzalez Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Megan Antone Ad Voiceover: Mo Polyak Music: Brett Sawka The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

On August 18, the National Hurricane Center issued the first Southern California tropical storm watch in history as Hurricane Hilary barreled up the coast. At its worst, Hilary was a category four Pacific Hurricane, which hit 145 mile per hour winds, brought flooding, mudslides, and torrential rainfall to the Pacific Coast of Mexico, the Baja California Peninsula and the Southwestern United States, and broke state rainfall records as far away as Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon.,In California, portions of I-8, I-10, I-15, SR 14, and the Pacific Coast Highway closed due to flooding and rockslides; more than 5,000 customers in LA were left without electricity, and rainfall totals reached as high as 11.74 inches around San Jacinto Peak. The worst of the damage, however, was in Mexico, where nearly 1,900 people were evacuated to shelters in the Baja Peninsula and the country has faced two casualties. In Los Angeles, this was many people’s first hurricane, and while understandable that people may not have known what to do, it was a bit surprising to see the degree to which individuals failed to heed basic safety recommendations and downplayed the storm on social media. Ethan explores how climate change and El Niño could have impacted this historically unusual storm and why the response from Angelenos was so unsettling in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.” 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. CREDITS Writer: Ethan Brown, Velina Georgi, Mo Polyak, Emma Quarequio Fact Checker: Ainsley Jane Tambling Editor: Megan Antone, Saige Gipson Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Owen Reith Ad Voiceover: Mo Polyak Music: Brett Sawka The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

Vinyl chloride is a manmade chemical primarily used to make PVC, which is found in a variety of everyday products, including cables, pipes, flooring, shoes, and credit cards. The chemical is linked to cancer, liver disease, and a variety of other human health impacts. In February, a Norfolk Southern train carrying vinyl chloride derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, resulting in 23,000 gallons of the chemical being released which caused air pollution, contaminated waterways, and harmed the health and environment of the surrounding community. Today, we explore what vinyl chloride is, why it’s so dangerous, and how we can protect ourselves moving forward. With special guest Dr. Juliane Beier: Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. 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. CREDITS Writers: Aana Shenai, Hallie Cordingley, Velina Georgi, Ethan Brown Fact Checker: Alia Bonanno Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Owen Reith Ad Voiceover: Megan Antone Music: Brett Sawka The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

On August 8, intense winds from nearby Hurricane Dora led to around 30 downed utility poles causing outages for over 12,400 customers. These winds and downed power lines contributed to fires in various parts of Maui. In Kula, a fire scorched about 1,000 acres, threatening 544 structures and burning 16, with evidence suggesting a fallen power line as the ignition source. Meanwhile, Lāhainā experienced its most devastating fire on August 8 due to a downed power line. This fire led to widespread evacuations, gridlock, and desperate escape attempts, including people diving into the ocean. As of August 15, 106 deaths were confirmed in Lāhainā, with search operations still underway. This fire consumed 2,170 acres and destroyed over 2,200 buildings, resulting in damages estimated near $6 billion. The Lāhainā fire's death toll became the highest for a U.S. wildfire since 1918. In the immediate aftermath of the fires, many began discussing the connections between these fires, climate change, and colonization. But what are these connections, and why are they important? Ethan explores how climate change worsened the fires, how colonization worsened both climate change and the fires, and what lessons we can learn going forward in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.” 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. CREDITS Writers: Ethan Brown, Velina Georgi, Mo Polyak, Emma Quarequio Fact Checker: Dare Fitzpatrick Editor: Ethan Brown Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Owen Reith Ad Voiceover: Velina Georgi Music: Brett Sawka The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

Last year, The Guardian did a five-month investigation into “carbon bombs,” or fossil fuel projects that would, over the course of their life, emit over one billion tons of carbon. They found that there are 195 planned oil and gas carbon bombs around the world, and if they proceed as planned, these projects alone would blow past internationally agreed upon climate targets. For our twelfth deep dive on carbon bombs, we take a look at the Denver-Julesburg Basin: an oil and gas formation in Colorado with the potential to emit 5.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide. The DJ Basin also brings some unique air and water pollution concerns, as well as a fascinating economic reality in a region where — unlike with many other carbon bombs — oil and gas are not the backbone of the economy. Today, we explore the local impacts of oil and gas extraction in the DJ Basin, how it fits into a diverse Colorado economy that is already transitioning toward cleaner energy industries, and how Colorado can continue making progress while sharing lessons with other states along the way. With special guest Dr. Joseph Ryan: Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. 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. CREDITS Writers: Emma Jones, Emma Quarequio, Ethan Brown Fact Checker: Aana Shenai Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Owen Reith Ad Voiceover: Velina Georgi Music: Brett Sawka The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

The Winner’s Circle is back! Ethan welcomes Producer Hallie Cordingley back to the show to first share some behind the scenes stories and insights regarding Boston University’s New Venture Competition, where Hallie pitched The Sweaty Penguin and won the first place $20K prize. Then, Hallie looks to defend her championship from our first Winner’s Circle against the two most recent Kahoot champions: Producer Owen Reith and Social Media Manager Sabrina Rollings. Whether you’ve followed our past Kahoots or it’s your first time, join us for a trivia contest on some of the biggest environmental news stories over the last year and find out who will be crowned the ultimate Sweaty Penguin Kahoot champion. Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

From Whole Foods announcing they would stop selling Maine lobster due to concerns about right whales last November to people on both sides of the aisle misattributing a humpback whale mortality event off the coast of New Jersey to offshore wind development in early 2023 to a slew of recent orca attacks on boats in the Iberian Peninsula, whales have found themselves consistently in the news, often accompanied by misinformation. The public is right to be concerned: seven out of thirteen species of large whale are endangered. But while unproven claims about wind turbines steal the spotlight, issues of entanglements, ship strikes, and climate change may be slipping under the radar. Today, we explore why whales matter, the real reasons whales are threatened, and how we can conserve these beloved mammals going forward. With special guest Dr. Erin Meyer-Gutbrod: Assistant Professor of Earth, Ocean, and Environment at the University of South Carolina. 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. CREDITS Writers: Ainsley Jane Tambling, Maddie Salman, Ethan Brown Fact Checker: Aana Shenai Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Owen Reith Ad Voiceover: Velina Georgi Music: Brett Sawka The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

A new bombshell investigation from F Minus released this month found more than 1,500 lobbyists in the United States are working on behalf of fossil fuel companies while, at the same time, representing some of our favorite cities, universities, public school districts, tech companies, restaurants, sports teams, museums, environmental groups, and even ski resorts. That’s certainly not to say these organizations are being disingenuous, but it does create vulnerability since lobbyists can share information between clients, and it creates conflicts of interest if a pro-environment organization is represented by a lobbyist tasked with lobbying against a pro-environment bill on behalf of a fossil fuel client. Ethan breaks down some of the nuance necessary to understand this investigation, argues why the fossil fuel industry is making a poor business decision investing so heavily into lobbying, and invites you to The Sweaty Penguin’s “Fossil Fuel Correspondents Dinner” to meet some of the notable and surprising organizations hiring fossil fuel lobbyists in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.” 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. CREDITS Writer: Ethan Brown, Velina Georgi, Mo Polyak, Emma Quarequio Fact Checker: Mikaela Gonzalez Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Owen Reith Ad Voiceover: Madeleine Salman Music: Brett Sawka The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

For 53 years, permitting has been a core tenet of environmental protection in the United States, requiring a variety of projects to receive environmental impact statements and public input. But as clean energy, electricity transition, and forest management projects have faced delays of several years due to this bureaucratic process, many have questioned if the current permitting system could be doing more harm than good. Last month, Congress took a first step by passing the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), but permitting absolutely still has room to improve. Today, we explore the opportunities permitting presents, what challenges the process has created, and how the system could reach its full potential as an environmental solution. With special guest Danielle Stokes: Assistant Professor of Law at Richmond 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. CREDITS Writers: Mikaela Gonzalez, Hallie Cordingley, Mo Polyak, Ethan Brown Fact Checker: Ainsley Jane Tambling Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Owen Reith Ad Voiceover: Maddie Salman Music: Brett Sawka The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

Last year, The Guardian did a five-month investigation into “carbon bombs,” or fossil fuel projects that would, over the course of their life, emit over one billion tons of carbon. They found that there are 195 planned oil and gas carbon bombs around the world, and if they proceed as planned, these projects alone would blow past internationally agreed upon climate targets. For our eleventh deep dive on carbon bombs, we take a look at the Bovanenkovo Gas Field: a major natural gas formation in Arctic Russia. The Bovanenkovo Gas Field holds 6.05 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, giving it the potential to emit 11.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide. But beyond climate and environmental issues, Bovanenkovo presents another major concern: revenue from that natural gas is funding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Today, we explore how Bovanenkovo gas affects the surrounding community, how it ties into the war in Ukraine, and what needs to happen for Russia, Ukraine, and NATO to achieve a more sustainable and peaceful future. With special guest Dr. Katarzyna Zysk: Professor of International Relations and Contemporary History at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. 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. CREDITS Writers: Emma Jones, Owen Reith, Velina Georgi, Ethan Brown Fact Checker: Alia Bonanno Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Owen Reith Ad Voiceover: Maddie Salman Music: Brett Sawka The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

Between their cheaper operating costs, reduced air pollution, and major dent in greenhouse gas emissions, electric vehicles have often been the focus of the clean transportation transition. Leading auto manufacturers have set ambitious targets to transition sales to EVs, and policymakers have followed with regulations and tax incentives. But electric vehicles aren’t perfect yet — questions remain about environmental and human rights issues in metal mining, capacity of the electric grid, high sticker prices, charging infrastructure, and more. Today, we explore what possibilities electric vehicles present, what challenges stand in the way, and how those hurdles can be overcome. With special guest Dr. Al-Thaddeus Avestruz: Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan. 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. CREDITS Writers: Emma Jones, Ethan Brown Fact Checker: Mikaela Gonzalez Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Owen Reith Ad Voiceover: Maddie Salman Music: Brett Sawka The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.

Weeks of unprecedented wildfires across Canada have scorched millions of hectares, displaced over 100,000 people, and pushed the nation into a crisis as crews fight hundreds of blazes. Smoke from the fires also crossed the U.S. border into cities such as New York City and Detroit, and on June 7, New York City registered the worst air quality in the world. While orange skies and unbreathable air appeared nothing short of apocalyptic to many New Yorkers already anxious about climate change, it is essential to not lose sight of the fact that there are ways we can significantly reduce the risk of wildfires. Ethan gives a reprieve from the doom-and-gloom wildfire conversation and explores the many causes of wildfires, what solutions are in our toolbox, and how those solutions could be implemented politically in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.” 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. CREDITS Writer: Ethan Brown, Velina Georgi, Madeleine Salman, Mo Polyak Fact Checker: Emma Jones Editor: Megan Antone Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Owen Reith Ad Voiceover: Madeleine Salman Music: Brett Sawka The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.