Category Archives: climate science
Trump’s Impact On Climate & Local Bay Area Election Results — KQED Forum & State Of The Bay

Yesterday I appeared on two radio shows, now available for streaming or podcast download. First, on KQED Forum, I was on a panel discussing what climate efforts may look like during a Trump Administration, and how California will respond. Joining me was:

  • Lisa Friedman, reporter on the climate desk, New York Times
  • Jesse Jenkins, assistant professor, engineering, Princeton University
  • Aru Shiney-Ajay, Executive Director, Sunrise movement, a grassroots organization of students and young people focused on climate change

You can stream it here.

Then last night I hosted State of the Bay on KALW, where I spoke to UC Berkeley Professor of Chemistry Omar Yaghi about a newly developed carbon-capturing material that has the potential to transform how we address climate change.

Then, we broke down local election results and discussed what they tell us about the priorities and concerns of Bay Area residents with San Francisco Chronicle opinion columnist and editorial writer, Emily Hoeven.

And finally, we talked with Rae Black of Oakland’s For the Win Boxing, a boxing gym that offers professional coaching for women and non-binary people who want to pursue “the sweet science” of boxing.

You can listen to that show here.

Bay Area Sports, California’s Climate Bond & SF Hip Hop Dance Fest — State Of The Bay 6pm PT

Tonight on State of the Bay, local sports journalist Steve Berman from The Athletic will update us on the Niners, Warriors and other Bay area sports teams.

Then, we dig into California’s Prop 4, the $10 billion bond to fight climate change with a panel of experts. Is it worth your vote? Tune in and decide for yourself! Guests include:

Finally, we’ll hear from celebrated local dancer and choreographer Micaya about the 26th annual SF International Hip Hop Dance Fest.

Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live tonight at 6pm PT. What comments or questions do you have for our guests? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!

Sonoma County’s Measure J, Rob Jackson On Climate Solutions, & How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter — State Of The Bay 6pm PT

Tonight on State of the Bay, we’ll explore Sonoma County’s Measure J with Phil Barber, staff writer with The Press Democrat. Measure J aims to prohibit concentrated animal feeding operations, or large animal farms in Sonoma County. This contentious initiative could reshape the county’s environmental and economic future. What do farmers and residents stand to gain or lose?

We’ll also hear from Stanford climate scientist Rob Jackson about his new book, Into the Clear Blue Sky: The Path to Restoring Our Atmosphere, and the reasons he remains hopeful despite the climate crisis.

Later, we’ll talk with New York Times reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, co-authors of Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter. What has Musk’s takeover meant for free speech and the future of social media?

Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live tonight at 6pm PT. What comments or questions do you have for our guests? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!

Michael Mann & Naomi Oreskes On Climate Change, Plus SFUSD Chaos & New Housing Laws — Your Call 10am PT & State Of The Bay 6pm PT

It’s double duty for me today on KALW, where I’m hosting two leading climate scholars for Your Call at 10am and then hosting State of the Bay at 6pm PT on the chaos at San Francisco Unified and the state of housing in California.

The action kicks off at 10am PT with:

I’ll ask them about Hurricane Helene and what it says about climate change, plus the just-concluded Climate Week in New York City that coincided with the UN general assembly.

Then at 6pm PT, join us on State of the Bay for the latest on the San Francisco Unified School District, with an ongoing fiscal crisis, just-announced delay of potential school closures, and emergency scrutiny of the superintendent. Jill Tucker, education reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle, will unpack it all.

Then we’ll hear about new efforts to address California’s housing shortage with experts Chris Elmendorf, professor of law at the University of California, Davis, School of Law, and Ben Metcalf, managing director of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley.

Finally, we’ll sit down with Obi Kaufmann, the artist, author and naturalist who has published a series of beloved books about his home state of California.

Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 10am PT for Your Call and then again at 6pm PT for State of the Bay. What comments or questions do you have for our guests? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!

Tom Steyer, Pollster Mark Baldassare & Art of the Incarcerated — State Of The Bay 6pm PT

Tonight on State of the Bay we’ll talk with pollster Mark Baldassare, Statewide Survey Director of the California Public Policy Institute, to find out who the likely voters are in this November’s election and how they feel about the statewide ballot measures.

Then we’ll talk to Tom Steyer, climate investor and 2020 presidential candidate, about his new book Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We’ll Win the Climate War.

Then we’ll hear from Rahsaan Thomas, executive director of Empowerment Ave, a Bay Area organization that helps incarcerated people put their art out in the world.

Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 6pm PT. What comments or questions do you have for our guests? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!

“The Grab” Documentary On The Race For Food & Water Resources— Your Call 10am PT

On today’s Your Call Media Roundtable, we’ll speak with award-winning investigative journalist Nate Halverson about THE GRAB, a riveting new documentary that investigates how wealthy governments, private investors and mercenaries are working to seize food and water resources around the world, at the expense of local communities.

As climate shocks and food shortages worsen, these groups are now establishing themselves as the new OPEC, where the future world powers will be those who control not oil, but food and water resources. The documentary focuses on the impacts of communities from Arizona to Zambia.

Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 10am PT. What comments or questions do you have for our guest? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!

Climate Change-Induced Landslides — Your Call 10am PT

Climate change is causing multiple types of impacts on communities, from wildfires to sea level rise. But investigative journalist Lois Parshley says climate change is also driving a dangerous increase in landslides in Alaska, and I’ll speak to her as guest host of Your Call today at 10am PT.

Up to half of downtown Juneau is at moderate to severe risk of landslides. But Juneau officials faced significant backlash from the public when they tried to adopt new city maps that outlined that risk. Parshley says that with few resources to address the problem, some residents want to ignore it all together.

What can we do to protect people in Alaska and elsewhere from climate change-induced landslides? Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 10am PT. What comments or questions do you have for our guest? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!

Mexico’s Election & School Vouchers — Your Call 10am PT

On today’s Your Call Media Roundtable, I’ll be guest hosting to discuss the presidential election in Mexico.

Last Sunday, Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, won the election with nearly 60 percent of the vote, according to a rapid sample count by Mexico’s electoral authority.

Her party, the ruling Morena party, founded by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, will control two-thirds of both chambers of the national Congress and 24 of Mexico’s 32 governorships. Joining us to get the latest will be Alfredo Corchado, executive editor of the Puente News Collaborative.

Then in the second half of the show, we’ll discuss a Washington Post investigation that reveals how billions in US taxpayer dollars are paying for private-school tuition at conservative religious schools. Almost five million private school students are benefiting from vouchers.

The programs, popular with conservatives, are rapidly growing in GOP-run states, with a total of 29 states plus DC operating some sort of voucher system, according to the investigation. Eight states created or expanded voucher programs last year, and this year, Alabama, Georgia and Missouri have approved or expanded voucher-type programs. Some recently enacted plans are just starting to take effect or will be phased in over the next few years.

  • Ohio: This year, more than 150,000 Ohio students are using vouchers, with 91 percent attending religious schools.
  • Wisconsin: About 55,000 vouchers were given this school year with 96 percent attending religious schools.
  • Indiana: About 98 percent of vouchers go to religious schools. 
  • Florida: This year, 400,000 students participated, with at least 82 percent of them attending religious schools. Florida has the largest voucher program with a cost of $3 billion this year alone.
  • Arizona: More than 75,000 students are benefiting from the Empowerment Scholarship Program, which pays for any educational expense. 87 percent of $229 million that was spent for that program in 2022-2023 went to religious schools. 

Our guest will be Laura Meckler, national education writer at the Washington Post.

Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 10am PT. What comments or questions do you have for our guests? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!

The Perils Of Industrial Fish Farming — Your Call 10am PT

I’m guest hosting Your Call’s One Planet Series this morning at 10am PT. We’ll discuss Until the End of the World, a new documentary that investigates the fast-growing fish farming industry across three continents.

The film exposes how communities in different regions are fighting against the expansion of these fish farms, which are accused of polluting pristine waters, overtaking natural resources, and even fostering hunger and food insecurity.

Aquaculture is the fastest growing food industry in the world, promising to be a sustainable solution to feed a growing global population that could reach 9.7 billion people in 2050. But is this industry a viable and sustainable answer for food security?

Joining us will be Francesco De Augustinis, the award winning journalist and filmmaker, and the founder of One Earth.

Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 10am PT. What comments or questions do you have for our guests? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!

Climate Disinformation & War In Sudan — Your Call 10am PT

I’m guest hosting Your Call’s Media Roundtable this morning at 10am PT. First, we’ll discuss the coordinated campaign by fossil fuel interests and their allies to sow disinformation about renewable energy. I’ll interview Rebecca Burns, an award-winning investigative reporter who has covered this story extensively.

Then, we’ll discuss the one-year anniversary of the civil war raging in Sudan. Joining me will be Sudanese-American journalist Isma’il Kushkush, who has reported on the conflict from the beginning.

Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 10am PT. What comments or questions do you have for our guests? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!

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