Climate politics in America's crazy presidential race

41 minutes

If you’re listening to this from a post-apocalyptic Pokemon-dominated global-warming ravaged future –- welcome!

We’re getting to crunch time in the election, and a whole suite of new climate-related polls have been released in just the last few days. Is this finally the election in which climate change is going to play a big role?

When you look at America as a whole, climate change still ranks relatively near the bottom in terms of voters’ priorities. Last week, a Pew survey ranked the environment as 12th out of 14 major issues, just below trade policy. But if you burrow in to the large and growing section of America that’s deeply concerned about climate change, you’ll find there are a lot of single-issue voters that are very engaged.

We have a lot in store for today’s show: Pokemon is making people go outside for the first time; Bernie has endorsed Hillary; Trump is still Trump. Sheer craziness.

Check out the recommended reading list below.

Eric’s links:

Hillary’s climate plan: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2016/06/hillary_s_climate_change_plan_isn_t_as_good_as_bernie_s_revolution_might.html

A Green Party comeback: http://www.vice.com/read/can-the-green-party-make-a-comeback-in-2016-209

Trump supporters and climate: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/03/what_do_trump_supporters_think_about_climate_change_i_went_to_a_rally_and.html

Jacquelyn’s links:

Pokemon Go gets people outside: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-pokemon-go-real-animals-20160711-20160711-snap-story.html

Jet Stream mania: http://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2016/07/02/lessons-from-jet-stream-crossing-the-equator-mania/#5f3756d05a8c

2008 DNC platform: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=78283

Hillary's climate plank: https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/climate/

AR4 vs AR5: http://treealerts.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/AR4-AR5-comparison.pdf

Stephanie Svan on "voting green on principle": http://the-orbit.net/almostdiamonds/2016/06/20/voting-green-principle/

Andy’s links:

Video summarizing the politics of climate: https://www.facebook.com/andrew.revkin.5/videos/vb.631851039/10155022172286040/?type=2&theater

Sri Lanka mangroves. https://www.seacology.org/project/sri-lanka-mangrove-conservation-project/

More episodes from Warm Regards

Building our Climate Futures Through Storytelling (Pt. 2), w/Kendra Pierre-Louis and Mary Heglar

In the finale to our season on climate data, we continue our exploration of storytelling as a way to imagine and build climate futures. Jacquelyn and Ramesh first speak with climate …

Building our Climate Futures Through Storytelling (Part 1), w/Eric Holthaus + Kim Stanley Robinson

In the first episode of our two-part finale of our season on climate data, we’re going to focus on fiction, not facts: specifically, on the world-building, future-crafting writers who tell …

Indigenous Climate Knowledges and Data Sovereignty

In this episode of Warm Regards, we talk to two Indigenous scientists about traditional ecological knowledges and their relationship with climate and …

Adapting and Moving in a Warming World, with Beth Gibbons and Dr. Jola Ajibade

This episode of Warm Regards focuses on two more facets of decision making based on data about how the climate is changing. We first talk to Beth Gibbons, the Executive Director of the …

Environmental Justice and Climate Justice, with Dr. Sacoby Wilson and Dr. Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò

This episode of Warm Regards focuses on the intersections, but also the disconnects, between environmental justice and climate justice movements. First, Jacquelyn and Ramesh talk with Dr. …

Historical and Volunteer Climate Data, with Cary Mock and Theresa Crimmins

This episode of Warm Regards continues our exploration of the often unexpected stories behind climate data. First we explore historical climatology …

How you can listen to this podcast

You can listen to episodes right here on the website, or if you prefer, in a podcast app. Listening in an app makes it easier to keep track of what you’ve already heard, listen without using your data plan and many other conveniences.

Recommended apps
Start listening to Telling Human Stories
47:28
Start listening to Telling Human Stories
47:28