Earthbeat Radio » Geoengineering

Election Review, Big Wins Against Geoengineering & Giving Kids Their Say

admin — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:19:00 +0000

President Obama called the midterm elections a ‘shellacking’ for Democrats. The leader of the Friends of the Earth, Erich Pica joins host Daphne Wysham for a discussion on how the new Congress will lean on climate change and environmental protections.

In a landmark consensus decision, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity agreed on a moratorium on geoengineering. The agreement asks governments to ensure that no geoengineering projects go forward until risks to the environment and biodiversity, as well as social, cultural and economic impacts are considered. Pat Mooney, the executive director of the ETC Group joins us to discuss the moratorium and to address recent actions by some corporations to push forward ‘terminator seeds’ – genetically engineered seeds with a built in expiration date.

Then, we look at climate change through the eyes of children. Renowned author Lynne Cherry joins us to discuss her latest book, ‘How We Know, What We Know About Our Changing Climate,” the basis for her film series, “Young Voices on Climate Change” about children around the world making a difference.

If you’d like to hear this edition of Earthbeat – please send us an e-mail

Secretive Science Behind Blocking Out the Sun

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:14:17 +0000

Billionaires Bill Gates and Richard Branson are funneling millions of dollars into far-out solutions to climate change. It’s called geoengineering and these high-risk, planet-altering schemes are already underway. Joining host Daphne Wysham to discuss these plans is Diana Bronson of the ETC Group in Montreal, Canada.

The massive snowstorms that blanketed the nation’s capitol are just one instance of odd-ball weather this winter. Joining us to discuss the connections between the weather and climate change is Dr. Amanda Staudt, a climate scientist for the National Wildlife Federation.

The sweet smell of success on coal-fired power. Bruce Nilles, the director of the Sierra Club’s national coal campaign, joins us to discuss how nearly all of the 150 planned coal-fired power plants have been stopped nationwide.

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The Worst Greenhouse Gas You’ve Never Heard Of – Redux

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:50:33 +0000

It’s ten thousand times worse that carbon dioxide, and it’s sitting in your refrigerator. HFCs were designed to be an ‘environmentally friendly’ alternative to the ozone-hole creating CFCs in our air conditioners and fridges.

For this rebroadcast of Earthbeat, host Mike Tidwell discusses how the White House held closed-door meetings that may result in HFCs becoming a bargaining chip on the worldwide carbon market with David Sassoon, the editor of the website Solve Climate; and Kert Davies of Greenpeace joins the conversation to discuss a safe alternative to HFCs — that are banned by the EPA.

A DC lobbying group forged anti-climate letters – pretending to be grassroots African-American and Hispanic non-profits groups in Virginia. Tim Freilich is a board member of Creciendo Junto, one of the groups whose identity was stolen. Joining the conversation to speak about and other coal company subterfuge is Jeff Biggers, the author of the book The United States of Appalachia.

TV weathermen could be a force for educating the public about the connections between our weather and climate change, but instead they’re often high-profile climate deniers. Joe Romm, editor of the website Climate Progress, discusses the lack of progress on the nightly news.

Image used with permission from listener Eric Crowley via Flickr. Thank you Eric!

Music for this edition of Earthbeat is the song ‘Sweeping’ from The Devil Makes Three.

Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.

If you’d like to hear this edition of Earthbeat – please send us an e-mail

Senate Shenanigans and Presidential Power

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:05:12 +0000

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To give to the people of Haiti affected from a massive earthbeatquake – we suggest Doctors without Borders, Partners in Health or Mercy Corps. Also, our friends at Other Worlds, with three decades of experience working with social movements in Haiti, have this message to share
with you: Other Worlds.
****

While the US Senate continues to stall on climate change – allegations continue into oil company lobbyists writing legislation suggested by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. Joining host Daphne Wysham to discuss these Senate shenanigans is Steven Biel of MoveOn.org and Courtney Abrams of Environment America.

Then we discuss presidential power and climate change with Kevin Bundy of the Center for Biological Diversity. He’s one of the authors of the new report “Yes, He Can.”

Then a critical discussion on agriculture and climate change. Rachel Smolker of BioFuel Watch joins us to discuss agribusiness, biochar and agricultural offsets.

Music from this edition of Earthbeat is by the Haitian band Tabou Combo from their album Taboulogy. Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.

Image used courtesy of Laura Padgett via Flickr.

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Keep Winter Cold is a yearly polar bear plunge by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network to highlight climate change.
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Biochar, Population and Anti-Coal

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:19:22 +0000

Biochar is a type of charcoal that’s the result of burning plant matter with very low oxygen. It’s a sooty, black substance that holds great promise for not only slowing down climate change – but actually reversing it. In this encore episode of Earthbeat, host Mike Tidwell discusses the promise of biochar with Durwood Zaelke, the president and founder of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development.

The connections between population and climate change go far beyond the recent comments by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. Kathleen Mogelgaard of Population Action International speaks about how giving women the control they want over the size of their families ends up being a win-win for them, and the climate.

Finally, we hear about a rock that naturally traps carbon dioxide right out of the air. It’s kinda like the ‘anti-coal;’ we speak to researcher Sam Krevor of Stanford University’s Energy Resources Engineering Department.

Music used in this edition of Earthbeat is ‘Charcoal’ by Mrs. Tanaka.

Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.

If you’d like to hear this edition of Earthbeat – please send us an e-mail

Indonesia Burning & A Rock That’s the ‘Anti-Coal’

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:28:37 +0000

Indonesia recently rounded up and deported international journalists and activists who were in-country to witness the massive, intentionally set, fires that are destroying the country’s tropical rainforest.
Thanks in most part to those fires, Indonesia is the world’s third largest greenhouse gas emitter standing right up with China and the U.S. Joining host Mike Tidwell to discuss the devastation to the area – and its consequences for our climate are Greenpeace forest activists Rolf Skar in San Francisco and Chiara Campione in Italy.
Then we hear about a rock that naturally traps carbon dioxide right out of the air. It’s kinda like the ‘anti-coal;’ we speak to researcher Sam Krevor of Stanford University’s Energy Resources Engineering Department.
Host Mike Tidwell then speaks directly to President Obama on how leadership could drive the United States into a clean energy future, if only he took the reins and lead the nation. Read that commentary here.
Music by Jacco Muller – Viento del Desierto. Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.
Image copyright John Novis for Greenpeace, all rights reserved.
If you’d like to hear this edition of Earthbeat – please send us an e-mail

Climate Change Causing More Earthquakes, Tsunamis

admin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:43:45 +0000

The tsunami and earthquakes that ravaged islands in the Pacific may be just the beginning of an increase in geological disasters due to climate change.
Earthbeat host Mike Tidwell discusses the link with Alan Linde, a geophysicist with the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Bill McGuire, a professor of geophysics and climate at the University College London, who recently organized the first ever conference on the connections between climate change and geological hazards. McGuire is the author of the book, Seven Years to Save the Planet.
The small island nations nations of the world and islands like American Samoa are fighting to keep their heads literally above water with a discussion with Carroll Muffett of the Climate Law and Policy Project.
The worldwide economic downturn has an unexpected silver lining – our carbon emissions dipped as our bank accounts plummeted. Host Mike Tidwell talks dollars and sense with Peter Brown, a professor at McGill University and the co-author of the book Right Relationship.
Image – one of the chain of coral atolls that make up the Maldives islands
Music includes Maldives Night by Max Madisson and Nonu a Togi and Sasa by the Samoan Music Ensemble.
Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.
If you’d like to hear this edition of Earthbeat – please send us an e-mail

Pond Scum Turning Raw Sewage into Biofuel

admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:54:38 +0000

Four years after the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, we review how the city of New Orleans is – or isn’t – prepared for future storms and the other devastating effects of climate change.
Joining host Mike Tidwell from Baton Rouge is Mark Davis, the director of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy at Tulane Law School; and discussing how the record warm ocean waters feed into stronger storms is Joe Romm, the author of the website Climate Progress.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is suing the EPA to undermine the science of climate change. Jim Tankersley reported on the suit, and the other tactics the Chamber is using to undermine action on climate change for the LA Times and the Chicago Tribune.
Then we speak to Greg Breining about how the city of Minneapolis is using natural algae to turn metropolitan wastewater into biofuels to power city buses.

Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.
If you’d like to hear this edition of Earthbeat – please send us an e-mail

The Worst Greenhouse Gas You’ve Never Heard Of

admin — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:23:52 +0000

It’s ten thousand times worse that carbon dioxide, and it’s sitting in your refrigerator. HFCs were designed to be an ‘environmentally friendly’ alternative to the ozone-hole creating CFCs in our air conditioners and fridges.
Joining host Mike Tidwell to discuss how the White House is holding closed-door meetings that may result in HFCs becoming a bargaining chip on the worldwide carbon market is David Sassoon, the editor of the website Solve Climate.
Joining the conversation is Kert Davies of Greenpeace to discuss a safe alternative to HFCs — that are banned by the EPA.
A DC lobbying group forged anti-climate letters – pretending to be grassroots African-American and Hispanic non-profits groups in Virginia. Tim Freilich is a board member of Creciendo Junto, one of the groups whose identity was stolen. Joining the conversation to speak about and other coal company subterfuge is Jeff Biggers, the author of the book The United States of Appalachia.
TV weathermen could be a force for educating the public about the connections between our weather and climate change, but instead they’re often high-profile climate deniers. Joe Romm, editor of the website Climate Progress, discusses the lack of progress on the nightly news.
Image used with permission from listener Eric Crowley via Flickr. Thank you Eric!
Music for this edition of Earthbeat is the song ‘Sweeping’ from The Devil Makes Three.
Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.
If you’d like to hear this edition of Earthbeat – please send us an e-mail

EPA Authority, Beyond Green Jobs, and Military versus Climate Security

admin — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:40:47 +0000

Today on Earthbeat, host Daphne Wysham discusses the threat to EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the latest climate legislation passed in the House with the Sierra Club’s senior counsel for climate change – David Bookbinder, and Matt Pawa, the legal director of the Global Warming Legal Action Project which is run by the Civil Society Institute. Matt suggests The Clean for more information about the House version of the bill. An editorial on the EPA’s authority by Daphne Wysham can be found on Alternet.
We discuss the need to move beyond just ‘green jobs’ with Joe Uehlein, the founder of the Labor Network for Sustainability and the former AFL- CIO representative to the UN Commission on Global Warming and Sean Sweeney, the director of Cornell University’s Global Labor Institute.
Is President Obama is putting our taxpayer money where his mouth is when it comes to the country’s climate security? We speak to the author of the new report ‘Military versus Climate Security’ with its author Miriam Pemberton of the Institute for Policy Studies.
Music for this edition of Earthbeat comes from The Devil Makes Three.
Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.
Image used courtesy of J. Reed via Flickr, licensed by Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.
If you’d like to hear this edition of Earthbeat – please send us an e-mail