Earthbeat Host and IPS Fellow Daphne Wysham conducted a special one-hour interview with Dr. James Hansen, NASA’s top climate scientist, as an Earth Day 40th anniversary special.

In this broadcast of that interview, Dr. Hansen discusses the role of nuclear power in the climate crisis, the need for alternatives to cap and trade as a solution to climate change, and the possibilities that Earth will become like Venus due to fossil fuel consumption.

A video of the interview is available. Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2

As climate legislation continues to crawl through Congress, standing in the way of any real action on climate change are Senators who seem more concerned about oil company profits than climate change effects. On this hour of Earthbeat, host Mike Tidwell reviews two Senators who are obstructing climate change legislation.

Both come from powerful political families, both are Democrats, and both represent states that are uniquely affected by climate change.

Louisiana is arguably the US state that is most affected by climate change, and yet Senator Mary Landrieu has proudly proclaimed herself “the most fervent pro-drilling Democrat in the Senate.” Montana is the home to Glacier National Park and its forests are being ravaged by a explosion of beetles that now live through warmer winters. However Senator Max Baucus is proud to be the only Democrat to vote against climate legislation, and he did so be says its carbon emission targets are too high.

Joining us from Louisiana is Aaron Viles,the Campaign Director for the Gulf Restoration Network; and from Montana is Jim Jensen, the head of the Montana Environmental Information Center.

Then, the recent explosion in solar energy across America. Solar power is stronger, faster and cheaper than ever before. Joining us to discuss solar is author Amanda Little. Her book ‘Power Trip‘ describers her first-person journey across American to catalog our energy landscape.

Finally, a commentary by host Mike Tidwell about how – against the odds – we’re winning more than we’re losing when it comes to fighting climate change – based on his recent editorial in the Baltimore Sun.

Music: Two renditions of the Pink Panther Theme, one by Bobby McFerrin and a second by Alfred Choral. Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.

Photo by Hanneorla via Flickr.

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Advancements in China and India on greenhouse gas emission targets and leaps forward on renewable energy resources in China and India may be leaving the United States behind.

Earthbeat host Daphne Wysham discusses how the rest of the world is leaping forward on a clean energy future with Lester Brown. Lester is the president of the Earth Policy Institute and the author of a recent editorial in the Washington Post and the forthcoming book, Plan B 4.0 Mobilizing to Save Civilization.

David Bookbinder, the chief climate counsel of the Sierra Club and Tyson Slocum, the head of Public Citizen’s energy program discuss the pending U.S. action in the Senate on the nation’s first major legislation to fight climate change.

Image used courtesy of Laura Padgett via Flickr.

Music by Jacco Muller – Viento del Desierto. Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.

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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. Host Mike Tidwell discusses the promise of biochar with Durwood Zaelke, the president and founder of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development.

Then we discuss the nuts and bolts of the upcoming UN climate talks in Copenhagen. Ideally, nearly 200 countries will come together and leave the meeting with a 50-page treaty that’ll be a framework for the world to plan for worldwide climate change. Joining us to discuss how far away the world is from that goal is Angela Ledford Anderson, a program director for US Climate Action Network.

What’s likely the nation’s largest residential solar project is right here in the nation’s capital. Anya Schoolmaker joins us; she’s the president of the Mt. Pleasant Solar Coop.

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

The next UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark is possibly the world’s last chance in combating devastating climate change. Today on Earthbeat host Mike Tidwell discusses the road to Copenhagen – and how the United States has to step on the gas to get there – with Gillian Caldwell, campaign director for the climate change coalition – 1Sky.

Time and again we’re told that we need dirty coal-fired power because it’s cost effective. Turns out – that’s yet another myth about coal. In more and more areas in the US, wind power is now cheaper than coal. Gary Skulnik, the president of a clean energy broker company Clean Currents discusses the change that’s truly blowin in the wind.

As the world warms, farmers are facing increasing pressures. Bioengineering may be a way to adapt to climate change – debating this idea with host Mike Tidwell is Greg Conko, a senior fellow with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, CEI and the author of the book, The Frankenfood Myth.

Then, an uplifting look at how to organize and fight climate change with the author of the book Hope for a Heated Planet, Bob Musil.

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

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Image used courtesy of skelter via Flickr.

One of the most effective ways to get America on a clean, green economy is building a new, smarter electrical grid. Former President Bill Clinton and Nobel Prize winner Al Gore spoke about the importance of smart grids at a recent meeting of the National Clean Energy Project – a program focusing on transferring America to a clean, green economy.

Then host Daphne Wysham speaks to Antonia Juhasz, the author of the book, The Tyranny of Oil on the unsurpassed economic and political power of the world’s oil companies.

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Today on Earthbeat – The politician who really coined the phrase “Drill baby Drill” becomes head Republican and the Senate slips nuclear power provisions into the stimulus package. Host Mike Tidwell discusses the latest climate news with Joe Romm, the author of Climate Progress.

Then, we hear Al Gore’s testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on climate change.

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

Our current world-wide economic crisis is the worst since the Great Depression. The government’s solution is to pour billions of taxpayer dollars into banks and businesses. But a growing number of economists say the fundamentals of our economy are false – and now is the time for a major overhaul of our capitalistic system.

Earthbeat host Daphne Wysham speaks to David Korten on the idea of getting rid of Wall Street entirely – and rebuilding a new, green economy. Korten is the author of the upcoming book Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth. David is the co-founder of the Positive Futures Network, which publishes YES! Magazine. His previous work includes the books, “When Corporations Rule the World,” and “The Great Turning.”

Then we turn to President-Elect Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package – and how to ensure that it supports truly green industries. Corry Westbrook, the legislative director for the National Wildlife Federation joins the discussion with Kate McMahon, the Energy and Transportation Policy Campaigner for the Friends of the Earth.

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Image used courtesy of Scott Ableman via Flickr.

Al Gore’s ambitious energy goal for America may now become national policy. In this encore edition of Earthbeat, we review Gore’s plan for the United States to produce all of its electricity from carbon-free, renewable energy sources within 10 years.

Joining host Daphne Wysham to discuss the economic and political feasibility of the plan is Congressman Jay Inslee, the Democratic Representative for the 1st District of Washington, State. Inslee is also the co-author of Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean Energy Economy. Joining the conversation is S. David Freeman, he has over 30 years of experience in Washington’s energy politics, and he’s the author of Winning Our Energy Independence: An Energy Insider Shows How.

A new green economy won’t just fight global warming — it’ll be a rising tide that lifts all boats. That’s according to Van Jones, the founder of Green for All. It’s a theme backed by hard data in the recent report, A Climate of Change. Author Nia Robinson, discusses exactly how to make these connections. Nia is the director of the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative.

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