Earthbeat Radio

Fracking for natural gas can cause flames to shoot out of water faucets and pollute groundwater with unknown chemicals – and yet the EPA has little authority to regulate this process used by the natural gas industry in 38 states. In this rebroadcast edition of Earthbeat, Host Daphne Wysham speaks to Abrahm Lustgarten about the 60 stories he’s written about fracking for the non-profit investigative journalism group – ProPublica.

Then, a discussion on 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 an editorial in the Washington Post and the book, Plan B 4.0 Mobilizing to Save Civilization.

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

In the wake of the ongoing oil disaster along America’s Gulf Coast, what’s in store for the corporation at the core of the problem? Charlie Cray, the director of the Center for Corporate Policy and Phil Mattera, the director of the Corporate Research Project join host Daphne Wysham to discuss BP’s future.

Clear cutting and then burning American forests to create electricity is considered a ‘clean energy solution’ in both the House and Senate energy plans. Mary Booth, a researcher for the Environmental Working Group, discusses how this practice is set to dramatically increase in the coming years with coal-fired power plants looking to wood as their new fuel. Booth’s report is Clear Cut Disaster. Mary is also the founder of the Massachusetts Environmental Energy Alliance.

Ted Glick is facing up to three years in jail for unfurling a banner protesting climate change inaction in the U.S. Capitol. Ted, the policy director for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, discusses his misdemeanor conviction that may result in him serving more jail time than any BP executive.

Hands Across the Sand is set to become one of the world’s largest demonstrations against the Gulf oil disaster and offshore oil drilling. Whit Jones joins us. Whit is the co-field director for Energy Action.

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

Oil is now washing up all along the Gulf Coast as a result of the disaster of an open, gushing BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico.

Joining host Daphne Wysham with a first hand account of the ongoing disaster is Bob Deans, the director of federal communications for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Joining the conversation with a view on what’s occurring on Capitol Hill and the Obama Administration’s plans to continue offshore oil drilling is Kyle Ash, the senior legislative representative for Greenpeace.

Investigative reporter Mark Schapiro joins us to discuss his investigation on how forests in Brazil are becoming a commodity on the worldwide ‘carbon market.’ Mark is a senior correspondent for the Center for Investigative Reporting – and his series on the carbon market is for Frontline World.

Carbon Nation is a new feature film about the current revolution of entrepreneurs across America who are focusing on clean, renewable energy. We speak to filmmaker Peter Byck about his documentary in which some of these ‘climate pioneers’ don’t even believe that climate change is occurring. Or as one of Byck’s subjects puts it, “even if you’re a greedy bastard and you just want cheap power, you’d still do these things.”

Music in this week’s edition of the show is by Sanjay Mishra with special guest Jerry Garcia, the album is Blue Incantation. Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.

Image: A Brown Pelican is cleaned at the Fort Jackson Wildlife Rehabilitation Center after it became coated with oil from the disastrous Gulf oil spill

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 the 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.

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.

Image from Valkyrieh116 via Flickr – all rights reserved.

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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. 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.