Advertise on podcast: Climate Cast

Well-known climate scientist Michael Mann recently won a million-dollar lawsuit against conservative bloggers. Mann alleged that he was defamed by the bloggers who said the climatologist “molested and tortured data.” So what precedent could this case set? Leigh Currie, the Director of Strategic Litigation with the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, breaks down what his win could mean for climate science.

Locals in the Galapagos say climate change and the current Super El Niño could be affecting the marine life and climate there. The Galapagos Islands sit on the Equator in the eastern Pacific Ocean, just west of Ecuador at the confluence of three major ocean currents. MPR meteorologist Sven Sundgaard just returned from the islands on a trip where he got a first-hand look at what’s happening.

Minnesota’s first-ever “green bank” launches this year. The Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Authority will distribute funding for green energy and other climate-friendly projects. The first projects from the $45 million pool could be funded early this summer. For more on the green bank is Pete Klein, interim executive director for the Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Authority.

A proposed carbon capture pipeline across the Midwest by Summit Carbon Solutions is awaiting approval from Iowa and other states. Minnesota approved the permit for it last year. The five-state, $5.5 billion pipeline system would capture carbon dioxide from ethanol plants and send it to North Dakota for underground storage. As more places, including ours, pursue carbon capture projects, what rules and monitoring mechanisms need to be in place to make sure things work as intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Eric Schaeffer is Executive Director with the Environmental Integrity Project, which just released a report on the current federal rules for carbon capture projects — and what might be missing.

Last year was by far the warmest year on record globally. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and European datasets all confirm the numbers. That means the 10 warmest years on record globally are the past 10 years. How do climate scientists explain this unprecedented warming trend? Jared Rennie is a research scientist with NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information and he discussed what we should take away from the numbers.

Minnesota officials have set an ambitious goal for the state to be carbon-neutral by 2050. And our Getting to Green series has been digging deep into stories of the clean energy transition. What opportunities and obstacles lie on the path to reach a carbon neutral Minnesota milestone? MPR News correspondents Dan Kraker and Kirsti Marohn guest hosted a series of conversations to talk to experts and listeners about our state's energy future. As a part of that reporting, they toured the home of William and Kristin Mroz-Risse which is now fully electric and more energy efficient. Kristin works for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as the GreenStep Cities and tribal nations coordinator. William works in the renewable energy sector.

A housing project that tackles homelessness, poverty, and climate change all in one. That’s the goal of Hillcrest Village in Northfield, Minnesota. It’s an emergency shelter and supportive housing development – powered entirely by the sun. Scott Wopata is Executive Director at Community Action Center, which was behind the project.

Anyone getting gas and electricity service in Minneapolis will see an estimated one dollar increase in their bills come next year. The money from the slight hike is meant to go towards helping people weatherize their homes and programs to reduce carbon emissions. It’s a part of the city’s Climate Legacy Initiative and officials say it will raise an additional $10 million each year starting in 2024 for climate action. Dave Orrick wrote about the plan for the Star Tribune and broke it down on Climate Cast.

The United Nations 28th global climate conference, also known as COP28, just wrapped up in Dubai. And this year a group of 20 students from the College of St. Benedict and Saint John’s University got to observe the heated discussions about climate change and fossil fuels. Finn Dolezal was a part of that group. He’s a sophomore majoring in economics and minoring in math at Saint John's. He shared more about his time at COP28.

A major focus of this year’s global climate summit, COP28 or the Conference of the Parties, is the Loss and Damage Fund which was established at last year’s conference. The idea behind it is for developed nations to financially compensate developing countries dealing with the harmful — and very costly — impacts of climate change. On the first day of this year’s conference, global leaders agreed to operationalize that fund with some countries pledging as much as $100 million right away. The U.S. plans to contribute $17.5 million if Congress gives the green light. Still, some say a lot more will be needed — hundreds of billions more. Nfamara Dampha is a research scientist at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment and he’s taking part in the discussion at COP28 as a delegate for the Gambia. Last year, the small country was hit with its largest rainfall in more than thirty years, causing more than $125 million in damage. As these climate events continue, Dampha says developed countries not only have a legal responsibility to help vulnerable countries but also a “moral and ethical responsibility”.

The fifth National Climate Assessment came out last week. It’s an important report that lays out the impacts of climate change across the U.S. In it this year is a chapter on the specific ways climate change affects indigenous communities — and why indigenous leadership and self-determination are essential for addressing the climate crisis. One of the authors of that chapter is Mike Dockry, an assistant professor with the University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources. He specializes in Tribal and Indigenous Natural Resource Management. He gave us a closer look at the chapter on Climate Cast.

10 percent of U.S. transportation greenhouse gas emissions come from plane travel according to the Environmental Protection Agency. But a first-of-its kind initiative is looking to slash those numbers by creating a hub to scale the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Estimates show that SAF can reduce the lifecycle carbon emissions of flying by more than 80 percent. Peter Frosch is CEO of the Greater Minneapolis St. Paul Regional Economic Development Partnership, one of the partners involved in the effort.