The United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP28, wrapped up in the United Arab Emirates last month, bringing several steps forward for global climate cooperation. Chief among them: all 195 countries signed onto a “transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.” That said, some countries’ plans are not in keeping with this commitment....

As climate change drives the melt of Arctic sea ice, polar bears are facing a major challenge. Scientists have said it is likely the global population of polar bears will fall by more than a third within the next three generations. But why does this issue matter, beyond polar bears being really cute? Today, we explore the ecological and economic importance of polar bears, the variety of threats they face in a changing climate, and a variety of tangible solutions to protect polar bears moving...

In The Sweaty Penguin’s second annual “Holiday Mailbag,” Ethan rounds up a few of the most cynical audience questions from 2023. Learn why the change from “global warming” to “climate change,” where climate alarmists may have taken things too far, and ChatGPT’s response to everyone calling Ethan a clown in this can’t miss bonus episode to conclude another year of The Sweaty Penguin. Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month...

If and when humans completely stop emitting carbon dioxide, how will the climate respond? For some time, communicators were operating with the misconception that there would be a “carbon lag” — carbon previously emitted would still be in the atmosphere, still be trapping heat, and still be warming the planet, and this lagged warming would continue for several decades. Recently, scientists clarified that this was not quite right. This lagged warming effect does exist, but simultaneously,...

A couple weeks ago, world leaders descended on Dubai for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) — a reminder of the fact that the United States cannot mitigate climate change alone, and needs China and India to curb their emissions too. But that’s not an argument to slow climate progress at home. Ethan explains that while global participation is necessary for the climate, smart climate solutions also have benefits for local environments, health, justice, security, and the...

Maritime shipping is a bit of a paradoxical climate issue. On the one hand, it accounts for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, burns extremely dirty bunker fuel, and has a number of inefficiencies leading to outsized pollution. On the other hand, it is also by far the most sustainable mode of transporting goods, as compared to planes, trains, and trucks — making it a sort of climate solution. Unfortunately, in the United States, that solution is being blocked by a regulation called the...

In the last few months, catastrophic floods have ravaged parts of Libya, Myanmar, Cameroon, India, and Somalia, not to mention several such disasters in the United States. Climate change and floods have an interesting relationship — scientists contend climate change may be leading to fewer floods overall, but the floods that do happen become much more intense, particularly in urban areas. As overwhelming as this reality can be, it’s equally important to remember that even in a changing...

A staple food for over half the world population, rice is perhaps one of the most universally enjoyed foods. But recently, as India enacted an export ban on rice and other countries have considered the same, global prices have spiked, Americans began panic buying, and many farmers and consumers around the world have suffered the consequences. At the root of the problem is climate change. Today, we explore how climate change impacts rice, why rice has a surprisingly high impact on climate...

Many climate solutions are extremely exciting, but none are perfect. All have their limitations, and Hywind Tampen — the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm — is a prime example. Owned by fossil fuel company Equinor, Hywind Tampen is used to power drilling operations in the North Sea. It will lead to more fossil fuel extraction and potentially some greenwashing, but it will also reduce carbon emissions from this project and potentially encourage fossil fuel companies to see the...

Last year, The Guardian did a five-month investigation into “carbon bombs,” or fossil fuel projects that would, over the course of their life, emit over one billion tons of carbon. They found that there are 195 planned oil and gas carbon bombs around the world, and if they proceed as planned, these projects alone would blow past internationally agreed upon climate targets. For our thirteenth deep dive on carbon bombs, we take a look at the North Dome Gas Field: the world’s largest gas field...

As Hurricanes Idalia and Lee hit Florida and ocean temperatures reach record highs across the world, there's much reason to be concerned about the state of our oceans. Unfortunately, some in the media took this sentiment way too far. A few weeks ago, several news outlets published stories with headlines saying the Gulf Stream could collapse as soon as 2025, sparking global climate chaos. The study they reference found that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) — not the Gulf...

In addition to being a tasty appetizer, oysters produce $186 million dollars and supports 1.7 million jobs in the U.S. each year. They’re also essential role players in the global nitrogen and carbon cycles, making them building blocks for life on earth. Unfortunately, climate change and other human activities have posed some serious threats to these important mollusks. Today, we explore why oysters matter, what challenges they face, and how we can best conserve them moving forward. With...

On August 18, the National Hurricane Center issued the first Southern California tropical storm watch in history as Hurricane Hilary barreled up the coast. At its worst, Hilary was a category four Pacific Hurricane, which hit 145 mile per hour winds, brought flooding, mudslides, and torrential rainfall to the Pacific Coast of Mexico, the Baja California Peninsula and the Southwestern United States, and broke state rainfall records as far away as Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon.,In...

Vinyl chloride is a manmade chemical primarily used to make PVC, which is found in a variety of everyday products, including cables, pipes, flooring, shoes, and credit cards. The chemical is linked to cancer, liver disease, and a variety of other human health impacts. In February, a Norfolk Southern train carrying vinyl chloride derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, resulting in 23,000 gallons of the chemical being released which caused air pollution, contaminated waterways, and harmed the health...

On August 8, intense winds from nearby Hurricane Dora led to around 30 downed utility poles causing outages for over 12,400 customers. These winds and downed power lines contributed to fires in various parts of Maui. In Kula, a fire scorched about 1,000 acres, threatening 544 structures and burning 16, with evidence suggesting a fallen power line as the ignition source. Meanwhile, Lāhainā experienced its most devastating fire on August 8 due to a downed power line. This fire led to widespread...

Last year, The Guardian did a five-month investigation into “carbon bombs,” or fossil fuel projects that would, over the course of their life, emit over one billion tons of carbon. They found that there are 195 planned oil and gas carbon bombs around the world, and if they proceed as planned, these projects alone would blow past internationally agreed upon climate targets. For our twelfth deep dive on carbon bombs, we take a look at the Denver-Julesburg Basin: an oil and gas formation in...

On July 27, the Supreme Court issued an emergency ruling in favor of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), allowing the controversial West Virginia gas project to continue construction. The MVP is a 303-mile under-construction natural gas pipeline from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia, with a possible 75-mile extension to North Carolina.  Following years of broken laws, failed permit applications, and courtroom losses, Congress included a provision in the bipartisan Fiscal...

The Winner’s Circle is back! Ethan welcomes Producer Hallie Cordingley back to the show to first share some behind the scenes stories and insights regarding Boston University’s New Venture Competition, where Hallie pitched The Sweaty Penguin and won the first place $20K prize. Then, Hallie looks to defend her championship from our first Winner’s Circle against the two most recent Kahoot champions: Producer Owen Reith and Social Media Manager Sabrina Rollings. Whether you’ve followed our past...

From Whole Foods announcing they would stop selling Maine lobster due to concerns about right whales last November to people on both sides of the aisle misattributing a humpback whale mortality event off the coast of New Jersey to offshore wind development in early 2023 to a slew of recent orca attacks on boats in the Iberian Peninsula, whales have found themselves consistently in the news, often accompanied by misinformation. The public is right to be concerned: seven out of thirteen species...

A new bombshell investigation from F Minus released this month found more than 1,500 lobbyists in the United States are working on behalf of fossil fuel companies while, at the same time, representing some of our favorite cities, universities, public school districts, tech companies, restaurants, sports teams, museums, environmental groups, and even ski resorts. That’s certainly not to say these organizations are being disingenuous, but it does create vulnerability since lobbyists can share...

For 53 years, permitting has been a core tenet of environmental protection in the United States, requiring a variety of projects to receive environmental impact statements and public input. But as clean energy, electricity transition, and forest management projects have faced delays of several years due to this bureaucratic process, many have questioned if the current permitting system could be doing more harm than good. Last month, Congress took a first step by passing the bipartisan Fiscal...

After a historically warm June and July 3, 4, 5, and 6 consecutively breaking records for the world’s hottest day, some headlines began to suggest these heat events were climate change run amuck. While climate change has driven the vast majority of this heat, a significant portion is also due to El Niño: a natural phenomenon in the tropical Pacific Ocean that impacts global weather patterns and slightly boosts temperatures. Ethan breaks down recent extreme heat events from around the world,...

Last year, The Guardian did a five-month investigation into “carbon bombs,” or fossil fuel projects that would, over the course of their life, emit over one billion tons of carbon. They found that there are 195 planned oil and gas carbon bombs around the world, and if they proceed as planned, these projects alone would blow past internationally agreed upon climate targets. For our eleventh deep dive on carbon bombs, we take a look at the Bovanenkovo Gas Field: a major natural gas formation in...

The first constitutional climate case in U.S. history wrapped up in Montana last week, with sixteen plaintiffs aged 5-22 making the case that a provision in the Montana Environmental Policy Act violates the state constitution, which guarantees a right to a “clean and healthful environment” for “present and future generations.” The case made international headlines for the plaintiffs’ age and the historic nature of a constitutional climate case, but there was a lot more to the story. Ethan...