Zero Net Fifty

To realize the goals of the Paris Agreement, it’s estimated the US needs to transition 20% of vehicles to clean technologies by the end of this decade. That’s about 55 million cars based on the number of cars in the US as of 2018. As of 2019, 1.4 million electric vehicles had been sold in the US, and the US has about 84,000 public chargers.  Understanding how many new EVs the US might have on the road by the end of the decade, how and where those vehicles might charge in order to estimate what the public charging network should look like, and identifying how much it would cost to build that public charging network are all things we should already know today in order to achieve them in 9 years. In this episode, we take a look at climate-related activities in the early moments of the Biden Administration and discuss the backdrop for President Biden’s plans to expand electric vehicle adoption in the US and build the infrastructure necessary to support that growth.

If you’ve been following the ongoing struggle between California and the Trump administration, then you likely took note of GM’s announcement before Thanksgiving that the automaker is backing away from the support it gave Trump in the legal battle over California’s right to set fuel efficiency standards different from federal standards. But were you left wondering what the bigger meaning of that announcement is for the transportation sector, and what the future of those standards will be in the U.S. Listen to Joel Stronberg’s take on the GM announcement and the EV market, and how they fit into the plans of President-elect Joe Biden. Plus, get insight into more plans from the coming Biden administration and what the administration’s immediate challenges will be as it executes the plan to bring the U.S. back into the Paris Agreement.

With the Nov. 7 news that Joe Biden became President-elect fresh on our minds, we paused to consider our initial reactions to the results and what those results mean for the ongoing effort to protect our environment. Biden’s win is a victory, to be sure, but there are so many other factors that matter on the forward path. What will Biden’s administration face when the dust settles over Georgia’s Senate seats? A Republican majority or a 50-50 split? What will be Biden’s plan for his first 100 days? There are also questions to consider about what Democrats want now, and whether there will be a deepening divide there. We look at these issues and more in this first look at the outcome of the 2020 elections.

Vermont’s new Global Warming Solutions Act became law without Republican Governor Phil Scott’s approval. In the Green Mountain State, Republicans and Democrats generally agree that climate change is real and that it’s important to do something about it. But they don’t generally agree on the approach — arguing mostly about how goals can be achieved at a reasonable cost. Those disagreements, however, are just the backdrop to what matters most—to all states—about the Global Warming Solutions Act. Joel Stronberg explains why everyone should be paying attention to what’s going on in Vermont and what it means in the fight for a healthy environment.

Why are we concerned about the balance of the political leanings of the justices of the Supreme Court of the United States? And do the justices always stick to a conservative or liberal stance when deciding cases? How should we look at the path of climate change in our society with a conservative Supreme Court? Joel Stronberg answers these questions and more in this special episode, as we pause to consider the big picture following the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

In this short-format edition of Zero Net Fifty we discuss how the deaths of men and women of color at the hands of White police officers has triggered a racial justice reckoning the likes of which we haven't seen since the 1960s. Racial justice has, in many ways, become a metonym for all the socio-economic and political inequities that have been ailing America for decades.   Racial and economic injustice and inequality are found in many forms throughout the clean energy and environmental sectors—in its institutions, the siting of polluting industries, and access to technology.   Racism has long plagued the environmental movement. John Muir, the founder of the Sierra Club was an overtly avowed racist. For its initially higher costs and the race of its early adopters, solar has long been considered a technology for wealthy White folks. However, times are changing.   Listen to this 20-minute episode as we discuss what some of these changes are. 

In this short-format edition of Zero Net Fifty, we bring the call for a “total fossil fuel lock down” into focus. What does the REN21 call for this lock down look like, as proposed in its Renewables 2020 Global Status Report? REN21 says we’re making progress on this lock down in some sectors – think electricity and energy efficiency – but we need to be making progress across all power sectors – think heating, cooling and transportation. Of those sectors, we dive into transportation – with a look at what policy and progress has targeted so far and what needs more attention. Specifically, within the transportation sector, electric vehicle policies may seem like they are moving quickly, but are they? Listen to this 20-minute episode to understand why EVs might not be as far along the progress chain as we need them to be, and where improvements should be made.

Even if a new federal bill has no chance of becoming law, it’s still a highly instructive mechanism in climate politics. In this episode, we look at the progress of new climate policies, first at the state level and then at the federal level. In Vermont, a new policy for action on global warming is making its way through the Vermont legislature with potential rules that would hold the state accountable if it fails to meet new aggressive emissions reductions goals in the near term. At the federal level, we saw the release from the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis of its proposed net zero emissions by 2050 pathway in a plan called, “Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient and Just America.” While the release of that plan presents a good opportunity to see what Democrats are thinking in terms of policies to address climate change, the committee, ultimately, is not a policy-making body. It also offers insight into what Republicans are thinking on climate change, as we saw that the committee’s Republican response was not as negative as might have been expected in the past. Does it point to an interest on the part of Republicans to open dialogue that could result in forward progress on climate policies? Further action from the side of the Democrats at the federal level came from an infrastructure bill that relies heavily on green provisions, along with another bill on energy efficiency. Like all legislation coming out of the U.S. House, these new bills do not have any hope of moving forward, but they are representative of how Democrats see the U.S. plan to address climate change. Specific to that thinking is a central role for environmental justice. The need to grow communities that are resilient, not just in terms of their ability to resist climate change, but also in how their members can thrive, is present and will remain a constant factor in new climate policies. The big picture priorities, specific to how the U.S. thinks about climate change and how it will address it, are changing. Energy and climate are front and center in the national conversation in ways that they never have been before. How that conversation develops and escalates will be clear in the coming months, as the country gears up for primaries in August, and ultimately, the very critical presidential election in November.

As the U.S. comes slowly through the worst of the pandemic, and we understand how important science was in navigating COVID-19, we discuss the stark realities of timing for policies critical to addressing climate change under any outcome of the November election.

In this episode, we discuss how global focus on the current COVID-19 pandemic is affecting climate change efforts, and what the long-term effects might be.

We take a look at what to expect now that the path to November elections is a little clearer following Super Tuesday. Plus, where is the value in the American Energy Innovation Act, and how will the EU’s plan for a carbon border affect the U.S.?

In this episode, we look at the latest progress in Washington D.C., and look closely at whether climate change issues will be a high voting priority in the coming election. Plus, we highlight progress in climate bonds and note the rise of resiliency bonds.

In this episode, we give a brief outlook on progress in Washington D.C. for the remainder of 2019. Plus, we take another look at what makes a climate emergency declaration useful in today’s political environment, from the micro-local view to the global view.

In this episode, we provide an update on appropriations, a continuing resolution, the nomination of judges and the conflict between the Trump administration and California over rules on vehicle emissions that has created a division in the auto industry.

With the global climate strike behind us, we look at what actions the young people of the world are taking next to affect change in the political structure that is determining their environmental future.

In this first edition of "A Piece of My Mind," Joel Stronberg examines the alchemistic role of the climate youth movement in turning base political words into precious political will.

In this Washington D.C. update, we discuss standards for light bulbs, fuel economy and methane, and how Trump’s leadership style on these issues is causing uncertainty for businesses. Plus, we give an overview of our upcoming podcast on the single greatest threat to island communities and cultures - climate change.

In this episode, we give a quick status update on Congress during recess. Plus, we dig into what makes a climate resolution useful and what everyone can do to push for a climate emergency declaration for their communities that has meaning and action behind it.  

In this first episode of the second series of Zero Net Fifty, we discuss the upcoming Global Climate Strike, plus, in a Washington D.C. update, we explore why the Democrats are thinking about climate and agriculture.

In this season ender, we take a look at what has been happening in Washington, D.C., before the holiday break and the release of the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule. Plus we discuss the latest effort by Canada’s House of Commons to declare a national climate emergency and why it matters to the US. The ZeroNetFifty podcast will return with a second season in August.

In this episode, we look at the driving force of the US House in Washington D.C. right now and what it expects to accomplish for climate and energy policy in the face of Senate resistance. Plus, we examine the critical efforts of nations and subnationals to build adaptable communities for both the immediate and anticipated effects of climate change.

In this episode, we delve into Renewable Portfolio Standards – what’s the latest from states; who is taking aim at them and why; and is it the right time for the US to adopt a national clean energy standard? Plus, we discuss the importance of Washington state’s new law on HFCs.

In this episode, we look at the week in Washington DC and discuss a shift by US Republicans in how they’re talking about climate change. Plus, we ask, who holds the power in global climate change policy making and who is rising in the ranks?

In this episode, we discuss a new proposed pathway to deep electrification by 2050 to meet the Paris Agreement goals. And we look for the role of a global cooperative agenda on that pathway. Plus, we highlight appointments from the Trump Administration and what states think about the recent executive order to expedite pipeline permits.

In this episode, we discuss the new Green Real Deal resolution and activity from the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Plus we dig into the new “Banking on Climate Change 2019” report and the fossil fuel investments of the world’s biggest banks.

In this episode, we look at how the Green New Deal will move forward in the House and Senate and what the motives of Democrats and Republicans look like in that process. Plus, we discuss the recent student strikes and proposed global policies for a circular economy.

In this episode, we discuss forward movement on the US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis as well as Republican messaging in recent Congressional committees digging in on environment and climate change. Plus, we look at the potential outcome of a new approach from the Trump Administration to let climate science deniers tackle the question of whether climate change is a threat to US national security.

In this episode, we look at the perspectives that have formed over what the right path forward is for a healthy climate. And we discuss the Green New Deal in relationship to the international agreement on the 2030 Agenda from 2015.

In this episode we discuss the reintroduced Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act and insights from the Green New Deal resolution. What are the issues these policies face in relation to the timeline for making a difference on terms that matter for the climate?

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risk 2019 report puts the environment among the top risks, calling for coordinated international action to secure the future of our natural systems. We discuss what we are doing now to make the next 12 years we have to make a difference count. Plus, we give an update on new committee appointments in the US Congress and the possible showdown between states and federal powers on environmental matters.

In this episode, we identify the supporters of US federal Green Bank legislation and the advantages of the growing conversation about a Green New Deal. We also take a closer look at the politics of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

You've heard there's a new wave of environmentally-minded Democrats in Washington D.C. So what are they going to do now that they're there? How will the Green New Deal play out this year. And what does it mean for 2020? We address these questions and more in this episode.

In this introduction, Jennifer Delony talks about the current state of climate and energy politics and where we're going from here.