The Climate Bridge Show – Polis180: Recent Episodes
None
Ninth Episode: Tobias Schlingensiepen – Subnational Environmental & Climate Policy in the US
Welcome to the second season of “The Climate Bridge Podcast”, adelphi’s and Polis180’s podcast series. This podcast, like the Transatlantic Climate Bridge initiative behind it, focuses on climate change and climate policy in Germany, the United States and Canada. A key goal of both the initiative and this podcast is to improve climate cooperation between the three countries. In pursuit of this goal, Season 2 welcomes great guests and insightful topics on, among others, the upcoming COP28 or the transatlantic implications of US Inflation Reduction Act.
About this episode
The final episode of season 2 of the Climate Bridge Podcast dives into to the TCBs bread and butter – Transatlantic subnational climate policy. Our hosts Toby Bernstein – adelphi – and Lena Krois – Polis180 – sit down with State Representative Tobias Schlingensiepen (D), of Kansas’ 55th District. Toby, Lena, and Tobias chat about Tobias’ participation in a recent study tour to Germany, state-level climate and environmental policy in Kansas, and post-apocalyptic movies.
To learn more about the study tour click here. Tobias and Toby also discussed the United States’ Hydrogen Hubs – more information here. The movie Tobias references is the 1983 film ‘The Day After’.
Guest: Tobias Schlingensiepen
Hosts: Toby Bernstein and Lena Krois
Producers: Toby Bernstein, Lena Krois, Melisa Özcelik
Mixing and post-production: Franz Classe
Music: Maximilian Below
Eighth Episode: Sara Schurmann & Sven Egenter – Climate Journalism from a German and Transatlantic Perspective
Welcome to the second season of “The Climate Bridge Podcast”, adelphi’s and Polis180’s podcast series. This podcast, like the Transatlantic Climate Bridge initiative behind it, focuses on climate change and climate policy in Germany, the United States and Canada. A key goal of both the initiative and this podcast is to improve climate cooperation between the three countries. In pursuit of this goal, Season 2 welcomes great guests and insightful topics on, among others, the upcoming COP28 or the transatlantic implications of US Inflation Reduction Act.
About this episode
This episode looks into the role climate journalism plays in fighting climate change, and climate inaction, both in Germany and across the Atlantic. To be an effective tool in achieving this goal, climate journalism depends on greater awareness on climate change as a cross-cutting theme, more factual knowledge and stronger international collaboration in the media.
While our past episodes mostly featured policy experts, we now had the chance to get insights from journalists on climate and energy-related issues. With the support of Toby Bernstein – adelphi –, Cornelius Haritz – Polis180 – spoke with Sara Schurmann (freelance journalist, author, and co-founder of Netzwerk Klimajournalismus Deutschland) and Sven Egenter (Editor in Chief of Clean Energy Wire).
Key points which were discussed include:
- Climate journalism plays an important role in fighting climate change and sharing urgency, action-based information, and best-practices with the public. Journalists should moderate public debates and approach people – also across the Atlantic.
- Knowledge about climate change as a cross-cutting theme and planetary crisis should be integrated into basic university education, beyond specific climate journalism programs.
- Journalists should consider practices and learnings from other international newspapers (integrating climate change as a cross-cutting issue), to create knowledge-sharing with other journalism networks.
Guest: Sara Schurmann & Sven Egenter
Hosts: Cornelius Haritz
Producers: Cornelius Haritz, Toby Bernstein, Melisa Özcelik
Mixing and post-production: Franz Classe
Music: Maximilian Below
This episode sheds a light on the US climate policy perspective and its impacts on the transatlantic sphere. Specifically, it covers the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the intersection between climate, international trade, industrial policy and geopolitics.
In addition to diving into Germany’s activities for COP28 and discussing the conference’s host, Jennifer Morgan gives insights into her transition from past roles in NGOs to her current position as climate ambassador at the German Federal Foreign Office, as well as into the country’s new feminist foreign policy guidelines.
The Climate Bridge PodcastFifth Episode: Youth Activists – The battle to be heard at COP27
Welcome to the „The Climate Bridge Podcast” adelphi’s and Polis180’s new podcast series. This podcast, like the Transatlantic Climate Bridge initiative behind it, focuses on climate change and climate policy in Germany, the US, and Canada — a key goal is to improve climate cooperation between the three countries.
About this episode
After taking an in–depth look at climate and environmental justice in the last episode, this episode of the Climate Bridge Podcast reflects on the successes and disappointments of COP27 in Sharm el–Sheikh.
Our hosts Tobias Bernstein – adelphi – and Ole Adolphsen – Polis180 – had the chance to interview three climate activists on their impressions from COP27: Molly Rahal, a policy analyst and the youth delegation co–lead of the British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BICCC) Climate Branch, Cassidy Childs, a research associate at the Center for American Progress focussing on international climate policy, and Linus Steinmetz, a climate activist with Fridays for Future Germany.
Key topics they discussed were the loss and damage funding facility agreement as the first step towards more just climate finance as well as failed attempts to raise ambition on mitigation. All three activists shared some tips on youth activism:
- Recognizing that the barriers youth activists from the global north experienced are still much smaller than those for activists from the global south and indigenous communities, one should use one’s privileges to protest.
- Working closely with a team, whether sticking closely with the delegation or a constituency (e.g. YOUNGO), to get strength and mutual support.
- Have your embassy’s phone number memorized and assess the risks you are taking when you are demonstrating.
Molly recommended her organization’s podcast, Y Talk Climate. The conversation ended with an outlook to COP28.
Guest: Cassidy Childs, Molly Rahal and Linus Steinmetz
Hosts: Tobias Bernstein and Ole Adolphsen
Producers: Kira Schrödel, Tina Bayer, Tobias Bernstein, Mary Hellmich, Trisha Kershaw and Anile Tmava
Mixing and post-production: Franz Classe
Music: Maximilian Below
The fourth episode of the Climate Bridge Podcast addresses environmental and climate justice. Mary and Kira discuss with their guests, Nora Löhle and Dr. Robert Bullard, the importance of equal protection and equal enforcement of environmental laws and regulations for all as well as analyze key environmental and climate justice measures in the Inflation Reduction Act.
In conversation with Assistant Deputy Minister Catherine Stewart of Environment and Climate Change Canada, our hosts Tobias Bernstein (adelphi) and Luisa Kern (Polis180) took an in-depth look at the interlinkage of climate change and foreign policy, but also at the role of women and indigenous people in climate diplomacy.
Hosts Mary Hellmich – adelphi - and Lars Feyen - Polis180 - speak with Sue Biniaz, John Kerry’s Deputy Special Envoy on Climate Change, about all things related to U.S. climate policy.
Lisa Badum (member of the German parliament for the Green party) speaks with hosts Noah Gordon, advisor at adelphi, and Sarah Zitterbarth, climate program leader at Polis180 on topics ranging from Germany’s G7 presidency, to windmill regulations in Bavaria and Texas, to the possibility of a climate club including Germany and North America.