Beyond the Obvious: What We’re Watching in 2026

Beyond the Obvious: What We’re Watching in 2026

Author: Climate One from The Commonwealth Club January 23, 2026 Duration: 1:04:39
We’re only about a month into 2026, and already so much has happened — from the Trump administration’s forcible removal of Venezuela’s president to the US pulling out of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change… It’s easy to get caught up in the headlines of the moment and lose sight of the big picture.  But important developments are happening in sectors like agriculture and renewable technology that don’t break through the noise to the extent they deserve. So, what should we be watching in 2026? Guests:  Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer, Michigan Michael Grunwald, Journalist, Author, We Are Eating The Earth Jessie Bluedorn, Founder & Executive Director, The Carmack Collective For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit ClimateOne.org/podcasts Highlights: 00:00 Intro 05:33 Justine Johnson on the importance of mobility 08:48 Justine Johnson on the future of EV charging 11:20 Justine Johnson on the practicality of new EV charging technology 19:05 Justine Johnson on innovation in financing 22:52 Michael Grunwald on making more food with less land 30:17 Michael Grunwald on the new tech used to constipate beetles to death 37:24 Michael Grunwald on what to watch in politics 43:00 Jessie Bluedorn on the fossil fuel industry’s control over cultural narratives 47:57 Jessie Bluedorn on the comedy in the climate crisis 56:36 Jessie Bluedorn on other areas to keep an eye on in the culture ***** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne.  Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conversation about our changing planet is often reduced to headlines and political noise, but Climate One moves beyond that. Hosted by Greg Dalton, Ariana Brocious and Kousha Navidar, this podcast from The Commonwealth Club creates a space for the full, complex dialogue we need. Each episode features candid discussions with scientists, policymakers, activists, and thinkers who are on the front lines. The focus is on drawing connections-between personal action and economic systems, between daunting scientific reports and tangible community solutions. You’ll hear analysis that doesn’t shy away from the severity of our situation while actively exploring pathways for genuine progress, from technology and finance to culture and justice. This isn't about alarmism or easy answers; it's about equipping listeners with a deeper understanding of the intertwined challenges and opportunities. Tuning into this podcast means joining a crucial exploration of how we adapt, mitigate, and fundamentally rethink our relationship with the natural world. The dialogue here is built on the idea that confronting the climate emergency honestly, in all its facets, is the first necessary step toward shaping a livable future.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Climate One
Podcast Episodes
Trash Talk: Fresh Takes on Food Waste [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:24
Food loss and waste account for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and cost $1 trillion annually, according to the United Nations. About a third of all food grown on the planet gets wasted, rather than eaten. I…
Cities Leading the Way [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:39
While the federal government has all but abandoned trying to address the climate crisis, cities around the world are stepping up. C40 is an international network of 97 cities representing 920 million people and 23% of th…
Electric Bills are Bonkers. What Can We Do About It? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:43
Rising electricity rates across the country are adding pressure to families and businesses already dealing with inflation in other aspects of their lives. Most Americans get their power from a utility that needs to turn…
EPA Cancels Billions in Grants. Recipients Won’t Back Down [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:51
Congress approved billions for federal grants and programs through the EPA during the Biden administration. Those dollars were meant to help disadvantaged communities and fund community resilience projects, public health…
Figure It Out…Or Else: Feds to Colorado River States [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:12
It’s been an unusually warm and dry winter across the west, and that’s bad news for the seven states and 40 million people that rely on water from the Colorado River. The water flowing into the river from snowmelt and ra…
Crude Behavior: Venezuela and the Global Politics of Oil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:57
On January 3, U.S. forces captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, and flew them to New York to stand trial for drug trafficking and narco-terrorisim. At the same time, President Trump has not been s…
Under the Weather: The Climate Crisis is a Health Crisis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:14
As the planet warms, the story of climate change is increasingly becoming a story about human health. Rising temperatures, wildfire smoke, flooding, and shifting disease patterns are no longer distant threats; they are e…
Crop Shoot: Farmers Caught Up In Policy Turmoil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:02
Agriculture is directly responsible for 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and farmers and ranchers face growing climate impacts every day, from more severe storms to intense droughts, making it harder to grow…
Inside The Chaotic, Lucrative ‘Disaster Economy’ With Grist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:26
It’s been a year since catastrophic fires tore through Los Angeles. For those who lived through them, the impacts are still being felt. Rebuilding in the aftermath of more frequent and severe fossil-fueled disasters is b…