The Battle Over the Clean Air Act

The Battle Over the Clean Air Act

Author: Pushkin Industries August 15, 2024 Duration: 28:52

In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled in Massachusetts vs. EPA that when the United States Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1970, climate science was “in its infancy,” implying that government officials could never have intended for the legislation to cover the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2022, SCOTUS doubled down on that idea, ruling in West Virginia vs. EPA that since the Clean Air Act didn't explicitly talk about climate change, the EPA cannot regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Now, new historical evidence unearthed by a team of Harvard University researchers led by Naomi Oreskes calls the court's understanding of the history of climate science into question, which could have major implications for the government's ability to regulate climate-changing emissions.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


There’s a story behind the stalled progress on climate change that goes beyond melting ice and rising seas-it’s a story of deliberate deception. Drilled, from Pushkin Industries, approaches the climate crisis through the lens of investigative true crime. Led by veteran reporter Amy Westervelt and a team of award-winning climate journalists, this podcast meticulously traces how networks of corporate interests and political operatives constructed a decades-long campaign of denial and delay. Each season is a deep forensic examination, pulling on threads of new evidence to unravel systems of disinformation and hidden power. What you’ll hear isn’t just a recap of scientific reports, but a gripping narrative that follows the paper trail, the leaked memos, and the orchestrated efforts that have held meaningful action just out of reach. The result is a compelling and often unsettling listen that reframes our understanding of the past half-century. By treating climate inaction as a crime story, this podcast reveals the human architects and the calculated strategies that brought us here, making complex collusion startlingly clear. Tune in for a masterclass in accountability journalism.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 247

Drilled
Podcast Episodes
The Heath Impacts of the Coal-to-Gas Transition: Harvard's New Study [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:27
A new study out from Harvard University sheds light on the health impacts of transitioning from coal to other combustible fuels. These findings are important for climate policy, particularly the fact that biomass is a hu…
Update: The Latest Developments in the Steven Donziger Case [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:55
Steven Donziger is set for trial May 10, but his lawyers have already filed a motion to dismiss, claiming vindictive prosecution. Reporter Karen Savage provides an update.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati…
Corporate Personhood? What About Ecosystem Personhood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:38
Can ecosystems have legal rights similar to corporations? We talked about rights of nature a bit in the Ecuador-Chevron season—the Latin American country was the first in the world to integrate the concept of rights of n…
All Eyes on Weymouth: FERC Signals Interest in Environmental Justice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:48
For years, local activists and legislators have been fighting the Enrbidge natural gas compressor in Weymouth, Massachusetts, arguing it poses serious health risks to a community already overburdened by pollution. The pr…
How the Fossil Fuel Industry is Undermining Free Speech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:09
Across the United States, fossil fuel-backed anti-protest laws are reshaping the rights to protest and to free speech. 14 states have based new laws, and are passing through statehouses in several more states, including…
Frackalachia: The Fracking Jobs Myth in Appalachia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:00
When a report makes oil and gas companies—and the politicians they help elect—this mad, you know the author is on to something. Researcher Sean O'Leary, with the Ohio River Valley Institute, talks about his new report, w…
The API Was Pushing Climate Denial Way Earlier Than Anyone Thought [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:26
Stanford researcher Ben Franta joins to talk about a bombshell new discovery: the American Petroleum Institute not only knew about climate change back in the 70s, it started pushing climate denial as early as 1980. Read…
¿Ahora Que?: What's Next for Donziger, Chevron and Ecuador [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:12
Steven Donziger remains under house arrest and collecting the Ecuadorian settlement seems impossible, so what happens next? We explore what this case says about accountability, the power of oil companies, and the options…