Podcasts · Government · Society & Culture

A Matter of Degrees

Dr. Leah Stokes, Dr. Katharine Wilkinson

55 episodes

Give up your climate guilt. Sharpen your curiosity. Join Dr. Leah Stokes and Dr. Katharine Wilkinson as they tell stories about the powerful forces behind climate change — and the tools we have to fix it. This show makes sense of big climate questions and critical topics. Our episodes are filled with stories of bold climate leadership, groundbreaking campaigns, and people doing their best to be part of the solution.

More about the show

A Matter of Degrees is produced in partnership with The 2035 Initiative at UC Santa Barbara and The All We Can Save Project.

Episodes page 1 of 2

  1. The Carbon Wave

    · 48 min · S6 E1

    Before the Inflation Reduction Act became the biggest climate bill in U.S. history, it was just a bunch of policy ideas with long odds. Turning those ideas into law took years of work by people who refused to let it…

  2. Climate Wayfinding

    · 34 min

    Katharine wrote a book! It's called Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home, and it's out on May 5th. Through journaling prompts, practical exercises, wisdom from climate leaders, and even…

  3. The Long Arc of Climate Action with Gina McCarthy

    · 34 min

    Gina McCarthy has been at the center of nearly every federal climate fight of the last two decades. She led the EPA during the Obama years. Then, under President Biden, she became the first ever White House National…

  4. Melting ICE: The Climate Movement Defends Democracy

    · 52 min

    Back in December, the Trump administration sent thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents into Minnesota. They terrorized communities, took people from their homes, and murdered two American citizens.…

  5. The Only Good Planet

    · 41 min

    Dr. Kate Marvel builds climate models — digital worlds that simulate our possible futures. They can tell us how hot it will get, how high the seas will rise, and which forests will burn. But they can't tell us what…

  6. The Sun Is Having Its Day

    · 48 min

    "In the midst of a lot of big, bad things happening, there's one big good thing happening on planet Earth right now." Today on A Matter of Degrees, we're bringing back the podcast's very first guest — legendary…

  7. Cash In On Clean Tech Incentives (Before It's Too Late)

    · 37 min

    Donald Trump's so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" took a sledgehammer to U.S. climate policy, including tax credits for clean cars and appliances. These incentives were helping people cut pollution, lower their…

  8. The Climate Crisis Is Breaking Insurance

    · 36 min

    Thousands of people lost their homes in the Los Angeles wildfires. Now, they're looking to their insurance companies to help them rebuild. But as the world warms, disasters like these are becoming more frequent and…

  9. Presenting: L.A. Wildfires: Rebuilding for a Hotter, Drier Future

    · 39 min

    This week we are sharing a special bonus episode from Boiling Point, a new podcast produced by the LA Times and hosted by climate columnist Sammy Roth. This new audio series explores how climate change is impacting…

  10. Leah Stokes: 2024 Schneider Award Winner

    · 52 min · S4 E6

    In this episode of A Matter of Degrees, we partner with Climate One to share an inspiring conversation between Dr. Leah Stokes and Greg Dalton, the founder and co-host of Climate One, when Leah received the 2024…

  11. Cleaning Up Industry

    · 36 min · S4 E5

    The industrial sector makes all of our physical stuff – the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, the buildings we live in, and much more. It's also one of the biggest sources of U.S. climate pollution. In this episode…

  12. The Questions We Ask Matter with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

    · 39 min · S4 E4

    In this live episode of A Matter of Degrees, Dr. Katharine Wilkinson joined Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson for a conversation on Ayana's new book, What If We Get It Right, Visions of Climate Futures. The need to build…

  13. What the Election Means for Climate Policy

    · 58 min

    The election is over, but climate progress doesn't have to be. How can we continue to push for equitable climate policies and defend current investments in clean energy? What are the state and local avenues for…

  14. Minnesota's Climate Breakthrough

    · 34 min

    On this episode of A Matter of Degrees, we tell the story of how a powerful grassroots movement, ambitious lawmakers, and Governor Tim Walz turned Minnesota into a climate leader. Then, we talk about using the…

  15. Project 2025

    · 30 min

    Project 2025 has been all over the news lately. But what exactly is this conservative playbook for the Federal government? And what does it mean for climate policy? This week, A Matter of Degrees dives into the…

  16. A Look Back at Vice President Kamala Harris on Climate Leadership, Justice, and Solutions

    · 53 min · Bonus

    Welcome back for a special bonus episode of A Matter of Degrees! In this episode, we are taking a look back at our live conversation with Vice President Kamala Harris. Since we are once again at a pivotal moment for…

  17. Live Episode: A Climate Book Talk with Rebecca Solnit

    · 59 min · S3 E14 · Bonus

    Welcome back for a bonus episode of A Matter of Degrees! We were lucky enough to sit down with Rebecca Solnit — author, historian, and climate activist — to talk about her newest climate anthology, Not Too Late. Leah…

  18. The Tongass: A Way Forward For The Forest

    · 49 min · S3 E10

    In our season three finale, we're transporting listeners to the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world and a vital carbon sink: the Tongass. Katharine and Leah investigate the impact of decades of industrial…

  19. The Journey of Justice40

    · 46 min · S3 E9

    In his early days in office, President Biden took executive action to deliver environmental justice. Are those policies delivering justice in practice? This episode, we talk to EJ activists and federal policymakers…

  20. The 'Darth Vader' of Electric Utilities

    · 58 min

    Electric utilities are falling short on climate action. To explain why, we're bringing back our season one finale. This episode features former utilities regulator Kris Mayes, who recently won a nail-biting election to…

  21. The Case of the Killer Heat

    · 49 min · S3 E8

    In this episode, we explore the growing impact of heat on people and the planet. We talk to scientists and "climate detectives" trying to hold the perpetrators of this unprecedented global temperature increase…

  22. New Year's Reflections, Resolutions, and Inspiration from Sherri Mitchell

    · 56 min

    At the start of 2023, we're reflecting on past progress and setting climate intentions, both small and large, for the year ahead. And we want to hear from you! Has A Matter of Degrees shifted your perspective or moved…

  23. Petrochemicals and Plastics: A Fossil Fuel Lifeline?

    · 43 min · S3 E7

    The fossil fuel industry is banking its future on petrochemicals — the toxic precursor to plastics. In this episode, Katharine and Leah speak with activists who are fighting back against petrochemicals in "sacrifice…

  24. Bold vs. BS in Corporate Climate Pledges

    · 37 min · S3 E6

    In this episode, we investigate corporate climate commitments and how to make them stronger. We get to the root of zero-emissions pledges and greenwashing — specifically in the oil and gas industry. Dr. Paasha…

  25. Crypto Has a Climate Problem

    · 46 min · S3 E5

    This episode delves into the murky world of cryptocurrency and its impact on our planet. Join Katharine and Leah as they discover how digital currencies are breathing new life into previously shuttered coal plants…

  26. How To Cope with All the Climate Feels

    · 1 h 00 min · S3 E4

    This episode is all about feelings. You've heard the phrase "climate grief," right? But how do we deal with what it does to our hearts, minds, and bodies? And how might it impact the climate action we take? This…

  27. Live Episode: Vice President Kamala Harris on Climate Leadership, Justice, and Solutions

    · 47 min

    "We must understand that we are in a very specific moment in time, and this window is going to shut on us. But it doesn't have to shut on us, if we act." — Vice President Kamala Harris on A Matter of Degrees Ahead of…

  28. "What Can I Do?" Part 3 — The Political

    · 47 min · S3 E3

    The third and final installment of our miniseries considers the question "What can I do?" from a political perspective. Our expert guests share stories of nailbiter elections for local office and the victorious…

  29. "What Can I Do?" Part 2 — The Professional

    · 50 min · S3 E2

    In this episode, we continue to unpack the question "What can I do?" The second installment of our miniseries zeroes in on our professional lives — ways to approach climate action within the workplace. We learn that…

  30. "What Can I Do?" Part 1 — The Personal

    · 55 min · S3 E1

    As climate people, we hear this question again and again: "What can I do?" Many of us are trying to figure out how to help address the climate crisis. So, we're taking on that critical question in a three-part…

  31. Welcome to Season 3 of A Matter of Degrees

    · 2:37

    Welcome back, climate-curious friends — it's time for Season 3 of A Matter of Degrees. This season we'll tackle some critical topics and big questions, starting with one we're all asking when it comes to the climate…

  32. This is a Big (Climate) Deal: What's in the Inflation Reduction Act?

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 23 · Bonus

    Welcome back to A Matter of Degrees! While we've been hard at work producing season three of the show, the climate movement has been going through a lot of twists and turns. Most recently, after announcing he would not…

  33. How Gender Equality Can Save The Planet

    · 52 min · Episode 22

    This episode is a collaboration between A Matter Of Degrees and the Gimlet podcast How To Save A Planet. Take a look at many of the spaces where climate-related decisions are being made — from government to business…

  34. Paid in Blood

    · 35 min · Episode 21

    In the jungles of the Brazilian Amazon, groups of farmers and their families get by on what they can grow with the land beneath their feet. They're known in Brazil as "landless workers," a social movement with the goal…

  35. The 'Win-Win-Win' Strategy To Retire Coal

    · 42 min · Episode 20

    This episode is a collaboration between A Matter Of Degrees and the Gimlet podcast How To Save A Planet. Coal-fired power plants are closing at record rates. But many are still scheduled to remain operational for the…

  36. The 'Bond Vigilante' Exposing Fossil Fuel Risk

    · 43 min · Episode 19

    Since the Paris Climate Agreement was signed in 2015, banks and large investors have dumped $3.8 trillion into fossil fuels. It's a staggering number. This is why writer and activist Bill McKibben calls money the…

  37. The Devious Plan to Keep Us Hooked on Gas

    · 57 min · Episode 18

    Advocates are turning their attention to a new front in the climate war: the fossil-gas hookups in our homes that fuel burners, boilers, and other household appliances. If we want to limit warming to 1.5 degrees…

  38. A Farming Solution for a Hotter, Less Stable World

    · 43 min · Episode 17

    When Hurricanes Maria and Irma hit Puerto Rico in 2017, they destroyed the island's fragile food system. Farms of all sizes were battered, with around 80 percent of the island's crop value wiped out. But a group of…

  39. Green Jobs...For All?

    · 43 min · Episode 16

    President Biden's American Jobs Plan promises big investments in the clean-energy economy, including clean energy workforce and education programs. Economic progress and clean climate action are inextricably linked.…

  40. Healing the Soil, Healing Ourselves

    · 37 min · Episode 15

    Abuse of soil, the atmosphere, and communities of color have gone hand in hand. Through reclaiming ancestral connection to the soil, Black farmers are healing the entangled harms of colonization, capitalism, and White…

  41. 'Let's Go Get Us A Clean Electricity Standard'

    · 58 min · Episode 14

    Baked into the American Jobs Plan is an ambitious proposal to set a federally-mandated Clean Electricity Standard of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035. It would put the US on track to get emissions under control and…

  42. The 'Prestige Problem' Making Fossil Fuels Powerful

    · 49 min · Episode 13

    Fossil fuel companies are tapping into America's "best and brightest" at top banks, public relations and advertising firms, law firms, and strategy consulting firms. These organizations supply critical services to…

  43. Biden's Climate Plan Could Reshape America (Live w/ Julian NoiseCat)

    · 43 min · Episode 12

    We're back with another live edition of the show! So much is happening in the Biden era. We didn't want to wait until our second season to unpack all the activity. This week, we feature a conversation with Julian…

  44. The State of Global Climate Talks (Live w/ Mary Robinson)

    · 31 min · Episode 11

    As we work on season 2, we're sharing a live episode of the show that we just recorded at the Bloomberg Green Summit. The conversation is all about where things stand in the lead-up to global climate talks in the…

  45. The 'Darth Vader' of Electric Utilities

    · 52 min · Episode 10

    In 2013, a series of attack ads blitzed television sets across Arizona. They warned of a dire threat to senior citizens. Who was the villain? Solar energy. These ads came from front groups funded by Arizona Public…

  46. Presenting: How to Save a Planet

    · 48 min · Episode 9

    We're pleased to introduce an episode of "How to Save a Planet," produced by our friends at Gimlet and Spotify. The show is co-hosted by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Alex Blumberg. "How to Save a Planet" has a lot of…

  47. The Stages of Black Climate Grief

    · 39 min · Episode 8

    This week, we have a special episode featuring activist and researcher Nikayla Jefferson. Most of us are in the first stage of climate grief: denial. But what does it feel like to enter the stage of grief? And how is…

  48. Changing Woman: One Navajo's Fight for a Just Transition

    · 46 min · Episode 7

    This week, we have a special episode about the long and winding energy transition in an often overlooked place: the Navajo Nation—the largest Indian reservation in the United States. Journalist and climate policy…

  49. Cleaning Up the Carbon Mess

    · 43 min · Episode 6

    We've made a carbon mess. How do we clean it up? Imagine the atmosphere as an overflowing bathtub. The water keeps gushing from the tap. Clearly, we need to turn it off. We have to bring emissions of heat-trapping…

  50. After Trump: The Silver Linings Playbook

    · 52 min · Episode 5

    It's official. Joe Biden will be the next president. And he ran on a platform that put climate at the top of the agenda. There's still a lot of tension. What will happen to the balance of power in Congress? Can we…

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