Podcast Episodes

How Sun and Wind Become Electricity

Season 2 Episode 49

The two fastest-growing sources of electricity generation in the world represent a radical break with the energy technologies that came before them. That’s not just because their fuels are the wind a…

Published on 2 months ago

Climate Policy in America: Where We Go From Here

Season 2 Episode 48

It’s official. On July 4, President Trump signed the Republican reconciliation bill into law, gutting many of the country’s most significant clean energy tax credits. The future of the American solar…

Published on 2 months, 1 week ago

How Does a Power Plant Work?

Season 2 Episode 47

Just two types of machines have produced the overwhelming majority of electricity generated since 1890. This week, we look at the history of those devices, how they work — and how they have contribut…

Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago

What Is a Watt?

Season 2 Episode 46

What is the difference between energy and power? How does the power grid work? And what’s the difference between a megawatt and a megawatt-hour? 

On this week’s episode, we answer those questions and …

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

If You Care About Food, You Have to Care About Land

Season 2 Episode 45

Food is a huge climate problem. It’s responsible for somewhere between a quarter and a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, but it concerns a much smaller share of global climate policy. And wha…

Published on 3 months ago

It’s Easiest to Electrify This Type of Truck

Season 2 Episode 44

You might not think that often about medium-duty trucks, but they’re all around you: ambulances, UPS and FedEx delivery trucks, school buses. And although they make up a relatively small share of veh…

Published on 3 months, 1 week ago

A New Grand Theory of Why Decarbonization Is So Hard

Season 2 Episode 43

Why has it been so hard for the world to make progress on climate change over the past 30 years? Maybe it’s because we’ve been thinking about the problem wrong. Academics and economists have often fr…

Published on 3 months, 2 weeks ago

The Supreme Court’s Double-Edged Change to Permitting Law

Season 2 Episode 42

Did the Supreme Court just make it easier to build things in this country — or did it give a once-in-a-lifetime gift to the fossil fuel industry? Last week, the Supreme Court ruled 8-0 against enviro…

Published on 3 months, 3 weeks ago

Shift Key Classic: The World Will Miss 1.5C. What Comes Next?

Season 2 Episode 41

Shift Key is off this week for Memorial Day, so we’re re-running one of our favorite episodes from the past. With Republicans in the White House and Congress now halfway to effectively repealing the …

Published on 3 months, 4 weeks ago

How the GOP Megabill Would Reshape the U.S. Energy Economy

Season 2 Episode 40

Republicans are preparing to tear up America’s clean energy tax credits as part of their budget reconciliation megabill. Hollowing out those policies will have sweeping implications for the country’s…

Published on 4 months ago