logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
26m 45s

How Air-Conditioning Conquered America

The New York Times
About this episode
Air-conditioning has become both our answer to a warming planet and a major obstacle to actually confronting it. Emily Badger, who covers cities and urban policy for The Times, explains the increasingly dangerous paradox of trying to control the temperature. 
Up next
Today
The Ukrainian Peace Plan Written by ... Russia?
<p>When President Trump’s peace plan to end the war in Ukraine was leaked last week, many felt as though Russia had written the proposal, and to a large degree, it reflected the Kremlin’s demands. The plan set off a global outcry that has forced American officials to revise their ... Show More
27m 59s
Yesterday
A Disastrous Day in Court for Trump
<p>A federal judge on Monday tossed out separate criminal charges against the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey and New York’s attorney general, Letitia James.</p><p>The manner in which the judge dismissed the Comey indictment could now lead to a legal fight over whether the ... Show More
22m 47s
Nov 24
The Autism Diagnosis Problem
<p>Once primarily limited to severely disabled people, autism began to be viewed as a spectrum that included children and adults far less impaired. Along the way, the disorder also became an identity, embraced by college graduates and even by some of the world’s most successful p ... Show More
32m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Cities’ Big Plans to Climate-Proof for the Future
<p>2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record, beating out the current #1…2023. In a world where extreme heat is becoming the norm and more and more people are living in cities, are urban areas literally and figuratively cooked? To get a sense of the unique climate threats ... Show More
30m 9s
Aug 25
The trillion dollar paradox | George Zaidan
<p>Global warming is very, very expensive: extreme weather, rising sea levels, crop failures, health issues, and industry disruptions all cost money. So, what’s the best way forward? Is the estimated trillion-dollar price tag that comes with transitioning the world to clean energ ... Show More
9m 2s
Jan 2025
How to turn climate anxiety into action (w/ Luisa Neubauer) (re-release)
<p>Amidst the multiple devastating fires in Los Angeles, where Chris lives, extreme weather events and shifting climate patterns are occurring across the globe, making our everyday lives all the more unpredictable. Today we are re-airing this episode from the very first season of ... Show More
31m 29s
Nov 12
US-Venezuela: Trump's largest warship arrives in Latin America region
One of the world's most advanced aircraft carriers has arrived in the waters off Latin America as President Donald Trump ramps up the US naval presence in the Caribbean Sea. He says the US military is firing on drug traffickers. So why does Venezuela say he's trying to bring down ... Show More
26 m
Aug 8
Climate Science Gets a Seat in Congress with Eric Sorensen
Representative Eric Sorensen of Illinois brings his background as a meteorologist to the halls of Congress, advocating for science-based policy amid intensifying climate threats. In this episode, he shares how personal experiences with extreme weather shaped his career and why pr ... Show More
17m 59s
Oct 2024
America and… Climate change
How could Kamala Harris or Donald Trump shape the global response to the climate crisis? As one of the world’s largest producers of fossil fuels and carbon emissions, the US plays a pivotal role in addressing climate change. The environmental policies of the next president could ... Show More
26m 29s
Nov 6
What's behind the COP climate circus | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The UN climate summit, COP30, is getting under way in Brazil, with global temperatures rising – and global cooperation under deep strain. Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, the UN Secretary-General warns that the world has missed its targets to limit global temperature rise. ... Show More
48m 35s
Jul 2025
Boiling in Brussels: Climate fights and Orbán vs. Pride
Europe baked, the Atomium shut early — and Brussels finally unveiled its long-delayed climate target. Host Sarah Wheaton speaks with POLITICO Climate Reporter Louise Guillot, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Nick Vinocur and EU Politics Reporter Max Griera about the EU’s new 2 ... Show More
38m 17s
Nov 2024
How the U.S. Fell Behind China on Climate Diplomacy
Leaders from around the world are meeting in Azerbaijan for the U.N.’s COP29 climate conference. With Donald Trump’s recent election victory looming over the event, the U.S.’s role will be diminished. WSJ’s Matthew Dalton explains why this moment might be China’s chance to shine. ... Show More
18m 44s