On the Green Front

Two young eco-preneurs who are changing our world for the better on today's show. They are Natalie Fleming of EcoScraps and Nikhil Arora of Back To The Roots. Be inspired by what each is doing to reduce food waste and take food that would otherwise be thrown away and turn it into fertile compost and edible plants. Next the producer and director of the new documentary, Chasing Ice joins us to talk about all the buzz around Jeff Orlowski's just released film. We'll also hear from someone who saw the movie and called it "life-changing" as well as "mind-changing"

Paul Barrett, the Bloomberg BusinessWeek writer whose cover story, It's Global Warming Stupid!, helped get climate change on the minds of more Americans in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, will join us. He discusses impact of Mayor Bloomberg's endorsement of Barack Obama as well as the President's comments on climate change in today's news conference. Next Susan Mazur-Stohman talks about this week's Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference and Coleen Curry, co-founder of Synapse Electric Solar company provides an example of how small solar providers can make a big difference in communities!

Three presidential debates, more than three-hundred minutes of political discussion and not one mention of climate change! Brad Johnson, co-founder of Climate Silence and Forecast The Facts weighs in on what's wrong with this picture and what we can do about it. Next, David Allgood, political director of the California League of Conservation Voters on some key green issues on the ballot in the Golden State.

Debate number three out of four was---once again--devoid of any mention of climate change though there were volleys over energy policy. Why the reluctance to even utter the words describing the biggest crisis facing the planet? Does it all come down to the fossil fuel industry exerting its heavy influence? We'll hear from two bloggers on the topic; first Charley Blandy of Blue Mass Group, then Ann Carlson, the inaugural Faculty Director of the Emmett Center on Climate Change and Environment at UCLA School of Law. They both say shame on the candidates for ignoring the obvious. Next, John Roulac joins me to talk GMO's. The founder and CEO of Nutiva Healthy Superfoods is the sponsor of a couple of new films out about the dangers of genetically modified organisms. Prop 37 on California's ballot will require food manufacturers to label products made with GMO ingredients

What if the steps we're now beginning to take to combat climate change won't make a difference, or not even close to enough in mitigating climate disruption? A new book says there are some fundamental policy mistakes being made and won't do the job. Rutgers Professor Howard Latin and author of the new book, Climate Change Policy Failures: Why Conventional Mitigation Approaches Cannot Succeed, tells us why even a carbon tax won't be enough to turn the eco-tide. Next Reverend Earl Koteen, a consulting Minister for Climate Justice, shares what we CAN do after we accept some difficult truths about our planetary predicament. First, find community and come together!

Reflecting on the 50th anniversary of Silent Spring. Interview with Nancy Unger. Plus discussing climate silence and the debates with Desi Doyen. Also Daniel Kessler and demands for Mitt Romney to discuss his views on climate change.

An outspoken Republican meteorologist will join us to talk about climate reality and why his party should get with the program. The founder of Broadcast Weather, Paul Douglas, tells it like it is from The Twin Cities where there is also evidence of a changing climate. Next, Green Front contributors Drew Grande of the Sierra Club and Carol Oldham with the National Wildlife Federation share results of a new study showing the power of wind to create jobs, clean energy AND help the economy!

It's an all climate change show today with the latest news aspects of the story covered. First up Mike Stafford, a Republican lawyer turned Independent based on his party's denial of scientific realities. Mike will discuss his latest column on Mitt Romney's climate mockery comments. Next Jeff Gohringer, National Policy Director for the League of Conservation Voters, joins us to discuss a signature gathering drive to get climate change into the presidential debate questions. And we wrap up with Brad Johnson, Campaign Manager for Forecast The Facts, a group holding meteorologists accountable for connecting the weather dots

The extreme drought conditions are putting a strain on food supplies in this country and around the world. We'll speak with Oxfam's Climate Change policy advisor, Heather Coleman, about what that portends. And speaking of extreme weather did you catch Mitt Romney's quip about Obama trying to do something about rising sea levels while floodwaters rose in Louisiana last week? We'll talk about the disconnect with Iowa State Senator, Rob Hogg whose home town of Cedar Rapids is till recovering from the financial toll four years ago of severe flooding and we'll get a report from outside the Democratic Convention in Charlotte on a protest against Duke Energy, a sponsor of the convention. Maura Cowley is the executive director of the Energy Action Coalition.

The CEO and President of the Evangelical Environmental Network joins us to discuss the group's backing of billboard ads outside the Republican convention featuring Republicans who "believe" that climate change is real. Mitch Hescok says the evangelical community is tired of the issue being politicized. Dr. Sandra Steingraber, biologist, author, mother and most recently anti-fracking activist shares her concerns about the dangers of natural gas removal and Daniel Kessler, campaign organizer for 350.org describes their latest action against Mitt Romney's "Conspiracy of Silence"

Two giants from the world of climate science join me on The Green Front. Dr. Joseph Romm, editor of climateprogress.org and author of seven books, discusses his latest literary contribution; Language Intelligence: Lessons on Persuasion from Jesus, Shakespeare, Lincoln and Lady Gaga. Romm weighs in on this summer's extreme heat, fires and drought as well as the political and media drought in lack of discussion on climate and energy issues leading up to the November election. Next, Dr. Michael Mann, author of The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars, responds to last week's attacks from Dr. Richard Muller

Greenpeace has sent a letter to the infamous Koch Brothers asking whether we can expect a position change  on their longstanding denial of climate science now that one of its fundees, Dr. Richard Muller---as heard on The Green Front last week---has acknowledged global warming is a real threat. Aliya Haq, a research specialist at Greenpeace focused on climate change and corporate accountability, will also discuss links between a Romney spokeswoman and denial money. One of the scariest impacts of this summer's record heat and drought is the massive fish die off due to warm water temperatures and shriveling ponds and streams. Todd Polacek, a "limnologist" at Applied Ecological Services joins us to discuss the implications

The "man of the moment" on climate change will join us--Dr. Richard Muller of BEST (Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature) and a physics professor at UC Berkeley has made headlines this week with his op-ed acknowledging that not only is climate change real, but that humans are "almost entirely the cause". Muller's research is funded in part by the Koch Brothers so this should be interesting. Next, Charley Bandy of the Blue Mass Group with his outspoken take on the state of climate politics and Lisa Bardack, a blogger with a clever Barbie spiel on the dangers of fracking. She reports on Saturday's Stop the Frack Attack rally on Washington.

Who Speaks for the Climate? That's the name of a book by Max Boykoff, a professor at University of Colorado, Boulder. He joins us to talk about "Making Sense of Media Reporting on Climate Change", a topic near and dear to my green heart. Next, Jennifer Krill with Earthworks, gives us a preview of this weekend's Frack Attack rally on the capitol and David Sobel, a professor at Antioch University joins us to talk about why the "Look, Don't Touch" approach to nature and kids isn't working!