Data Points: A Podcast by Berkeley Earth

97% of the world is breathing air considered to be “unhealthy” according to the WHO’s 2021 updated guidelines. Responsible for a host of ailments ranging from lung cancer and heart disease to cognitive impairment, air pollution is one of the defining global health challenges of our generation. In recognition of the 2022 UN International Day of Clean Air, we welcome back Christa Hasenkopf, Director of Air Quality Programs and the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) at the Energy Policy Institute...

Of all extreme weather phenomenon, heatwaves and extreme heat events are the most scientifically correlated to climate change; they are also the most deadly. Research conducted by the World Weather Attribution Group found that the Pacific Northwest heatwave of June 2021 would have been virtually impossible absent the effects of global warming. Additionally, studies have shown that the U.S. stands to lose up to $500 billion per year as a result of lost "workability" due to the impacts of...

The world's first confirmation of global warming using actual temperature observations was published in 1938 when engineer Guy Callendar linked an observed 0.3°C warming to an increased atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Fast forward nearly 90 years and 1.3°C, and climate scientists are still using crucial environmental data to communicate the significance of - and urgency around - carbon emissions and global warming. But now with significantly...

The UN IPCC's late February publication Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability, looking specifically at the socioeconomic impacts of climate change, was described by UN Secretary General António Guterres as, "an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership." The report issued a strong call-to-action to lower emissions and mitigate climate change while recognizing the urgent need to ramp up funding streams for adaptive measures. Taking a...

What does a world below 1.5°C actually look like? Ahead of the beginning of the much-anticipated COP26 climate change conference, in this episode of the Data Points podcast Berkeley Earth Chief Scientist Dr. Robert Rohde, and Research Scientist Dr. Zeke Hausfather dive into your questions about COP26 and the climate science of a world below the Paris Agreement targets. Topics covered include equitable emissions reductions and industrialized vs developing nations, methane and melting...

This week marked the publication of the much anticipated IPCC Working Group I Report, a global, multi-year effort on the part of more than 200 scientists worldwide to describe the physical science underlying the current state of climate change and global warming. In this episode of Data Points, Berkeley Earth Lead Scientist Dr. Robert Rohde and Research Scientist Dr. Zeke Hausfather answer your questions regarding the IPCC report. The conversation includes discussion of carbon cycle and...

Air pollution is associated with over 4 million annual deaths worldwide, and the World Health Organization estimates that ambient air pollution is responsible for 29% of global lung cancer deaths. In this episode of Data Points we are joined by Dr. Vineet Khanna, a Radiologist and lead author of the recent paper Criteria for Low-Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening in the Setting of Air Pollution, to discuss the data behind the correlation between air pollution and lung cancer, and his suggestions...

Studies estimate that the impacts of air pollution account for upwards of 5% of annual global GDP, and yet annual funding to address air quality averages around only $30million annually. In this episode of our interview series, we speak with atmospheric scientist, and open data advocate Dr. Christa Hasenkopf about the importance of air quality data, and the outsized impact that funding streams for air pollution infrastructure can have on tackling air inequality. Mentioned in this...

In this inaugural episode of Berkeley Earth's Interview Series, we sit down with Bill Shireman, Berkeley Earth Board Director and Co-Founder of In This Together, a grassroots coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents working to put environmental protection and energy innovation policies first by supporting bipartisan policies, leaders, partner organizations and most importantly, the individual voter. Join us for a discussion about the work In This Together is doing to bring...