For most of us, climate change is a heavy topic. Ethan Brown has made it his mission to make environmental issues more approachable and understandable–by using humor.  His website and podcast, aptly titled “The Sweaty Penguin,” is able to cut through the noise and the doom-and-gloom of the climate conversation with late-night-comedy-style monologues and in-depth conversations with leading global experts on a variety of environmental issues.  In this episode, Ethan shares how he went from being a college student with an interest in satire (but not necessarily climate change) to using his voice–literally–for this important cause.  Ethan also gives concrete advice we all can use to help the climate crisis (and no, you don't necessarily have to become vegan and bike to work every day!).

In this episode:

01:48: Why and how Ethan got into taking a humorous approach to climate change
05:04: How The Sweaty Penguin creates episodes–“deep dives,” monologues, experts, and more
07:48: How Ethan weaves “the philosophy of comedy” into his podcasts
09:38: Dealing with climate change as a scientific–not a political–issue
12:54: Why Ethan feels optimistic about the future
15:46: Five things we all can do to help the climate crisis
19:59: Addressing the vegan vs. meat-eating debate in the climate change conversation
27:36: What Ethan has learned about himself and about the issues in the past few years

Want to know more about Ethan and The Sweaty Penguin?

• Follow them on Instagram: @ethanbrown5151, @sweatypenguinpod
• Find them on TikTok: @ethanbrown5151, @sweatypenguinpod
• Search for them on X: @ethanbrown5151, @sweatpenguinpod
• Go to The Sweaty Penguin website: www.thesweatypenguin.com 

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Elizabeth Pearson Garr Podcaster

Elizabeth Pearson Garr has spent a lot of her life asking questions. A daughter of a professor and a principal, as a kid she loved sitting at the “adult table” during their dinner parties so she could participate in the “real” conversations.

Elizabeth went on to graduate with honors from Harvard with a degree in History and Literature, and promptly attended professional cooking school to become a food writer. That led to various career opportunities, including becoming one of the first employees of the Television Food Network; writing/producing gigs at networks from PBS to E!; anchoring/reporting at the NBC affiliate in Billings, Montana; earning a graduate degree in Documentary Film & Video from Stanford University; and various and sundry other things. The through-line to all this has been curiosity. Elizabeth is a skilled interviewer who loves diving deep into research, finding connections, and telling good stories.

Elizabeth has a husband, two daughters, and a fluffy white dog who rarely leaves her side.