methane emissions

Republican presidential hopefuls flocked to Iowa this weekend for a chance to make their pitch to a key block of primary voters: conservative Christians. And even though former President Trump wasn't physically there — he dialed in via video call — he was still the largest presence in the room.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national political correspondent Don Gonyea, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This episode of the podcast was produced by Elena Moore. It was edited by Lexie Schapitl. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

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Tennessee House Republicans voted to expel Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson after they led a protest on the floor of the chamber in response to a recent deadly school shooting in Nashville.

Rep. Gloria Johnson, who also participated in the protest, held on to her seat by a single vote and suggested that's because she is white.

And the Biden administration released a report shifting blame for the chaotic final days of American troops in Afghanistan to the Trump administration. The document offered little information about what errors may have led to the deaths of 13 American soldiers amid a chaotic exit that left a number of Afghan allies stranded.

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, Nashville Public Radio reporter Blaise Gainey, Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman, and congressional reporter Barbara Sprunt.

The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It is edited by Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Devin Speak.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing a criminal corruption charges, has moved to weaken the country's court system. His plan is, for now, on hold after widespread protest.

The situation has created a diplomatic headache for President Biden: a key ally's democracy wobbles as the White House holds its annual "Summit for Democracy."

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and Jerusalem correspondent Daniel Estrin.

The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It is edited by Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Devin Speak.

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President Biden is gaining in popularity — how much of his decision to run again is driven by Vice President Harris' lackluster support among key groups of voters? And Donald Trump is seeing his support among Republicans flag — but with a potentially crowded primary field, he could have a path to the nomination anyway.

This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, politics correspondent Susan Davis, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Devin Speak.

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Recent research has raised questions about the global-warming impact of uncombusted hydrogen. When it leaks from storage, pipes and other infrastructure into the atmosphere, new studies suggest hydrogen absorbs more heat than previously understood. And, perhaps more importantly, it extends the atmospheric life of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Proponents argue that hydrogen is a critical climate solution. “Green” hydrogen, for example, is made with zero-carbon electricity, effectively turning things like solar and wind energy into a storable fuel that can replace natural gas in many end uses. But could hydrogen’s warming impacts outweigh its advantages? That depends on your assumptions about how and where we use it. In this episode, Shayle talks to Thomas Koch Blank, senior principal at RMI, where he leads the organization’s Breakthrough Technology Program. Shayle and Thomas examine the new research and discuss topics like:  Where we will use hydrogen and varying risks of leakage in those applications Poor applications for hydrogen, like turning “blue” hydrogen derived from steam methane reforming into synfuel Estimated leakage rates and the incentives for hydrogen producers to build low-leakage systems Hydrogen’s total warming impact, factoring in how much natural gas it could replace How natural gas and hydrogen compare kilogram for kilogram or megajoule for megajoule The time horizon we should use to evaluate the global warming potential of hydrogen Hydrogen leakage measurement, verification, and safety Recommended Resources: Environmental Defense Fund: Emissions of Hydrogen Could Undermine Its Climate Benefits; Warming Effects Are Two to Six Times Higher Than Previously Thought RMI: Hydrogen Reality Check #1: Hydrogen Is Not a Significant Warming Risk Columbia University’s SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy: Hydrogen Leakage: A Potential Risk for the Hydrogen Economy Click here for a full transcript. Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Catalyst is supported by Antenna Group. For 25 years, Antenna has partnered with leading clean-economy innovators to build their brands and accelerate business growth. If you're a startup, investor, enterprise, or innovation ecosystem that's creating positive change, Antenna is ready to power your impact. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more. Catalyst is supported by EnergyHub. The company’s platform lets consumers turn their smart thermostats, EVs, batteries, water heaters, and other products into virtual power plants that keep the grid stable and enable higher penetration of solar and wind power. And they are hiring! Learn more and see open roles at energyhub.com/catalyst Catalyst is brought to you by Sealed: The experts in home weatherization and electrification upgrades. Sealed is leading the way, with over a decade of experience being accountable to homeowners because they only get paid based on actual energy reductions. Visit Sealed.com/measuredsavings to learn more.

Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was at the White House on Wednesday for talks as President Biden continues to insist that the U.S. paying its debts is non-negotiable. House Republicans remove Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota from her seat on the Foreign Relations committee. And in response to pressure from Congress, the administration says it will end the COVID emergency declaration. Here's what that means in practice.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and health correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Devin Speak.

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Recent changes to Florida's election laws institute new requirements that, as designed, could cause huge numbers of ballots to be rejected in the state — a key presidential battleground. Election workers are warning that, without reforms, ballot counting could be extremely slow and voters in the state could be unexpectedly disenfranchised.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and voting correspondent Miles Parks.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Devin Speak.

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The 118th Congress began its work today, and the first order of business for the House was to select a new speaker. However, after multiple rounds of voting, no candidate achieved a clear majority of voting members — meaning the House can't conduct any official business. California Republican Kevin McCarthy, widely expected to accede to the position, faced notable opposition from members of his own party.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Katherine Swartz. Thanks to Lexie Schapitl.

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Methane traps more than 80 times as much heat as CO2 over the short term. So we could make a real difference on climate change this decade if we could stop leaking so much methane into the atmosphere. But before researchers and regulators can figure out how to do that, the methane hunters need to find the leaks. For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show. Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are many pathways to decarbonize natural gas. Do we replace it, full stop? If so, with what? Or do we blend natural gas with alternatives, or rip up the old infrastructure and replace it with something new?  There's a lot to unpack here. But also a lot of opportunities for innovators in the climatetech world. To dig into it, Shayle turns to Andy Lubershane, the senior vice president for research & strategy at Energy Impact Partners. Andy and Shayle talk about natural gas’ existential threat: upstream methane emissions.  And remember the utility death spiral? Andy argues that, if solar and DERs continue on their current rise, natural gas infrastructure might actually face a death spiral itself. They talk about capturing methane emissions, replacing gas with hydrogen, recovering solid carbon, and renewable natural gas. And where might natural gas stay strong? Andy says to keep an eye on distribution-level building heat.  Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Catalyst is supported by Atmos Financial. Atmos offers FDIC-insured checking and savings accounts that only invest in climate-positive assets like renewables, green construction and regenerative agriculture. Modern banking for climate-conscious people. Get an account in minutes at joinatmos.com.