'BradCast' 8/8/2022 (Guest: Climate scientist Dr. Michael E. Mann on first major U.S. climate bill)
On today's 'BradCast':\xa0 In 1988, NASA's Chief Scientist Dr. James Hansen testified to Congress that man-made global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels was already underway. Today, the dire predictions of climate scientists have come to pass, with some impacts arriving faster than originally predicted. Over the intervening decades, the fossil fuel industry spent hundreds of millions of dollars lying to the public, spreading confusion, doubt and denial, and fully capturing the Republican Party - - so much so that no Senate Republican voted for the most substantive climate bill in US history. Over the weekend, Senate Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark healthcare, climate, tax and deficit reduction bill. We delve into the details, including the first-ever 15 percent minimum tax on big corporations, the ways the bill reduces healthcare costs, and how Republicans' successfully blocked a cap on insulin costs for diabetics. The bill also invests $370 billion to combat climate change, with incentives for individuals, states and businesses, which several analyses conclude will cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions roughly 40 percent by 2030. Penn State climate scientist DR. MICHAEL E. MANN explains both the upsides and downsides of the bill, how it could temporarily expand the use of fossil fuels, and how Americans can ensure even more meaningful climate legislation to come (hint: huge voter turnout).\xa0 Callers weigh in...