Climate Change, Environment, Science and the Law

Hosted by Gregg M. Goldfarb

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Sep 2026

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About the show

This show presents guests to discuss a range of topics on the most critical issues of our times, including climate change, energy, the environment, science, and the law. Oftentimes, the topics are intertwined making the discussions multi-layered and fascinating. Guests are industry leaders that discuss the issues in a question and answer format almost as if they are in a courtroom. Guests are not prepped prior to the show. As a trial attorney that focuses on environmental, institutional sexual abuse, healthcare and pharmaceutical litigation for several decades, Gregg digs into the guests opinions and points of view with the objective of advancing the issues involved with these critical topics. This is show for you if you find yourself asking these questions. Is climate change real? Is climate Change caused by humans? Is climate change caused by fossil fuels? Should I be worried about climate change? Is renewable energy reliable? How does the Iran conflict or war impact energy? Will the Iran conflict or war cause nations to use more renewable energy? Is renewable energy better for the planet than fossil fuels? Do fossils fuels (oil, gas) warm the planet? How do fossil fuels warm the planet? What is plug in solar? Can I buy a plug in solar? Does my State permit plug in solar? Will plug in solar reduce my electric bill? Can I install plug in solar myself? Why are my electric bills rising? Is the price of gas going to go up or down? What is a heat dome? Are heat domes caused by climate change? Why is Trump stopping wind farns? Why is Trump attacking renewable energy? Is it legal for Trump to pay conpanies not to create wind farms? What is geothermal energy? Is hydrogen a potential source of clean energy? What is clean energy? What is net zero emissions? Does geoengineering work? What is geoengineering? What are the risks or downside to geoengineering? Can solar panels help farmers? Are agrovoltaics good for farmers? How many environmental regulations has Trump rescinded? How many clean energy jobs were lost because of Trump? How much clean energy did we lose because of Trump? What is the Strait of Hormuz? How does the Strait of Hormuz impace the price of gas? What is causing the water shortages in the Colorado River? How is the government dealing with the shortage of water from the Colorado River? Why don't people trust science? Should I be skeptical of science? Should I trust my doctor? Should i trust AI for my medical issues? Are plastics bad for the planet? Does recycling work? Does recycling helo reduce the use of plastic? What is happening to the bee populations? Are bees in trouble? What can be done to help the bee populations? What are monarch butterflies? Are the monarch butterlies in danger? Are pesticides bad for humans? Is glyphosate bad for humans? Why are wildfires so big? Is climate change causing the wildires? Why do we use pesticides? What are herbicides? Are herbicides bad for the planet? Is paraquat dangerous for people? Is roundup dangerous for people? Is rounder toxic? Can roundup cause me to get cancer? Can roundup cause my to get non hodgkins lymphoma? Why are social media companies being sued? What is the update on the roundup litigation? Did Bayer settle the roundup cases? What are the terms of the roundup settlement? What is the update on the Johnson @ Johnson talc cases? What the terms of the settlement of Johnson @ Johnson talc cases? What is the status with the Boy Scout sexual abuse cases? What is the status with the MESH litigation? What is the status with the AFFF litigation? What are PFAs? What are forever chemicals? Are forever chemicals bad for us? Are PFAs bad for us? How can I avoid PFAs in my drinking water? Is Trump doing anything about PFAs? Are microplastics are problem for us or the planet? How do microplastics harm us? Does capital punishment work? Is Trump using firing squads? Is Trump using the electric chair? Are native plants better for your yard? Are non-native plants bad for your yard? Can we eliminate PFAs? Can we eliminate microplastics? Why is there so much sexual abuse in the church? Why is there so much sexual abuse in society? Why don't Europeans have air conditioners? Is China dominating the clean energy space? is China dominating the solar industry? Are EVs good for the planet? Do EVs emit less CO2 than EVs? Is there a cure for demential? Is there a cure for alzheimers? Are we getting closer to curing alzheimers? How is alzheimers treated? What is MAHA? What does MAHA want? Is Trump giving MAHA what it wants? Is MAHA happy with Trump? Are vaccines safe? Can vaccines kill you? Is it better not to take vaccines? Why did Fauci plead the 5th? Was covid created in a lab? Why aren't all the Epstein files released? Will anymore Epstein files be released? What is MnRA? Is MnRA good? Why does RFK dislike MnRA? Why does RFK disliked vaccines? What is the hantavirus? Is Ebola spreading? Are the measles spreading? Are pyschedelics helpful to cure mental health issues? Can pyschedelics solve PTSD? Are antidepressants overprescribed? What are petitdes? Are peptides safe? What can peptides help with? What are NADs? Are NADs safe? Do NADs help? Does testosterone therapy work? Is testosterone therapy safe? Can testosterone therapy me lose weight? Are GLPs safe? Can I take a small dose of GLPs and lose weight? If I lose weight with GLPs, do I need to stay on them the rest of my life? Will I gain weight back if I stop taking hte GLPs? Is marijuana safe? Does marijuana help with anxiety? Does marijuana help with sleep? How is Trump proposing to change the endangered species act? How divided in America? Why don't we have a third party? What does the 2nd Amendment say? Do we have a gun problem in the United States? Do gun regulations work? What are abortion pills? Is mifepristone safe? Are abortion pills safe? Is the Supreme Court ideologically driven? Are there important natural resources at the bottom of the ocean? Is it safe to mine the ocean floor? Is the government hiding information on UFOs? Is the government hiding information on the Epstein files? Did Trump's cut to foreign aid impact health worldwide? Did Trump's cut to foreign aid impact AIDs treatment?

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October 16, 2026Episode 27836 min

We Send Them to War. Do We Care for Them When They Come Home? | Jim Maguire & Joanne Frederick

We send our soldiers to the front lines, but when they come home, does the healthcare system follow through? Jim Maguire and Joanne Frederick of Government Market Strategies explain why veterans and military families are struggling to get care, and how to fix it. Most people don't realize there are two completely separate systems. The Military Health System (TRICARE) covers about 9.5 million active duty members, families, and retirees. The Veterans Health Administration covers about 9 million veterans. Both are stretched thin. When military and VA facilities can't meet the demand, patients are sent out into the community, where they compete with everyone else for limited appointments. That's especially hard in rural areas, where many veterans live. On top of that, reimbursement rates are often lower than what private insurance and even Medicaid pay. Claims get delayed or never paid, so many doctors simply don't want to take these patients. Then there's the paperwork. Joanne estimates that roughly 15,000 pages of law, regulations, and manuals govern these contracts, and "no one really knows what they say." Using AI, she broke those documents down and found that they contradict each other. That project took two weeks, compared with a year and a half for a team of 20 doing it by hand. Jim and Joanne also share Patriot Health, their plan to modernize a TRICARE contract model that has barely changed since the 1990s. It would bring in more providers, more competition, and lower costs for taxpayers, while keeping the force ready for conflicts in the Middle East and beyond. If you're a veteran, a service member, or love someone who is, this episode is for you. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: The difference between the Military Health System (TRICARE) and the VA Why veterans and military families face long waits for care, especially in rural areas How low reimbursement rates and unpaid claims push doctors away Why an "adequate" provider network on paper doesn't mean you can get an appointment How a "game of telephone" from Congress to contract creates a bureaucratic mess How the Iran conflict and long deployments are pulling military doctors away from families at home What Patriot Health is and how it could modernize military healthcare How AI turned an 18-month, 20-person project into two weeks of work How the Oracle health record could follow service members from enlistment through veteran life What to do if you've been denied care: patient advocates, VSOs, and your congressional representative Why veterans juggling VA, Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance need a better system Jim Maguire is co-founder of Government Market Strategies (GMS). He has spent his career in government contracting and healthcare finance and operations. He has served as CFO of National Government Services and the Indiana Medicaid health plan MDwise, and as chief operating officer of Cerner Government Services, where he led the electronic health record rollout across the Department of Defense and the VA. Joanne Frederick is co-founder of GMS. She has more than 30 years of experience building and growing a consultancy that supports military health, VA care, Medicare, and Medicaid programs. Her first TRICARE contract dates back to 1992. Contact / Follow Jim Maguire & Joanne Frederick: GMS website: https://marketstrategiesonline.com/ Jim Maguire LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmaguireva/ Joanne Frederick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannemfrederick/ Veteran Resources Mentioned in This Episode: VA Patient Advocate Program: https://www.va.gov/health/patientadvocate/ Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): https://www.vfw.org Disabled American Veterans (DAV): https://www.dav.org TRICARE: https://www.tricare.mil Find your congressional representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative Know a veteran or military family who needs to hear this? Share this episode, and subscribe to Cut to the Chase: Podcast with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week. Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

October 9, 2026Episode 27737 min

Can We Still Fix Climate Change? AI, China, and Renewable Energy | Fred Pearce

Is there still hope for climate change? Environmental journalist Fred Pearce, author of Despite It All, explains why climate change is solvable, from renewable energy and EVs to AI data centers and China's clean energy boom. Have you given up on the planet? Before you do, hear from someone who has spent 40 years reporting from more than 80 countries, and who has watched the world solve problems that once looked impossible. When Fred started out in the 1980s, the big environmental story was acid rain. Then came lead in petrol, the hole in the ozone layer, and warnings that a "population bomb" would starve billions. Today we barely talk about any of them, because we fixed them. So can we do the same with climate change? Gregg plays devil's advocate and throws the hardest questions at him. AI data centers are driving up energy demand. China is still building coal plants. Corporations and governments are quietly walking back their net-zero pledges. And climate change has become deeply politicized. Fred doesn't sugarcoat it: "You should be worried for sure." But he makes a compelling case for optimism. Solar and wind are now cheaper than coal. China has become the world's clean energy powerhouse. The conflict in Iran is pushing countries toward homegrown renewable power. And nature has an extraordinary ability to bounce back. As Fred puts it: "Hope drives ambition." If climate news leaves you feeling anxious or hopeless, this is the episode to watch. What you'll learn: How the world solved acid rain, the ozone hole, and leaded petrol, and what that teaches us about climate change Whether AI data centers will derail climate progress, and how renewable energy can power them How China went from climate villain to the global leader in solar power, batteries, and electric vehicles Why corporations may be easier to convince than governments, and why renewables now win on cost How the conflict in Iran and energy security are accelerating the shift to clean energy Fred's honest take on nuclear power, geothermal, and Trump's energy policy Geoengineering and carbon removal: should we be ready to pull CO2 out of the sky? What a Bolsonaro comeback could mean for Amazon deforestation Why letting forests regrow naturally often beats planting trees What Fred got wrong about caribou hunters in Alaska, and why the herd doubled How the "population bomb" was defused without forced policies TIME STAMPS: 0:00 – Is There Still Hope for Climate Change? 1:10 – We Fixed Acid Rain and the Ozone Hole 3:59 – Will AI Data Centers Wreck It All? 6:16 – What About China? 10:34 – Why Companies Are Ditching Net Zero 12:13 – Iran, Oil, and Russia's EV Boom 15:11 – Is Trump Getting Anything Right? 17:56 – Can We Suck CO2 Out of the Sky? 20:40 – Bolsonaro and the Amazon 27:20 – What Fred Got Wrong 29:20 – How the Population Bomb Was Defused 33:22 – Nature's Surprise Comeback Fred Pearce is a London-based environmental journalist who has covered climate change, water, biodiversity, and global development for more than 40 years, reporting from more than 80 countries. He is the author of 14 books, including The New Wild and Despite It All (Granta, 2026), his case for climate optimism. Contact / Follow Fred Pearce: Live Science: https://www.livescience.com/author/fred-pearce Climate Home News: https://www.climatechangenews.com/author/fred-pearce/ The Breakthrough Institute: https://thebreakthrough.org/people/fred-pearce Despite It All (Blackwell's): https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9781803513638 Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week. #ClimateChange #RenewableEnergy #ClimateHope

September 28, 2026Episode 27623 min

Can Big Oil Be Sued for Climate Change? The Suncor Case Explained | Daniel Farber

Miami is raising its seawalls. Cities across the country are doing the same. The question now in front of the Supreme Court is whether the oil companies can be made to help pay for it. UC Berkeley law professor Daniel Farber joins Gregg to unpack Suncor Energy v. Boulder County. In this case, local governments are seeking compensation from oil companies for climate damage and for allegedly misleading the public about what their own scientists knew. The oil companies' defense is that climate change is a federal issue under the Clean Air Act, so state courts can't hear these cases. Here's the catch. The Trump EPA has repealed the endangerment finding, the legal foundation that lets the federal government regulate greenhouse gases. Pull that out, Farber explains, and "the whole house of cards falls down." The move meant to help Big Oil may end up weakening its best legal defense. The case at a glance: Boulder and Boulder County sued Suncor and ExxonMobil in 2018 over climate costs like wildfires, floods, and heat waves. The Colorado Supreme Court let the case proceed in 2025. The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on October 5, 2026. The ruling could decide the fate of dozens of similar lawsuits across the country. What you'll learn: What the Suncor case is about, and why it's the poster child for a second wave of climate litigation The "tobacco playbook" allegations: what oil companies are accused of misrepresenting How preemption works, and why oil companies say states can't sue at all What the endangerment finding is, and why repealing it could backfire on the industry Why cities and states, not individuals, are bringing these cases so far Why the Supreme Court might sidestep the big questions entirely How attribution science ties emissions to specific companies Whether the Paris Accord is working without the U.S. Timestamps: 0:00 – Cold open 0:13 – The feds step back from climate regulation 0:47 – Meet Professor Daniel Farber 1:24 – What the Suncor case is all about 3:18 – Why can't states sue Big Oil? The preemption argument 5:22 – The misrepresentation claims and the tobacco playbook 6:34 – The endangerment finding, explained 8:44 – How the endangerment finding connects to state lawsuits 12:18 – Rock and a hard place: who's actually suing 15:00 – Can the Supreme Court thread the needle? 17:01 – Proving it: Exxon vs. Chevron vs. everyone else 20:21 – Is the Paris Accord still alive? 22:08 – Wrap-up and a promise to return after the Suncor decision Daniel Farber is the Sho Sato Professor of Law at UC Berkeley and faculty director of the Berkeley Center for Law, Energy & the Environment. He has written more than 20 books on climate law, disaster law, environmental regulation, cost-benefit analysis, and executive authority. Contact / Follow Daniel Farber: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-farber-6801729 Berkeley Law: https://www.law.berkeley.edu Berkeley Center for Law, Energy & the Environment: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/clee/ Legal Planet blog: https://legal-planet.org Sources: Legal Planet: https://legal-planet.org/2026/09/08/legal-planet-guide-to-suncor-energy-v-county-commissioners-of-boulder-county/ SCOTUSblog: https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/suncor-energy-inc-v-county-commissioners-of-boulder-county/ E&E News: https://www.eenews.net/articles/epa-climate-rollback-could-thwart-big-oils-next-supreme-court-fight/ E&E News: https://www.eenews.net/articles/epa-endangerment-repeal-could-expose-industry-to-legal-blowback/ The American Prospect: https://prospect.org/2026/03/04/environmental-protection-agency-climate-endangerment-finding-repeal-trump-zeldin-supreme-court/ Smith Anderson: https://www.smithlaw.com/newsroom/publications/Supreme-Court-Takes-Up-Climate-Tort-Case-Amid-EPA-Endangerment-Rollback Beveridge & Diamond: https://www.bdlaw.com/publications/climate-change-and-state-authority-potential-broad-implications-of-the-supreme-courts-grant-of-certiorari-in-suncor-energy-inc-v-commissioners-of-boulder-county/ The Regulatory Review: https://www.theregreview.org/2026/04/20/reiter-ending-epas-endangerment-finding-wont-end-climate-change-regulation/ LegalClarity: https://legalclarity.org/epa-sued-over-endangerment-finding-repeal-last-week/ Inside Climate News: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23082026/suncor-v-boulder-supreme-court-climate-case/ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suncor_Energy_(U.S.A.)_Inc._v._County_Commissioners_of_Boulder_County Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

September 23, 2026Episode 27518 min

Mass Tort Update 2026: Camp Lejeune, PFAS, NEC Baby Formula & Depo-Provera | Steve Smith Pt. 2

If you or a family member has a case involving Camp Lejeune, PFAS, NEC, or Depo-Provera, you've probably seen headlines about deadlines and settlements and wondered where your claim actually stands. In Part 2 of this conversation on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb, host Gregg Goldfarb sits down again with Steven Smith, Vice President of Broughton Partners, to unpack four more mass tort campaigns that are all reaching critical moments. Smith explains why Camp Lejeune finally has real momentum, now that a federal judge has given plaintiffs' leadership until the end of October to reach a deal with the DOJ or risk being replaced. He also clarifies why no new Camp Lejeune claims can be filed, since the window Congress opened has now closed. On PFAS, he walks through how firefighting foam (AFFF) seeps into soil and drinking water, why 131,000 cases were filed when only 60,000 to 70,000 were expected, and how an upcoming Daubert hearing on two additional injuries could shift negotiating leverage before a possible global resolution. On NEC, Smith explains how two defendants agreed to pay just under $1 billion, why state court cases have succeeded where the federal MDL has not, and why the details of case values are still unknown. And on Depo-Provera, he breaks down the science linking the birth control shot to brain tumors called meningiomas, with more than a 5x increased risk, and shares his expectation of average case values between $150,000 and $200,000 for qualifying claims. Throughout, Smith and Goldfarb stress that deadlines, qualifications, and venue all matter, and that claimants should talk to their own firm about where their specific case stands. What You'll Learn Why a federal judge's October deadline could force a Camp Lejeune resolution Why new Camp Lejeune claims can no longer be filed How firefighting foam contaminates drinking water across the country Why 131,000 PFAS cases were filed, and how that number has been cleaned up What a Daubert hearing is, and how it could change PFAS negotiations How to find out if your water is contaminated with PFAS Why NEC cases in state court have outperformed the federal MDL What the science shows about Depo-Provera and brain tumors What Depo-Provera claimants might expect, and when Time Stamps 0:00 - Intro 0:15 - Camp Lejune case updates 4:17 - PFAS Water Contamination Ligitagion 13:24 - NEC - Pre-Term Babies Settlement 14:23 - Depo-Provera Litigation and conclusion Steven Smith is Vice President of Broughton Partners, a mass tort marketing and consulting firm, where he has spent nearly 20 years advising law firms and claimants across major litigations including Talc, Roundup, Hernia Mesh, Social Media, Camp Lejeune, PFAS, NEC, and Depo-Provera. Known industry-wide as "The Mass Tort Mentor," he works to help claimants get connected with qualified representation and to help law firms navigate complex, evolving litigation. Contact / Follow Steven Smith: Firm: https://www.broughtonpartners.com/ Phone: 954-224-1733 Email: steve@broughtonpartners.com Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

September 16, 2026Episode 27430 min

Mass Tort Update 2026: Meta Settlement, Round Up, J&J Baby Powder, & Hernia Mesh Cases | Steve Smith Pt. 1

If you or a family member has a case in Talc, Roundup, Hernia Mesh, or the social media litigation, you've probably heard a settlement number in the news and wondered what it actually means for you. On this episode of Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb, host Gregg Goldfarb sits down with Steven Smith, Vice President of Broughton Partners, to unpack four major mass tort campaigns that are all reaching critical moments at once. Smith explains why J&J's $5.5 billion Talc settlement is really a floor, not a ceiling — with total payouts from this first wave expected closer to $8 billion, and no cap on what the company pays over time. He breaks down why a recent Supreme Court preemption ruling gutted the "failure to warn" claims in the Roundup litigation, while "design defect" claims may survive, and why the proposed class action's roughly $50,000 average case value has some claimants better off staying out of it. On Hernia Mesh, he details the split between Bard (which resolved lower-value cases early while holding back its biggest claims for a separate, stricter fund) and Covidien, where a recent verdict topped $66 million. And on social media, he walks through how Meta's $16.68 billion settlement with 29 state attorneys general is actually a step toward compensating individual families, not the end of the road. Throughout, Smith and Goldfarb stress that "qualified" is doing a lot of work in every one of these settlements — and that claimants should be talking to their own firm about where their specific case stands before assuming a headline number applies to them. What You'll Learn Why J&J's $5.5B Talc settlement is a floor, not a final number What "qualified" actually means — and why it changes as a case matures How the Supreme Court's preemption ruling reshaped the Roundup litigation Why some Roundup claimants may be better off outside the class action How Bard and Covidien ended up handling hernia mesh cases so differently What the $66 million Covidien verdict signals for pending cases Why Meta's $17B settlement is with states, not the injured kids themselves How to tell if your case is being handled by the right firm What "opting out" of a settlement means, and when it makes sense Time Stamps: 0:00 – Cold open: $17 billion Meta settlement 0:27 – Intro: Steven Smith joins to break down mass tort settlements 1:22 – Talc / Johnson & Johnson (baby powder settlement, $5.5B+) 12:02 – Roundup (Bayer, Supreme Court ruling, class action) 17:37 – Hernia Mesh (Bard, Covidien, $66M verdict) 22:38 – Social Media (Meta, TikTok, Snapchat — $17B settlement explained) Steven Smith is Vice President of Broughton Partners, a mass tort marketing and consulting firm, where he has spent nearly 20 years advising law firms and claimants across major litigations including Talc, Roundup, Hernia Mesh, Social Media, Camp Lejeune, PFAS, NEC, and Depo-Provera. Known industry-wide as "The Mass Tort Mentor," he works to help claimants get connected with qualified representation and to help law firms navigate complex, evolving litigation. Contact / Follow Stephen Smith: Firm: https://www.broughtonpartners.com/ Phone: 954-224-1733 Email: steve@broughtonpartners.com Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

September 9, 2026Episode 27323 min

Is Your Cereal Lying to You? A Former Kellogg Insider Explains | Lisa Sutherland & Marion Nestle

What does a cereal box actually tell you? A lot more than you'd think. On this episode, Gregg Goldfarb is joined by Lisa Sutherland, who spent years running nutrition strategy inside Kellogg, and Marion Nestle, one of the country's most well-known food policy critics, to unpack their new book, Sugarcoated. The two co-authors met almost two decades ago when Nestle got rare access to Kellogg's archive: every piece of cereal packaging the company had ever created, dating back to 1919. What they found sitting in that library became the foundation for a book that traces American food policy, marketing tactics, and health claims through the lens of the cereal aisle. The conversation digs into how sugar content in cereal has changed since Sutherland's time at Kellogg, why the toys that consumer advocates once got pulled from cereal boxes are quietly making a comeback, and how the FDA and watchdog groups have spent decades battling cereal makers over health claims that cross the line. Nestle and Sutherland don't paint food companies as villains — they're businesses answering to shareholders every quarter — but they make clear that understanding that incentive is the key to understanding everything on the shelf. Gregg also gets both authors' take on whether today's political moment, with food additives and health claims under new scrutiny, is a real opportunity for change or just more noise. Join Gregg Goldfarb, Marion Nestle and Lisa Sutherland on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law as they explore: Why cereal boxes are a surprisingly rich record of American food policy history How sugar content in cereal has actually changed since the 1990s — and how much What life was like inside Kellogg's nutrition division, from label claims to ad strategy Why the toys that were pulled from cereal boxes years ago are showing up again How the FDA and consumer advocacy groups have repeatedly challenged cereal health claims Why "healthier" products don't always win shelf space, even when companies want them to What it actually takes to write a book with a co-author — and find a literary agent Which cereals actually hold up as healthier choices, according to a nutrition PhD TIME STAMPS 0:00 – The Open 0:17 – The Cereal Box as Sophisticated Advertising 1:40 – Why Sugarcoated, Why Now 2:39 – A Century of Cereal Boxes Reveal Food Policy History 5:53 – "They Want to Get Kids Hooked" — Toys Are Back 7:03 – Profit, Market Share, and the Cheerios Takeover 9:18 – Is This False Advertising? 11:57 – "That's the Issue" — The Real Incentive Behind Big Cereal 13:59 – The Michelle Obama White House Story 15:43 – What Readers Will Get From the Book 21:47 – The Healthiest Cereals, According to a Nutrition PhD 22:45 – Release Date & Sign-Off Lisa Sutherland, PhD, is a public health–trained nutrition scientist and the former Vice President of Nutrition at Kellogg Company. She now works in academia, applying her food industry experience to public health education. Marion Nestle is a professor emerita of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, the author of Food Politics, and a longtime critic of food industry marketing practices. She writes daily at foodpolitics.com. Contact / Follow Marion Marion Nestle Blog: https://www.foodpolitics.com/ Marion Nestle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marion-nestle-9515ba8/ Contact / Follow Lisa Lisa Sutherland LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lasutherlandphd/ Get the book! Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America's Favorite Breakfast Food: https://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Coated-Unboxing-Breakfast-California/dp/0520421272 To hear more mass tort updates and legal issues shaping our communities, subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb.

August 27, 2026Episode 27219 min

J&J Talc Settlement Explained: Who Qualifies and What Happens Next | Cameron Stevenson

Ten years. Three bankruptcies. Multiple trials. A lead plaintiffs' firm disqualified along the way. The Johnson & Johnson talc litigation has produced just about every issue a mass tort can produce, and for the tens of thousands of women waiting on it, the only question that ever mattered was whether it would actually resolve. On this episode of Climate Change Environment Science & the Law, host Gregg Goldfarb sits down with Cameron Stevenson, shareholder at Levin Papantonio and one of the primary attorneys involved in the litigation, to walk through the settlement that finally came together. Stevenson explains what "uncapped" means in practice, why the deal is built for current claimants rather than future ones, and why he believes the dollar for dollar recovery for those claimants is substantially better than what the $8.9 billion bankruptcy proposal would have delivered, since that plan would have absorbed future claims, state AG claims, and Canadian class claims and paid out over roughly 25 years. He also delivers the part of this episode that claimants most need to hear: having a filed case does not automatically mean qualifying. The settlement is built around epithelial ovarian cancer, and Stevenson explains why post-hysterectomy pathology is the document that determines eligibility, and why some cases filed early in the litigation may not make it through. From there, Gregg and Cameron lay out the process step by step: the registration window, the opt-in release, the proof phase, how a case gets plotted on the settlement grid, and the 95% participation threshold the deal has to clear. Stevenson also addresses future diagnoses, why ovarian cancer's long latency means new cases will keep surfacing for decades, and why anyone diagnosed down the road needs to be acutely aware of their own state's statute of limitations. The conversation closes with the reason this episode exists. Attorneys are inundated, calls are rushed, and clients are hanging up unsure of what they were just told. Gregg's call to action is simple: share this with someone who needs it, then take your questions back to your own lawyer. Join Gregg and Cameron Stevenson on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law as they explore: 0:00 – "It Will Not Qualify" 0:13 – Did Talc Actually Settle? 0:58 – The Settlement Is Real, and It's Finalized 2:18 – Why a Smaller Number Beats the $8.9 Billion Bankruptcy Deal 4:05 – The Diagnoses Still Coming 30 Years From Now 5:22 – The One Document That Decides Your Claim 7:20 – Stop Doing the Math on What You'll Get 7:59 – Inside the Settlement Grid 10:45 – What You Need to Do This Week 11:39 – When the Money Actually Moves 14:47 – The Deadline That Can Still Cost You Everything Cameron Stevenson is a shareholder at Levin Papantonio and one of the primary attorneys involved in the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder litigation, a mass tort spanning more than a decade, three bankruptcy attempts, and multiple trials. He returns to the show to break down the settlement for the claimants and families who have been waiting on it. Contact / Follow Cameron Stevenson: Phone: (850) 435-7176 Email: cstephenson@levinlaw.com Firm: Levin Papantonio Website: https://levinlaw.com To hear more mass tort updates and legal issues shaping our communities, subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb.

August 21, 2026Episode 27118 min

Hernia Mesh Lawsuit Update: Covidien Verdict, Bard Settlement, and What Comes Next | Timothy O'Brien

Larry Patterson went in for a routine hernia repair. He came out, eventually, with several inches of his bowel removed. Timothy O'Brien, board-certified trial attorney and shareholder at Levin Papantonio, just won $88 million for Patterson and his wife Tammy against Covidien, a Medtronic company. It is the largest compensatory award in fifteen years of mesh litigation, and the first of roughly 2,500 cases to reach a jury. The mesh, Symbotex, sits right against your intestines behind a collagen barrier meant to last 30 days. Covidien's own internal testing showed it was gone in under seven. They knew in 2003. O'Brien walks Gregg through the evidence that turned the trial, where sales staff swore to doctors the barrier lasted a month while R&D said otherwise in writing. He also maps the hernia mesh lawsuit landscape, from the Bard settlement covering 33,000 claimants to why Medtronic Covidien is the last major manufacturer still fighting, and what a bellwether verdict actually means for the thousands of people still waiting on their own cases Join Gregg and Timothy O'Brien on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law as they explore: What You'll Learn Why a generation of surgeons stopped doing tissue-to-tissue repair, and what that traded away How Symbotex's protective barrier was supposed to work, and how fast it actually disappeared The 2003 document that locked in the depositions and became the case's spine Why sales and R&D were telling two completely different stories about the same product What a bellwether trial is, and why the first one carries the most weight Where the Bard, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic Covidien litigations stand right now Why about 100 new Covidien cases are still being filed every month What Covidien's planned appeal means for people still waiting How to find out if you or someone you love has a case Time Stamps 0:00 – "They are lying": the sales pitch vs. the truth 0:48 – Meet attorney Timothy O'Brien 1:02 – The hernia mesh "safety feature" that failed 2:06 – Why hernia mesh exists in the first place 4:13 – The Patterson case: what happened to the plaintiff 5:41 – The depositions that exposed Covidien 7:46 – 2003: when they allegedly knew the truth 9:33 – The 3 major mesh manufacturers, explained 11:59 – What a "bellwether trial" means for your case 14:07 – Will Covidien settle or appeal? 17:40 – How to contact Timothy O'Brien about your case Timothy O'Brien is a board-certified trial attorney and shareholder at Levin Papantonio, where he has served as lead or co-lead counsel in mass tort litigation against major hernia mesh manufacturers, including Bard, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic Covidien. He recently helped secure an $88 million verdict in the first bellwether trial of the Covidien hernia mesh multidistrict litigation. Contact / Follow Timothy O'Brien: Firm: Levin Papantonio Website: https://levinlaw.com Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

August 14, 2026Episode 27026 min

Plan to Save Florida's Environment | Candidate Richard Lamondin, Florida Senate District 38

Richard Lamondin and his brother started their company 13 years ago after reading that a fifth of all toilets leak, learning to replace them from YouTube videos, and going door to door at apartment communities. That business became ecofi, a national firm that cuts energy and water use in buildings. On this episode of Climate Change Environment Science & the Law, he tells host Gregg Goldfarb why that work led him to run for the Florida Senate in District 38. The through line is affordability. Richard lays out what he sees as the squeeze on Miami families, from preschool costs to rents to a property insurance market he says has become unaffordable, and argues that Florida's problem is one of priorities rather than funding. He also explains what a legislative supermajority is, why he says most of the decisions that touch daily life come from Tallahassee rather than Washington, and what breaking that math would change at the committee level. Gregg, an environmental lawyer, brings his own history to the table, including an early case in the Keys built on the argument that in South Florida the environment is the economy. From there the two get into coastal resilience: storm surge, living sea walls, mangroves, fish stocks, fertilizer runoff and algae blooms, and saltwater intrusion into the aquifer. Richard's case is that decades of inaction on coastal risk are a direct upstream cause of today's insurance bills. They also cover why South Florida has so little rooftop solar despite the climate, the Everglades restoration work Richard says has stalled, and what his first 100 days and first three bills would look like. Join Gregg and Richard Lamondin on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law as they explore: TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – "Can people actually make it here?" The real Florida crisis 0:40 – Meet the guy trying to flip Florida's most winnable Senate seat 1:33 – From fixing toilets to running for Senate (the EcoFi origin story) 2:43 – $2,000/month for preschool. Florida's affordability breaking point 3:59 – Alligator Alcatraz and the $10 land deal for Trump's private library 6:05 – "Silence is complicity." Calling out his opponent 8:58 – Did she back Alligator Alcatraz? His answer will surprise you 10:43 – The one seat that breaks Florida's Republican supermajority 13:44 – Is protecting the environment going to cost you money? His answer 16:55 – Florida is the Sunshine State, so why is solar this hard? 19:23 – Alligator Alcatraz's hidden victim: Florida's darkest skies 21:31 – His first 100 days in office, mapped out 23:46 – How to help flip the seat Richard Lamondin is a born and raised Miamian and the co-founder and CEO of ecofi, a sustainability firm that works with real estate owners nationwide to reduce energy use, water use, and utility costs through renewables, LED lighting, water efficiency, and EV charging infrastructure. He and his brother started the company 13 years ago after learning to replace leaking toilets from YouTube videos and going door to door at apartment communities. He is a first-time candidate for the Florida Senate in District 38, which covers coastal Miami-Dade from Brickell and Key Biscayne to Homestead, where he is challenging the district's incumbent. Contact/Follow Richard Lamondin: Website: https://richard.vote/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/richard-lamondin-jr-7a1b221a Contact/Follow his company: Website: https://goecofi.com/ Email: hello@goecofi.com Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

August 5, 2026Episode 26918 min

The Future of Solar with Bill McKibben: Farmers, Plug-In Solar & the Iran Conflict

Sunlight travels 93 million miles to reach Earth, and as Bill McKibben points out on this episode of Climate Change Environment Science & the Law, none of those miles pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Host Gregg Goldfarb sits down with the bestselling author of "Here Comes the Sun" to unpack why the Iran conflict, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is becoming the second energy shock of the decade, and why it's pushing Asian nations that depend on oil and gas shipped through the Gulf to accelerate their pivot to solar, wind, and batteries. Bill breaks down the numbers behind China's clean energy build-out, explains why California now generates more than half its electricity from the sun thanks to massive battery buildout, and makes the case that renewables are no longer a fringe bet but the more reliable, and often cheaper — choice for most of the world. The conversation then turns to American farmland, where Bill separates fact from fiction on solar leasing: the stable income it provides farmers, the rise of agrivoltaics (from French vineyards seeing a jump in Chardonnay yields to sheep grazing beneath panels in New England), and why devoting a small share of U.S. farmland to solar could meet 100% of the country's energy needs. He closes with a practical tip anyone can use right now, inexpensive, plug-in balcony solar panels that require no electrician and are now legal in ten states, with more expected to follow. Join Gregg and Bill McKibben on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law as they explore: Why the Strait of Hormuz has become a geopolitical argument for solar, wind, and batteries How China's clean energy build-out compares to the rest of the world, and what's happening across Southeast Asia Why California now draws more than half its power from the sun, and the role battery storage plays overnight Why some countries are ramping up coal short-term even as long-term investment shifts to renewables Why 80% of the world's population lives in fossil-fuel-importing countries, and what that means for the economics of going solar How solar leasing works for farmers, and what percentage of land is typically involved What agrivoltaics is, and how shade from solar panels is boosting crop yields and pollinator populations Why solar polls well across party lines, even when the motivations differ What plug-in balcony solar is, what it costs, and which states have legalized it How to get involved through Third Act, the climate advocacy group for Americans over 60 TIME STAMPS 00:00 Sunlight does not go through the Strait of Hormuz 00:18 Can solar actually power an economy 01:14 The second energy shock of the decade 02:17 China's pace, and who else is switching 03:44 The US exception: wind and solar rollbacks 04:54 Why coal is the patch, not the bet 05:27 Batteries and California after sundown 06:42 The oil money headwind, and the 80% who import 07:58 Farmers, land, and stable income 09:18 Corn for ethanol vs the same acres in panels 10:20 Agrivoltaics: shade, sheep, and pollinators 11:26 "It looks like a monstrosity" 12:15 What a farmer earns, and the removal bond 13:41 Trump flags at the mailbox, panels on the roof 14:26 Balcony solar is legal in 10 states 15:33 Push your state, and Bright Saver 16:53 Third Act and 350.org 17:59 Here Comes the Sun Bill McKibben is a bestselling author and one of the world's leading environmental advocates, known for decades of work sounding the alarm on climate change while championing practical solutions like the rise of solar power. He is the founder of 350.org, a global grassroots climate advocacy organization, and Third Act, which mobilizes Americans over 60 for action on climate and democracy. His latest book, "Here Comes the Sun," explores the accelerating global shift to renewable energy. Contact / Follow Bill McKibben: Organization: 350.org | Third Act Website:https://thirdact.org Balcony Solar Resource: https://brightsaver.org Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.