For Coming Clean’s first in-person interview, Benji literally sits down (at an actual table!) with Congresswomen Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington’s Fifth District. Representative Rodgers is proud to be cutting the red tape that holds back America’s energy innovators from creating the reliable, affordable energy sources that will keep the country prosperous and clean. She gets into HR 1, responsible permitting reform, and many of the exciting technologies she thinks will bring a brighter future to America — if only we can get busybodies out of the way.

And the effervescent Lucy Biggers returns as there’s a couple big climate stories to get into! She and Benji discuss the just-approved Willow Project in Alaska and the Farmer-Citizen Movement’s big victory in the Netherlands. What do these happenings say about modern activism and what do they mean for the environmental cause? Benji and Lucy have lots of thoughts. Tune in!

Many would roll their eyes if told that Miss America is going to share her opinions on energy production. But most Miss Americas aren’t nuclear engineers. Newly-crowned Grace Stanke joins Coming Clean to talk high hopes for a nuclear future. Grace knows that nuclear energy is essential to realizing carbon-free sources of reliable energy; she’s also aware of the failure of our education system to teach America’s spry and idealistic young the basics of the energy that surrounds them. Grace and Benji discuss putting an impressive mind to use whether in rural Wisconsin, or on center stage or anywhere else.

Forget the bugs! We’re not short on delicious sources of protein, says chef Andrew Gruel. A great deal of it is underwater and the biggest obstacle comes from the officials who over-regulate and regulate poorly. In this installment of Coming Clean, Benji and Andrew dive into seafood’s sustainability, misconceptions about fish farms, conspicuous waste and the exceptional quality of the foods that come from America’s waters.

MIT’s Kerry Emanuel knows his stuff. He began studying the climate since before the term Global Warming entered the lexicon. Since then he’s watched irrational ideology capture the minds of believers and skeptics alike, along with the exponential heating up of debates over the climate.

On the third installment of Coming Clean, Kerry and Benji discuss the risks of inaction; they consider true energy solutions and the reasons that some are single-mindedly enamored with solar and wind; and they talk about ways out that should be agreeable to all parties concerned, even if Kerry’s optimism is a bit guarded.

Even the best of the best come from humble beginnings. While Jessie Diggins is an Olympic gold medal-winning cross-country skier, she was no different than any other young person when she first became concerned about climate change. Today on Coming Clean, she and Benji discuss why being a novice shouldn’t discourage you from getting involved to tackle big obstacles.

And before the interview, Benji catches up with his good friend Lucy Biggers to talk briefly about the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. They discuss the predictable partisan blames-manship, along with how startling images can loom too large over the big picture.

For the premiere of Coming Clean, Benji chats with Al Robertson of the Duck Commander clan. We dive into Al’s lifelong passion for hunting and fishing along with his devotion to wildlife conservation. Despite contrasts between his way of life in Louisiana and environmentalists of the big city, he sees a big beautiful world that we all have an interest in preserving.

The Ricochet Audio Network is pleased to announce the premiere of our latest podcast, Coming Clean. Host Benji Backer sits down with a wide array of guests concerned with the environmental challenges before us. He hopes to get people working together, regardless of their political persuasion, toward a common sense approach to climate change that protects our environment and our prosperity.

So tune in to Coming Clean every Tuesday. We kick off tomorrow, February 14th.