Sanity Check
Welcome to Sanity Check (formerly Created to Reign), a production of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. On this podcast, Dr. E. Calvin Beisner, Dr. David Legates, and experts in science, economics, theology, ethics, and public policy strive to think Biblically about creation care, global warming, and the world’s poor.
Episodes
213 episodes
The Environmental Lawsuit Power Grab
In this episode, Dr. David Legates examines the growing legal battle over “citizen suits” and who has the authority to enforce federal environmental law. The Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act all gave private citizens ...
Did Cleaning Up Europe’s Air Make It Hotter?
Europe has been warming significantly faster than the global average, and this summer’s heatwaves once again prompted politicians and environmental activists to point to fossil-fuel emissions as the obvious culprit. In this episode, Dr. David L...
El Niño Explained: Climate, Forecasts, and Uncertainty
Episode DescriptionEl Niño has returned, and forecasters around the world are watching closely.In this episode, Dr. David Legates explains what El Niño is, why the tropical Pacific Ocean is warming, and what scientists expe...
Can We Buy More Sunshine?
Can humanity turn night into day?In this episode, Dr. David Legates examines Reflect Orbital's ambitious proposal to place mirrors in space that would redirect sunlight onto Earth after sunset. Marketed as a breakthrough for renewable en...
Can America Find Its Way Home?
Episode DescriptionWhat can one of the most influential Christian thinkers of the past half-century teach us about the future of America?In this episode, Dr. E. Calvin Beisner pays tribute to Os Guinness following his recei...
I Led the USGCRP. Here's What's Different Now.
When the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) was dissolved, many assumed its role in federal climate policy had come to an end. Now the program has returned under new leadership and with a different direction. In this episode ...
Latin America Says No To Energy Poverty
In this episode of Created to Reign, Vijay Jayaraj discusses the oil, coal, and natural gas comeback in Latin America. Contrary to what some people say, this is not reneging on "creation care," but a Christian attitude toward earth stewardship ...
The Heat Wave Headline That Didn't Last
When CNN declared that the July heat wave would have been "virtually impossible" without fossil fuel emissions, it pointed to a rapid-attribution study as proof. But does the evidence support such a sweeping claim?In this episode of ...
US-India Big, Beautiful Deal?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent visit to India highlighted a growing area of agreement between two of the world’s largest democracies: the need for abundant, reliable energy. As India’s economy expands and hundreds of millions continue ...
How to Manufacture a Climate Crisis
In this episode of Sanity Check, David Legates examines a Guardian article claiming that U.S. immigration enforcement flights carry a "huge climate cost." Looking beyond the headline, he compares the reported emissions with total U.S. ...
Another Climate Case Falls Short
After a string of high-profile climate lawsuits, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has delivered a ruling that supporters of sound energy policy may have reason to celebrate.In this episode of Sanity Check, David Legates examin...
The Pacific's Climate Wild Card
El Niño may begin as a patch of unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean, but its effects can be felt across the globe. In this episode of Sanity Check, David R. Legates explores one of the most powerful climate phenomena on Earth and...
Why Science is Deadly Without Christ
This episode of Sanity Check examines a question that sits at the heart of modern scientific culture: Can science remain ethical when divorced from a moral framework? Drawing from a standout presentation delivered at the recent Cornwal...
Why Climate Models Are Changing Course
For years, the most extreme climate scenarios shaped headlines, policy debates, and public fear—despite growing evidence that many of those projections were increasingly detached from real-world energy and emissions trends. Now, in a major shif...
What Does the "Green" Agenda do to the Developing World?
This episode is a bit different from our usual content. We are bringing you a lecture from our inaugural conference, "Heaven and Earth, the Struggle for Faith and Science in the Public Square." If you missed our conference, you're in luck, beca...
Is Capitalism Bad for the Environment? Part 3
In this episode, E. Calvin Beisner takes on three enduring claims about capitalism and the environment: that it depletes resources, imposes unjust costs, and prioritizes the short term at the expense of the future. Drawing on economic theory, h...
The Myth of Environmental Tipping Points
The concept of “planetary boundaries” has become one of the most influential frameworks in modern environmental science—shaping global policy, corporate behavior, and public perception. But how solid is it, really? In this episode o...
Sue and Settle
What happens when lawsuits quietly shape public policy—without a full trial, public scrutiny, or legislative debate? In this episode of Sanity Check, David R. Legates unpacks the controversial practice known as “sue-and-settle.”...
How Solid Is the Data Behind Climate Claims?
How reliable are the measurements behind climate claims? In this episode of Sanity Check, David R. Legates examines the data systems used to estimate Earth’s energy imbalance—particularly ocean temperature measurements from Argo...
Greenwashing and Greenhushing
In this episode of Sanity Check, David R. Legates explores the rise of “greenhushing”—a growing corporate trend where companies pursue environmental initiatives but deliberately stay silent about them.Contrasting it with the mor...
Is Climate Change Driving Insurance Costs?
Are rising insurance costs really driven by climate change—or is that just the latest political narrative?In this episode, Dr. David Legates takes apart the claim that extreme weather is driving a home insurance crisis. From hurricanes a...
Is Capitalism Bad for the Environment? Part 2
In this episode, Cal Beisner takes on a common claim at the heart of modern environmental debates: that capitalism is inherently harmful to the natural world. Engaging directly with leading environmental critiques—especially those of Gus Speth—...
Introducing Sanity Check: A New Chapter for the Cornwall Alliance Podcast
In this special episode, producer Liza Claire introduces the Cornwall Alliance podcast’s new name: Sanity Check. After several years as Created to Reign, the show is relaunching with a clearer title and a renewed...