What happens in the Arctic doesn't just stay there

This week's an extra wintry Climate Cast. We'll discuss how Arctic changes drive extreme winter weather, the psychology of climate change and how the cold drives a huge winter recreation industry.

Here's what's on the show:

• A blizzard does not mean climate change is on the run. Not so fast there, climate-denier. It turns out a warmer Arctic actually drives more extreme winter weather over the U.S. How does that work exactly? We ask John Abraham, a thermal sciences professor at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

• Our planet's big, depressing problem. Let's face it: Climate change can seem like a big, depressing problem. And sometimes it's easy to feel a little blue about our redder climate. We ask Dr. Lise Van Susteren about the psychology of climate change.

• $12 billion. That's the economic value of winter sports and recreation in the U.S each year. Over 200,000 people work in the ski and snowmobile industries alone. Even the icy tough National Hockey League cites climate change and freshwater scarcity as a threat to the future of hockey. And recent data shows our coldest winter outbreaks are about 4 degrees higher than they were a few decades ago.

Listen to the full episode by using the audio player above.