How warmer winters are making us sick

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As the climate gets warmer and wetter, it's bringing ticks — and the diseases they carry — farther north. We start this week's Climate Cast trying to answer one question: Is climate change making us sicker? Here's a rundown of the show:

Rocky mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. These are among the diseases becoming prevalent in northern climates that never had them before, thanks to bacterial and viral pathogens brought by ticks as their range expands. University of Toronto biology professor Daniel Brooks explains what's up.

A greener beer. Dean Current of the University of Minnesota shares his work on making beer with the ramón nut, which is helping restore the Guatemalan rain forest.

Solar and wind could cover over 90 percent of our energy needs. Yes, depending on how it's built, solar and wind energy could power much of the world. That's according to a new study in Energy and Environmental Science, which uses weather data to assess just how much power wind and solar can produce in the U.S. University of St. Thomas climate expert John Abraham explains the research.

Hear the full show by using the player above.