In this episode of Climate Debrief, Angela Wheeler sits down with ecologist Jim Steele. They explore the concept of “zonerism”—the use of selective facts to draw misleading conclusions. Steele draws on decades of field research in the Sierra Nevada. He explains how local environmental changes matter. He also highlights natural climate cycles like El Niño and La Niña. He argues these often play a larger role than commonly portrayed. They discuss wet meadow restoration, bird population trends, wildfire patterns, and ocean dynamics. Steele challenges prevailing narratives. He emphasizes the importance of critical thinking in climate science.