CommonS Sense Episode 6: Climate Change and the Planetary Commons
Dec 23, 2025
Guest
Stephanie LaMénager
Guest
Carolyn Lesjack
Guest
Candace Callison
Guest
Rita Wong
Guest
Astra Taylor
Guest
Bill McKibben
Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, passionately discusses the urgency of climate action and the need for WWII-scale mobilization towards renewables. Astra Taylor highlights the connection between climate insecurity and emotional solidarity, while Rita Wong emphasizes mutual care as pivotal in activism. Candace Callison uncovers how community-specific narratives can make climate facts resonate, and Carolyn Lesjack explores reinventing the commons to promote equity. Stephanie LaMénager champions the power of storytelling to inspire sustainable futures.
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Episode notes
Crisis Outpaces Politics
- The climate crisis is happening now and demands urgent collective action beyond individual fixes.
- Existing political systems move too slowly while powerful interests profit from delay, worsening harm.
Mobilize Fast For Renewables
- Mobilize at wartime scale to build renewable energy quickly, following wide cooperative efforts.
- Emphasize joy and romance of shifting from fossil fuels to sun and wind to build public support.
Climate Is A Timed Test
- Climate change is a timed political test: if we fail quickly, recovery becomes impossible.
- Physics sets immutable deadlines that political cycles often ignore.