Jason Swann’s childhood in the rural south included living in “a small shanty in the middle of a cow pasture.” Sure, he played outdoors—but he wasn’t exactly hiking in wild places. He grew up to become a financial analyst, but that career ended after an encounter with the police ruined his reputation. His life upended, he moved from Nebraska to Colorado. There, he tells host Yesh Pavlik Slenk, “I found respite in the melodic powers of the outdoors.”Inspired by his new connection with nature, Jason reinvented himself. He did what some career sustainability pros mistakenly think is impossible: He became a land policy analyst without first getting an advanced degree in environmental science or sustainability. Now, as an analyst with Western Resource Advocates and co-founder of Rising Routes, an environmental, social, and mental wellness advocacy business, he helps underserved communities gain access to the outdoors. He helped pass Colorado’s Create Outdoor Equity Grant Program, ground-breaking legislation that allocates millions of dollars for outdoor activities and education to those in need. The Create Outdoor Equity Grant Program and similar national initiatives seek to address the historical exclusion of BIPOC communities from enjoying outdoor recreation in the U.S.Jason has little patience for sustainability career seekers who allow themselves to be stymied by a lack of an advanced degree. “For those who think you need to have a PhD or an environmental science degree or any of that, I say the hell with it…. Half of this job, if not 90% of it, is about relationships,” he tells Yesh. “You can learn technical things,” he says. “What you can't learn and you can't hide is your passion and love and appreciation for what you're doing.”Be bold, he urges. Speak your truth. “If you are being quiet, you don’t have the power to shape the future of this work.”Resources mentioned in this episode:Colorado.gov: Create Outdoor Equity GrantOutdoor Afro: Outdoor AfroLatino Outdoors: Latino OutdoorsWestern Resource Advocates: Western Resource AdvocatesRising Routes: Rising RoutesAdditional resources:Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E.: Outdoor Future Initiative This BIPOC-led group advocates for the National Outdoor Equity Initiative, which would allocate funds to make all U.S. public lands and parks financially accessible to underserved youth.American Trails: Historical Perspective on Racism in the OutdoorsFollow Jason Swann:Instagram: @jason_g_swannFacebook: Rising RoutesTwitter:@Jason_G_SwannRising Routes  Rising RoutesWestern Resource Advocates: Western Resource AdvocatesFollow EDF:Sign up for the Degrees newsletter!Twitter: EDF (@EnvDefenseFund)Facebook: Environmental Defense FundInstagram: environmental_defense_fundLinkedIn: Environmental Defense FundBe sure to explore the back catalog of Degrees. If you liked this episode, you'll love the conversation with environmental justice and green jobs advocate, Michelle Romero. If you're seeking a job tackling climate change, and I hope that you are, check out our "Land a Green Job 101 Bootcamp." 

Women have been the main drivers of sustainable finance, or investing with environmental, social and governance (ESG) values in mind. After years of slow growth, sustainable investing is showing dramatic financial returns. According to Moody's, “In 2020, ESG products saw strong returns and investment outperformance that marked it as a watershed year.”And yet the mostly male leaders in the world of finance continue to discount sustainable investing, or give it lip service. So says Taeun Kwon. And she’s sick of it. To combat the problem, Kwon and two cofounders created Women in Sustainable Finance (WISF). The organization educates women on sustainable finance and empowers them to have a positive impact. WISF offers mentoring, coaching, and courses on ESG strategy and communication. Kwon’s path has been anything but straight, as she tells Degrees host Yesh Pavlik Slenk in a lively conversation that follows her journey as a failed collegiate entrepreneur to the heights of global sustainable finance. Resources mentioned in this episode:Website: Women in Sustainable FinanceGreenbuzz: GreenbuzzAdditional Resources:Moodys: ESG Investing a Boon for Asset ManagersFortune: Women lead in responsible financing. Now men want in. Moody’s: Moody’s ESG SolutionsFollow Taeun Kwon and Women In Sustainable Finance (WISF):LinkedIn: Taeun KwonTwitter: Women in Sustainable Finance (@wisf_int)Website: Women in Sustainable FinanceFollow EDF:Sign up for the Degrees newsletter!Twitter: EDF (@EnvDefenseFund)Facebook: Environmental Defense FundInstagram: environmental_defense_fundLinkedIn: Environmental Defense Fund

Some people know from an early age that they are environmentalists. Dan Schnitzer certainly did. Inspired by childhood nature walks with his mom, he studied pond water under a microscope. At age 13, he conducted the first of many environmental experiments—for a science fair, he made clean fuel from fruit.After learning about the concept of "poverty traps" in college, Dan realized that lack of energy access is an infrastructure failure—and a massive burden on disadvantaged communities. Approximately two billion people worldwide either don't have energy access or it’s unreliable. Without reliable sources of electricity, people are forced to rely on dirty fuel like charcoal and kerosene to generate power, which are dangerous and expensive. The use of these fuels, particularly indoors, leads to devastating health outcomes, including early death from pneumonia, heart disease, and lung cancer.Dan traveled to Haiti in 2008 and worked with communities to learn more about their energy needs. Within a year, his nonprofit, EarthSpark International, was helping to build a different, more reliable kind of infrastructure called microgrids. That was just the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey. Today, SparkMeter sells software that helps utilities in 25 developing countries provide reliable, affordable electric service in rural areas. SparkMeter recently ranked #1 on Fast Company's 10 Most Innovative Energy Companies of 2021. Dan tells Degrees host Yesh Pavlik Slenk that his mother instilled in him an ethos of gratitude and responsibility. She encouraged him to pursue a career helping other people. He wanted to make sure, though, that his service was actually useful. “There's a long history of development working to help people, but in ways that really didn't go well,” he says. “And as the old saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”Dan believes everyone should be invested in helping developing nations access clean, reliable, and  affordable energy. “The climate problem is a global problem,” he says. “The emissions that come from Nigeria into the atmosphere are going to have the same effect on climate change as the emissions here.”Resources mentioned in this episode:IFC: The Dirty Footprint of the Broken GridAdditional resources:Fast Company: The 10 Most Innovative Energy Companies in 2021  WHO: Household Air Pollution and HealthNorthwestern University: Poverty TrapGreentech Media: Sparkmeter Closes 12m to Expand From Metering Minigrids to Analyzing Broken GridsResearchgate: Microgrids for Rural Electrification Dan Schnitzer’s 2016 critical review of microgrid practices in rural areas Follow Daniel Schnitzer and SparkMeter:LinkedIn: Daniel Schnitzer, CEO SparkMeterSparkMeter: SparkMeterTwitter: @SparkMeterFollow EDF:Not yet receiving the Degrees newsletter? Join us here! Twitter: EDF (@EnvDefenseFund)Facebook: Environmental Defense FundInstagram: environmental_defense_fundLinkedIn: Environmental Defense Fund

Most people don’t think about running for office when pondering environmental careers. However, California Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia may change your mind.In a state ravaged by air pollution and wildfires, Garcia has crafted policy that fights climate change. Recently, he introduced  AB 1500, which helped inspire the Climate Resilience Bond. This allocates $3.7 billion of the state’s 2021-22 budget toward shoring up disadvantaged communities against “catastrophic wildfire, sea level rise, drought, extreme heat and flooding.” It also provides for infrastructure investments. “The connection here to climate, the drought, the fires . . . is recognizing that we have a serious crisis with mother earth,” Garcia said. “We've got some work to do when it comes to not just building the infrastructure, but the conservation aspect of it is key for the first time.”Garcia hardly followed a traditional “green” education and career path. He took time off after high school, then attended his local community college and completed his bachelor's degree at the University of California Riverside. His journey eventually led him to the Coachella City Council at 27. At 29, he became Coachella’s mayor, the youngest ever elected in that city. In 2014, Garcia became assemblyman. Garcia believes that young people can help save the planet by serving others. “I never thought that going into public service would end up being a career,” he said.  “When I came to realize that it is something that one can do to contribute to the betterment . . . of conditions in our communities, I kind of got married to the idea. I’ve been doing it since.”Resources included in this episode: Ca.gov: Budget Summary A breakdown of how the Climate Resilience Bond will be used. Climate Candidates: https://climatecandidates.org/ To help people who want to run for officeAdditional Information:Sierra Club:  The Great Western Drought, Explained New solutions are required for water droughts caused by climate change.Ca.gov:  Bill Text AB 1500 Safe Drinking Water... Details of the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparation, Flood Protection, Extreme Heat Mitigation, and Workforce Development Bond Act of 2022 that Garcia introduced February 19, 2021.Desert Sun: Eduardo Garcia Continues Momentum in Assembly  2015 profile of Garcia’s work in the CA Assembly.Follow Eduardo Garcia:Official Website: Eduardo Garcia Official WebsiteFacebook: Assemblymember Eduardo GarciaFollow EDF:Sign up for the new Degrees newsletter!Twitter: EDF (@EnvDefenseFund)Facebook: Environmental Defense FundInstagram: environmental_defense_fundLinkedIn: Environmental Defense Fund

The clothing retail industry is not known for being climate friendly. The textile industry, as a whole,  emits 1.2 billion tons of carbon and uses five trillion liters of water per year.Dawnielle Tellez, an EDF Climate Corps alum, is candid and thoughtful about the challenges of making the outdoor apparel industry more sustainable. “What's been tough for me to realize is that at the end of the day, the outdoor industry and broadly apparel industry is reliant on fossil fuels,” she  tells Yesh Pavlik Slenk. She finds reasons for hope, though. Tellez says the circular economy, the adoption of lower carbon materials, and scaling decarbonization are exciting, emerging ways the apparel industry will be reducing negative environmental impacts going forward.  Tellez advises people looking to get into sustainability careers to set goals, ask for informational interviews, and explore the kinds of degrees she and other sustainability specialists have pursued. “The space is just wide open right now,” she says. “I feel like you can really carve out whatever it is that you want.”Tellez fights social challenges as well as climate change—particularly the historical exclusion of marginalized groups from outdoor activities.  She hopes to see them become more visible and included in the outdoor imagination—some of which is modeled by high-profile outdoor apparel companies like REI.“Looking to groups that are bringing access and knowledge of sport, [such as] Black Girls Run, Outdoor Afro, Latino Outdoors, organizations that are doing incredible work to build community amongst different BIPOC groups is, I think, hugely valuable to how we're going to be able to make the outdoors actually accessible for all people going forward.”Resources mentioned in this episode:REI: A Sustainable Future, REI’s blog about their sustainability initiativesGRID Alternatives: GRID Alternatives. Dawnielle worked for this nonprofit, which provides affordable solar panels to low-income communities.EDF: Climate CorpsGreenBiz: The 2021 GreenBiz 30 Under 30Black Girls Run:Black Girls Run. Outdoor Afro: Outdoor AfroLatino Outdoors: Latino OutdoorsAdditional information: EDF’s Supply Chain Solution CenterREI’s 2020 Impact Report (its corporate sustainability report) Nature: The price of fast fashionWorld Resources Institute: Apparel Industry's Environmental Impact in 6 GraphicsUSC Diving: USC Dornsife Scientific Diving, Dawnielle’s 2012 blog post about scientific diving at USCFollow EDF:Not yet receiving the Degrees newsletter? Join us here! Twitter: EDF (@EnvDefenseFund)Facebook: Environmental Defense FundInstagram: environmental_defense_fundLinkedIn: Environmental Defense Fund

LaUra Schmidt co-founded the non-profit Good Grief Network in 2016 with her wife, Aimee Lewis-Reau, to provide a space to help people cope with climate anxiety. Passionate about saving endangered species and panic-stricken about the climate emergency, LaUra had been suffering from her own climate grief and impotence. A childhood trauma survivor, LaUra had found solace in Adult Children of Alcoholics. So she took that group’s 12-step model (an offshoot of AA) and developed a 10-step program for others like her. Today, it’s helped more than 2,500 climate anxiety sufferers from more than 14 countries—and growing.  Schmidt describes the despair of climate anxiety as “when we wake up to how severe the climate crisis is, paralleled with our social injustice issues... our ecosite issues and our habitat destruction issues.” That wake-up call can make anyone question themselves, she says: “It really takes on a personal blend of, ‘ What can I possibly do?’” The Good Grief Network arrived right on time. A recent study published in the medical journal The Lancet found that of 10,000 young people, ages 16 to 25, in 10 countries, 84% are worried about the climate. The same study found more than 50% feel sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless and guilty about climate change.Forty-five percent said climate anxiety was affecting their ability to function in daily life.The authors wrote that this stress threatens the health and well-being of young people and there is an “urgent need” for an increase in research and governmental response to this critical issue.  Since its founding, The Good Grief Network has served more than 2,500 participants in more than 14 countries. Schmidt, who describes herself as a “truth-seeker, cultural critic, grief-worker, and the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor” hopes to help others around the world develop the resiliency and skill set to create change.Resources mentioned in this episode: IPCC: AR6 Climate Change 2021The Lancet: Young People's Voices on Climate Anxiety and Government Betrayal, and Moral Injury: A Global PhenomenonAdditional Information:Today: Climate Anxiety is Real: How to Cope When it Feels Like the World is Burning  Results of the first large-scale, global peer-reviewed study on climate anxiety in children and young adults was published in the scientific journal The Lancet on Tuesday, September 14.Gizmodo: The Kids Are Not Alright  In what Gizmodo called “rare candor” by scientists, the authors said that they had hoped for significant results. But they added, “We wish that these results had not been quite so devastating.”Washington Post: Climate disasters will strain our mental health system. It’s time to adaptThe Atlantic: A World Without ChildrenFollow Good Grief Network: LinkedIn: laUra schmidtWebsite: Good Grief NetworkTwitter: Good Grief Network (@GoodGriefNetwk)Instagram: Good Grief Network (@goodgriefnetwork)Follow EDF:Not yet receiving the Degrees newsletter? Join us here! Twitter: EDF (@EnvDefenseFund)Facebook: Environmental Defense FundInstagram: environmental_defense_fundLinkedIn: Environmental Defense Fund

BJ Johnson is in a hurry—and for good reason. He’s frustrated by the slow pace of change to address the climate crisis. And he’s angry about how air particle pollution endangers everyone, but especially marginalized groups. Black, brown, and poor communities are especially plagued by harmful health outcomes—like asthma, COPD and other lung diseases—from environmental pollutants. Regardless of their state or income, Black residents are exposed to 26% higher levels of soot from heavy-duty diesel trucks than the national average. Once exposed, they are then at a three times higher risk of dying.BJ won’t settle for it taking another two decades to solve the problem. As he tells host Yesh Pavlik Slenk, “This notion of, oh, well it's okay, that five-year-olds in L.A. today have asthma because we'll have electric school buses in 2040—we need to reject that type of thinking and start asking, no—why can't we start making this better today?”Which is exactly what he’s trying to do. BJ talks with Yesh about how he and ClearFlame cofounder Julie Blumreiter are working to transform the dirty fossil-fuel-based trucking industry into a clean one, affordably. Now.But that’s not all—the two founders are also fighting for more diversity, inclusion and equity in academia and in the world of high-tech startups. Johnson is one of a small handful of Black academics who have earned doctorates in engineering. Sadly, that’s not surprising: women and Black people (both men and women) remain underrepresented in STEM degrees and careers, according to the Pew Research Center. Black people are especially underrepresented in engineering, where they make up only 5% of all groups in that field, despite being 11% of the workforce. Blumreiter and Johnson, who is half-Black, call for an end to this inequity. Writing in an open letter on their website, they reference their own experiences as being “consistently underestimated” because of their identities. In their letter, they call for acknowledgment that solving the world’s problems must come from “a diverse range of thought-leaders.”Additional Information:Grist: Grist 50 2021  ClearFlame was named one of Grist’s top 50 “fixers” of issues surrounding climate change in 2021.Techcrunch: ClearFlame Engine Technologies takes aim at cleaning up diesel enginesOEM Off-Highway: ClearFlame Receives DOE Grant to Support R&D of Clean Engine TechnologyNew York Times: Biden Tightens Emissions RulesPew Research Center: STEM Jobs See Uneven Progress in Increasing Gender, Racial and Ethnic DiversityAmerican Lung Association: https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors/who-is-at-risk/disparitiesFollow BJ Johnson and ClearFlame Engine Technologies: Twitter: Clear Flame Engine Technologies (@ClearFlameEng)LinkedIn: BJ JohnsonCompany website: ClearFlame Engine TechnologiesFollow EDF:Not yet receiving the Degrees newsletter? Join us here! Twitter: EDF (@EnvDefenseFund)Facebook: Environmental Defense FundInstagram: environmental_defense_fundLinkedIn: Environmental Defense Fund(1) https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2021/04/01/stem-jobs-see-uneven-progress-in-increasing-gender-racial-and-ethnic-diversity/

Brooklyn-based Lake Street Dive is Yesh’s favorite band ever! She was so excited to talk to them about her most passionate subject, climate change, and to find out that they care about saving the world (especially for future generations) as much as she does.Most people don’t think about how their favorite bands contribute to healing our planet. According to a study published in the academic journal Popular Music in 2019, five Scottish touring bands collectively created 19,314 kg (approx. 21 tons) of carbon emissions between the months of April and September. The average yearly carbon emissions per person globally, according to The Nature Conservancy, is four tons.Lake Street Dive strives to make a difference. Drummer Mike Calabrese, a passionate environmentalist, has taken the lead in educating his fellow band members about climate change and inspiring them to take action. At their shows, they’ve created a culture of environmentalism by allowing only reusable water bottles and utensils—and of course by recycling. They have also partnered with Cool Effect, a carbon offsetting non-profit, to support environmental efforts that help underserved communities around the world. One beneficiary is the Los Santos Wind Power Project, which intends to provide clean energy to 50,000 people in the Los Santos region of Costa Rica. Their latest album, Obviously, includes the song “Making Do” about the effects of global warming on the lives of young people. Calabrese and lead singer Rachael Price discuss their experiences as an eco-conscious touring band, including their politics in their art, and how people can overcome their fears about our changing world in order to make it better for everyone. Resources mentioned in this episode:IPCC: AR6 Climate Change 2021Additional Resources:Cambridge: Do music festivals communities address environmental sustainability and how? A Scottish case studyThe Nature Conservancy: Calculate Your Carbon FootprintCool Effect: Lake Street Dive (Info about Lake Street Dive’s collaboration with carbon offset nonprofit Cool Effect)Ladygunn: Lake Street Dive is "Obviously" Making Do (Rachael Price talks with Ladygunn.com about the album Obviously)Spotify: Mother Earth Podcast  (Mike Calabrese discusses his environmentalism)FDA: Food loss and waste in the U.S.  (In the U.S., food waste is approx. 30-40% of the food supply)Follow Lake Street Dive:Facebook: Official Lake Street Dive FacebookTwitter: Lake Street Dive (@lakestreetdive)Instagram: @lakestreetdiveWebsite: Lake Street Dive OfficialFollow EDF:Sign up for the new Degrees newsletter!Twitter: EDF (@EnvDefenseFund)Facebook: Environmental Defense FundInstagram: environmental_defense_fundLinkedIn: Environmental Defense Fund

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Networking takes work. Sam Charner offers specific advice to help you become a more effective networker, no matter whether you’re a student, a new jobseeker, or a career changer. Don’t just sign up for a networking group. Get involved.Don’t just sign up and read the occasional newsletter. Participate in virtual and in-person events. Volunteer to help organize the next event.Join small projects and committees to get to know a small group of people on a deeper level. Ask members to recommend job boards, events and additional networking groups and professional associations. Don’t go into every interaction thinking, “How is this person going to help me get a job?” Build relationships. How do I choose a professional community (or more than one)? Identity-specific communities can be wonderful support systems. Examples include communities for women, veterans, and people who identify as BIPOC and/or LGBTQ. Joining geographic-specific communities helps you meet other local and regional planet savers, and also people who live where you want to move. There are sustainability-minded groups all over the globe, in neighborhoods, universities, cities and towns, states and provinces. To learn more about your desired field or profession and make connections within it, join industry groups like those for wind energy, agriculture, transit and urban planning, packaging, supply chains and more. What else should I consider before joining?Make sure the topics important to the organization are also important to you. You can’t join every organization, so pick the ones you’re truly curious about. What does it cost to join? If it’s expensive, this community may be more interested in recruiting experts and seasoned professionals with extensive experience than newbies. If you’re not ready for that commitment, keep looking. Word of mouth counts. Know a member of the community you’re thinking about? Ask them what it's like — and if they think it’s worth it.Learn more:Join your local Net Impact chapter (or start one)! There are more than 400 chapters in over 40 countries.Peruse more than 40 networks to join on Sustainable Career Pathways.Register for Net Impact’s Regenerative Economy series of events, connection and conversation. To make the most of your new relationships, read Net Impact’s guide to perfecting the informational interview.