WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT?

Explore the audacious tomato soup stunt that targeted Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' and the climate activism group Just Stop Oil. Delve into the public outrage, media coverage, and legal aftermath of this high-profile protest. Discover why activists choose art as a platform and how disruptive tactics aim to grab attention. Hear insights from museum staff and the motivations of the protesters, revealing the emotional underpinnings of their actions. The episode challenges perceptions of radicalism in climate activism and invites listeners to consider the effectiveness of such protests.

Abigail Dillen, president of Earthjustice and a seasoned environmental lawyer, discusses the urgent state of climate law. She highlights the threats posed by current legal erosions and emphasizes the role of the courts in defending environmental justice. Abigail urges listeners to tackle the dangerous trends of deregulation and advocates for a new legal framework through Project Phoenix. With a focus on collaborative litigation and community support, she inspires action to rethink and strengthen environmental laws for a sustainable future.

In this lively discussion, Sam Kass, former White House chef and nutrition advisor, reveals the growing climate threats to our favorite foods like coffee, wine, and chocolate. He highlights the disproportionate burden on smallholder farmers and the need for greater awareness of agriculture's environmental impact. Kass shares insights from his recent book, emphasizing culture's role in food systems and the urgency for practical solutions. He touches on the historic White House garden and concludes with a hopeful vision of diverse, plant-forward diets as climate solutions.

Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall shares her life-long love for nature and the impact of environmental degradation. She emphasizes the importance of interconnectedness between humans and nature while addressing the emotional toll of witnessing ecosystem decline. Goodall celebrates youth activism, praising their clarity and urgency in environmental issues. With a focus on hope, she believes in the transformative power of stories and local action to inspire real change, leaving listeners motivated to make a difference in the world.

Jigar Shah, a clean energy entrepreneur and former director of the U.S. DOE Loan Programs Office, discusses the rapidly evolving landscape of clean energy. He highlights the importance of local generation and the complexities emerging from political change, including the impact of recent climate legislation rollbacks. Jigar emphasizes the need for civic engagement, advocating for community involvement in clean energy initiatives. He also explores the potential of geothermal energy, battery recycling, and modular nuclear solutions while urging a focus on practical implementations for a sustainable future.

Earthlings, hello! 👋🏽 This week’s guest is Ari Matusiak, CEO of Rewiring America, a nonprofit focused on accelerating the clean energy transition.With the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits expiring on December 31st, I wanted to sit down with Ari to talk about our energy bills, how we can still install heat pumps and more before those incentives run out, how your home could become energy infrastructure for your community. Plus, soba noodles, K-pop, and the very sexy topic of group scheduling. Hold onto your hats. This episode is going to be electrifying. ⚡️CALL TO ACTION 🗣️ from Ari: Visit www.rewiringamerica.org/save to learn about the Save on Better Appliances (SOBA) campaign and, in Ari’s words: "Get yourself a tax credit. Get yourself an electric coach. Get yourself a contractor. And get yourself something electric at the electric store."Notes:Check out Rewiring America’s new report: Homegrown Energy: How household upgrades can meet 100 percent of data center demand growth.This podcast is ad-free thanks to the support of Future Being, a grant making and special project studio, which supports the healing of our planet and the safeguarding of biological and cultural diversity.This episode was produced and edited by Gabby Bulgarelli, and me, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, with help from associate producer Jenisha Shrestha.If you're enjoying the show, follow, rate, review, and to help others find us. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

This August marked 20 years since Hurricane Katrina, and the devastation that storm had across the Gulf South is still reverberating throughout the country. Today I’m talking with Dr. Samantha Montano, a professor of emergency management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy and co-founder of Disaster Researchers for Justice. She wrote a great book called Disasterology: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis. Now, amidst a continuing string of disastrous storms and wildfires, there are massive cuts at FEMA. We are clearly getting this very wrong. So I wanted to check back in with Samantha to understand what’s really going on at FEMA under the Trump Administration 🧐 (from the horror of “Alligator Alcatraz” to dealing with cyberattacks), whether we’re more prepared for hurricanes now than we were 20 years ago (spoiler: nope!), and what we can do individually and collectively to up our preparedness game.🙋🏽‍♀️CALLS TO ACTION from Samantha:* ☎️ Call your member of Congress — (202) 224-3121: They don’t get many calls supporting FEMA, so this is helpful. Let them know: (1) we need funding for FEMA, (2) we need to hire more people at FEMA, (3) we need to remove FEMA from under the Dept of Homeland Security and re-establish it as a standalone agency, and (4) we need a qualified, Senate-confirmed emergency manager leading the agency.* 👩🏽‍💻 Sign up for emergency alerts!: Absurdly, there is no centralized way to do this. So, embark on a tiny research project: google your town name + “emergency management,” and then find your county and state alerts too. This was you can be informed and ready to be a good neighbor.* Advocate for local resources: Look into you local emergency management agency. Do they have funding? Do they have staff? Do they have a qualified person leading? Be the advocate in your community for emergency management — they don't have a lot of advocates at the local level, so this can really help.NOTES:If you're enjoying the show, please help others find us — follow, rate, review, and tell your crew! Keep up with Dr. Montano's work via her Substack newsletter: Disasterology, a monthly dispatch of interesting and/or important disaster things.This podcast is ad-free thanks to the support of Future Being. This episode was produced and edited by Gabby Bulgarelli, and me, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, with help from associate producer Jenisha Shrestha.Alright, Earthlings 🌎 see you next week. xo Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

In this discussion, Bill McKibben, an influential environmentalist and founder of the non-profit Third Act, shares insights on the urgent need for climate action. He highlights the significance of Sun Day, emphasizing the rapid adoption of solar and wind energy. The conversation explores global advancements in renewable energy, spotlighting Indonesia's ambitious solar initiatives. McKibben also discusses the geopolitical impacts of renewable versus fossil fuel energy and advocates for community-driven climate activism, urging everyone to participate in building a sustainable future.

Hey there Earthlings. 🌎 Season 3 is launching next week! Thus, here’s a trailer with tidbits from previous seasons to get you stoked. We’ve got a dozen ace guests booked, and 4 episodes already recorded. We’re diving all the way in — on clean energy, FEMA, farming, messaging, and so much more. I’ll be re-interviewing a few of the experts I interviewed for my book because, turns out, some things have changed in the last year. 🫠 Anyway, follow/subscribe, rate/review, share with your homies. More coming very soon... Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

Dive into a hopeful vision of a resilient future where we tackle climate change with rewilding and clean energy. Explore the essential themes of joy, love, and connection that define a meaningful life. Discover what it truly means to live well while fostering community and sustainability. This uplifting conversation encourages listeners to imagine and shape a greener, more equitable world.