WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT?

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.

Hey there Earthlings. I’m living a more analog life this summer (highly recommend). 🛶🏕️📚 So for this week’s episode, I want to introduce you to another podcast I think you just might love.It’s called Science Vs., hosted by Wendy Zuckerman. In each episode they tackle a different topic to sort out what’s fact, what’s fiction, and what’s still TBD.As a scientist and lover of facts, I super appreciate how Wendy and her team dig into the scientific literature, fact check everything, share their sources, and interview experts. So I think you’ll enjoy the episode “Climate Crisis: We’re Solving It?!” Their description:“The climate is a mess. It's hot. There's fires, floods, hurricanes — and we may have even crossed some rather scary climate tipping points. But there is hope. So today, we’re answering your questions about solving the climate crisis. We find out how you can help in the fight against climate change, if carbon offsets are a scam, whether renewables really work and what exciting new technologies could help save the planet. Our guests are Dr. Sven Teske at the University of Technology, Sydney, and Wei Sue, head of strategy at Monash University's Climateworks Center.”If you dig it, subscribe! Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

Hey there Earthlings. 🩵 If you’ve been paying any attention to U.S. politics, these past 2 weeks have been a doozy.So, let’s get into the Big Brutal Billionaire Bailout Bill of it all. Welcome to this very special collab episode of What If We Get It Right? x Twigg & Jenkins. Carri Twigg (hey bestie) and Brad Jenkins (who was her officemate in the Obama White House) host my favorite politics podcast. So smart, so incisive, so fun. Yes, you should definitely follow/subscribe.We hopped on a call to sort through the wreckage together. WTF just happened with climate, healthcare, militarization, and our democracy? What should the Democrats do next? Sometimes you gotta dive way in to how things went so wrong to see what getting it right would have looked like. Also, the Beyoncé tour.Looking for what to do next? Here's my take.HOT TIPS:* If you were thinking about getting an electric vehicle, BUY IT NOW. The new budget bill cancels the $7,500 tax credit for EVs that was established through Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the tax credit for leasing EVs too, effective Sept 30th.* If you were thinking of making energy efficiency/electrification improvements to your home, DO IT NOW. The new budget bill cancels the IRA tax credits for everything from solar panels (30% credit!), to induction stoves, heat pumps, insulating your attic, installing more energy efficient windows and doors, etc., effective December 31, 2025.CREDITS: This podcast is made possible with 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 Matthew Nelson and me (Ayana) with help from Associate Producer Jenisha Shrestha. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

If you have a Republican senator: call, email, comment on all their social posts. Tell them to vote NO on the abominable budget bill. Get your friends to do it too. ☎️ Seriously, call Congress: (202) 224-3121. (Especially if you live in Maine or Alaska.) Details in this week's newsletter and all over the news.Okay, Season 2 is a wrap — 12 delightful conversations with people showing us the ways forward on climate. This summer, we’ll be dreaming up season 3… so if have any wishes, ideas, or requests, drop a note over on Substack and let us know: ayanaelizabeth.substack.com. Piping hot new content coming in autumn, and in the meantime, enjoy the 24 episodes in the full back catalog. We’ll also drop some other treats in the feed for ya over the summer.But for now, a rerun of one of my favorite episodes from Season 1: a conversation with adrienne maree brown, best-selling author, activist, facilitator, a songwriter, a poet, and a doula. I've read and highly recommend her books Emergent Strategies and Loving Corrections. This was recorded November 2024, just a few days before the presidential election, but these insights from adrienne, and the topics we grappled with, are still right on time — including major questions of our era like which one of us would be Rhianna and which one of us would be Beyoncé. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Ben Wolkon. Ben is founding partner at MUUS Climate Partners, a venture capital firm that invests exclusively in climate solutions, and operates on the belief that “climate is the biggest business opportunity of the 21st century.”To be honest, when I think of venture capital, I often think of like that "greed is good" mentality and just corny finance bros. And maybe that's a bit unfair. But I'm also very pleased to say that Ben is nothing like that. He's thoughtful, and generous, super funny, and cares so deeply about this sweet planet we live on.We discussed the role of venture capital in climate solutions, the cool high tech emerging technologies that he’s most excited about, and how critical it is that we keep a sense of humor.Ben’s CALLS TO ACTIONMake your voice heard to policymakers at the federal level. Right now, there is a bill in the Senate that has massive ramifications for climate policy. Call your reps and tell them not to cut funding for climate solutions!Make your voice heard at the state and local levels. Advocate for more bike lanes, or more trees planted, or better transportation policy. The more you do that, the more the politicans who count on your votes will understand that these issues should be a priority for them.If you want a climate-focused job, get proactive about finding one. Breaking into climate tech or breaking into some job that has an environmental benefit is actually super easy once you start looking and start trying. Make cold calls! We need you.Mentioned in this episode* MUUS Climate Partners* Vox: Jay Inslee’s presidential campaign is all about climate change* Clean tech companies: BrightNight, Panthalassa, Cache Energy* Data centers in the U.S. consume about 4.4% of the country’s total electricity demand in 2023, and that is expected to triple to 12% by 2028.* The Inflation Reduction Act could have put the U.S. on a path to reduce emissions by up to 48% by 2035.CREDITS: This episode was made possible with the support of Future Being, a grantmaking and special projects studio which supports the healing of our planet and the safeguarding of biological and cultural diversity. This show is produced and edited by Matthew Nelson/Stramash Media and me (Ayana), with help from Jenisha Shrestha. And many thanks to our guest Ben Wolkon. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Kate Marvel, a climate scientist and writer from NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, discusses her new book, 'Human Nature,' exploring the emotional aspects of climate change. She shares her journey from astrophysics to climate science, emphasizing the urgent need for public engagement in climate advocacy. The conversation touches on the challenges scientists face amid political resistance, the significance of understanding climate impacts, and the power of personal narratives in fostering connections with our changing planet.

Alexia Leclercq is a face of the youth climate movement — something that, as we discussed, is a tricky thing to be.She is a grassroots environmental justice organizer and scholar in Austin, Texas. Alexia is also co-founder of the Colorado River Conservancy and of Start:Empowerment, an education non-profit that provides students and teachers with an immersive climate justice curriculum. She’s led campaigns at the international and local levels to phase out fossil fuels, fight for clean water, and so much more — and she’s still in her mid-20s!In this conversation, we talk about the impact of social media and influencer culture on the climate movement, how the generations – from Alpha to Boomer to Zoomer – can collaborate, and what getting it right looks like in her home state of Texas.There’s nothing like hearing someone half your age describing their strategy and devotion to climate solutions — what a kick in the pants to step up your own work! Tune in, get inspired, and take up her call to action.ALEXIA’S CALL TO ACTION* Find an ongoing campaign happening in your community/town/city and do one thing to show up for that existing campaign — whether it’s social or environmental justice, affordable housing, whatever it is, do something for a local campaign.Mentioned in the episode:* More than 90% of Democrats, Republicans and Independents consider right to clean and clean water to be “essential rights important to being an American today.”* Young Scholars for Justice* Alexia’s organization, Start:Empowerment is a youth BIPOC-led non-profit at the nexus of climate education, solutions, and environmental justice.* Alexia’s op-ed on Teen Vogue: Social Media Influencers Get Media Attention on Climate Change — Grassroots Activists Don’t* Colorado River Conservancy* People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources (PODER)CREDITSThis episode was made possible with the support of Future Being, a grantmaking and special projects studio which supports the healing of our planet and the safeguarding of biological and cultural diversity.This show is produced and edited by Matthew Nelson/Stramash Media and me (Ayana), with help from Jenisha Shrestha. And many thanks to our guest Alexia Leclerq. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe