Episode 5: Whiskey ??, Home, and Showing Up — with Colette Pichon Battle and Jade Begay
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Marine biologist, policy nerd, writer, Brooklyn native. Co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab.
This episode is about the importance of home. It’s about the role of culture, of traditions, of protecting democracy, and how all of that is woven together in the context of the climate threats that we’re facing.
This is a conversation with two incredible and grounded women: Colette Pichon Battle, attorney and co-founder of climate justice organization Taproot Earth, and Jade Begay, a Dine and Tesuque Pueblo climate policy expert and Indigenous rights strategist currently serving as the Native American engagement director for the Harris-Walz campaign. Head over to my Substack for the full episode. Also available on Spotify and Apple podcasts!
I interviewed Colette and Jade individually for the book, featured in the final section, “Community Foremost.” But I was eager to have a conversation with them together, as two heart-centered, sharply strategic leaders who are deeply rooted in the places where their families have lived for many generations – the bayous of Louisiana and the mesas of what is now called New Mexico.
What does home mean in the context of the climate crisis?
While this conversation was not principally about the election, given that we are FIVE DAYS from Election Day (??) highlighting here Colette’s take on the imperative of voting:
Colette: I think the opportunity is to not think of voting as the beginning and the end. But to think of it as part, as one piece of a broader strategy of building movement around us saving our planet. I mean, I'm one of those people who's not really excited about the choices, but I understand the duty and the responsibility that we have as Americans.... the world wants the Americans to stand up. The world wants the Americans to get control of their government.
VOTE CLIMATE ?
If you haven’t already voted, VOTE! (Find details for your polling place and what's on your local ballot at iwillvote.com.) At the presidential level, for the love of God, please keep the racist, fascist, anti-choice climate deniers out of the White House. At the local level, be sure to research the climate platforms of down ballot candidates — see Lead Locally’s endorsements here.
If you are looking for ways to show up beyond voting, join me in hitting the phones ??: On October 31st (tonight!), November 3rd, and November 4th I’ll be hosting phone banks with Environmental Voter Project and Lead Locally — and donating $50 to these nonprofits for each person who joins! (Context: Listen to Episode #2: Vote Climate for a conversation with the founders of those organizations.)
Until we as Earth-lovers become a formidable voting block, politicians won’t prioritize climate policy. So let’s encourage each other to the polls!
领英推荐
BOOK TOUR – Grand Finale!
EPISODE CREDITS
Thank you to Pioneer Works for hosting not only this event but the whole Science & Society event series, which was a key spark for my book. And thank you Site Santa Fe for hosting Jade and me there.
This episode was produced and edited by Nora Saks and me, with production help in Brooklyn from Bob Bellarue, and in Santa Fe from Julia Sclafani. Thank you, as always, to Jenisha Shrestha, my chief of staff and tour producer.
And thank YOU for listening! Please share this episode and spread the word, and we’ll be back very soon.
Sustainability Leadership Scientist & Practitioner | TEDx Speaker | HBR Author | Top 1% most cited social scientists worldwide | Download my new whitepaper on influencing your Scope 3 stakeholders to reduce emissions
3 个月I loved the chapters in the book from both these women, so I am excited to hear more ;)