What’s a Climate-Conscious Republican to Do?
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The leaders at the top of the Republican party want the U.S. to double down on carbon-intensive oil and gas – and avoid reckoning with the damage they cause. As temperatures continue to rise, a majority of young Republican voters say clinging to that stance could spell trouble for the sustainability of the GOP.?
And yet, conservatives aren’t a monolith when it comes to climate. A small wing of the party is warming up to the idea of climate action. The question is: Can those Republicans, who take climate seriously, move the needle on bipartisan climate action?
Upcoming Shows: Last Chance for Tom Steyer Tickets!
Cheaper, Faster, Better: Tom Steyer on Winning the Climate War?
August 27, 2024 | 6:00 p.m.
Most people know of Tom Steyer as the billionaire investor and climate organizer who ran for president in the 2020 election on a climate platform. While he didn’t win, his dedication to supporting and advancing climate solutions has remained steadfast.
In his new book, “Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We’ll Win the Climate War,” Steyer argues that we are in a defining moment: We face the daunting, existential threat of climate change. And yet, with this great challenge comes a great opportunity for innovation, global leadership and economic growth.
Join us for a lively conversation about the market’s role in solving the climate crisis. Can capitalism really save us?
Jane Goodall: Celebrating 90
September 16, 2024 | 6:00 p.m.
Environmental icon Jane Goodall returns to Climate One in person to reflect back on her life’s work and offer a look forward to how we can heal our relationship with nature by better understanding ourselves. The indefatigable Goodall is now focused on three intertwined crises: biodiversity loss, climate change and environmental inequity.
Dr. Goodall will be in conversation with Climate One Founder Greg Dalton and Rhett Butler, founder of Mongabay, a nonprofit media organization that delivers news and inspiration from nature's frontline via a network of more than 900 journalists in about 80 countries. Mongabay covers forests, wildlife, oceans, and other conservation topics in six languages and is celebrating its 25th birthday this year.
Join us for an inspiring evening at the Sydney Goldstein Theater on the harsh truths facing all life on Earth and a bright yet narrow path forward.
Justin Pearson: No Justice Without Climate Justice
September 18, 2024 | 6:00 p.m.
On March 27, 2023, six people were gunned down in a mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville. The horrific event led Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson and two colleagues to protest for common sense gun legislation on the Tennessee House floor. House Republicans retaliated by expelling Representative Pearson and his colleague Justin Jones. Pearson ran and won back his seat with 94 percent of the vote.
Pearson became a national voice for common sense gun regulation. He is also a strong advocate for climate and environmental justice, having worked to defeat a multi-billion dollar crude oil pipeline that could have poisoned Memphis drinking water and taken land from South Memphis residents. The Sierra Club recognized him as the 2023 National Changemaker of the Year.
领英推荐
Join us for a conversation with a rising voice for environmental justice.
What We’re Reading This Week: Canadian Rail Lock Out Threatens to Cause Shipping Emissions to Spiral
Canada’s two largest freight rail companies, Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), have locked out their workers. The lockout, which comes after months of bargaining with the rail worker unions, has already sent truck and ship freight traffic skyrocketing as logistics firms prepared for the railroads to shut down, with truckers expected to pick up much of the demand.
While the rapid deployment of truckers is welcome news for North American supply chains, it is bad news for emissions reduction goals. A standard freight train can haul the equivalent of hundreds of trucks, and shipping goods by rail uses significantly less energy per mile traveled than shipping goods by truck. Trains have also been electrified for decades in certain regions, while electric trucks are still a work in progress. And while it is unlikely that trucks could make up the loss in train traffic, any increase in truck traffic is going to hurt border communities which have for decades borne the brunt of the negative environmental impacts of trade between the United States and Canada.
The two countries have in the past negotiated treaties related to pollution, mostly focused on contamination of air and water that cannot be easily constrained to a single nation. In 2018, the two long-time allies added certain vehicle emissions standards to the existing U.S.-Canada Air Quality Agreement, a move that was heralded by climate activists. The following year, Canada signed a memorandum of understanding with California specifically dedicated to the state’s light-duty vehicle standards. And late last year, the U.S. and Canada announced a new task force focused on decarbonizing cross-border rail traffic.
PLUS:
Connecting the Dots
The cryptocurrency mining company Greenidge is suing the state of New York in a last-ditch effort to avoid the closure of its gas-powered operations. As crypto prices have climbed over the past few years, Greenidge’s digital mining efforts have intensified, leading to increased emissions and violating the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
Air permits are typically associated with power plants and refineries, not cryptocurrency. But the computing required to generate new stakes in digital currencies like Bitcoin uses massive amounts of electricity, causing many miners to turn to fossil fuel-intensive sources of energy generation like gas and coal. Are the energy needs of cryptocurrency worth its emissions output? Climate One spoke with a slate of experts to find out.
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One More Thing
With the presidential election just a few months away, many of us, especially those deeply concerned about climate issues, are experiencing increased anxiety and uncertainty. If you're finding it challenging to manage your stress or are looking for support during this tense time, we want to hear from you. We’re inviting you to call in with your questions for an expert therapist, who will provide insights and practical advice on how to cope. Your question and the therapist’s answer may be used in an upcoming episode.
Please send us an email at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at (650) 382-3869 and let us know what you’re feeling.