The last blog I published was a year ago!
At the time I was feeling hopeful because renewable energy was challenging fossil fuels, and climate justice was newsworthy. Despite political frustrations, communities seemed to have the wind behind their backs. Myriad articles, books and podcasts were published that addressed consumerism and gratuitous growth. I stopped writing because I was listening, learning and trying to synthesize the encouraging information and stories about changemakers and change
appearing from all directions.
And then we fell headfirst into the pandemic and, as we know, life changed.
Amidst the public health crisis and economic debates, however, the issues of climate change and social justice are still on everyone’s mind, perhaps even more so. But there is a different sense of urgency amid a changing context, which makes it hard to navigate through the commentary, hearsay, and data. For this reason, I want to share a few recent podcasts and articles that have provided me with direction as I adjust my focus to add health issues to crucial conversations on energy, community, and environmental stewardship.
With fresh motivation, I hope to tackle a few topics in the months to come. In the meantime, I hope you find some of these sources as helpful as I have.
One of the best podcasts on the energy transition is released weekly by Climate One, an energy think tank launched by the Commonwealth Club of California in 2011. Climate One provides a platform for broad discussion among all stakeholders in California, in the US and globally. In January of this year, they released a conversation with Robert Bullard,"the father of environmental justice". Dr. Bullard is a professor in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University and the author of many books on justice in public policy. His broad understanding of civil and environmental issues provides insightful background to today’s challenges.
Ezra Klein does not focus on sustainability per se in his interviews, but his questions to a wide variety of guests on his twice-weekly podcast probe resolutely for optimism and best practice. In a recent conversation with Saul Griffith on energy production, the history of energy use in the US, and the viability of decarbonization to combat global warming were discussed. Griffith, CEO of Otherlab, is a fascinating speaker and a pragmatic student of current and future possibility.
Recent public discourse has been dominated by the economic and social disruption that the on-going pandemic has caused. Digging past the alarm and doom, I found quite a few conversations and stories that view the current crisis as an opportunity to rethink and rework our lives and communities for the better. The British Royal Society of Arts produces a podcast, Bridges to the Future, that orchestrates public discourse on planning for the future. Their most recent episodes address head-on changes necessitated by the pandemic. I highly recommend a conversation with Daisy Fancourt from University College London on social and mental health issues.
The Energy Gang leans towards the geeky side of energy policy, but their knowledgeable conversations provide up to date information on the energy transition in the US. A recent episode focuses on how US government spending can jump-start a low-carbon future. The Energy Gang also dedicated an episode to the social justice side of current energy issues. If you want even more geek, then look for Redefining Energy.
I have even managed to find some humor, in the Sustainababble podcast. Out of England, it is sometimes uneven, but often insightful, even brilliant. Two episodes stand out, the first is on how landownership affects global warming (Who Owns England) and the second is with the author Jonathan Porritt on his recent book Hope in Hell: A Decade to Confront the Climate Emergency
In their new series ReThink, the BBC has asked a number of public figures to comment briefly on how we can take advantage of the current crisis to redirect our society for the better. Giving just one example, Kwame Anthony Appiah advocates changing the world through small actions.
Last but not least, I was pleased to read an article in the New York Times advocating for more bicycles and pedestrian-friendly
planning in the wake of the pandemic. The obvious benefits of streets devoid of cars observed in many cities were quickly negated by the return of even higher numbers of private vehicles after
lock-downs were lifted. Here in Bern, there are clearly more bikes traveling with me on the streets, but public transport is still empty and there are more cars. I understand the reluctance to
get back into crowded trams and buses, but private cars are not the solution.