Citizens' Climate Lobby

Citizens Climate Radio Ep 9 Rebel and Advocate w/ Eileen Flanagan

So much protesting, marching, and disruption happening these days. What are the best ways to get governments to address pollution and the effects of global warming? Eileen Flanagan, a writer, a social change teacher, a Quaker, and an activist, chats with host, Peterson Toscano about the four different roles people have traditionally taken in change movements. Are you a rebel, an advocate, an organizer, or a helper? Maybe a little bit of each. How do these models apply to organizations. Amani Thurman, a college student who has spent time protesting but has begun to do volunteer lobbying weighs in. You will also hear under-reported good news happening with American Conservatives and climate change.

Art House

And now for some climate comedy... Elizabeth Jeremiah, a comic character created by Peterson, talks about blessings and curses. To help drive her point home, she explains how carbon dioxide polluted by humans acts as a generational curse, one that falls upon the heads of the childresn "and the children's children's children." Drawing on lessons she learned in church, Elizabeth Jeremiah issues a call for national repentance. Turn away from that flamboyant, sinful, fossil fuel lifestyle! 

Puzzler

Last month Simon asked, "But is all warming bad? Can't a little global warming be a good thing in colder places?" We hear your answers and present you with a new puzzler question. This one is inspired by a question Charles Ashurst sent in.

You are at meeting with other climate advocates. There are the fresh young faces. There are also the seasoned older faces.  And there's Charlie, a crusty old curmudgeon who's been on the climate change band wagon since the 1970s. You just heard a presentation about the need  build on shared values with lawmakers and leaders in the fossil fuel industry. Charlie blurts out, "Shared values? Really? These are determined folks we're up against. They don't play nice. We are not going to win by playing nice with them." What do you say to crusty old Charlie?

Send in your answers. Leave your name, contact info, and where you are from.

Get back to Peterson by March, 15, 2017. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org that’s radio @ citizensclimate.org You can also text or leave a voicemail of 3 minutes or less at 570.483.8194. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.) That number again is 570.483.8194

Dig Deeper

• A Strategic Framework Describing The Eight Stages of Successful Social Movement by Bill Moyer
• Climate Leadership Council -- A Conservative Response to Global Warming
• Can Republicans Find Their Voice on Climate Change via a Carbon Tax? Union of Concerned Scientists  

You can hear Citizens’ Climate Radio on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Podbean, and now on Northern Spirit Radio. Also, feel free to connect with other listeners, suggest program ideas, and respond to programs in the Citizens’ Climate Radio Facebook group or on Twitter at @CitizensCRadio.

Citizens Climate Radio Ep 8 Nepal to the Marshall Islands

We like to share perspectives from many parts of the world through the guests on our podcast. In today's show Peterson Toscano interviews two men from two very different climates and cultures. Still they have some real similarities. 24 year old Aryan Uprety, lives 1400 meters above sea-level in the city of Katmandu, the capital of Nepal. Chris Balos is a 28 year old man in the American South, but he is originally from the Marshall Islands. Both men are passionate about addressing climate change. They speak about how global warming is affecting their home countries. But they are not one issue guys; various issues move them to action. In fact, it is their ability to pursue answers to intersecting problems that make them successful in their climate advocacy.

Art House

Ashley Mazanec, a singer/songwriter from Encinitas California, joins us in the art house. She not only tells us about some of the songs on her new album, Let's Talk about the Weather, she fills the segment with her powerful and lively music. In addition to making music, Ashley is holding regularly monthly events that bring together other eco artists. 

Puzzler

Jean Johnson from Alexandria, Minnesota sent in an excellent answer to last month's puzzler about carbon dioxide. Not only does she accurately address Luncinda's question, (Wait is CO2 good or bad for the planet?) she models a warm and friendly response that no doubt will open up the conversation. 

Here is our new puzzler: You are at a party, and you mention to a neighbor your renewed commitment to address climate change.  Your neighbor, let's call him Samuel, says, "Wait a minute, I kinda like the idea of a little warming. We could sure use more more heat up North. Think of the opportunities for agriculture. I don't know; seems like global warming has some real upsides to it."

Samuel is not alone in thinking this. So what would you say to Samuel?

Send Peterson your answers. Leave your name, contact info, and where you are from.

Get back to him by February 15th 2017. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org that’s radio @ citizensclimate.org You can also text him or leave a voicememo of 3 minutes or less at 570.483.8194. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.)

Dig Deeper

• Nepal highly vulnerable to cliamate change (Himalayan Times)
• Lives in the balance: Climate Change and the Marshall Islands (The Guardian)
• Facing Climate Change through intersectionality and justice (350.org)

You can hear Citizens’ Climate Radio on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Podbean, and now on Northern Spirit Radio. Also, feel free to connect with other listeners, suggest program ideas, and respond to programs in the Citizens’ Climate Radio Facebook group or on Twitter at @CitizensCRadio.

Citizens Climate Radio Ep 7 A Conservative Approach to Climate

When addressing climate change, we need all hands on deck including citizens and lawmakers who are politically conservative. Host, Peterson Toscano interviews Chandler Green, a graduate student at American University researching strategic communications. Chandler shares her insights about climate communication and the need for Republican voices in the USA. She also tells us about the growing #PutAPriceOnIt Campaign on college campuses. Then to model climate communication for conservatives, Elke Arnesen reads the Gibson Resolution, a document created in 2015 by US Republican members of congress. It provides a conservative call to address the causes and affects of climate change

 

Art House

Joining us once again in the Art House is environmentalist and poet, Lilace Mellin Guignard, with a timely and moving poem about winters present and future.

 

Lilace teaches poetry and creative nonfiction writing and women’s studies at Mansfield University. Her poetry has appeared in the journals Calyx, poemmemoirstory, Louisiana Literature, Paterson Literary Review, Ecotone and Poetry magazine. Her chapbook, “Young at the Time of Letting Go” http://eveningstreetpress.com/8203lilace-guignard-2015.html was published by Evening Street Press in 2016. She is writing a creative nonfiction book about women outdoors for Texas A&M Press. She enjoys climbing and biking with her husband, eavesdropping on her children, and shaking things up in adult Sunday school. 

 

Puzzler

Many people responded to the Citzens’ Climate Puzzler about the new Trump Administration. Hear two answers that address both local and national responses. 

 

Here is our new Puzzler: 

You are chatting with a neighbor and you mention your commitment to addressing carbon pollution because of dangers it poses. Your neighbor, let’s call her Lucinda, is genuinely confused. She says, “But back in school I learned how important carbon dioxide is for plants and photosynthesis. Our teacher said that without carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, we couldn’t survive.” 

What would you say to Lucinda?

 

Send in your answers by January 15, 2017, along with your name, contact info, and where you are from. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org or leave a voice memo of 3 minutes or less at 570-483-8194 (+1 if calling from outside the USA).

 

Dig Deeper

• Yale Climate Communications: Is there a Climate spiral of Silence in the US?
• Put a Price on it Campaign
• The Gibson Resolution

 

You can hear Citizens’ Climate Radio on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Podbean, and now on Northern Spirit Radio. Also, feel free to connect with other listeners, suggest program ideas, and respond to programs in the Citizens’ Climate Radio Facebook group.

Citizens Climate Radio Ep 6 Health, Climate, Community

On a rapidly changing planet we are already seeing risks to public health. Dr. Natasha DeJarnett from the American Public Health Association sits down with Peterson Toscano to outline some of these risks, but also the community building opportunity. We will also hear from Dr. Jalonne White-Newsome, senior program officer from the Kresge Foundation who provides a new framework for looking at resiliency. 

 

As a special feature we will also hear voices from the 2016 Citizens’ Climate Congressional Education Days including Marshal Saunders, Mark Reynolds, and some very hopeful high school and college students.  

 

Art House

Joining us in the Art House is Dr. David R. Bowne, Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Elizabethtown College. Using his scientific expertise and tapping into his creative side, David created a short story, Henry Ford Hated Glaciers, and shares an excerpt with us. You can read the complete story here.

 

Puzzler

Sabrina Fu, the Mid-Atlantic Coordinator for CCL answers last month’s puzzler: What happens when we put a price on carbon, won’t it negatively affect lower income people and the working class?

 

Here is our new puzzler:

You are at an community event and people are talking about the historic upset as they speculate on what a Trump Presidency will look like. You pipe up, ‘Well, as you know I am concerned about climate change, so I am going to work that much harder to raise awareness and get the government to change energy policy.” People laugh. They snort. One says, “Oh, nothing is going to happen for the next four years. We are back to coal and other fossil fuels. Might as well take up new hobby.” So what do you say? How do you respond? How can you share what’s in your heart as well as what’s in your head. 

 

Send Peterson your answers. Leave your name, contact info, and where you are from.

Get back to him by December  15th 2016. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org that’s radio @ citizensclimate.org You can also text or leave a voicemail of 3 minutes or less at 570.483.8194. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.) That number again is 570.483.8194

 

Dig Deeper

• The Zika virus: one more symptom of a sick climate by Flannery Keck 
• American Public Health Association: Climate Change and Health resources  
• The principles of environmental justice

You can hear Citizens’ Climate Radio on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Podbean. Also, feel free to connect with other listeners, suggest program ideas, and respond to programs in the Citizens’ Climate Radio Facebook group.

Citizens Climate Radio Ep 5 Diving into Denial

Ah, Climate Denial, a constant companion. Climate advocates have sought for the silver bullet, that one talking point that will extinguish all climate doubts and dismissals. In this episode host, Peterson Toscano, brings in climate advocates from around the world and climate communication experts to explore what might be behind the denial and how to respond. 

Main Section

Climate denial has distracted climate advocates and slowed down the public discussion and political action. As a result, climate activists and comics have gotten downright snarky and angry at people, particularly politicians, who are skeptical of climate science. Sharing insights about what they have discovered about climate denial, we hear from professional skier, Angel Collinson, and Chilean climate advocate, Andres Forno. We also get some good news from Bessie Schwarz at the Yale Program on Climate Communications. 

Peterson then raises some questions including, What if starting 10 years ago there were no more climate skeptics in the world? What would we be talking and writing about today? And how do we engage the 29 million Americans who say they are alarmed by climate change?  As always your input and responses are welcome. 

Art House

In the Art House you will meet Marvin Bloom, a comic creation who takes a serious look at climate denial. Through his playful meditation on the issue, Marvin humanizes the denial experience and considers various types of climate denial. He also reveals a weird issue that keeps him stuck in denial. 

Puzzler

We received many excellent and downright inspiring answers to last month's puzzler. As an added bonus, Cathy Orlando, from Citizens Climate Lobby Canada (featured in Episode Two) talks about the recent success in Canada. After years of lobbying, the Canadian government has agreed to place a fee on carbon starting in 2018. Cathy shares some of the many ways she and her fellow Canadian Citizens' Climate volunteers engaged lawmakers and the public. 

Here is our new puzzler submitted by Chris Wiegard from Citizens’ Climate chapter in Richmond, Virginia. 

When I blog on climate change or go to public hearings on it, I often hear or read fossil fuel defenders say that "shifting to renewable energy is unrealistic because low income people are dependent on low energy prices. The cheapness of fossil fuel is all that keeps certain people alive." And Chris is right, poor and working class people cannot easily afford buying expensive energy hybrid cars and installing solar panels and the other alternatives currently on offer. So how might you respond to argument that shifting to renewable energy is unrealistic because low income people are dependent on low energy prices. 

Send Peterson your answers. Leave your name, contact info, and where you are from.

Get back to him by November 15th 2016. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org that’s radio @ citizensclimate.org You can also text Peterson or leave a voice memo of 3 minutes or less at 570.483.8194. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.) That number again is 570.483.8194

Dig Deeper

• Global Warming's Six Americas, Yale Program on Climate Communication
• Protect Our Winters, professional athletes, including Angel Collinson, promoting climate advocacy
• Nationwide Carbon Price in Canada marks start of transition to clean energy, Citizens' Climate Blog
• Chile faces climate change challenge, BBC News

You can hear Citizens' Climate Radio on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Podbean. We would love it if you rate and review the show. This will make it easier for new listeners to find us. Also, feel free to connect with other listeners, suggest program ideas, and respond to programs by visiting the Citizens' Climate Radio Facebook page. 

Citizens Climate Radio Ep 4 Dr. Katharine Hayhoe and Communication Myths

Want to be a better climate change communicator? Then listen to this episode! Learn essential lessons about connecting with others about climate change as host, inspired by Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Peterson Toscano leads you through an exercise that connects climate change to passions and people in your life.  

Main Section

She is not only an internationally renowned climate scientist, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is a brilliant climate change communicator. Peterson revisits Dr. Hayhoe’s excellent keynote address from the 2015 Citizens’ Climate International Conference. In it Dr. Heyhoe busts two myths that trip up scientists and climate advocates in our quest to connect with others. Jumping off from Dr. Hayhoe’s talk, Peterson leads listeners through a simple exercise that will help you in your own climate communication. As an added plus, you will hear a little bit about how a changing climate affects pets. 

Art House

This month we get musical as we meet singer/songwriter Michael Levy and hear some of his climate-themed music. Michael musically explores a range of emotions, from silly to serious, that he feels climate advocates need to address in order to avoid burnout. As an environmentalist, he has been stretched by the vastness of climate change. This has opened him up to consider large scale solutions. He also reveals he is a big fan of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.  

Citizens' Climate Puzzler

People had a lot to say about last month’s puzzler and suggested many ways to respond to Simon who doesn’t want to act on climate while China (or the USA) is such a big polluter. You will hear three different answers that explore ethics, economics, and spilt milk. Even a trained therapist weighs in to consider Simon’s psychological needs. 

Here is our new puzzler question:

You are at an event with folks concerned about climate change and the environment. There you meet someone, let’s call her Margaret. You tell Margaret about your work as a volunteer lobbyist. You explain how you connect with lawmakers and offer climate solutions with the goal to change policy. In response Margaret rolls her eyes. She let’s out a big sigh and says, “Oh, please, those bozos can’t even rename a post office without shutting down the government. There is no way they are going to get anywhere with something as big and bold as climate policy. Why even bother?

 

Get back to Peterson by October 15th,  2016. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org  You can also text  leave a voicemail at 570.483.8194. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.) He will then share the best answers in our next episode which airs October 24th, 2016.

Help Spread the Word!

Citizens’ Climate Radio is available on podbean, iTunes, and Stitcher Radio. Please rate and review. If you like what you hear, please share the show with your friends. Citizens’ Climate Radio is a project of Citizens’ Climate Education. 

Dig Deeper

• Watch the complete 2015 keynote address by Dr. Katharine Hayhoe and check out all her entertaining and informative slides.
• Listen to Dr. Hayhoe’s speech through our podcast.
• Learn more about Michael Levy’s upcoming album, Great Big Love, and hear more about his story. 

Citizens Climate Radio Ep 3 Cloud of Witnesses

Climate Change—what’s faith got to do with it? To dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and respond to a rapidly changing planet, people of faith and religious leaders play essential roles. Citizens’ Climate Radio host, Peterson Toscano, introduces you to two people of faith who are active climate advocates.

Main Section

Rachel Lamb, an American, is the national organizer and spokesperson with Young Evangelicals for Climate Action. David Michael Terungwa, a Catholic from Nigeria, is a leader in the African GREEN Movement and Africa Regional Coordinator for Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Both Rachel and David Michael stand as witnesses to their communities about the dangers of climate change and the need to act. 

The Art House

In the Art House we conduct an audio brain experiment. What will they be saying about us in the future? We take a trip to the future to look back at the present day about the role that Christian missionaries can take as witnesses to their churches at home about how climate change affects the people in the countries where they serve. 

Citizens' Climate Puzzler

Also, we review listeners'  answers to the Citizens’ Climate Puzzler and introduce a new puzzler. Citizens Climate Puzzler. Check it out and and send us your best answer.

You are talking to someone who you think could be an effective climate advocate. This may be a lawmaker, a faith leader, or a friend. After sharing your passion and what you are doing to address climate change, the person you are talking to, let’s call him Simon, shrugs and replies.

What difference does it make if we do something in our country when it’s China that’s doing most of the polluting?  Now Simon’s answer sounds to me like a very American reaction. If Simon does not live in the USA, he might instead ask: Why on earth should we  do anything when the USA has done much of the polluting and is doing so little to act? 

In addition to his actual question—why should my country do something when others do not--what do you hear in Simon’s words?  What emotions, fears and beliefs might his question reveal? How might you answer Simon’s question while also addressing what is unsaid. 

Get back to Peterson by September 15th,  2016. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org  You can also text  leave a voicemail at 570.483.8194. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.) He will then share the best answers in our next episode which airs September 26, 2016.

Help Spread the Word!

Citizens’ Climate Radio is available on podbean, iTunes, and Stitcher Radio. Please rate and review. If you like what you hear, please share the show with your friends. Citizens’ Climate Radio is a project of Citizens’ Climate Education. 

Dig Deeper

See a Climate Reality video about David Michael Terungwa 

Learn more about Rachel Lamb and the Young Evangelicals for Climate Action.  

Citizens Climate Radio Ep 2 Duh, We Are the Children

For those of us who want to motivate our friends to climate advocacy, we are often looking for a silver bullet—that perfect talking point that will get people on board. One of the most popular is, “We need to think about future generations. We must act on behalf of the children and the grandchildren.” In this episode we explore this climate pitch. 

Main Section

Host Peterson Toscano speaks with three women whose lives have been affected by pollution particularly in their childhood. Piper Christian is a 16 year old climate advocate from Utah who was moved by an even younger person from Malaysia she met at the Paris Climate Summit last November. Clara Fang is an ecologist and poet, who as a girl experienced extreme pollution in her homeland of China. Now living in the USA, she is seeking global solutions to climate change. Cathy Orlando a Canadian had an epiphany about climate change when she was pregnant at age 40. She brought her instincts, knowledge, and sass with her to the climate advocacy table. 

The Art House

We also hear from ecologist and poet Lilace Mellin Guignard who during our Art House section of the program asks the profound question, “How do we raise children in a time of climate change?” She answers this question with a poem. 

Puzzler

Many people wrote in with their answers to last month’s Citizens’ Climate Puzzler. Hear how people responded to Claire, who is concerned about climate change but feels there are bigger issues to address. In addition to hearing from listeners, we are joined by Joanna Huxster, PhD, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Bucknell University who does research on the public’s understanding of climate change. She shares her expert opinion on what sort of responses might be most effective. 

This month’s Puzzler

Imagine you are chatting with someone while traveling somewhere—bus, train, plane, camel—however you travel with others. You reveal that you are concerned about climate change. You say you are pursuing a variety of solutions. The person you are speaking with, let’s call him Sven, replies, 

“I could not agree more. In fact, I am doing so much to address global warming—I recycle, take shorter showers, ride my bike to work, and I have become a vegan. If we each would just do our own part, we will tackle this problem.” 

What do you think about Sven’s response? Is he correct to assume that if enough people change their individual consumption habits, we will tackle this problem? He clearly cares about addressing climate change and is putting lots of effort into cleaning up his personal lifestyle. How would answer Sven?

 

Send in your answers. Leave your name, contact info, and where you are from.

Get back to Peterson by August, 15th 2016. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org  You can also text  leave a voicemail at 570.483.8194. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.)

Citizens’ Climate Radio is available on podbean, iTunes, and Stitcher Radio. Please rate  and review. If you like what you hear, please share the show with your friends. Citizens’ Climate Radio is a project of Citizens’ Climate Education. 

Citizens Climate Radio Ep 1 Beginnings and Transformations

Welcome to the first episode of Citizens Climate Radio. In this podcast we highlight people’s stories, 

we celebrate your successes, and together we share strategies for talking about climate change. 

Our theme this month is Beginnings and Transformations. We bring you an intimate, moving, and at times hilarious conversation with Marshall Saunders, founder of Citizens Climate Lobby, and Mark Reynolds, the executive director. They reveal their origin stories. Highly ambitions and successful businessmen, they seemed unlikely candidates to head up an organization that puts relationship-building and climate advocacy at its heart. 

We also go to the Art House, a section in the show where we highlight creative ways to talk about climate issues. Show host, Peterson Toscano, shares a comic monologue with five of his wackiest characters. Together they reveal the Five Stages of Hot Climate Action! 

Also, hear about our monthly Citizens Climate Puzzler. Check out this month's puzzler and send us your best answer!

You are at a party, perhaps a graduation party or something for work or it really doesn’t matter. You are chit-chatting, and you let drop that you are concerned about climate change. You say you are involved in a group that is pursuing solutions. The person you are chatting with, let’s call her Claire, smiles and says, “Well, I too am concerned about climate change, but really I think there are much more pressing issues that we need to address.” 

How might you respond in a way that opens up the conversation? See if you can offer an answer that affirms Claire while moving her closer to climate change advocacy.  

Get back to Peterson by July 15,  2016. You can email your answers to radio@citizensclimate.org or call  and leave a voicemail at 570.483.8194.  Peterson will read/listen and respond to all of your messages. He will then share the best answers in our next episode which airs July 25, 2016.

 

Citizens Climate Radio is a monthly podcast and a project of Citizens Climate Education. Please subscribe to the Citizens Climate Lobby iTunes channel or wherever you listen to audio programs, and please share, rate, and review.