CCR Ep 37 Baseball, Circus, and Climate Change with MLB pitcher Brent Suter and circus artist Eliana Dunlap

In this episode we feature two people with very unconventional jobs. Milwaukee Brewers pitcher, Brent Suter is concerned about climate change. He is using his platform to speak out. Circus artist and podcaster, Eliana Dunlap, "does circus" and is using circus arts to raise awareness about climate change.

There is a growing movement among professional athletes. Beyond greening the sportsworld, more and more champions are using their platforms to urge large scale responses to climate change. Lew Blaustein, editor at Green Sports Blog, writes about this trend. He has been introducing Citizens Climate Radio host, Peterson Toscano to professional athletes who are not afraid to talk about climate change. 

Brent Suter received a scholarship to play baseball at Harvard University, where he studied environmental science. He learned about the effects of climate change and what how we need to drastically reduce our pollution. At first that meant making individual lifestyle choices to lower his own personal carbon footprint, but he has been expanding his efforts. Through his Strike Out Waste initiative, he got professional baseball players to use reusable water bottles during spring training. 

That’s just a start. Brent understands we need to change national energy policy. In a recent interview for the Green Sport Blog he said, "At this point in time, a carbon pricing program and higher incentives for clean energy are absolutely imperative towards the goal of stabilizing our climate and ensuring a healthy and viable future for our planet. The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act would not only help achieve these goals, but would give the funds raised back to the people, save countless lives, and create millions of jobs! A Green Revolution needs to happen fast, and this law, if passed, would play a vital role in helping solve the most important problem of our lives.”

Hear our exclusive interview and learn more about the exciting news about how Brent is taking on climate change. 

The Art House

Eliana Dunlap was not born into a circus family; instead she learned circus arts at a circus school in Quebec. Her circus skill set is impressive and includes acrobatics, juggling, dance, and her speciality, the German Wheel. She has been performing circus arts in non-traditional spaces. She is also someone who is creatively responding to climate change. Through her podcast, Changing the World and Other Circus Related Things, she is connecting with other concerned circus artists. She is also one of the founding members of the Circus Action Network. 

Eliana likens the high stakes world of circus arts to the challenges we face with climate change. She also sees examples from the circus world about how we can get people from various backgrounds to work together. This summer she and a friend will do street performances of a new circus art show called, High Stakes--What's the Plan(t)? In addition to lots of juggling and acrobatics, the show features a live plant as part of the action. 

In this fascinating interview, Eliana opens up about the world of circus and how she and other concerned artists are creating avenues for a deeper conversation about climate change. 

Puzzler

In answer to last month's question, high school student, Jerome Foster II, explains why in his climate work he is more of an advocate than a rebel. 

New Puzzler Question

It’s a weird one, but there is a method in Our madness. We need to expand the ways we talk about climate change. Here is the question:

What color do you associate with climate change and why? or What sound do you associate with climate change and why?

Answer either or both.

Try answering the puzzler question. Leave your name, contact info, and where you are from. Get back to host, Peterson Toscano by July, 15, 2018. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org or leave a voicemail of 3 minutes or less at 518.595.9414. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.)

Dig Deeper

• United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework
• Brent Suter on Major League Baseball Network Twitter with a video about sustainability
• WTMJ 4 featuring Brent Suter's skills doing impressions
• See Eliana Dunlap on the German Wheel and on the Trapeze 
• A short documentary about the German Wheel
• High Stakes--What's the Plan(t) video promo

You can hear Citizens’ Climate Radio on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, Podbean, Northern Spirit Radio, Google Play, PlayerFM, and TuneIn 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.

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