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In this special episode, Casey guides us through the stories of our conservative and progressive guests who are advocating for climate action. We'll hear about the power of science, family, and faith to change hearts and minds. Featuring former Congressman Bob Inglis (RepublicEN.org), Kiera O'Brien (Young Conservatives for Carbon Dividends), former Congressman Carlos Curbelo, Jerry Taylor (Niskanen Center), Saya Ameli Hajebi (Sunrise Movement), and Keya Chatterjee (US Climate Action Network).

Notable Quotes

Bob Inglis, on how faith mobilized him to climate action:

“…this Aussie climate scientist was showing me, as we were snorkeling together, the glories of the great barrier reef, and I could see that he was worshiping God in what he was showing me. St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary use words.” And so Scott, Scott Heron, was preaching the gospel. You could see it in his eyes. It was written all over his face. In his excitement about the creator behind that creation he was showing me.”

Jerry Taylor, on his televised debate with a frustrated physicist:

 “…look, I'm not a scientist. I was a gunslinger at the Cato Institute in this debate. I'm not stupid. I do read the literature and read these studies, but I'm not a scientist. And you're deferring to expertise that you trust.

And at that point I discovered that I hadn't been doing near the due diligence I should be doing on the evidence that I was forwarding.”

Saya Ameli Hajebi, on why political activism is valuable to her:

“I was always struck by how the government was always prosecuting people and making it extremely difficult for people to voice their opinions. To be an activist in Iran was a gamble between life and death.”

Keya Chatterjee, on why she moved away from scientific research:

“I realized that, having been trained as an ecosystem scientist, that wasn't the kind of struggle I was in. That this was much more akin to my grandparents’ participation in the Indian independence movement than anything that the scientific community had solved. And that actually, this was a problem of injustice and power. And who's wielding power over who, and who's getting hurt by that oppression.”

Further reading on today’s episode:

• An introduction to ice cores

• How climate change threatens the Great Barrier Reef

• The Raise Wages, Cut Carbon Act of 2009

• Algal blooms in Alaska

• James Hansen testifies to Congress in 1988 that climate change has already begun

• The House Climate Solutions Caucus

• What climate change will mean for Florida

• Protests in Iran leading to arrests and deaths

• Air pollution closes schools in Tehran

• Arctic sea ice data

• The Indian Independence Movement

Photo by BRUNO EMMANUELLE on Unsplash