One Planet Podcast Climate Change & Environmental Solutions · Creative Process Original Series

How can we make the radical social changes needed to address the climate crisis? What kind of large ecological disaster or mass mobilization in the streets needs to take place before we take meaningful climate action?

Dana R. Fisher is the Director of the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity and Professor in the School of International Service at American University. Fisher’s research focuses on questions related to democracy, civic engagement, activism, and climate politics. Current projects include studying political elites’ responses to climate change, and the ways federal service corps programs in the US are integrating climate into their work. She is a self-described climate-apocalyptic optimist and co-developed the framework of AnthroShift to explain how social actors are reconfigured in the aftermath of widespread perceptions and experiences of risk. Her seventh book is Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action.

“The circular economy is a really interesting space because the reality is that these waste streams are an opportunity for these companies to rethink how they can build a product out of it…Do we need to move away from single-use plastic? Absolutely. There's no need for it. Paper has its cons, but at the same time, the recycling rate on paper is better than plastic. So you have to look at the pros and cons of every single one of these and then see what works for your business and your situation.
I'm inspired by a lot of young people who are in their early twenties. They're very interested in these topics. They love thrifting because it is trendy, cool, and affordable. And it's also really good for the environment. I hope that they continue to fight for what is right. I think that what's needed in today's world is that we do create more equitable models, whether it's in business or elsewhere. And that we do have some kind of respect for the planet because the reality is, if we don't, we're the ones that are going to suffer at the end of the day. It's only going to become harder for us, whether it's getting food to eat, whether it's having an environment that's comfortable and hospitable, whether it's having the supply chains we need for all the products in the world. I hope that there is a business model and a path forward, and I hope they're the trailblazers who sort of make it happen. We need to encourage that. We need to create policies that also allow for some of this stuff to flourish.”

What is regenerative business? How can we create a business mindset that addresses social, economic and environmental issues?
Esha Chhabra has written for national and international publications over the last 15 years, focusing on global development, the environment, and the intersection of business and impact. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Economist, The Guardian, and other publications. She is the author of Working to Restore: Harnessing the Power of Business to Heal the Earth.

“We actually do need these animals on the landscape, and we're going to protect them and restore them and help their populations increase. And so, to me, beavers are proof that what we're doing as conservationists is not futile, right? That there really is reason for hope and optimism, which beavers demonstrate. I think that's a really important lesson for young people to hear is that you're not just entering this world of eco-anxiety and climate change and depression. There are some really hopeful wildlife stories out there, and you can be part of that future.”

Every year, humanity's footprint casts a deadly shadow over our skies and landscapes, claiming the lives of billions of birds and other wildlife. What is road ecology? How are our roads driving certain species towards extinction? And what can we do about it?

“We know we're facing the extermination of life on the planet. And we've not stopped doing it. Why can't we fix it? I don't really sense, except among a certain level of educated elites in the West, a really deep understanding of our commitment to economic prosperity as a superordinate value. Climate change restrictions so that we can have an end to the catastrophic effects of climate change don't often take into account inequalities it would require for the third world when the livelihood of so many of their citizens depend on the only energy resource they have. And I'm speaking to you now from upstate New York where we have a country home, a farm with 50 acres. We're very much in nature all around us. I had always been an urbanite. Kant said our ability to appreciate beauty means that we are not merely sensible creatures of pleasure. We don't treat the beauty of nature as something we want to own to amuse ourselves. The beauty of nature is an indication of a kind of purposiveness in nature that fits us at a level beyond our mere senses. Something about the significance of the beautiful in nature reassures us that we have a higher vocation than mere entertainment and enjoyment. Some solemnity, sublimity, in our ability to appreciate the beauty of nature is encouraging about our species.”