WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT?

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

A show about climate solutions, about what we need to do to address the climate crisis, and how to make those things happen — from changing laws, to electrifying buildings, to improving fashion and media. Each week an expert guest joins host Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson to break it down, delightfully, and help us all envision what getting right on climate looks like, so we can reel that vision into reality. ayanaelizabeth.substack.com

  1. 2 days ago

    Rewind: Connecting the dots on climate and democracy 🔄 with Stacey Abrams

    First, happy 2nd birthday to What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures (the book version). Thank you for welcoming it into the world so warmly (NYT bestseller! 10,000+ of you coming to book tour events!) that it continues on in podcast form. 💛✨ If you haven't yet checked it out, find the (massively updated) paperback edition at your local library or bookstore. The 20 interviews it contains with incredible experts (including, of course, our wise Bill McKibben, star of the “Divest and Protest” chapter) are all still very relevant. Alas, we have not gotten it right, yet. But we are not giving up on life on Earth, right?! Right. _____ And now for today's bonus episode, a delightful conversation with Stacey Abrams from two years ago. It was recorded during Climate Week 2024, when my book was hot of the presses and we were, likewise, in the run-up to an intensely crucial election. 😵‍💫 Stacey was, at the time, senior counsel to Rewiring America, and thinking deeply about what electrification and the clean energy transition could practically look like — especially in communities of color and especially in the South. Some people are surprised with the depth of her expertise on climate but (1) never underestimate Stacey Abrams, and (2) her college thesis was on environmental justice! She’s not new to this. And she connects the dots between climate and democracy like none other. Hot tip: Listen to the end if you want to hear us sing our favorite Prince song together 🎶 _____ Mentioned in this episode: * More than 47 million people in the U.S. — one in seven — live in coastal cities, and nearly 60% of those residents identify as people of color, compared to 37% nationally. * Cancer Alley: The eighty-five-mile stretch along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge is nicknamed “Cancer Alley” because of its concentration of more than 200 petrochemical facilities and associated high rates of cancer. * Sea level rise could displace 410 million people globally, including 13.1 million people in the U.S., by 2100. * About 40% of the U.S.’s energy-related emissions come from decisions our homes and vehicles. * If you have a gas stove in a poorly ventilated rental apartment, you face a climate catastrophe in your home. * Podcast episode with Ari Matusiak, CEO of Rewiring America _____ Be a Climate Citizen: If you don’t know what to do with your election anxiety, join me and the Environmental Voter Project to phone bank every Wednesday at 12p ET. ☎️🌎 Bring the homies. RSVP here. As Stacey Abrams says, “I don’t need purity, I need participation.” _____ Credits: This episode was produced and edited by Remoy Philip and me (Ayana), with support from Jenisha Shrestha. Original music by Emma Munger. Graphic design by Holly Griffin of Design Hungry, and social media support from Feeling Seen Studio. BIG thanks to Stacey Abrams and her team, and to event sponsors Grist, Rewiring America, Mother Jones, and the Tishman Environment and Design Center at the New School. If you’re enjoying our podcast, pass it along. Drop an episode link in your group chats. Follow and review on your platform of choice. Spread the word. And we’ll be back on Tuesday with a new episode. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

  2. 4 days ago

    Clean energy super PAC says “don’t mess with solar” ☀️💰, with Tom Matzzie

    The clean energy industry is getting aggressive, Super PAC style. And, honestly, it’s pretty exciting. Our guest this episode is Tom Matzzie, founder and CEO of Clean Choice Energy, an energy supplier whose mission is to make clean energy accessible to all. Highly relevant: he’s also a veteran political strategist. Clean energy entrepreneurs and advocates have largely relied on affordability, efficiency, and environmental upsides to make their case. You know, the facts. But elections aren’t decided on facts alone. They are about power and influence. Well, now there’s a new super PAC in town: the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition. It’s a pro-clean energy PAC founded in response to right-wing politicians killing the Inflation Reduction Act’s support for the clean energy industry. Their Texas-inspired message? “Don’t mess with solar.” _____ Clean energy mascot competition! 🏆 During this conversation, we found ourselves thinking: The clean energy industry needs a mascot. Ayana came up with Freddy the Photon. Bill came up with Sunny Da Riveter. Certainly you can do better. What should it be? Drop your ideas in our newsletter comments! We will think long and hard about your submissions, and in addition major bragging rights, we’ll send the winner a “don’t mess with solar” t-shirt. _____ Mentioned in this episode: * Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC * Merch for “Don’t Mess With Solar” and “Don’t Mess With Wind” * Tom’s company: Clean Choice Energy * Chip Roy,one of the leaders of the House Freedom Caucus, quoted on wanting to kill 90% of all clean energy projects. * There are more people working at Arby's sandwich shops than there are mining coal left in America. * Another podcast we recommend: The Nature of With Willow Defebaugh. Each episode, Willow sits down with artists, scientists, and cultural pioneers, from Robin Wall Kimmerer to Esther Perel, to uncover what nature can teach us about creativity, connection, and change. VERY good. Go listen! _____ PHONE BANK ☎️🌎 with Environmental Voter Project Join me every Wednesday until Election Day, from 12 - 1:30p ET. We’re gonna phone bank with EVP — on repeat — to help make sure Earth lovers show up to vote. Bring your crew. All the cool kids are doing it. Sign up at environmentalvoter.org/AEJ _____ Credits: This episode was produced by Remoy Philip and me (Ayana), with support from Jenisha Shrestha. Original music by Emma Munger. Graphic design by Holly Griffin of Design Hungry, and social media support from Feeling Seen Studio. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

  3. 10 Sept

    How the climate movement can build political power 🌎💪🏽 with Nathaniel Stinnett

    The environmental movement has a voter turnout problem: 11.2 million environmental voters did not vote in the 2024 election. Over 11 MILLION! That’s over half of the people who say climate/environment is their #1 voting issue. On the one hand: Are you kidding me?! WTF 😖 — especially when elections are often decided by mere thousands of votes. On the other hand: So much room for improvement! So, what can we do about this? Enter Environmental Voter Project. Our guest for this episode is Nathaniel Stinnett, founding executive director of EVP. I’ve been a fan and supporter of EVP since day one. It’s a nonpartisan nonprofit whose entire reason for being is getting non-voting environmentalist to become super voters. ✅ Just imagine the world we could have if those 11+ million Americans actually voted and politicians lived in fear of the enviro voting block. Swoon. So dreamy. In Nathaniel’s words: "What the climate movement needs now more than anything is political power, period. We have a whole bunch of policy solutions. We have a whole bunch of technology. What we are missing is political power." But for me, his real zinger of the episode was: "The fossil fuel industry has convinced us the climate crisis is a suicide rather than a homicide. And we’re all just still blaming ourselves." Hot damn. Well, blame where it’s due. But also, what if we get this right...? Nathaniel’s Hot Climate Take 🥵🌎 — Not only should Democrats be talking about climate change, they should embrace it as a wedge issue. Mentioned in this episode: * EVP Impact Report: 11.2 MILLION environmentalists did not vote in the 2024 election * YouGov Weekly Tracking Poll of issues Americans consider most important: 7.1% of US registered voters rank “climate change and environment” as their top priority. (On the upswing!) * Jess Craven’s Substack newsletter: Chop Wood Carry Water * UCSB 2035 Initiative: Polling: Politicians Shouldn’t Hide From Climate Credits: This episode was produced by Remoy Philip and me (Ayana), with support from Jenisha Shrestha. Graphic design by Holly Griffin of Design Hungry, and social media support from Feeling Seen Studio. _____ PHONE BANK ☎️🌎 with Environmental Voter Project Join me every Wednesday until Election Day, from 12 - 1:30p ET. We’re gonna phone bank with EVP — on repeat — to help make sure Earth lovers show up to vote. If 12p on Wednesdays doesn’t work for you, I will miss you, but sign up for EVPs many other shifts. Bring your crew. All the cool kids are doing it. Register here. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

  4. 8 Sept

    Climate hushing, EVs 🔌 and creating “The Carbon Wave,” with Leah Stokes

    Welcome to Season 5 of What If We Get It Right? 💫 While it may seem counterintuitive given the electoral subject matter, Bill McKibben and I are having a blast gabbing with all these wonderful folks who work on climate and politics. Our first guest is Dr. Leah Stokes, professor of environmental politics, energy policy wonk, activist, and writer. During the Biden administration, she also became a DC insider and was integral to the development and passage of the Inflation Reduction Act – THE biggest climate law in history. With Leah, we reflect/debrief on the IRA, bemoan the empirical absurdity of politicians going quiet on climate, and hear her pitch for abandoning the term “carbon footprint” (that evil/brilliant phrase from the fossil fuel industry) and instead embracing a “carbon wave.” The Carbon Wave is also the title of her new book, well worth reading. Leah’s Hot Climate Take 🥵🌎 — It is cheaper and cleaner to drive an electric vehicle than a gas-powered car and it’s gonna work in every single corner of this country— don't believe the fossil fuel industry lies! If you own a car, it should be an electric car. For more from Leah: * her Substack newsletter Notes from the Electric Era * her podcast A Matter of Degrees, co-hosted with Katharine K. Wilkinson. * her books: The Carbon Wave & Short Circuiting Policy * catch her on book tour Mentioned in this episode: * Inside Climate News: Elected Democrats Have Embraced ‘Climate Hushing.’ Are They Making a Mistake as the Midterms Loom? * Leah’s Substack pieces: Yes, Democrats Should Talk About Climate & No, the Democrats’ Big Climate Law is Not Dead. * Australian’s government has made electricity free during the middle of the day — because solar energy is abundant. * Energy Innovation: “99 percent of existing U.S. coal plants are more expensive to run than replacement by local wind, solar, and energy storage resources.” * The Carbon Wave Calculator _______ PHONE BANK ☎️🌎 with Environmental Voter Project Join me every Wednesday until Election Day from 12 - 1:30p ET. We’re gonna phone bank with the magnificent Environmental Voter Project to help make sure Earth lovers show up to vote. This week we’re calling Maine! Sign up! ______ Credits:This episode was produced by Remoy Philip and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, with support from Jenisha Shrestha. Graphic design by Holly Griffin of Design Hungry, and social media support from Feeling Seen Studio. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Season 5 Trailer

    Trailer: Ayana and Bill McKibben are teaming up as podcast co-hosts! ✨

    Season 5 of the What If We Get It Right? podcast is dedicated to environmental issues in the midterm elections — what’s at stake and how the planet can win. We are going to get INTO IT. Perhaps grappling with this requires a dynamic duo? Well, it can’t hurt. I’m thrilled to be co-hosting this season with the magnificent and wise journalist, activist, and OG climate legend Bill McKibben. We’ve been having a blast recording the episodes and can’t wait to share them with you. Environmental issues never seem to quite get the attention they deserve when the news covers elections. (UGH.) So! Each week through Election Day, we’ll dive into a new topic with expert guests. We’ll be covering everything from the AI data center boom to Super PACs for clean energy, climate hushing, protecting our public lands, and how to get environmentalists to actually vote. 11.2 MILLION ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS FAILED TO VOTE IN THE 2024 ELECTION! Not good. If we’re going to get this livable planet thing right we really need to be electing people who get it on climate, and just overall getting way more politically savvy. Subscribe, follow, etc. so you don’t miss an episode. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

  6. 25 Aug

    On reciprocity, photosynthesis, and berries 🍓 with Robin Wall Kimmerer

    Earlier this month at College of the Atlantic, I was over the moon to speak alongside the one and only Robin Wall Kimmerer, botanist, teacher, Earth lover and legendary author of Braiding Sweetgrass. Our conversation went deeper than I expected — but that’s on me for not having higher expectations! We discussed everything from the value of books in this age of shrinking attention spans, to how to shift our thinking from competition to collaboration (inspired by the mutualism of ecosystems), to the urgency of reciprocity and gift giving. I shared my spicy take on strawberries and we discussed the magic of photosynthesis. Plants. It’s all about plants. It was such a beautiful, spirited morning with Robin. And it was kicked off with the most thoughtful and lovely introduction, by COA student, Madi DuVarney. Want more from Robin? Of course you do. Find her books at your local library, on your friend’s shelf, or order from an indie bookshop. ✨ ANNOUNCEMENT ✨ For Season 5 of this podcast, I'm bringing in a co-host: the magnificent and wise journalist, activist, and climate legend, Bill McKibben. The midterm elections are right around the corner, in 70 days, and if we’re going to get this livable planet thing right we really need to be electing people who get it on climate. Environmental issues never seem to quite get the attention they deserve when the news media is covering about what’s at stake and now to win. So! We, here, are going to get into it. Each week through Election Day, Bill and I will dive into a new topic with expert guests — everything from the AI data center boom to PACs for clean energy to how to get environmentalists to actually vote. As more and more Americans are hit by the impacts of climate change and are more and more motivated to be part of the solutions, let’s make sure they have the info they need. Can you feel my excitement? Are you stoked too? Do us a favor and help spread the word. Tell your people to subscribe. _____ CREDITS: This podcast is ad-free thanks to the support of Future Being, a grant making and special project studio, which supports the healing of our planet and the safeguarding of biological and cultural diversity.This episode was produced by Remoy Philip and myself with support from Jenisha Shrestha. Special thanks to Luie Dransfield for the technical side of this recording along with Shawn Keeley from the College of the Atlantic. Alright, Earthlings, I’ll be back in September WITH BILL MCKIBBEN(!) and some piping hot new episodes. In the meantime, do your part and be kind and love this planet. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

  7. 21 May

    What climate leadership looks like in Maine 🌲, with Hannah Pingree

    This conversation had an odd effect on me. I found it... relaxing? To hear a politician speaking competently, calmly, clearly, practically and with nuance about climate policy was so soothing, reassuring. More of this please! How can we make things happen when your federal leaders are climate deniers in the pocket of fossil fuel industry? One answer is that state government leaders need to majorly step up. So, today’s conversation with Maine gubernatorial candidate Hannah Pingree is an important one. Hannah Pingree is is a longtime public servant and climate leader from a small island off the midcoast of Maine. I would describe her as a strategic problem-solver. Very importantly, in a fiercely independent “purple” state like Maine, Hannah also has a track record of something very rare in American politics right now: an ability to get things done across all sorts of political divides, including on climate issues. In this conversation, we cover everything from AI data centers, to clean energy, affordability, aquaculture, PFAS (aka forever chemicals), working waterfronts, and the critical role of governors in this era of excruciating federal rollbacks. After hearing this interview, you’ll get why I will be ranking Hannah Pingree #1 on my ballot and why Maine Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, and — perhaps most notably — the High School Democrats of Maine have endorsed her. This is an especially timely episode because early voting in Maine’s primary election is open NOW! And Election Day is June 9th. So whether you’re a Maine voter yourself, know someone who is, or are just interested in what state-level climate leadership can look like... this one’s for you. Have a listen and send this episode to all the Mainers in your life so they can make a more informed decision. And wherever you live, it’s a perfect time to pick a candidate, roll up your sleeves and help them win. These midterm elections are an ENORMOUS deal. Don’t know where to begin? Check out which candidates Lead Locally and Working Families Party have endorsed, and sign up to phone bank with Environmental Voter Project. Credits: This episode was produced by Remoy Philip and me, with support from Jenisha Shrestha. That’s it! That’s our small but mighty team. Alright, Earthlings, I’m gonna take the summer off from podcasting. And then! I’ll be back in the fall with an election season of the show. For that I’m going to be teaming up with a magnificent and wise and charming co-host. All will be revealed in due time... but get stoked, and stay tuned, and do your part, and be kind, and keep loving this planet. 🩵 Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

  8. 4 May

    Climate Wayfinding 🧭 with Dr. Katharine Wilkinson

    Today’s conversation is a special one. I’m joined by someone who’s been a collaborator and a dear friend in this work: Katharine K. Wilkinson. And tomorrow, May 5th, is publication day for Katharine's new book that’s the culmination of the last 5 years of her work — or perhaps of her lifetime. It’s called Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home. It’s such an important book because the vast majority of people are concerned about climate change. But a much smaller portion of people are actively engaged in pushing forward solutions. And so much of whether and how we step up and lean in is about our feelings. How do we move from anxiety and dread into something more like, as she puts it, a shimmering purpose? If you have questions about your role in climate solutions — how to move from, as the back cover says “ache to action, from doubt to possibility” — Climate Wayfinding will help you navigate toward answers. Let’s be honest, we all have these questions! So, head on over to your local independent bookstore and and pick up Katherine’s book in all its periwinkle glory, or request it from your local library. Notes: Katharine’s article in TIME Magazine: The Climate Crisis Is a Call to Action. These 5 Steps Helped Me Figure Out How to Be of Use. This podcast is ad-free thanks to the support of Future Being, a grant making and special project studio, which supports the healing of our planet and the safeguarding of biological and cultural diversity.This episode was produced by Remoy Philip and myself with support from Jenisha Shrestha. Alright, earthlings. You know the motto: Take climate change seriously, but let’s not take ourselves too seriously. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

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About

A show about climate solutions, about what we need to do to address the climate crisis, and how to make those things happen — from changing laws, to electrifying buildings, to improving fashion and media. Each week an expert guest joins host Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson to break it down, delightfully, and help us all envision what getting right on climate looks like, so we can reel that vision into reality. ayanaelizabeth.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
  • Show Website
    WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT?

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