Living Change: A Quest For Climate Leadership Larj Media

We conclude Season 1 with a high level look at how corporations might want to identify and leverage their climate influence in the food sector.  Sustainable Business Advisor and former Director of Sustainability for Marks and Spencer, Mike Barry, reminds us of the chilling MI5 maxim, “society is only four meals away from anarchy.” He has long had his eye on how to make internal change and nudge corporate Boards out of complacency on the hard topics. Andrea digs in with her old friend from COP21 days on the big sustainability issues and the transition opportunities we now have right in front of us. Mike views these challenges through his fascinating lens of longtime experience and infectious positivity.

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Mark Gamba’s path into local politics in Oregon is uniquely “Living Change.” As a professional nature photographer seeing climate change on the landscape in real-time, he had all the motivation he needed to run for Mayor of Milwaukie, Oregon. Biking for transportation around town, and working to make it safer for anyone else who wants to do it, has become part of his brand. And, while he might not say it himself, Andrea suspects his “being seen biking” has helped him build trust with constituents and political capital with his leadership peers. For local political leaders across the country, Mark’s inspiring journey – and the way he shares it in this episode – is an aspirational model.

How do you build constituent trust and authentic, resilient community engagement? According to John Bauters, the Mayor of Emeryville, CA, it all started with a bike on his first day of kindergarten. Now, with the lived experience of riding one for transportation around the city he leads, he finds it easier to build trust and get sh*t done. He also discusses the informal coalition of Twitter-using (for now) U.S. mayors who ride bikes or take transit daily and who are building social capital for future policies along the way. Andrea jumps in with big kudos for John’s approach, and provides context for why this sort of leadership matters. And, why many, many more mayors should take heed.  

John Bauters sees a huge part of his Emeryville mayoral responsibility as humanizing the homeless, and reflecting empathy in a way that pushes all of his constituents to see the full community benefits of affordable housing. In this first part of our 2-part conversation, we learn how his own backstory drives his approach and how social justice intersects with pollution and climate change. And we discuss how all of this impacted his thoughts on COP27. From city leaders to residents interested in climate impact, John’s reflections will help you dig deeper. 

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Larj Media

In this special bonus episode, Andrea talks with award-winning investigative climate journalist, Amy Westervelt, about the new season of her podcast, Drilled. Season 8, Light Sweet Crude, centers on Exxon’s activities in Guyana. Unlike the climate influence Andrea (strongly) encourages, this fossil fuel giant Amy reports on so well has perfected a more negative influence. Exxon is buying up social brands (like sports teams) in every corner of the country to fuel their power over it. If average citizens aren’t benefiting from an oil boom does oil really equal prosperity? Amy has thoughts, and this conversation will make you want to head right on over to Drilled to subscribe and hear the full story of Exxon’s influence in Guyana.

Drilled Podcast
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Amy Westervelt
Larj Media

Carfree herself, Baltimore Delegate Robbyn Lewis sees transit as a public good and a lynchpin of democracy. She talks with Andrea about how there’s more to it than simply painting the bus lanes, and how improving transit is absolutely a social justice issue. How do these things get addressed in today’s city? Delegate Lewis makes a great case for really understanding the tools of community engagement and coalition building. If you are looking for smart, bold, and progressive, climate-acting local leaders, start here.