Show Notes for Hot Mess: The Great Climate Divide - How Consensus Became Chaos

Episode Summary: In this third episode of Hot Mess: How Climate Consensus Turned Into Political Chaos, host Peterson Toscano unravels the pivotal shifts that transformed bipartisan climate cooperation into a landscape rife with skepticism and polarization. Joined by guests Chelsea Henderson and Katie Zarkreski, the conversation delves into the rise of disinformation campaigns, strategic political alliances, and economic anxieties that redefined the public perception of climate change.

Key Topics:

• Early Momentum and Opposition: The episode begins by revisiting the climate action momentum of the early 1990s and how fossil fuel interests orchestrated disinformation campaigns to cast doubt on climate science.
• Industry Playbooks and Political Strategy: Chelsea Henderson, director at republicEn, explains the fossil fuel industry’s approach: sowing fear about economic impacts and casting scientific doubt. She reveals how well-funded ad campaigns promoted skepticism and stalled meaningful climate policy.
• From Climate Skepticism to Political Gridlock: Katie Zarkreski, co-host of Green Tea Party Radio, discusses the fossil fuel industry’s long history of suppressing climate science findings. Katie examines how both major political parties, under pressure from industry donors, began shifting away from environmental priorities.
• The Role of Key Players: The episode spotlights influential groups like Koch Industries and the Global Climate Coalition, revealing how they fueled a culture of denial and gridlock, reinforcing economic fears and blocking policies, from carbon taxes to international treaties.
• A Bipartisan Complication: Despite traditionally pro-environment platforms, Democrats also contributed to climate inaction. Katie discusses the nuanced role both parties played in the evolving skepticism and economic focus of the era, setting the stage for today’s divided climate politics.

Featured Guests:

• Chelsea Henderson - Host of Eco Right Speaks and director of Editorial Content at republicEn. Chelsea brings over 25 years of climate policy expertise, offering insights into the mechanics of climate politics in Washington, D.C.
• Katie Zarkreski - Co-host of Green Tea Party Radio and climate advocate with a background in faith-based environmental stewardship, Katie shares her journey from skepticism to activism, highlighting how conservative values align with climate action.

Want to learn how you can get involved in bipartisan climate solutions? Visit cclusa.org/action. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with friends or on social media. Every share helps inspire more people to take meaningful action on climate change.

Join the Conversation

Engage with other listeners and share your thoughts on our social media channels. Follow and connect with us on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok.

Tune in next month for more inspiring stories, expert insights, and actionable climate solutions. Together, we can make a difference, one story at a time.

We Want to Hear from You

• Email: radio @ citizensclimate.org
• Text/Voicemail: 619-512-9646 (+1 if calling from outside the USA.)

• Research: Horace Mo Mo, Lily Rushen, Peterson Toscano
• Editorial Assistance: Flannery Winchester, Elise Silvestri, Brett Cease
• Production: Peterson Toscano, Elise Silvestri

Music: Our theme music is Chasing Stories by Elise Silvestri. Other music byEpidemic Sound.

Led by different CCL staffers, this hour of action will provide real-time opportunities to make a collective difference. Whether we're writing to Congress, spreading the word online, or using a number of other vehicles to make our voice heard, we'll come together and continue to make climate action a priority no matter the election outcome.

In this episode of Hot Mess: How Climate Consensus Turned Into Political Chaos, Peterson Toscano introduces us to Marshall Saunders, a man whose unexpected journey from a Texas businessman to a climate advocate sparked a powerful movement. Saunders, the founder of Citizens Climate Lobby, channeled his skills and personal growth into creating a grassroots organization that has inspired climate action across the political spectrum.

Hot Mess is a six-part series hosted by Peterson Toscano that uncovers the untold stories behind the rise and fall of bipartisan efforts to address climate change in the United States.

• The personal transformation of Marshall Saunders.
• The founding of Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL).
• Citizen-driven advocacy and bipartisan climate solutions.
• Using market-based approaches to address climate change.

Marshall Saunders

Marshall was born in Waco, Texas and was the founder of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. He began his career as a businessman, and then became active in the microfinancing movement. His personal story of transformation from a business man to his focus on climate solutions has inspired hundreds of thousands of CCL volunteers. 

Chelsea Henderson
Chelsea, host of RepublicEn’s Eco Right Speaks podcast, returns to provide context on the importance of conservative involvement in climate action. She shares what she sees Conservatives bring to the table when it comes to climate change solutions. Chelsea wrote the book, Glacial: he Untold Story of Climate Politics. 

“Yes, he literally paved paradise and put in a parking lot. He was that guy.” – Peterson Toscano

“We trust that ordinary people can get the job done… It’s a trusting in ordinary people, not people who are powerful, but ordinary people.” – Marshall Saunders

• 00:03:45 – Marshall Saunders' early life as a businessman, paving parking lots and living a life of separateness.
• 00:10:15 – A transformative personal growth workshop that led Saunders to care deeply about the world around him.
• 00:18:30 – Founding Citizens Climate Lobby and the innovative, citizen-driven advocacy model Saunders championed.
• 00:24:50 – The “carbon fee and dividend” plan: a market-based approach to climate action with bipartisan appeal.
• 00:30:40 – The growth of CCL and its influence on climate policy, thanks to thousands of dedicated volunteers.

Want to learn how you can get involved in bipartisan climate solutions? Visit cclusa.org/action. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with friends or on social media. Every share helps inspire more people to take meaningful action on climate change.

Join the Conversation

Engage with other listeners and share your thoughts on our social media channels. Follow and connect with us on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok.

Tune in next month for more inspiring stories, expert insights, and actionable climate solutions. Together, we can make a difference, one story at a time.

We Want to Hear from You

• Email: radio @ citizensclimate.org
• Text/Voicemail: 619-512-9646 (+1 if calling from outside the USA.)

• Research: Horace Mo Mo, Lily Rushen, Peterson Toscano
• Editorial Assistance: Flannery Winchester, Elise Silvestri, Brett Cease
• Production: Peterson Toscano, Elise Silvestri

Music: Our theme music is Chasing Stories by Elise Silvestri. Other music byEpidemic Sound.

Hot Mess: How Climate Consensus Turned Into Political Chaos is a six-part series hosted by Peterson Toscano that uncovers the untold stories behind the rise and fall of bipartisan efforts to address climate change in the United States.

In this first episode, Peterson Toscano takes listeners back to a time when political cooperation on climate issues was possible. The episode explores the beginnings of climate politics in the 1960s, including early warnings about carbon emissions and surprising cross-party collaborations that are difficult to imagine today.

For full show notes and transcript visit www.cclusa.org/radio

• The origins of climate politics in the 1960s.
• Bipartisan collaboration on environmental legislation.
• Early climate activism from figures across the political spectrum..

Chelsea Henderson
Chelsea hosts RepublicEn’s Eco Right Speaks podcast and has long advocated for conservative-led climate solutions. In this episode, she shares her insights into the early days of bipartisan cooperation and the conservative movement's role in addressing climate change.

“We must prevent the overheating of our planet, and that will take decisive action from everyone.” – Audio clip from Margaret Thatcher.

“Nancy Pelosi and Newt Gingrich sitting on the same couch, talking about the climate, alongside Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson—truly, a coalition that seems unimaginable today.” – Peterson Toscano.

• 00:05:15 – Lyndon B. Johnson's 1965 climate briefing: The earliest official recognition of climate threats.
• 00:12:45 – Richard Nixon established key environmental protections, marking bipartisan action.
• 00:18:30 – Margaret Thatcher addresses the United Nations about the risks of climate change internationally.
• 00:22:15 – 2008 We Can Solve It bipartisan climate campaign featuring Nancy Pelosi, Newt Gingrich, Rev. All Sharpton, and Rev. Pat Robertson brought together unlikely allies to tackle climate change.

Want to learn how you can get involved in bipartisan climate solutions? Visit cclusa.org/action. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with friends or on social media. Every share helps inspire more people to take meaningful action on climate change.

Join the Conversation

Engage with other listeners and share your thoughts on our social media channels. Follow and connect with us on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok.

Tune in next month for more inspiring stories, expert insights, and actionable climate solutions. Together, we can make a difference, one story at a time.

We Want to Hear from You

• Email: radio @ citizensclimate.org
• Text/Voicemail: 619-512-9646 (+1 if calling from outside the USA.)

• Research: Horace Mo Mo, Lily Rushen, Peterson Toscano
• Editorial Assistance: Flannery Winchester, Elise Silvestri, Brett Cease
• Production: Peterson Toscano, Elise Silvestri

Music: Our theme music is Chasing Stories by Elise Silvestri. Other music byEpidemic Sound.

Join CCL's Research Team for a training that outlines the background behind attribution science -- the process of quantifying the contribution of global warming to extreme weather and other events --and a discussion around how we can employ attribution science to Hurricane Helene, the process for how connecting climate change with extreme weather events is done, what it has found, as well as how we as CCL volunteers can employ effective communication in using its research and findings.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(3:37) What is Attribution Science and How Is It Done?
(10:59) How Can CCLers Use This Knowledge?
(15:43) More On Hurricane Helene and other 2024 Extreme Weather Events
(35:55) What Can We Do About It?

Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/weather-attribution-slides 
CCL Training Event Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/events/item/24/17109 

The confluence of three external forces may present an opportunity in the next Congress for a carbon price. However, those external forces also constrain the opportunity such that if something passes, it will look different from the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. This webinar will explore how those three forces constrain the debate, what that means for CCL’s priorities, and most importantly, for the climate. To further enhance our discussion, we'll also be hearing from one of the Hamilton Project's authors of the Climate tax policy reform options in 2025.

Our 100th episode of Citizens Climate Radio focuses on climate adaptation and how it’s shaping new career paths. Doug Parsons, host of the America Adapts podcast, joins us and shares his insights on the urgent need for adaptation and the exciting opportunities in this evolving field. We also hear from an engineering student who reveals how he discovered a new climate-related career path. Plus, we share a special report from the future about unexpected climate solution celebrities.

Doug Parsons on Climate Adaptation

Doug Parsons explains that while mitigating climate change by reducing emissions is critical, adaptation—preparing for its impacts—is equally important. From wildfires to sea-level rise, communities must adapt to the changes already happening. Doug discusses “managed retreat” and the hard choices ahead for places like Miami, but he also highlights how climate adaptation offers a fast-growing sector full of opportunities for new careers.

"Adaptation is such an evolving field. If anyone says they know exactly what they're doing, they're lying to you. But that’s what makes it so exciting—you can influence it." —Doug Parsons.

Listen to more episodes of America Adapts

Why Climate? Featuring Justin Baumann

We feature Justin Baumann, an engineering management student at Stevens Institute of Technology. Justin shares his journey into climate work, combining his passion for technology and community care. He discusses how climate change initially seemed distant but soon became a central focus in his studies and career aspirations. Attending the Waterfront Alliance’s annual conference opened doors and gave Justin a new understanding of his role in our rapidly changing world.

What about you? Why are you passionate about climate change work? Let us know by email radio @ clitizensclimate.org

Jobs of the Future

In this episode, we leap into the future. What will the job market look like in a world profoundly shaped by climate change? This radio play originally aired on the Climate Stew podcast and offers a humorous yet thought-provoking look at how engineers may be future celebrities.

Hot Mess: How Climate Consensus Turned Into Political Chaos

Mark your calendars! We are excited to announce our upcoming six-part series, Hot Mess: How Climate Consensus Turned Into Political Chaos. Premiering on Friday, November 1, 2024, this series explores how the united global concern over climate change unraveled, stalling progress. We’ll take you behind the scenes, revealing overlooked moments and heroes of the climate movement and the forces that drove political chaos.

Production Team:
Written and produced by Peterson Toscano, Tamara Staton, Dana Nuccitelli, and Elise Silvestri.
Technical support by Ricky Bradley and Brett Cease.
Social media assistance by Flannery Winchester.
Music by Epidemic Sound.

Join the Conversation:
Follow and engage with us on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok. Share your thoughts and join the discussion using #CitizensClimateRadio.
Call or text our listener voicemail line: (619) 512-9646 (+1 if calling from outside the USA).
Email us at radio @ citizensclimate.org.

Akshat Rathi is a London-based senior reporter for Bloomberg News and author of the new book Climate Capitalism, which is the subject of his 2024 TED Talk. He also hosts Bloomberg Green's weekly Zero podcast and writes a weekly Zero newsletter, focused on climate change. Previously, Akshat was a senior reporter at Quartz and a science editor at The Conversation. His work has been cited widely, including in New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and The Guardian.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Introduction & National Updates
(10:40) Interview w/ Akshat Rathi
(24:16) Q&A Discussion
(40:05) October Actions

October Action Sheet: https://cclusa.org/action-sheet 
Take Action Make A Voting Plan: https://cclusa.org/vote 
Pre-Call Video: https://vimeo.com/1018718136 
More About Akshat: https://akshatrathi.com/ 

Join CCL's Sr. Director of Programs Elli Sparks for a training that offers tips and suggested strategies for onboarding new people into your chapter so that they acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors to become empowered volunteers. Evaluate and then advance your chapter’s capacity and process for quickly welcoming and engaging new recruits so that people you've recently met to help them become engaged in chapter activities and CCL actions.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(5:34) Basic Welcome Process
(18:31) Building Teams and Getting Help
(20:29) Boost Engagement via CCL Community
(22:19) Ongoing Engagement Ideas

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/new-volunteers-engaged 
Training Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/298 

Barbara Wankollie’s Soundscape: Climate and Colonization Through Sound

We highlight Barbara Wankollie, a Liberian political science student at Bucknell University. She created a soundscape reflecting on colonization and Africa’s role in the Anthropocene, inspired by Gabrielle Hecht’s essay The African Anthropocene. Barbara’s piece blends original music with field recordings, starting with rain and drums to symbolize harmony with nature, then shifting to industrial sounds representing colonization’s disruption. A powerful moment in her work came from an accidental recording during a trip to Baltimore, where she and her international friends reflected on Black community and identity. This soundscape offers a unique lens on the intersection of climate and colonization.

The Nerd Corner: The Energy Permitting Reform Act

Dana Nuccitelli unpacks the bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Act, which aims to streamline clean energy projects while boosting fossil fuel extraction. A "super team" of experts modeled the bill’s impact, estimating it could reduce U.S. climate pollution by up to 25% by 2050, with fossil fuel provisions having minimal effect on increasing emissions. This act could play a key role in a cleaner energy future.

Resilience Corner: The Power of Listening

Tamara Staton explores how deep listening enhances collaboration, reduces stress, and builds emotional resilience, which is crucial for long-term climate action. She connects listening to improved trust, creativity, and support within the climate movement, highlighting its value in both personal and professional resilience.

Join CCL's Communications Team Flannery Winchester and Charlotte Ward for a training that will provide a broad overview of the opportunities chapters have as we enter into the fall of 2024 to engage with their local news media on climate solutions.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(2:42) Fall Media Opportunities through Fall
(12:23) CCL's Latest Opportunities + Resources
(27:14) Volunteer Media Round-up

Presentation Slides:  https://cclusa.org/2024-media-opportunities   
Writers Circle Action Team: https://community.citizensclimate.org/groups/home/992  
Media Resources: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/431