climate change — Podcast Transcripts

Transcript for “Building Consensus on Climate Change” with Benji Backer

With extreme weather and deadly disasters dominating headlines, the issue of climate change is a vital issue in the 2024 election. The majority of Americans believe there is human-caused climate change affecting our lives and fear for future impacts. The issue raises a range of perspectives on how to tackle the problem among the candidates running for higher office. If the majority of us are united on this issue, how do we have better discourse to find productive solutions? In this interview, Benji Backer shares his experience building consensus among conservatives and liberals to make progress on climate change.

In this conversation, Benji highlights some of the bipartisan climate legislation that has passed in the United States in recent history. He talks about how the American Conservation Coalition and other partners have led the way to help lawmakers prioritize the environment and climate issues. Benji goes on to discuss where climate change ranks in importance for voters, where people can get useful information about climate politics, and he even talks about how artificial intelligence anxiety is supplanting climate change as a political issue.

Benji Backer is President and Founder of the American Conservation Coalition, the largest right-of-center environmental organization in the country. He has been awarded the Fortune 40 Under 40, Forbes 30 Under 30, GreenBiz 30 Under 30, and Grist 50 for his work with the ACC. He serves as a Board member for the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum and Mainstream Republicans of Washington. A frequent contributor to multiple national media outlets, Benji is one of the leading youth environmental voices in the country.

Thank you to Starts with Us for their collaboration on this series. Starts with Us is an organization committed to overcoming extreme political and cultural division. Check them out at startswith.us.

Politics, Election, The Futuredon macphersonOctober 15, 2024politics, Election, Democracy, Bipartisan Legislation, climate change, environmental legislation, American Conservation Coalition

Transcript for “Combating Media and Institutional Mistrust” with Tara McGowan

Most Americans do not trust traditional media. Some do not believe in our elections. The growing spread of mistrust in our country's institutions impacts civic engagement and our democracy. As a former journalist and political strategist, Tara McGowan provides insights into this crisis and what we can do to counter America’s lack of faith in the pillars that make our democracy tick.

In this conversation, Tara discusses the extent of the disinformation problem in the United States and where it is concentrated, what individuals and organizations are creating it, why people are drawn to outrageous news stories, and the health of societies that suffer from rampant disinformation. She goes on to talk about the incredible progress the United States has made in advancing human rights, where people can go to find trustworthy news sources, and she finishes with what fills her with a sense of optimism.

Tara McGowan is the founder and publisher of COURIER, a fast-growing left-leaning news network with local newsrooms in eleven states. COURIER is building a more informed, engaged, and representative democracy by reaching tens of millions of Americans where they are online with factual, values-driven news that inspires civic participation. A former journalist and political strategist, Tara has seen firsthand how America’s growing information chasm has contributed to increased polarization and the rising threat of authoritarianism. Earlier in her career, Tara led some of the largest digital advertising and marketing programs supporting progressive causes and candidates in U.S. politics, including at ACRONYM, Priorities USA, NextGen Climate, and as a digital strategist on President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.

Politics, Election, The Futuredon macphersonOctober 8, 2024politics, Election, Democracy, climate change, Misinformation, election, Media, Social media, Authoritarianism