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Forbes
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
How To Reach More People And Save Lives In The Climate Crisis
'I think people care about human stories. I think that first of all, no matter where you are from, your story, other people can relate to it. They can relate to your resilience, they can relate to the environment where you live, and they can relate to, you know, losing a lot of things no matter what. And so for me, as an artist, a musician and filmmaker, I use my art to tell these human stories.' That's how Inna Modja, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, described how to build cultural bridges around the climate crisis. Modja made this point in a session at The Earth Day Women's Summit last week on how to communicate more effectively to mobilize more people to address the climate crisis, which I moderated. The panel included actor/producer Rachelle Begley, content producer/social influencer Hayden Begley and Chelsea Henderson, the Director of Content for ('conservatives for climate change'), who wrote the new book 'Glacial: The inside story of climate politics.' It's a safety issue. One of the challenges in the polarized culture today, is literally keeping communities safe from extreme weather events that are being triggered by the climate crisis – including hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods and droughts. Because some people are only listening to or watching media outlets that do not take the climate crisis seriously, those people may not hear the warnings to prepare or even evacuate in time to stay out of harm's way. Mother Nature does not ask your political affiliation before she wipes out your house, business, school, hospital, or entire community in a hurricane, tornado, flood or wildfire. Just ask the people of Houston, Texas or North Carolina, or Los Angeles who lost everything in massive and unexpected hurricanes, floods and/or wildfires. And the risks are increasing daily. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts that these extreme weather events will become yet more ferocious, more frequent, more destructive and more costly. Insurance companies are pulling out of extreme weather-prone area like Florida and California, and/or raising their rates to unaffordable levels. The Trump administration recently cut critical NOAA and The National Weather Service staff and funding, which means that the life-saving, reliable data NOAA and NWS provide to local meteorologists across the country that helps them warn their residents in time to prepare and/or evacuate, may not reach people in time. So, the need to reach a broader array of people with ways to stay safe and take action to avert the climate crisis is urgent. And, importantly: Get out of your own silo: We can't understand other people if we only listen to people who agree with us, so Henderson added that, 'We can't depolarize if we just sit in our own echo chambers.' She explained that, 'There's going to be a friend who's going to say, you know what? I'm really impressed with the way you're walking the talk and you might influence them.' The Earth Day Women's Summit, produced by Electric Ladies Podcast and Global Green, was one day of the five-day EarthX2025 Congress of Conferences in Dallas, Texas on April 21-25, 2025.
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Most Americans Want Climate Action. How To Bridge The Political Divide
An aerial view of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene flooding Bat Cave, North Carolina on October 8, ... More 2024. (Photo by) The vast majority of Americans across the nation believe climate change is happening (72%), are worried about it (63%), believe it's affecting the weather (65%), and want to transition the U.S. economy to clean energy (66%), including funding research into renewable energy (76%) and providing tax rebates for energy efficient solar panels and vehicles (75%). An extraordinary 77% believe schools should teach about global warming too and 63% said that developing clean energy should be a priority for the President and Congress. That's according to a new study by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communications and George Mason University Center for Climate Communications. Map of U.S. adults worried about global warming - Yale Program on Climate Communications, Feb. 2025 While the current Trump administration is slashing all of the above, there are bipartisan efforts underway to address climate change on Capitol Hill and in statehouses nationwide. 'Climate change is not a partisan issue — it is a reality that affects every community across our country. The challenges we face, from extreme weather to rising energy costs, demand real, lasting solutions,' Congresswoman Chrissy Houlihan, Democrat of Pennsylvania and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus wrote me in an email. Congresswoman Chrissy Houlihan (D-PA), former U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserve She also agrees with the Yale research findings on energy, adding, 'While the word 'climate' may be politically charged for some, the need for affordable, reliable, and secure energy is something we can all agree on. Americans are calling for action, and as Members of Congress it's our responsibility to deliver." "If we want long-term solutions that address both our constituents' concerns and growing climate risks, we must work together to strengthen our energy and climate security with urgency.' Working together means building a bridge across the political divide on climate and clean energy. To explore how we can bridge the partisan divide to address the climate crisis, I spoke with Chelsea Henderson, the author of the new book, 'Glacial: The Inside Story of Climate Politics,' and Director of Editorial Content at an organization of 'conservatives for climate change,' as she described it. "Glacial - The Inside Story of Climate Politics" by Chelsea Henderson was founded by former Republican Representative Bob Englis of South Carolina and they talk about their movement as 'the EcoRight.' Their website says, 'We stand together because we believe in the power of American free enterprise and innovation to solve climate change. Together, we encourage, embolden, and applaud conservative climate leadership,' adding, 'We're here for those who want to embrace the competition of ideas about solutions.' 'I think the first step is just saying it's okay to say that climate change is real and happening, because as you and I know, it is real and it is happening,' Henderson explained in an exclusive interview on Electric Ladies Podcast recently. 'I love to quote Dr. Katharine Hayhoe on this matter. She's like, gravity doesn't care if you believe in it or not. If you jump off a cliff, you're going to go down. Same with climate change. Whether you believe in it or not, that hurricane might hit your town.' Here are ways Henderson suggested we can build bipartisan support for initiatives that address the climate crisis: Chelsea Henderson, Screenshot - Renewable energy in Ohio - Mystik Dan #3, ridden by jockey Brian J. Hernandez Jr. (R), crosses the finish line ahead of Sierra ... More Leone #2, ridden by jockey Tyler Gaffalione and Forever Young, ridden by jockey Ryusei Sakai to win the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 04, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by) She said some skiers talk say they can no longer ski their favorite slopes because of droughts caused by climate change. Even the Kentucky Derby is at risk from climate change, Henderson said, because 'they've gotten to the point where sometimes it's too hot for the horses to be out. It's not safe.' Fire-affected residents meet with FEMA officials on January 14, 2025 in Pasadena, California, where ... More a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center opened today to help homeowners, renters, businesses and non-profits with their economic recovery. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) 'It's going to take a village of messengers and messages to reach people,' Henderson added, 'at the end of the day also crises do often unify us.' 'Mother Nature does not care what your political affiliation is.' Listen to the full interview with Chelsea Henderson on Electric Ladies Podcast here. Attend The Earth Day Women's Summit on April 22nd in Dallas, TX.
