“It seems odd that we would just let the world burn.” That was the title for a piece Ezra Klein wrote for the New York Times a few months ago. And it captures a truth about our civilization’s trajectory. If we don’t act — and act urgently — all life on earth is at risk. 

Yet, even with Democrats in power, action on climate change has been nonexistent. We are watching as the world burns. 

But not all of us. Alex Marquardt is co-founder of a group that defends the climate by defending the activists risking everything to save it. And his experiences, from suing Harvard as a law student to defending activists blocking fossil fuel transit lines, should give us all hope for the future — and teach us how change actually happens. (Hint: it’s typically not at elite institutions like Harvard.) 

The last week has been a hard one, as many of you who follow me probably know. I lost someone very important to me. But if there’s a solution to grief, it’s hope. And I’m proud to share this podcast today because so much of what Alex shares gives me hope for the future.

The Climate Defense Project

The Backlash Effect, Michael Klarman

Music by Moby: Everything That Rises