Today's guest is Benji Backer, Founder and President of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC). 

ACC is focused on building grassroots environmental movement amongst the right-of-center space for climate action, with 150 chapters across the country. Benji is a passionate environmentalist and out to change the minds of people who think conservative and climate change advocate don't belong in the same sentence. 

In today’s episode, we cover: 

• An overview of the American Conservation Coalition and the work they do
• Benji's background and his passion for the environment
• His transition from conservative activist to climate activist 
• How he reconciles his passions and conservative viewpoints
• The two-party system and its shortcomings 
• Increasing polarization in the US 
• Who controls the narrative in Washington vs. who gets bills passed
• The Build Back Better Bill 
• The Republican party's shift away from conservation in the early 2000s
• Issues with the climate narrative leaving people out
• Benji's views on how to balance self-interest and taking action on climate solutions
• The role of government in addressing the climate crisis 
• Consumer behavior changes 
• The intersection between of climate change and environmental justice in cities and rural communities 
• Benji's key priorities over the next 12-24 months 
• ACC's Climate Commitment plan 
• Who he wants to hear from

Enjoy the show!

You can find me on Twitter @jjacobs22 (me), @mcjpod (podcast) or @mcjcollective (company). You can reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded July 15, 2022.

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant