This week, Ian Haney López, author of Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America and Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Public Law at the University of California, Berkeley, joins the show (3:30) to explain the race and class narrative, dog whistle politics, and how defeating racism is essential to combat the climate crisis. We discuss strategies for building a broad, multi-racial progressive coalition, how this compares to historical efforts, and how we got here.

Co-hosts Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel also discuss the new climate cabinet picks by President-elect Joe Biden and the clean energy benefits in a recent spending bill.

As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at [email protected]. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to our new YouTube channel! Check out our updated website!

Link to Race Class Academy

Further Reading and Watching:

Michael Regan, Biden's E.P.A. Pick, Faces 'Massive Reconstruction and Rebuilding'

Class Left Episode on the Race Class Academy

Biden To Pick North Carolina Regulator Michael Regan To Lead EPA

With Biden's Boost, 2 Obama Veterans Are 'Ready To Run' Climate Efforts

The Senate Agrees to a Plan to Phase Out a Dangerous Greenhouse Gas

Who is Ali Zaidi? He might be Biden's climate adviser

What a Joe Biden Cabinet Pick Might Mean for Native Americans—and Democrats

Biden to Pick Brenda Mallory to Run White House Environment Office

Why Native Americans are celebrating Rep. Haaland's nomination