I don’t have to tell anyone how bleak things look at the federal level.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, if we’re being honest, there is not a lot that we can do at the moment to influence federal policy.

But when it comes to climate and the environment, I’ve always been a little ambivalent about how much can be done at the state and local level.

I want to be clear, local activism and organizing are incredibly important, and that’s where most of us can make the most difference.  But even there, we run into issues. For instance, where I live in Lincoln County, voters passed a ban on aerial herbicide spraying in 2017, but that was overturned by a state court.

So how can we actually make a difference at the state and local level?

My guest today is Maya Van Rossum.  Maya is, among many other things, the founder of the Green Amendment movement and the author of the book, The Green Amendment.

She makes a pretty compelling case for why passing state level constitutional rights to a healthy environment, also known as a Green Amendment, would be a powerful tool for climate and environmental justice, and I honored to have her join us.

As always, the show email is [email protected], please reach out anytime with feedback, show ideas, hot takes, or whatever else is on your mind!

Learn more about the Green Amendment: https://forthegenerations.org/

Oregon: https://www.oceraunited.org/

Washington: https://wagreenamendment.org/

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