Unwind with Carly Jean Puch

What are the basics of the science behind the climate crisis? How do we combat misinformation about that science? What did Big Oil know about the climate crisis, and when? And how do we hold it accountable?

This week’s guest, Kelly Sanks, gives us the basics of the science and shares insights into Big Oil’s deception. Kelly is the climate science lead at the Center for Climate Integrity (CCI). CCI uses expertise in science, law, advocacy, research, and strategic communications to help communities hold fossil fuel companies accountable for their climate deception and the disasters that have followed.

Our conversation started with the science of the climate crisis. I asked Kelly to break it down for me as if I were a seventh-grade science student. She gave helpful explanations we can all use in our elevator speeches about the science of the climate crisis. Kelly explained how excess CO2 and methane from burning fossil fuels intensify heat, extreme rainfall, flooding, sea-level rise, and other cascading impacts. We discussed how countries and people that contribute the least to the climate crisis are already facing worsening impacts.

Then we got into the really juicy stuff—lies, deception, and cover-ups—oh my! What sounds like the tagline from a bad reality TV show is the reality of the fossil fuel industry. Kelly explained that documentation shows the fossil fuel industry knew the devastation it was causing—the industry wrote the report itself! Despite that knowledge, it kept going, driven by profits rather than the public good. Kelly and I ended by talking about how to hold the industry accountable, including by supporting climate-deception lawsuits and opposing legal immunity for fossil fuel companies. When you find out how deep this deception runs, you’ll get pissed off. Let that motivate you to help take this industry DOWN!

Listen now to find out how Kelly has been unwinding lately!

Find out more about Kelly's work at The Center for Climate Integrity: climateintegrity.org/about/people/kelly-sanks

Support the podcast: patreon.com/c/unwindmovementmedia

Find zines, take classes with Carly, and more: unwindmovementmedia.com

Follow on Substack: unwindmovementmedia.substack.com

Resources mentioned in the show:

• "Republicans Are Trying to Give Big Oil Immunity for Causing Climate Chaos"
• "As climate lawsuits advance, the oil industry enters ‘panic mode’"
• Climate Files
• Info about the Montana youth climate case
• Look around The Center for Climate Integrity website for tons of resources!

Music produced by M Baxley of Bear Witness Media

How has climate crisis journalism changed in the last few years? Why are organizations like Grist so important? How do you write about the reality of the climate crisis without losing hope? And how do you know a story is a success?

Grist Associate Editor Claire Thompson is on the pod this week to get into the state of climate journalism today. Grist is a non-profit, independent, digital climate news organization. Claire and her comrades at Grist highlight narrative stories about people’s experience with climate change impacts and advocacy. Starting as an intern, Claire has been at Grist for eight years, watching the coverage of the climate crisis evolve.

Claire shared that there’s been a campaign (and unfortunate success) to hide the link between those climate impacts and the worsening climate crisis. Reporting on the climate crisis accurately, not to mention sharing solutions, is a threat to the capitalist system that depends on extraction. Despite that, Grist continues. Claire is an important part of that team, writing the weekly solutions-focused newsletter, Looking Forward. Highly recommend! Grist's work shows that storytelling can change lives. Listen for a powerful example of this from Chicago!

Mental health came up in our conversation, as I wondered how she stays hopeful while reporting about the realities of the climate crisis. Grist has been running a column called Ask a Climate Therapist with Leslie Davenport. Claire highlighted the power of learning coping skills to handle the constant onslaught of information in our world.

Listen now to find out how Claire has been unwinding lately!

Find out more about Claire's work at Grist: Grist.org/author/claire-elise-thompson/

Support the podcast: patreon.com/c/unwindmovementmedia

Find zines, take classes with Carly, and more: unwindmovementmedia.com

Follow on Substack: unwindmovementmedia.substack.com

Music produced by M Baxley of Bear Witness Media

How do we empower youth to take action on the climate crisis without losing hope? Remember that Whitney Houston song about children being the future? If we know they're the future, why aren't we giving their voices credit? And how do we use radical imagination to inspire real action?

OneUpAction founder, Kevin J. Patel, is here to inspire with his story of fighting back against climate injustice and how that work motivated him to help other youth speak up. Kevin shares how he began climate organizing in middle school in South Central Los Angeles after witnessing inequities like a lack of green space and healthy food and experiencing severe smog-related illness.

Warning: “hope” will be a consistent theme on this podcast. I didn’t plan it, but thankfully, it keeps coming up. Kevin describes hope as a community-based practice tied to action, empathy, and joy. The reports are in (again), and Kevin shared that social media is not helping us radically imagine a new future. Agreed.

Not only in OneUpAction but in everything Kevin does, he focuses on what comes after protests and rallies and uses radical imagination to achieve it. Kevin describes radical imagination as turning visions into practice. Don’t stop at the dreaming. Imagine something bigger and then figure out how to start making it a reality. Kevin did this when he created the first Youth Climate Commission in LA County (incredible!!!) and is now inspiring youth worldwide. Kevin is about doing the WORK! And you know we love to see it.

Listen now to find out how Kevin has been unwinding lately!

Find out more about Kevin's work: imkevinjpatel.com

Support the podcast: patreon.com/c/unwindmovementmedia

Find zines, take classes with Carly, and more: unwindmovementmedia.com

Follow on Substack: unwindmovementmedia.substack.com

Music produced by M Baxley of Bear Witness Media

How much does the transportation sector contribute to the climate crisis? What communities are getting public transit right? How can we all work to get more public transit options in our communities?

Here to share why the future is public transit are MOVE MN Executive Director MJ Carpio and Joon Community Executive Director Reza Cristián. I chatted with MJ and Reza about how they got into transit work. And while both arrived in transit work from different places, a strong through line is their love for public transit and their experience using it - good and bad examples. MJ and Reza shared models of public transit abroad that are getting it right (Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris) - which really made me want to travel but mostly made me wish we had more rails and trains in this country.

Transportation is a top carbon polluter, especially in Minnesota - I did not know that! We also discussed the influence oil and gas companies have on politics, ever-rising gas prices, and the community infrastructure. Highways and land-use planning have shaped car dependence, sprawl, and community harm since the 1950s. Politicians are quoted literally saying how much they “need” Chevron to win an election. It’s not hard to see why gas-powered cars have become the standard above all else when many (most?) politicians have been bought by the oil and gas industries.

MJ and Reza shared practical ways to act locally—vote, engage public works staff (they work for us, remember!), ride transit to boost ridership metrics, and join community bus tours like #BusBabes. Remember, the work we do in our communities is all part of the larger ecosystem.

Learn more about Move MN and Joon Community.

Support the podcast: patreon.com/c/unwindmovementmedia

Find zines, take classes with Carly, and more: unwindmovementmedia.com

Follow on Substack: unwindmovementmedia.substack.com

Music produced by M Baxley of Bear Witness Media

What does grief have to teach us about the environment? What does solar have to teach us about love? And how can a polar bear teach us about renewable energy?

Bob Blake, the owner of the Minneapolis-based solar developer Solar Bear, is here to answer these questions today. Bob’s introduction to the world of solar, and even his interest in the climate crisis, was anything but conventional. While he was mourning the loss of his brother, he kept seeing an image of a polar bear - which he perceived as his late brother's spiritual return – and it inspired him. After his brother’s death, Bob became a surrogate father to nieces and nephews, and was confronted with the thought of their futures.

Bob thought he might as well try to tackle this whole climate change thang for their sake, thinking it would be as easy as checking it off the to-do list. What started as a business plan for a college class about a solar company became his life-saving purpose (obsession!) that evolved into climate action.

He now runs Solar Bear and Native Sun Community Power Development. Blake shares updates on projects like electric school buses, EV infrastructure, and e-bike grants for Red Lake. One of my favs? The Solar Cub program—an open-source, culture- and language-integrated STEM curriculum expanding across grades and communities. He also discusses creating workforce development opportunities for formerly incarcerated citizens and military veterans.

To say Bob is inspiring is an understatement. A lesson I can’t stop thinking about from this episode: his empathy when facing pushback, mistrust, or misinformation about the climate crisis and renewable energy.

Listen now to find out how Bob has been unwinding lately!

Find out more about Solar Bear and Native Sun Community Power Development.

Support the podcast: patreon.com/c/unwindmovementmedia

Find zines, take classes with Carly, and more: unwindmovementmedia.com

Follow on Substack: unwindmovementmedia.substack.com

Music produced by M Baxley of Bear Witness Media

What the actual f is going on with climate politics right now? What regulations are cancelled? How much of it is fear-mongering? And what can we do? Thank goodness today’s guest, Chris Conry—campaign director of 100% Minnesota and longtime labor and community organizer—has some insight to share about all of this and more.

Growing up in a working-class family, Chris felt like he always had to defend his family from outside judgment. That early class consciousness led to work as a labor organizer. Years later, seeing his daughter speak at a climate science march would inspire him to shift from labor organizing to climate organizing, working to equitably decarbonize Minnesota’s economy by 2050.

Chris outlines Trump-era actions: executive orders targeting regulations (including the endangerment finding), congressional rollbacks of Biden-era clean energy investments, illegal impoundment of climate funds (including FEMA grants), increased costs for wind and solar, disinformation on climate science, and fossil-fuel-driven foreign policy. Boooo. One source of hope Chris provided (you know we love hope around here) was just how unpopular these moves really are. He highlights how many climate solutions exist that can improve material conditions through affordability AND efficiency.

Chris self-identifies as a professional optimist, which surprised me at first. I imagined someone who was so closely paying attention to politics, climate politics nonetheless, would feel…like we’re cooked? But Chris suggests people can find hope by becoming a part of the solution in ways that match their skills—from advocacy and voting to creative work. Which reminded me of a tool I’ve shared before: a Venn diagram from What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures author Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Spend some time with it, figure out your climate action to not only make change but to tap into that source of hope we all need reminders of.

Listen now to find out how Chris has been unwinding lately!

Find out more about Chris’ work.

Support the podcast: patreon.com/c/unwindmovementmedia

Find zines, take classes with Carly, and more: unwindmovementmedia.com

Follow on Substack: unwindmovementmedia.substack.com

Music produced by M Baxley of Bear Witness Media

Climate Action Venn Diagram by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

RESOURCES:

Speaking of politics, as of this episode’s release, we are in primary voting season here in the U.S. Check out voting resources below. If you are reading this later, the resources below are always relevant.

Make sure you’re registered by heading to vote.org.

Compare candidates and track their voting records using knowyourvotes.com.

Use trackaipac.com to see the politicians serving the interests of corrupt lobbies before yours.

When we talk of environmental justice, whose stories are told? Whose stories get left behind? And what’s at stake for all of us when we only hear stories from certain parts of the community?

This week’s podcast guest, Arielle V. King, is here to help answer these questions. Arielle V. King is a strategist and The Joy Report host with training in environmental law, civil rights, and environmental justice, including research on the Flint water crisis.

Arielle’s work on the Flint Water Crisis opened her eyes to the power of storytelling. Feeling like the real story was not being shared, she traveled to Flint and talked to directors of homeless shelters, firefighters, leaders of places of worship, and people who worked at grocery stores - she interviewed anybody and everybody she could.

This experience was a direct look at the way communities of color are plagued by environmental racism. She shared other examples such as Cancer Alley and the South Bronx’s “Asthma Alley,” rooted in redlining and layered policy. We also discussed a growing environmental injustice: data center expansion.

Arielle shared that staying curious is what strengthens our ability to radically imagine a better future. What inspired me most about Arielle was her willingness not only to ask the tough, uncomfy questions, but also to persist until she gets answers. She lets her curiosity guide her and encourages us all to keep asking why.

Listen now to find out how Arielle has been unwinding lately!

Find out more about Arielle’s work and listen to the Joy Report.

Support the podcast: patreon.com/c/unwindmovementmedia

Find zines, take classes with Carly, and more: unwindmovementmedia.com

Follow on Substack: unwindmovementmedia.substack.com

Music produced by M Baxley of Bear Witness Media

What is radical imagination? What makes it so radical? How do we practice it? And does social media hurt our ability to radically imagine a better future?

Grab your space suits; it's time to time-travel and find some answers with guest Rob Hopkins. Rob shares his favorite definition of imagination as “the ability to see things as if they could be otherwise.” The radical part is that it helps us get to the root of what our world’s problems are and see potential solutions that might seem totally out of this world. Rob warns that social media erodes attention and deep understanding, and suggests practices like seeking solution stories, creating imaginative space, and learning improv. Zip zap zop for the climate?

But this isn’t just about imagining. It’s about doing. It’s ok if your imaginings seem ridiculous. Rob shares that in a world facing climate and ecological emergencies, solutions that aren’t at least a little ridiculous aren’t ambitious enough. We talked about The Transition Network, an organization Rob started in Totnes, England, that helps people do just that - ask bold questions and take even bolder action. The Transition Network, which began in Totnes 20 years ago to help communities wean off fossil fuels through local food, energy, and housing projects, now spans thousands of groups in about 50 countries.

Rob rightly reminded me that radical imagination is a muscle we need to practice. And while hope is important, many revolutions grow out of rage, desperation, and a commitment to act on that. But when you see the change that comes out of that rage and desperation, you can find hope in what’s possible. You find hope in doing the work.

Listen now to find out how Rob has been unwinding lately!

Find out more about Rob's work: robhopkins.net

Support the podcast: patreon.com/c/unwindmovementmedia

Find zines, take classes with Carly, and more: unwindmovementmedia.com

Follow on Substack: unwindmovementmedia.substack.com

Music produced by M Baxley of Bear Witness Media

I took a "quick" break from podcasting and ended up rebranding my whole business. Oops.

Tune in to hear how my business has shifted into its next evolution like a Pokémon and what's next for the podcast.

Check out the NEW website.

Subscribe on Substack.

Music produced by M Baxley of Bear Witness Media.

REPLAY: This episode with Calen Otto is from the vault and originally premiered on October 30, 2024.

Calen is a queer, anti-speciesist travel blogger who explores the big, wide world on a very small budget and is our most recurring guest on this podcast. Calen and I connected through the world of podcasting and became friends pretty instantly. It’s been over a year since Hurricane Helene devastated the Southeast part of the United States, so it felt like a good time to replay this important episode. In this episode, Calen helps us explore the profound impacts of Hurricane Helene on North Carolina. Calen shares their personal experiences during the hurricane and reads a poignant essay weaving themes of climate change, speciesism, and social justice. Calen shared this essay on their podcast, and I instantly knew Consciously Clueless listeners needed to hear!

Guest Bio: Calen Ann Otto is a queer, anti-speciesist travel blogger who explores the big, wide world on a very small budget. After completing a solo trip across the USA at the age of 19 with only $300 and a bike, Calen discovered that there are so many alternative ways to travel that cost less. Inspired by their love of meeting strangers and sharing their incredible stories, Calen created the Unruly Travel blog. There, they share photos, videos, articles, and podcast episodes from their unique travels in hopes of inspiring others to get out and grow. Calen has been to 5 continents, 35 states, 20 National Parks, and more than 20 countries as a vegan and is passionate about doing the least amount of harm wherever they go. They wrote and published 'The Art Of Unruly Travel On A Budget' travel guidebook to make travel more accessible to all. 

Thanks for listening to another episode. Follow, review, and share to help Consciously Clueless grow!

Music by M Baxley

Helpful Links from Calen:

• Hurricane Helene Essay: wanderwoman.online/index.php/2024/…north-carolina/
• Donate to mutual aid orgs in WNC: preview.mailerlite.io/preview/757985…69466110330501
• Episode #24 on Hurricane Florence: Unrulytravel-podcast – Modern-love-story-pig-rescue-hurricane-florence-north-carolina