Episode 5: Whiskey 🥃, Home, and Showing Up — with Colette Pichon Battle and Jade Begay

This episode is about the importance of home. It’s about the role of culture, of traditions, of protecting democracy, and how all of that is woven together in the context of the climate threats that we’re facing.

This is a conversation with two incredible and grounded women: Colette Pichon Battle, attorney and co-founder of climate justice organization Taproot Earth, and Jade Begay, a Dine and Tesuque Pueblo climate policy expert and Indigenous rights strategist currently serving as the Native American engagement director for the Harris-Walz campaign.

L to R: Colette Pichon Battle, Jade Begay, and me at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, NY in September during Climate Week. (All photos: Walter Wlodarczyk)

I interviewed Colette and Jade individually for the book, featured in the final section, “Community Foremost.” But I was eager to have a conversation with them together, as two heart-centered, sharply strategic leaders who are deeply rooted in the places where their families have lived for many generations – the bayous of Louisiana and the mesas of what is now called New Mexico.

What does home mean in the context of the climate crisis?

While this conversation was not principally about the election, given that we are FIVE DAYS from Election Day (🫨) highlighting here Colette’s take on the imperative of voting:

Colette: I think the opportunity is to not think of voting as the beginning and the end. But to think of it as part, as one piece of a broader strategy of building movement around us saving our planet. I mean, I'm one of those people who's not really excited about the choices, but I understand the duty and the responsibility that we have as Americans.... the world wants the Americans to stand up. The world wants the Americans to get control of their government.

... And so it's our responsibility, whether you like it or not, to get in there and make your voice be heard. Because so many other people don't have that option and they're really depending on those of us who have enough to do it. And so for those of you who are reluctant, let's have whiskey and let's just, let’s curse them all out. After you vote, okay? And then let's curse them all out.... I’m just going to be like, it's okay, baby. It's all right, my love. Have a beignet.

But we have to show up. And it has very little to do about you and your personal opinion. It has to do with this moment on the planet. It has to do with the privilege and the power that we have as American citizens and it has to do with what's at stake. And what's at stake is not people's pride and reputation. The planet is at stake. And we really need people to show up. You don't have to like it, just have a shot afterwards. I'll meet you at the bar.

Colette dropping knowledge. This is her “Here’s the thing, y’all” face.

VOTE CLIMATE ✅

If you haven’t already voted, VOTE! (Find details for your polling place and what's on your local ballot at iwillvote.com.) At the presidential level, for the love of God, please keep the racist, fascist, anti-choice climate deniers out of the White House. At the local level, be sure to research the climate platforms of down ballot candidates — see Lead Locally’s endorsements here.

If you are looking for ways to show up beyond voting, join me in hitting the phones ☎️: On October 31st (tonight!), November 3rd, and November 4th I’ll be hosting phone banks with Environmental Voter Project and Lead Locally — and donating $50 to these nonprofits for each person who joins! (Context: Listen to Episode #2: Vote Climate for a conversation with the founders of those organizations.)

Until we as Earth-lovers become a formidable voting block, politicians won’t prioritize climate policy. So let’s encourage each other to the polls!

BOOK TOUR – Grand Finale!

• CHICAGO, 6pm on November 1st (tomorrow!): In conversation with Rhiana Gunn-Wright, climate justice policy expert and lead architect of the Green New Deal, at Semicolon Bookstore. (Get tickets 🎟️ here.)

• ATLANTA, 10a-4p on November 3rd: At Billie Eilish’s OVERHEATED climate conference, in conversation with her mom, Maggie Baird. You can check out the livestream 📺 here on Billie’s YouTube. (And I’ll be knocking doors for the election while I’m in town, obviously.)

EPISODE CREDITS

Thank you to Pioneer Works for hosting not only this event but the whole Science & Society event series, which was a key spark for my book. And thank you Site Santa Fe for hosting Jade and me there.

This episode was produced and edited by Nora Saks and me, with production help in Brooklyn from Bob Bellarue, and in Santa Fe from Julia Sclafani. Thank you, as always, to Jenisha Shrestha, my chief of staff and tour producer.

And thank YOU for listening! Please share this episode and spread the word, and we’ll be back very soon.

Front row of my dreams. Mamoudou N’Diaye, Megan Boone, Marquise Stillwell and Jean Flemma (my Urban Ocean Lab co-founders), Alex Miller, Jenisha Shrestha, and Drs. Jeremy Jackson and Dr. Nancy Knowlton (my PhD advisors!)