Protest is the ultimate in equal-opportunity political action. As Annie Leonard, former executive director of Greenpeace USA says, "Making change is like laying a stone path across the garden. Peaceful protest may be every 4th or 8th or 200th stone; it helps us get where we want to go but also we need a lot of other stones too.” Leonard explores the history of protests in her new book “Protest: Respect It. Defend It. Use It.”
And while protest is the loudest and most visible tool, it’s only one of many ways to take action. Through community building, through civic engagement, through elected office, through corporate boardrooms, through churches and nonprofit agencies, there are countless paths to exercising power and promoting positive change. In this episode we hear from three leaders working in three different arenas, all toward the same goal.
Guests:
Annie Leonard, Environmental Activist, Author of “Protest: Respect It, Defend It, Use It”
Danielle Lee, Founder, Climate Action Club
James Coleman, City Councilor, South San Francisco
For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit climateone.org/podcasts
Highlights:
00:00 – Intro
04:00 – Annie Leonard shares the story of the Section 504 sit-ins protest in San Francisco
06:30 – Different ways protest can be effective
08:30 – Leonard on why she puts her body on the line (gets arrested) during protests
16:00 – Leonard on the lawsuit Energy Transfer brought against Greenpeace USA over Standing Rock protests
22:00 – Protecting, defending, and using the right to protest
26:00 – Danielle Lee on organizing younger people around climate and environment
30:30 – Systemic versus personal action
37:00 – James Coleman on the decision to run for office as a tool for effective change
41:00 – Impact of local government
46:30 – How change actually happens
50:00 – Climate One More Thing
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