Moving into emergency mode to address our ecological breakdown (interview with ezra silk of the climate mobilization)
Ezra Silk (@EzraSilk) is the co-founder of The Climate Mobilization (@MobilizeClimate) and the author of the organization's 108-page Victory Plan, which is an influential exploration of how the federal government can organize and implement a mobilization to save civilization from the Climate Emergency and ecological crisis.
In this podcast episode, Ezra sheds light on what it means to push for a World War II-scale mobilization in addressing our ecological breakdown; why we can't afford to create changes based on gradualism; and more.
To start, get a glimpse below into the conversation between Ezra and Green Dreamer Podcast's host, Kamea Chayne.
Musical feature: Trust The Sun by Mining for Steal by Fuchsia
“We can see how if things continue and the climate events continue to accelerate, the climate emergency will become the overarching reality of our everyday experience — whether we respond or not — in the coming years.”
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This is a conversation on Green Dreamer with Kamea Chayne, a podcast and multimedia journal illuminating our paths towards ecological balance, intersectional sustainability, and true abundance and wellness for all. This preview has been edited for clarity. Subscribe to Green Dreamer Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or any podcast app to stay informed and updated on our latest episodes.
On ways our climate mobilization can parallel that of WWII:
"In World War II, there was a similar level of people being enrolled in their daily lives into that emergency response: Energy was rationed; people had rationed coupons; they grew victory gardens; some people fought in the war; people signed up for war jobs; and people moved across the country. It was a total revolution in people's everyday experience, and the war was the overwhelming reality of the time.
We can see how if things continue and the climate events continue to accelerate, the climate emergency will become the overarching reality of our everyday experience—whether we respond or not—in the coming years."
On the historical ecological impacts of different countries:
"Just look at the quantity of greenhouse gases that the U.S. has emitted over history. How are we embedded in the world economy?
We've been the biggest beneficiary—or our corporations have been, at least. And the products that we consume cheaply today may be produced in China, but we're totally embedded in that world economy.
The Washington consensus of neoliberalism in the 90s is responsible for this massive globalization and increase in greenhouse gases."
On going beyond ‘reducing our emissions’:
"Even eliminating greenhouse gas emissions in a few years, as many people are now calling for, is not going to fundamentally stop this slide into chaos.
We need to start thinking about how we're going to reverse global warming,, reverse the ecological crisis, and restore health to our planet."
Final words of wisdom:
"Don't give up. We've got to do this!”
