The State of the Climate

In the wake of the devastating snowstorms across the country this past week, many wonder: How can we more effectively move towards climate justice? The effects of a crumbling infrastructure and complicit government are becoming all too clear, especially in limited-income and Black and brown populations where power outages have left millions struggling to stay warm. How did we get here, and what role does the climate movement play in turning us in a different direction? In a recently published book, The New Climate War, climate scientist Michael Mann answers these pressing questions. He writes about how the fossil fuel companies, right-wing plutocrats, and oil-funded governments have moved from a position of climate denialism to “deception, distraction, and delay.” His book also reveals how some elements of the climate movement itself may be counterproductive, like climate purists who spend more energy railing against their own colleagues for not going vegan or Silicon Valley tech folks who are more concerned about deregulation than renewable energy production. You can read more about the book here.These are not easy topics, but if you want to learn more, tune into the WISterhood podcast! This week, we chat with Dana Schot of the Tualatin Riverkeepers about the movement for sustainability and what individual action in the climate movement should look. You can find WISterhood wherever you get your podcasts.

Natalie Wang is currently working on her undergraduate degree in neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University as a Hodson Trust Scholar. Her research interests are in DNA damage and repair, as well as post-operative delirium in elderly patients. Natalie started volunteering with WIS PDX in 2019 as a member of the outreach and education team. When not listening to music or doom-scrolling on Twitter, she can be found checking closets for Narnia.