68 min listen
Journey of a Former Coal Miner
FromClimate One
ratings:
Length:
55 minutes
Released:
May 14, 2021
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
What motivates the activists? Grassroots activism can take many forms, from protests to letter-writing to citizen science to community organizing. But these often more local forms of activism can get short shrift compared to the more powerful, national players in climate and environmental movements.
Nick Mullins, a former fifth-generation coal miner, grew up seeing multiple generations of his family endure hardships created by our nation’s demand for cheap coal. In search of decent pay, he became a miner himself – but he eventually left the industry in search of justice for his mountain communities.
James Coleman started his career as a teenage climate activist before becoming the youngest elected public official in California in over 100 years. San Francisco activist Marie Harrison fought against environmental contamination of her community by the U.S. Navy and a fossil-fuel-burning power plant – and now her daughter, Arieann Harrison, has picked up her mantle to continue pushing for environmental justice.
Mullins, Coleman, and dozens of activists featured in Audrea Lim’s book The World We Need, Stories and Lessons from America’s Unsung Environmental Movement represent just a fraction of those motivated to take action on climate.
“The thing about grassroots activism, actually, apart from the stereotype is that it’s really just people in a community who see a problem and then they get together on their own and try to find a solution to it,” says Audrea Lim.
What can grassroots activists do that national organizations can’t? And what can their stories and experiences teach us?
Guests:
Nick Mullins, former fifth-generation coal miner, blogger, Thoughts of a Coal Miner
Audrea Lim, Journalist & Editor, The World We Need, Stories and Lessons from America’s Unsung Environmental Movement
James Coleman, City Councilor, South San Francisco
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Nick Mullins, a former fifth-generation coal miner, grew up seeing multiple generations of his family endure hardships created by our nation’s demand for cheap coal. In search of decent pay, he became a miner himself – but he eventually left the industry in search of justice for his mountain communities.
James Coleman started his career as a teenage climate activist before becoming the youngest elected public official in California in over 100 years. San Francisco activist Marie Harrison fought against environmental contamination of her community by the U.S. Navy and a fossil-fuel-burning power plant – and now her daughter, Arieann Harrison, has picked up her mantle to continue pushing for environmental justice.
Mullins, Coleman, and dozens of activists featured in Audrea Lim’s book The World We Need, Stories and Lessons from America’s Unsung Environmental Movement represent just a fraction of those motivated to take action on climate.
“The thing about grassroots activism, actually, apart from the stereotype is that it’s really just people in a community who see a problem and then they get together on their own and try to find a solution to it,” says Audrea Lim.
What can grassroots activists do that national organizations can’t? And what can their stories and experiences teach us?
Guests:
Nick Mullins, former fifth-generation coal miner, blogger, Thoughts of a Coal Miner
Audrea Lim, Journalist & Editor, The World We Need, Stories and Lessons from America’s Unsung Environmental Movement
James Coleman, City Councilor, South San Francisco
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Released:
May 14, 2021
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Fred Krupp, President of Environmental Defese Fund: The Club's Environment and Natural Resources Member-Led forum brings Fred Krupp to the Club to discuss his book Earth: The Sequel - The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming. by Climate One