Benji Backer, American Conservation Coalition
Today's guest is Benji Backer, Founder and President of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC). ACC is focused on building grassroots environmental movement amongst the right-of-center space for climate action, with 150 chapters across the country. Benji is a passionate environmentalist and out to change the minds of people who think conservative and climate change advocate don't belong in the same sentence. We have a great discussion in this episode about Benji's upbringing, what led him to care about climate change, how he reconciles that with his conservative viewpoints, and the fact that the Republican Party hasn't necessarily put climate change as a front and center issue. We also talk about ACC's work and their theory of change. And no conversation would be complete without covering the roles of innovation and policy, and the current polarized political climate and path forwards from here. Enjoy the show! You can find me on Twitter @jjacobs22 (me), @mcjpod (podcast) or @mcjcollective (company). You can reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests. Episode recorded July 15, 2022.
Inevitable · Benji Backer, Jason Jacobs
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Show Notes
Today's guest is Benji Backer, Founder and President of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC).
ACC is focused on building grassroots environmental movement amongst the right-of-center space for climate action, with 150 chapters across the country. Benji is a passionate environmentalist and out to change the minds of people who think conservative and climate change advocate don't belong in the same sentence.
In today’s episode, we cover:
- An overview of the American Conservation Coalition and the work they do
- Benji's background and his passion for the environment
- His transition from conservative activist to climate activist
- How he reconciles his passions and conservative viewpoints
- The two-party system and its shortcomings
- Increasing polarization in the US
- Who controls the narrative in Washington vs. who gets bills passed
- The Build Back Better Bill
- The Republican party's shift away from conservation in the early 2000s
- Issues with the climate narrative leaving people out
- Benji's views on how to balance self-interest and taking action on climate solutions
- The role of government in addressing the climate crisis
- Consumer behavior changes
- The intersection between of climate change and environmental justice in cities and rural communities
- Benji's key priorities over the next 12-24 months
- ACC's Climate Commitment plan
- Who he wants to hear from
Enjoy the show!
You can find me on Twitter @jjacobs22 (me), @mcjpod (podcast) or @mcjcollective (company). You can reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded July 15, 2022.
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant