Ep 115: May Boeve, Executive Director & Co-Founder of 350.org

Today's guest is May Boeve, Executive Director & Co-Founder of 350.org.

We have a great discussion in this episode about May's roots in activism and in fighting to combat global warming, where that came from, how it came about, and how her thinking on these topics has evolved over the past decade. We also talk about the current state of affairs in the climate movement and in the world, where we need to go, and what are some of the things that can be most impactful for helping us get there. Enjoy the show! 

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• What is 350.org and its mission?
• May’s early experience in activism at Middlebury College.
• How the climate crisis and the movement to address has changed over the past decade.
• The intersectionality of climate change with other social ills.
• The silver-lining of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of global attention on a singular problem.
• How 350.org’s focus has centered on divestment from fossil fuel companies.
• The role of 350.org, its team and its volunteers play in its activism.
• Why the climate risk to financial markets represents an opportunity to advance the goals of a “just transition.”
• How clean energy can be a solution to “energy poverty.”
• Why the transition of the fossil fuel industry to clean energy is not enough to reverse the damage the industry inflicts on the world.
• Divestment in fossil fuel companies vs. engagement.
• Why the fossil fuel industry is a dishonest broker and unreliable partner in addressing climate change.
• Solutions that excite and give May hope.
• How the focus of 350 has been influenced by the recent tension and movement for racial justice.

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• 350.org: https://350.org/
• “Just Transition”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Transition
• “Energy Poverty”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_poverty
• Belt and Road Initiative: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_and_Road_Initiative
• Bill McKibben’s pieces in Rolling Stone Magazine: https://www.rollingstone.com/author/bill-mckibben/
• As You Sew: https://www.asyousow.org/
• “Two-Year Long Investigation: What Exxon Knew About Climate Change” (Columbia Journalism School): https://journalism.columbia.edu/two-year-long-investigation-what-exxon-knew-about-climate-change
• The Solutions Project: https://thesolutionsproject.org/
• Overton Window: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant