With Andrea McGimsey, Christine James, Petra Pinzler, and Sebastian Dullien. Moderated by Timothy Conners.
More and more people are experiencing the myriad adverse effects of climate change such as extreme weather events, polluted drinking water and smog. Citizens are consumers of goods that become scarce due to droughts or flooding; meanwhile, there are those living along coastal lines and islands that are eroding with rising sea-levels. The number of environmental activists across the globe continues to grow. And yet, broad bipartisan support to combat this growing threat is lacking. Ideological differences across political lines, as well as citizens’ fears of their losing jobs in the old industries, stand in the way of concentrated action. How can we generate the necessary support in our communities to sustain the political power necessary to successfully tackle the climate crisis? And how can we make sure that nobody is left behind?
Andrea McGimsey is currently the Senior Director of the Global Warming Solutions Campaign and Project Manager of Bridging the Climate Divide at Environment America. She has authored many articles on global warming and sustainability and was the recipient of the Climate Leadership Award from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
Christine James, MD, MSc is an allergist-immunologist with a special interest in the intersection between climate change and health. She is co-chair of the Electrification Action Team with Climate Health Now, a member of the Public Health Advisory Council of Climate Action Campaign, and a former Copello fellow of Doctors for America. Christine will soon be joining the University of California San Diego's Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, where she will assist in establishing the university's climate change and sustainability program.
Petra Pinzler is an author and journalist with the German weekly Die Zeit, currently based in the Berlin office. She writes on the EU and foreign policy as well as economic affairs, sustainability and development. From 1998 – 2002 she was their US correspondent based in Washington. In 2018 she received the “Umweltmedienpreis” – an award for one of her books about the environment.
Sebastian Dullien is the Research Director at the Macroeconomic Policy Institute of the Hans-Böckler Foundation. The Foundation deals with co-determination, research linked to the world of work and the support of students on behalf of the DGB, the Confederation of German Trade Unions. He is Professor for International Economics and was Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Timothy Conner’s work as a businessman and engineer has included a focus on the energy markets where he has consulted and advised on market trends and dynamics. Tim is active in a number of climate action groups including a group of MIT Alumni that leverage the work of Climate Interactive as a means of educating the public and policy makers on climate change.