Local activism, lawyers & transformative change with Earthjustice, Ep #33

This is going to be our last episode for 2022. We’ll be back in January with more great conversations. If you have ideas for episodes or topics you’d like us to explore, please reach out through our contact form or on LinkedIn. I’ve had a blast getting this podcast started and I’m excited for it to only get better as we continue. A big thank you to all our guests, to our listeners providing feedback and reviews, and also to Julie Mai, and Aaron & Carey Green for their help behind the scenes.

For our last episode of the year, I’m excited to end where we began – and that’s talking about the importance of local activism and policy. Today’s guest is Adrian Martinez. No, not the football player, nor the baseball player – but the superstar Senior Attorney for Earthjustice. Adrian is working on a program called Right to Zero. In today’s episode, he talks about the critical role Earthjustice’s team of attorneys play at the city, state and federal level to help communities eliminate pollution through decarbonization. I was really energized by this conversation and encouraged to learn that the power we have at a local level can really add up to transformative, widespread change. Hope you enjoy this one. Happy holidays.

In today’s episode, we cover:
[3:22] What is Earthjustice & how it got started
[4:22] What is Right to Zero
[5:42] The intersection between environmental action & human health
[7:30] What needs to change in the built environment & how Earthjustice is helping
[9:46] Local change, how it works & progress for buildings
[12:04] How the Inflation Reduction Act will make a difference
[13:04] Examples of necessary environmental mandates
[14:01] Transportation campaigns, how they’ve worked & the results
[17:05] Earthjustice’s role on the pathway to policy change
[18:35] Electrifying transit buses – where lawyers are needed
[20:38] Other types of fleets Earthjustice is working to decarbonize
[23:26] Ways that people can take a stand & be involved
[26:03] How equity is factored into Earthjustice’s work
[29:22] Who is in opposition & how are they showing up
[31:33] The influence of tech on decarbonization efforts
[33:51] Adrian’s holiday wishlist for the tech industry
[35:27] How climate-invested companies are affecting Earthjustice’s work
[37:18] Earthjustice’s other priorities & how listeners can help

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