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Sustainable North Florida
What is the Jacksonville Climate Coalition? with Nathaniel Rodefer
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In this episode we speak with Nathaniel Rodefer about the Jacksonville Climate Coalition. Nathaniel is Vice-Curator of the Global Shapers, and is also on the Steering for the Climate Coalition.
Climate Advocacy in Jacksonville
Speaker 1Hi , nathaniel , welcome to Sustainable North Florida .
Speaker 2Hey Lorianne , Thanks for having me so much . Appreciate it a lot .
Speaker 1Thanks , I'm really looking forward to this Today , at least in the beginning . Here we're going to turn the tables around a little bit and you'll be asking some of the questions , so I guess with that , we'll just let you go for it . What questions do you have ?
Speaker 2Yeah , so , regarding the Jacksonville Climate Coalition , I was wondering if you could talk to us a little bit about the mission of the organization .
Speaker 1Our mission is to work collectively in Jacksonville to prepare equitable and proactive solutions that address both the cause and the effects of climate change , through advocacy , education and community involvement , and we do this through a variety of ways . That includes programs that we're putting together on our own . A variety of ways that includes programs that we're putting together on our own , but , importantly , we also are working with our partner organizations that might be taking the lead on some other projects where we just play a supporting role .
Speaker 2No , I greatly appreciate that context . And speaking of context , could you tell me more about the history of the Jacksonville Climate Coalition and some of the work that it's done ?
Speaker 1Sure , sure I'd love to . Some of this actually predates me , but the coalition started a few years ago it was actually prior to COVID and back then we were still not able to speak about climate change at the city level , but resiliency was an acceptable topic , so several nonprofits in the community saw the need for a chief resiliency officer position within the city , and so those groups came together to form the coalition , and back then the coalition was actually known as Resilient Jax and , as you know , nathaniel . Eventually the city did hire a chief resilience officer , and so since then the group actually was renamed as the Jacksonville Climate Coalition , and our scope has increased so that we're not just focused on resilience in the face of climate change , but we're also looking to address the cause of climate change , which is plain and simple greenhouse gas emissions , primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels .
Speaker 2Quite interesting . It's always fun learning about the metamorphoses that organizations can go through . You answered a little bit with the history question , but why does Jacksonville need a climate coalition specifically ?
Speaker 1Okay , where do I start ? So earlier this month , governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation that means that the state government will no longer be required to consider climate change when crafting state energy policies , and this legislation will also repeal grants aimed at encouraging investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy . It also removes requirements that state agencies use fuel-efficient vehicles , for example , and last year , the federal government allocated $346 million in federal funds to assist Floridians in making their homes more efficient . Desantis rejected those federal funds . So , to be clear , those are federal funds that were paid for by my federal taxes , by your federal taxes , and our governor rejected that money .
Speaker 1You know Florida is ground zero for the climate crisis in the US . Flooding and extreme weather events are becoming more and more frequent , and really the impact is not just environmental . Major insurers are leaving the state due to the increased risk of losses , and the instability in the insurance market has already had an effect on the state economy as a whole . Okay , so I can go on and on about this , but one could really argue that it's a statewide issue , right ? Not just Jacksonville . So why do we need a climate coalition in Jacksonville ?
Speaker 1From my personal experience , when I first started getting involved in climate-related issues . You know , you and I have talked about this before , but my background's in biotech , not climate . So when I first started devoting more time to climate , it was really hard for me to get connected with others in Jacksonville that had the same concerns . Other cities such as Miami , fort Lauderdale , tampa , sarasota they all already have active climate communities , and what I found in my own personal journey was that there are several great organizations locally that kind of tangentially work on climate change , but none that were solely focused on that . That's a really big reason why I see that there's a need for a climate coalition in Jacksonville . What about you , nathaniel ? Why are you here ?
Speaker 2Yeah , climate change and the related issues surrounding it are things that I've been very interested in since my senior year in high school , when I took AP Environmental Science .
Speaker 2You know , growing up in the early 2000s , climate change was something that did kind of enter the cultural zeitgeist and was a topic of conversation . It was something that was , you know , increased to the forefront of everyone's attention , but I never really had the opportunity to like academically dive into it . You know , studying climate change and climate related issues is something that's an applicable conversation to quite literally anything that we do on this earth , so it was something that I found just very interesting to continue to learn about . And then there is that external and existential component to it that you know our planet is changing in ways that we have a conceptual idea of , but the change itself is going to be something that we haven't experienced until it comes , until it comes . And so there's a real , real aspect to it where learning about climate change and really becoming educated about it isn't just about education but it's also a call to action .
Speaker 1So my sense , and I think the data bears out that there's a difference between the generations as far as who is more concerned about climate change . Obviously , you are of a different generation than I am . Within your generation . Do you feel that most people around you are concerned about climate change , want to do something about climate change ? Obviously , you are of a different generation than I am . Within your generation , do you feel that most people around you are concerned about climate change , want to do something about climate change ? And I guess I'm speaking about people of your generation that are here in Jacksonville . What's the sense of urgency or non-urgency around the issue ?
Speaker 2Yeah , I'd say that there is a high level of concern that is present in a lot of people's minds .
Speaker 2You know , for a lot of us , we're kind of entering that young adult stage of life where you know , we're graduating from college , we're getting settled , we're beginning our careers and there's a real kind of question that's staring us in the face in terms of just like you know , what choices do we have to make now in regards to how the climate is going to change and how that's going to affect our lives ?
Speaker 2So I do very much know that climate changed , even if it isn't in people's fields of study or in people's , you know , top concerns or interests , it's something they're definitely aware about . One of the things that is a major problem , especially in the younger generation , is a little bit of a feeling of apathy . You know we were born into . It's an issue that we've been aware about since we've been able to conceptualize , thought in a sense , and through that entire span of time it has only continued to be exasperated to worsening degrees . But there's also a degree to which people haven't witnessed any change occurring , and to a degree that creates a sense of powerlessness and even a sense of hopelessness regarding the issue , which is a real problem .
Speaker 1Yeah , that definitely is a problem . Hopefully we can address that in some of the efforts that we have going on through the coalition . So my stage of life is different . My circle is mostly kind of mid-career professionals lots of soccer moms , things like that and I would say you know , I've lived in different parts of the United States and other parts of the United States . I do feel that and this is feeling right We'll talk about data in a second but this is feeling I have felt that other people around me were concerned about climate change , wanted to do something about climate change and expected that you know , that was the direction that society should be moving in , that our economy should be moving in , and in Jacksonville I really haven't felt that as much . But you know my background's in biotech , I like data . So here are a few interesting statistics and one that I think most people wouldn't really believe . So , nathaniel , what percentage of people in Duval County do you think believe climate change is real ?
Speaker 2You know I'm going to go out on a limb . I'm going to place my bet on 75 percent .
Speaker 1Oh man , See , I would have thought it was less , but it's actually 72 percent , OK , OK . So that actually is about the same as the national average . So when you hear things you know in the news about climate change in Florida and what Florida is or isn't doing to address climate change , somebody that's outside the state might expect it to be less than that , but 72% do think climate change is real . Okay . So what about this ? How many people do you think in Duval County believe that our government needs to be doing more ?
Speaker 1Hmm , that's interesting , I got to think about the cross-tabulation piece there across those two questions . That'd probably be a lesser percent so I'd guess around 60 . Than I had anticipated . And so 56% of people in Duval County think our governor needs to do more and 59% think our local government needs to be doing more to address climate change . And each of those numbers is actually higher than in the rest of the United States . So I'm not talking about Florida , I'm not talking about Miami .
Speaker 1People in Jacksonville really do expect their governor and their local officials to be doing more to address climate change and you know , as I mentioned , like when I'm speaking to my friends and family , it doesn't really feel like it's an issue of concern . I think that's because in our state we're not the loudest voices in the room . We are the majority , but unless you look at the data , you might not feel that way , and for that reason I think it's really important to have an organization in Jacksonville that's dedicated to climate change so that we can get the conversation going , normalize the topic . You know , talking about this is a necessary prerequisite to understanding it and to come together as a community to address both the cause and effects of climate change going forward .
Speaker 1And importantly , in a way that makes sense for Jacksonville . Sorry , go ahead .
Speaker 2No , yeah , you bring up a lot of good points , especially a little bit around the psychology , around how people navigate climate change as a conceptual issue , and it's an interesting thing to think about because , in sort of navigating climate change and being proactive about it and being intentional about advocating for climate friendly policies or for a better future , it does necessitate holding a certain level of constant uncomfortability with the ways things are going currently , um , which does have an emotional strength yeah , you see more and more articles about climate optimism or , I guess , just the effect of climate change on mental health and the importance to have something to look forward to , right , if it's all gloom and doom , it's not enticing , it's not motivating to constantly hear about how everything is , you know , falling apart .
Speaker 1The world is heating up and everything's going to die . We're all going to die . I mean that doesn't make anybody want to do anything . I think it's important to know that we can do something about it . There are clear steps that we need to take and it's just a matter of you know figuring out what the right steps are for any given community and making action happen . And I think once people realize that there are steps that you can take , that helps to relieve some of that mental stress .
Speaker 2Yeah , knowing that path forward and having hope for a better future is important for the longevity of being inclined to movement .
Speaker 1One vision that I have for the coalition going forward is that we really kind of unite all of these organizations and even other organizations that are not officially part of our coalition yet and focus efforts so that we're not working in silos . If somebody has an educational program that they're working on , let's work together on that , let's co-promote it . We don't need to reinvent the wheel , we should just be working together . A great example of that is Global Shapers , and on the Climate Coalition you are currently representing Global Shapers . Can you tell us a little bit about that organization ?
Speaker 2currently representing Global Shapers . Can you tell us a little bit about that organization ? Yeah , so the Global Shapers community is an international project that is a subsidiary of the World Economic Forum and with over 500 hubs around the world and on every major continent except Antarctica . What it's working to do is to create local hubs of interdisciplinary young adults who are working to create programs and solutions for problems their communities are experiencing on a local level .
Climate Change and Community Collaboration
Speaker 2In regards to climate change , we're doing some projects right now , called Climate Conversations , around understanding when people have different opinions or thoughts or convictions regarding issues around climate change . How do you have a productive , fruitful conversation regarding that ? You know , if you're entering the room with people who might not believe climate change even exists , you know and sort of understanding that , as a hostile environment to some of the conversations climate change necessitates , how do you still navigate that environment with a productive conversation in which you're still engaging in good faith with each other ?
Speaker 1So Global Shapers , you guys really are a tenacious bunch . I'll tell you as I go around town , like trying to connect with different organizations or different people that are concerned about climate change that might want to join our coalition . It seems like everybody that I speak with says , oh , have you talked to Global Shapers yet ? I just had a conversation with them last week and you guys are really just a couple of years old and really making a big impact within , within the community , which is really , which is really fun to see community , which is really fun to see as an outside person looking in at your organization .
Speaker 1One of the things that I appreciate that I hope we can also recreate within the Climate Coalition is it seems like there really is an opportunity for learning In order to join us and to help and to volunteer . You definitely don't need to be an expert , and , in fact , this is something that we as a species haven't really gone through before . As a culture , we've not gone through this before , so there really aren't that many experts . We're all learning this together and I think the only prerequisite that you need to be part of the coalition is just to be motivated to do something right . You just need to be interested and have the desire to do something , and then we'll take it from there . When you become part of the coalition , you're giving of your time , but you're getting something back in return , right , whether that's , you know , just in the satisfaction of making a difference in climate change , but also in the opportunity to learn , you know , new skill sets , and I think actually , nathaniel , the meeting that we had today was a perfect example . Can you talk a little bit about that ?
Speaker 2In the forming of our advocacy committee , one of the things that we realized that we needed to do was to conduct a landscape analysis For the purposes of just sort of understanding as we navigate , you know , climate-related initiatives in the Jacksonville context , like who are the players , who has a hat in this race and you know who might be either be resources or people to reach out to um in the conducting of this work .
Speaker 2You know , currently either being in our collegiate careers or being freshly out of them , um , a landscape analysis was something that we hadn't done before um , so it was really impactful in terms of being exposed to that experience , of being able to participate in this professional activity . It was really sort of illuminating in terms of being able to go from a place of being relatively a novice to being able to , you know , walk out of that room with a finished product and really sort of having a greater understanding for who all was involved in climate-related issues as it pertains to Jacksonville , but also being able to have all that research conducted , compiled and readily accessible for any future needs .
Speaker 1So it was a great knowledge-building activity , not only in the activity itself but also the products really need to get this dialogue going and providing some educational opportunities and normalizing the conversation , I think , is really the most important first step that we can be taking and everything else will come from there . So , kind of to that end , we have two different avenues that we're going down . One is we've got a newsletter that comes out every other week and I think it's fantastic . I am certainly biased , but I do think it's fantastic . It's written by John Burr and John's a longtime journalist and he's been focused on environmental issues . I love reading it each week . He does a great job taking a topic whether it be energy , urban heat , you name it and he distills it down to what does it mean for Jacksonville ? And since he started writing it in January , it's been picked up by several outlets , including the Invading Sea , also Sun Sentinel , the Orlando Sentinel and , of course , the Times Union . So that is one avenue to increase the community awareness around climate change .
Speaker 2We also include at the end of the newsletter climate related events that are going on in the community , and also , and equally as important , is the Sustainable Northeast Florida podcast that you're listening to right now . It's a wonderful tool of reaching the climate-based community as well .
Speaker 1Pertaining to Jacksonville issues , Thank you for the plug . Yeah , so I agree , that's another way that we're increasing the level of awareness in the community and we try to interview local people that are making a difference here in Northeast Florida , people that are making this a more sustainable place to live . And you know , climate change can be scary to think about , even depressing , as we were talking about before . Nobody wants to be stuck in a gloomy place and I think for me , it's really important to know that we can do something and , speaking with people in our community that are already making a difference , that gives me hope and motivates me to do more , and I'm hoping that it has the same effect on other people as well . We've had a few events recently in the community . Can you talk about that ?
Speaker 2Yeah , so most recently , on May 18th , we hosted a Lit Chat with the Jacksonville Public Library Assistant . We brought Jeff Goodall , author of the Heat Will Kill you First , to participate in this Lit Chat and it was quite a great turnout . That room was pretty full and pretty lively . Um , so that was , uh , that was a re-convent in the community that was really successful . Um , would you like to talk about the food policy , urban agriculture a bit ?
Speaker 1yeah , sure . So , um , as I mentioned before , we want to coordinate with other groups that have programs that are already going on where it makes sense . So one example of that there is a group in town called the Duval County Food Policy Council , and one of the initiatives that they're working on is urban agriculture , and there definitely is an overlap . This group mostly focuses on food security and making sure that there is equitable access to clean and healthy food , which actually is not the case right now . But there certainly is an overlap between that and climate , right ? So agriculture , depending on where you look , is responsible for 16 to 20 percent of carbon emissions .
Speaker 1So certainly how we grow , how we produce , how we transport our food makes a big impact . So the more we can do that locally , we are absolutely reducing emissions . Reducing food waste also reduces emissions susceptible to drought , more susceptible to extreme weather events , and it's always the people that are most vulnerable to begin with that will be impacted by that . So there certainly are many areas of intersection between climate change and food policy . So the Climate Coalition is working with the Food Policy Council in developing their urban agriculture strategy
Renew Jax Campaign and Community Engagement
Speaker 1. Another thing that we have going is the Renew Jax campaign . You want to talk about that , nathaniel .
Speaker 2Another thing that we have going is the RenewJax campaign . You want to talk about that , nathaniel ? Yeah , so the RenewJax campaign , which has been a fun campaign to get involved in myself , but it focuses on urging our local utility to adopt 100% renewable energy by or before 2050 . You know we're trying to . You know , take action right now to convince their leaders that renewable energy is the future and that the earlier that we adopt this , the better off we're going to be as well .
Speaker 1One of our partner organizations , the Sierra Club , is actually leading the RenewJax campaign . But we , the Jacksonville Climate Coalition has signed on as a supporter and we have had a few of our members go out to the monthly JA board meetings . But we , the Jacksonville Climate Coalition , has signed on as a supporter and we have had a few of our members go out to the monthly JA board meetings and speak in support of moving to 100% renewable energy , so it was a lot of fun to see you there last time , Nathaniel . We've had a few other speakers as well , and that's another example of a learning opportunity . A lot of our members have never done anything like that before , but you know , if you have questions , we help you through it . It's three minutes that you get just to speak before the board .
Speaker 2No , it's definitely an aspect of becoming , you know , an active participant in one civic community . You're taking advantage of all opportunities that you have to voice your opinion to the decision makers .
Speaker 1So some of the questions , or one of the main questions that I get from people that are looking to get more involved is what can I do ? So we've got , in addition to just becoming a volunteer in general and you know , signing up on our website and saying , hey , I'd like to do more . If you do that , that's awesome . I will personally give you a call back and we'll talk about what you're interested , how you're interested in helping and you know where , where you might fit . But in addition to that , we also have kind of three working groups that were were that have different focus areas right now . So one of those is advocacy , which , nathaniel , you are leading . Another group that we have is community engagement . So there we are looking at setting up various climate conversations throughout the community and developing a speakers bureau , so where speakers can go out and give presentations . If you would like a presentation to to your community , be that be that your church group , your school , any other type of community group that you have we would have a bureau of speakers to be able to go out and talk about climate change . And we also have book talks that we're scheduling , which we'll talk about in a second .
Speaker 1And the last group that where we really need help is just communications in general . So help with our website or newsletter , social media If you're a really techie person , if you're really into marketing and you have some time that you can devote , we could certainly use help on that . In that regard , we have some specific upcoming events . We will be doing book talks the fourth Thursday of the month and it's kind of like a book club , but we want to keep it open . So if you haven't read the book , it's kind of okay , we'll still talk about it . You can get the cliff notes from the group and I guess that's also a generational thing . Probably you guys have spark notes or maybe just a chat GPT I don't know . Nathaniel , what do you guys use these days ?
Speaker 2I don't use spark notes that much , but I do like finding a good website that has a summary of things .
Speaker 1Okay , so we can provide that service . The most important thing is that we're getting together to talk about a specific climate-related topic . This is all virtual . In the month of June , we'll be covering Saving Us , which is a great book by Dr Catherine Hayhom , and it touches on a lot of the climate communications issues that we spoke about earlier in our conversation . And how can you get involved ? Anybody that's listening , you can volunteer on our website and you can also sign up for our newsletter . You can participate in our book talks . We have also upcoming green drinks , so once a month the dates are still TBD we're working this out , but once a month we will be having a green drink networking series throughout the community . Thank you so much , nathaniel . It's been great to work with you on the Climate Coalition and I really appreciate you coming on the podcast .
Speaker 2Yeah , florianne , thanks for having me so much . I really appreciate it and I look forward to seeing you next time .
Speaker 1Thank you , take care .
