DeepSummary
In this episode of Breaking Green Ceilings, host Sapna Mulky interviews Raya Salter, an attorney and clean energy law/policy expert focused on climate justice. Raya shares her journey from working in community-based organizations and teaching technology to becoming a lawyer and vocal environmental advocate. She discusses her work with state governments, including New York and Hawaii, to create programs that help make communities climate resilient.
Raya emphasizes the importance of addressing climate change from an energy justice perspective, moving beyond just focusing on greenhouse gas emissions reductions. She highlights the need for substantive investments in making communities resilient to climate impacts and ensuring a just transition through measures like job training and participatory decision-making processes.
The conversation also touches on Raya's experiences as an African American woman in various professional spaces, navigating challenges like lack of representation and marginalization. She shares insights on finding one's voice, creating inclusive movements, and the importance of community support and self-care in this work.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The importance of addressing climate change from an energy justice perspective, focusing on community resilience and a just transition, not just emissions reductions.
- The need for substantive investments and participatory processes to empower communities, especially marginalized ones, in the transition to clean energy.
- The challenges faced by women of color, like Raya, in predominantly white professional spaces, and strategies for navigating and creating spaces for themselves.
- The value of grounding oneself in grassroots movements and communities when engaging in advocacy work, rather than co-opting or tokenizing their efforts.
- The significance of self-care, reasonable expectations, and community support in pursuing this often underacknowledged and unpaid justice work.
- The importance of taking ownership of one's professional development and growth, especially in niche or underrepresented areas.
- The inspirational legacy of the civil rights movement and its connection to the environmental justice movement.
- The need for collective action and solidarity among diverse groups to create broader, more inclusive climate and environmental movements.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I think it's interesting because it's one of the reasons why I like to talk with law students about the energy field and energy and environmental justice. I think that it's been my experience, anyway, that quite often, at least black Americans, which is a heritage that I claim, we grow up learning the legacy of racism, the legacy of slavery.“ by Raya Salter
- “It is no longer sufficient to say, we're going to have 100% renewable energy goals, and we're going to focus on greenhouse gas emissions reductions and mitigation.“ by Raya Salter
- “And when you do that, you are a $1 million baddie with plants person who is doing the work.“ by Raya Salter
Entities
Person
Location
Organization
Book
Episode Information
Breaking Green Ceilings
Sapna Mulki
3/9/21
Raya Salter is an attorney, educator and clean energy law/policy expert, focusing on climate justice. She is a member of the New York State Climate Action Council, which is developing NY’s plan to reach the nation’s leading climate action goals, and a policy organizer with the NY Renews environmental and climate justice coalition.
Raya is an experienced advocate, having practiced energy law and regulation in multiple jurisdictions, including New York and Hawaii. In prior roles she was a Senior Attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council and a Regulatory Attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund. She has written widely on energy policy and her book, "Energy Justice, Domestic and International Perspectives" was released in 2018.
Follow Raya Salter
- Instagram - @climateauntie
- LinkedIn - @RayaSalter
- Website - rayasalter.com
- Twitter - @EarthtoRaya
Follow Breaking Green Ceilings: