DeepSummary
In this episode, Jane Kleeb, the founder of Bold Alliance, author of 'Harvest the Vote', chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, and recipient of the 2023 Climate Breakthrough Award, discusses her work in building alliances among rural Americans and advocating for clean energy development that benefits local residents. She shares her experience in organizing communities against the Keystone XL pipeline and the importance of personalizing stories to gain support for climate initiatives.
Kleeb emphasizes the need to address disinformation spread by fossil fuel corporations in rural areas and the importance of community engagement in clean energy projects. She advocates for approaches like community benefit agreements and the American Energy Dividend, which would financially benefit local residents and give them a stake in the projects. Kleeb also discusses the significance of having rural representation in leadership positions and the Democratic Party.
The conversation covers various topics, including the challenges of media deserts in rural areas, the potential political opportunities for Democrats in red states through clean energy projects, and the need for research on the impact of community benefit agreements on attitudes toward clean energy. Kleeb stresses the importance of meeting rural Americans where they are and addressing their concerns while promoting the benefits of a clean energy economy.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Building alliances and earning support from rural Americans is crucial for the success of clean energy initiatives and addressing climate change.
- Personalizing stories and connecting with the values and concerns of rural communities is essential for gaining their trust and involvement.
- Addressing disinformation spread by fossil fuel corporations in rural areas is a critical challenge that requires providing factual information and ensuring tangible benefits for local residents.
- Approaches like community benefit agreements and the American Energy Dividend can financially benefit local communities and give them a stake in clean energy projects, increasing their support.
- Representation of rural voices and agricultural experts in leadership positions is vital for ensuring that policies and legislation address the needs and concerns of rural communities.
- Government funding for media in rural and minority communities can help address the issue of media deserts and the lack of credible information sources.
- Setting a date for the phase-out of fossil fuels and promoting a positive framing of clean energy as an economic opportunity can help win support from rural and conservative voters.
- Research is needed on the impact of community benefit agreements on attitudes toward clean energy and addressing potential ethical concerns in the sourcing of materials for clean energy technologies.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Folks don't want to send their sons and daughters or their husbands and wives off to war to fight over oil.“ by Jane Kleeb
- “When you have somebody like a John tester or somebody who understands ag in the room, they can advocate then for those things to actually be included in the bill.“ by Jane Kleeb
- “Rural people saw the government filling an actual need, not just a human need, of having electricity, which obviously made life easier and all the things that come with electricity. But it was filling a huge economic need.“ by Jane Kleeb
- “And so how do we make sure that we are not only meeting the disinformation with right information, but also making sure that these projects really are going to benefit people and keeping the industry's feet to the fire on those projects.“ by Jane Kleeb
- “I absolutely think that there should be government funding for media, that there's no other way, especially in rural communities, or I would argue, in communities of color. So in communities that are predominantly african american, latino, native american, asian american, they also have media deserts.“ by Jane Kleeb
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Episode Information
The Climate Pod
The Climate Pod
12/6/23
Rural voters are often overlooked or completely ignored when it comes to progressive campaigns, including ones centered on climate action. And yet, it is the vast land available in rural areas that offer the greatest opportunity to build out clean energy projects in America. But years of misinformation, crumbling political infrastructure, and Republican, one-party control has lead to a major obstacle obstructing the path to a decarbonized economy. So how do we change that?
There may be no better expert to answer the question than Jane Kleeb. Kleeb is the Founder of Bold Alliance, author of Harvest the Vote, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, and most recently, a recipient of the 2023 Climate Breakthrough Award, which will be used to “build alliances among rural Americans and advocate clean energy development that is beneficial to local residents.” She joins the show this week to discuss how to ensure that rural residents share in the wealth of clean energy projects, why we need more than a just transition, and the values that more conservative, rural voters share with progressives.
Check out more on the 2023 Climate Breakthrough Award and read Harvest the Vote
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