Power, Politics, Religion, & Climate Action

Conversation starters to spice up a podcast; invite me on to discuss!

Friends: My last six posts, summarized below, offer a compelling narrative and much fodder for stimulating discussion. To help grow The Climate Movement I’m looking to be on any podcast that will have me. (I’m not desperate; I’m available.) Podcasters, even if you have three listeners, and two are family members, sign me up. Or, non-podcasters, if you know one or more, please share this post with them. Finally, if you have suggestions for podcasts I could be on, please share them via a comment here, or email: climatehopetogether@gmail.com. Put “Potential Podcast” in the Subject line. Thanks in advance! Keep up the good work.

The Story I’m Telling About Power, Politics, Religion, & Climate Action

When taken together, my last six posts offer some pretty engaging fare, with an overarching narrative. Climate action requires political power, which must come from our people-power; even as our intensity is currently in the toilet, we have the potential to grow both our intensity-potential and our numbers-potential to become the greatest and most long-lasting social change movement in the history of the world. In the US, faith communities and faith adherents are essential to this, but they haven’t yet fulfilled their callings. Religion and politics can be a combustible mix, but faith values transcend such concern, calling followers to lead society’s climate efforts as part of The Climate Movement.

Climate Action & Politics

Because of the need for speed and scale, climate action is inescapably political. Well past time for all of us in The Climate Movement to own this and use our moral power and people-power to change the calculus of politicians. We must form electoral alliances to defeat opponents of climate action and those not committed to bold action. That means defeating all Republicans and all fossil- and fair-weather Democrats.

People-Power

If we want to impact politicians and the policies they enact we’ve got to have people-power. In this two-part series I show two things. The first is where such people-power will come from as visualized in this chart.

The Climate Movement is what will push climate action forward. The Movement will grow primarily from the much larger pool of Climate Action Supporters. But we can also find a few recruits in our Policy Coalition Allies.

Second, I show the power potential we have as demonstrated by recent polls, including the results below from registered voters. On climate action, 58% of Liberal Democrats, 31% of Moderate Ds, 9% of Moderate Republicans and 6% of Conservative Rs will only vote for candidates who will supports increasing renewables. In tight primary races and general election swing districts, the pro-climate-action voters are the difference between winning and losing. As we grow the numbers and intensity of The Climate Movement, so too will we grow those who will only vote for politicians supporting strong climate action.

Climate Action Intensity: We’re Low, But We’ll Grow

If we want to impact politics we’ve got to up our intensity, something covered in the next two posts (here and here). The numbers tell us what we already know in our gut: our Climate Movement intensity is in the toilet.

Well, it’s time to get our climate action mojo back. We must have our passion ignite both our intensity-potential and our numbers-potential.

We must let our values of love, justice, beauty, and freedom create such passion within us. And then we must break the “Climate Talk Taboo” and reach out to others.

A Fall 2025 Yale/GM poll asked if folks would volunteer their time for climate action. Then the poll followed up with another question. If asked by someone they like and respect would they volunteer. Here’s how much the numbers go up:

• Conservative Republicans +9 (from 0 to 9)

• Moderate Republicans +14 (from 7 to 20)

• Moderate Democrats +32 (from 9 to 41)

• Liberal Democrats +43 (from 11 to 54)

• All +24 (from 7 to 31)

In total, 31% would volunteer for climate action if asked by a friend or family member. This is in keeping with results from other polls suggesting that the Climate Movement Potential in the US is about 30%. Given that our goal is 5%, we’ve got a big pool to recruit from! We gotta break the Climate Talk Taboo and start asking.

The Faithful Must Be Faithful — And Political

There’s an age old adage: don’t mix religion and politics. Well, Republicans have taken a sledge hammer, a blow torch, a chisel, heck, I think they may have even taken nuclear bombs to this shibboleth.

Climate action folks must nix this as well. Faith communities and faith adherents must recognize two things: (1) essential climate action is inescapably political due to the need for speed and scale, and; (2) all faith adherents and faith communities are called by their values to be a part of The Climate Movement.

But right now in the US some misperceptions and all the seemingly more immediate challenges of our current moment are blocking faith communities from realizing our climate potential. We must overcome them.

A promising way to organize and support climate action within faith communities is through Faith-CATS or Faith-Climate Action Teams. These are small groups that meet together and support one another in action: (1) meet; (2) support; (3) act. For many folks, this will be your primary Field of Action.

Conclusion

There are lots of obstacles to overcome for The Climate Movement to become its destiny: the greatest and most long-lasting social change movement in the history of the world.

But we will overcome them.

The catch is, we must do so faster.

We will realize our potential and exercise our power as we make the impossible possible and the possible actual and the actual beautiful and our future come faster. Join us!

If you are new here, check out our Intro Series. If you like this post, please “like,” comment, and share. And thanks for all you’re doing.