Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
4/30/202634 min
Today Ilana sits down with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a PhD marine biologist, leading climate conservationist and policy expert, and author of WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT, which Rolling Stone calls “The most helpful book on the planet right now for… anyone concerned with Earth’s rising temperatures”. Ayana and Ilana discuss the alarming scarcity (but desperate need for) climate crisis messaging in politics and culture. In fact, we already have the renewable energy solutions we need to fight climate change, restore the environment, and create jobs, but if men say they feel emasculated by simply carrying a reusable canvas bag… are we doomed? 🤦
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Host: Ilana Glazer
Producers: David Rooklin, Annika Carlson, Madeline Kim, Kelsie Kiley, Glennis Meagher
Video Producers: Lexa Krebs, Louise Nessralla
Audio Producers: Nicole Maupin, Rachel Suffian, Rebecca O’Neill
Lighting Director: Kevin Deming
Editor: Tovah Leibowitz
Graphics: Raymo Ventura
Outro Music: Don Hur
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsIlana Glazer· Host0:00
Welcome to It's Open with Ilana Glazer. Hi. Thank you for joining me and us today. Um, I had such a great conversation with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson that I'm very excited to share with you. She is the author of What If We Get It Right? Ooh. And she's talking about the Earth, baby. She is a marine biologist and the leading, uh, voice in culture on climate solutions. I couldn't help but ask her, "Dr. Johnson, are we fucked?" And the answer may surprise you. Come on in. It's Open. [chimes] [door creaking] Ayana, thank you for joining me today. I- My absolute pleasure ... you know, we've been friends for a while now, maybe five or six years, from the neighborhood- Mm-hmm ... in Brooklyn- Mm-hmm ... uh, where you've, you grew up, but you have since moved to Maine.
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson· Guest0:51
Yeah. Feel great about that.
Ilana Glazer· Host0:53
Holy moly.
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson· Guest0:54
I'm actually trying to write, um, an essay about that for a magazine just, like... Because part of the reason is climate change. Like, where do you wanna be? Where feels safe? Where do you wanna build community? Like, where do you wanna put down roots, like, knowing everything that I know? And, like, for people who do have the freedom of choice, which is not very many, sadly, like, what are some good places to be? Like, how do we even think about that when the past is, like, no longer the perfect proxy for the future?
Ilana Glazer· Host1:26
Oof.
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson· Guest1:26
Sorry, I just went straight in on you.
Ilana Glazer· Host1:28
[laughs] I'm thrilled. When the past...