How much does the transportation sector contribute to the climate crisis? What communities are getting public transit right? How can we all work to get more public transit options in our communities? Here to share about why the future is public transit are MOVE MN Executive Director MJ Carpio and Joon Community Executive Director Reza Cristián. Carly chats with her guests about how they got into transit work, why transportation is a top carbon polluter (especially in Minnesota - did not know that!), and how highways and land-use planning have shaped car dependence, sprawl, and community harm since the 1950s. They also get into the influence the oil and gas companies have on politics and ever-rising gas prices. The guests share models of public transit abroad that are getting it right (Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris) and practical ways to act locally—vote, engage public works staff (they work for us, remember!), ride transit to boost ridership metrics, and join community bus tours like #BusBabes.

Learn more about Move MN and Joon Community.

Find zines, take classes with Carly, and more: unwindmovementmedia.com

Subscribe to Unwind and support the pod on Substack: unwindmovementmedia.substack.com

Music produced by M Baxley of Bear Witness Media

What does grief have to teach us about the environment? What does solar have to teach us about love? And how can a polar bear teach us about renewable energy? Here to answer these questions today is Bob Blake, the owner of the Minneapolis-based solar developer Solar Bear. Bob has a beautiful way of connecting our own healing to the healing of the planet, and he’s doing that through real tangible projects based in community. Blake shares how grief after his brother’s death inspired the “Solar Bear” persona, led him to write a business plan in college, and became a life-saving purpose (obsession!) that evolved into climate action. A lesson Carly can't stop thinking about from this episode: the way Bob uses empathy when facing pushback against renewables. Blake shares updates on projects like electric school buses, EV infrastructure, and e-bike grants for Red Lake, and the Solar Cub program—an open-source, culture- and language-integrated STEM curriculum expanding across grades and communities. He also discusses workforce development for formerly incarcerated citizens and military veterans. To say Bob is inspiring is an understatement.

Learn more about Solar Bear.

Find zines, take classes with Carly, and more: unwindmovementmedia.com

Subscribe to Unwind and support the pod on Substack: unwindmovementmedia.substack.com

Music produced by M Baxley of Bear Witness Media

What the actual f is going on with climate politics right now? What regulations are cancelled? How much of it is fear mongering? And what can we do about it? Thank goodness today’s guest, Chris Conry—campaign director of 100% Minnesota and longtime labor and community organizer—has some insight to share about all of this and more. Speaking of politics, we are in primary voting season here in the U.S. Check out voting resources below. Chris started by sharing how his daughter’s March for Science speech pushed him toward climate work. Chris outlines Trump-era actions: executive orders targeting regulations (including the endangerment finding), congressional rollbacks of Biden-era clean energy investments, illegal impoundment of climate funds (including FEMA grants), increased costs for wind and solar, disinformation on climate science, and fossil-fuel-driven foreign policy. Boooo. He argues faux populism exploits real grievances with false blame, and believes climate solutions should improve material conditions through affordability, efficiency, electrification, updated building codes, thermal energy networks, industrial decarbonization, and pragmatic adaptation for floods and heat. As is becoming a regular part of the conversation on the pod, Chris emphasizes curiosity and participation, and suggests people join climate organizing in ways that match their skills—from advocacy and voting to creative work.

Check out 100% Minnesota to learn more about the work Chris is doing: 100percentmn.org

Find the climate action that fits your skills and passions: Climate Action Venn Diagram by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Make sure you’re registered by heading to vote.org.

Compare candidates and track their voting records using knowyourvotes.com.

And finally, as Chris reminded us, these issues all intersect, from here to Palestine. Use trackaipac.com to see what politicians are serving the interests of corrupt lobbies before yours.

Find zines, take classes with Carly, and more: unwindmovementmedia.com

Subscribe to Unwind and support the pod on Substack: unwindmovementmedia.substack.com

Music produced by M Baxley of Bear Witness Media