77. U.S. Election Special: A New Optimism with Ben Rhodes and Todd Stern
Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast
Persephonica
4.7 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 7 November 2020
⏱️ 63 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The US election winner has all but been formally declared, with Joe Biden on the cusp of electoral victory. But after all the votes are counted, we see that there was record turnout for both Democrats and Republicans. What mandate does a Biden administration have to lead again globally on climate action?
This week we talk with two experts with first hand experience in US climate policy. Ben Rhodes, former Deputy National Security Advisor for President Obama, and Todd Stern, who was the United States Special Envoy for Climate Change leading up to the Paris Agreement.
Stick around to the end for a special music performance by MF Tomlinson!
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MF Tomlinson
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Check out FEAT, the world-first initiative for artists to take ownership over accelerating our clean energy future at a critical time in human history.
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Ben Rhodes
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Todd Stern
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Transcript
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| 0:00.9 | What music are we going to use? We should use the anthem of the United States. |
| 0:04.5 | Yes. I like that idea. |
| 0:07.4 | Does anybody want to sing it? |
| 0:09.9 | This week we bring you an inspiring song from Paul Dickinson. |
| 0:13.7 | Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light? |
| 0:19.9 | Okay, okay, that's enough. Play, go to the real music. |
| 0:30.0 | Hello and welcome to Outrageant Optimism. I'm Tom Rificanec. |
| 0:37.9 | I'm Cristiana Happy Figures. And I'm Paul Dickinson. |
| 0:42.4 | This week we try to contain our enthusiasm at the election of Joe Biden to be the 46th president |
| 0:48.6 | of the United States. We speak to Ben Rhodes, former Deputy National Security Advisor to President |
| 0:54.6 | Obama and we speak to Todd Stern who led the U.S. in the climate negotiations in Paris. |
| 1:01.3 | Thanks for being here. |
| 1:08.4 | So I'm just going to play you before you go. This is what it sounded like in this house in Costa Rica |
| 1:15.5 | about three or four hours ago. |
| 1:16.9 | So in case you can't tell that is Cristiana Figueras, former executive secretary of the U.N. |
| 1:26.4 | have trouble see screaming and running around the house jumping up and down. |
| 1:30.2 | It was difficult to get her to stop for hours as she realized that he global agreement |
| 1:35.4 | that she was the major part of creating was soon going to contain the United States again. |
| 1:40.2 | What a day. We came to this point and my God, it's been painful to get here, hasn't it? |
| 1:46.1 | Clay, we have to go to you. How are you feeling? As a Michigan voter, the only person with a U.S. |
| 1:51.6 | passport on the team. How are you feeling? |
| 1:57.2 | Man, when Michigan was officially called for Biden, I was so excited. |
... |
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