February 19, 2025 • 24 mins
In this special solo episode of Green Tea Party Radio, host Katie Zakrzewski takes a reflective dive into a question many young conservatives are asking: What is mine to do? With political pushback from all sides and a growing sense of climate urgency, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start. Katie shares practical, values-driven ways young conservatives can engage in climate action while staying true to their principles of free markets, personal responsibility, and conservation.
Key Topics Discussed: ✅ The importance of finding your unique role in climate activism ✅ Overcoming political resistance from both conservatives and liberals ✅ 12 actionable steps young conservatives can take for the environment ✅ How to engage with local GOP chapters and advocate for pro-climate policies ✅ Market-driven solutions like carbon pricing and clean energy investment ✅ The power of community-driven environmental work ✅ Setting an example through sustainable personal choices ✅ Using social media effectively to advocate for conservative climate action ✅ Why engaging with elected officials is crucial for real change ✅ Holding corporations accountable while promoting free-market environmentalism
Action Steps: 🔹 Choose one of the 12 climate actions discussed and commit to trying it 🔹 Engage with a local environmental initiative or GOP chapter 🔹 Use your voice—write an op-ed, share on social media, or contact your representatives 🔹 Support businesses that align with conservative climate values 🔹 Encourage discussion—host or attend a local event about environmental solutions
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Disclaimer: Green Tea Party Radio is an independent project and does not represent the views of the Diocese of Little Rock, Catholic Climate Covenant, or any of our employers.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
KZ (00:01) Hi St.
Peterson, it's your favorite Pollock again.
I'm here to record another episode of GTPR.
I love you very much.
Please enjoy.
(00:26):
Hello and welcome to the Green Tea Party, where we discuss conservative solutions to environmental problems.
I'm Katie Zekreski, and today I'll guide you through complex issues and provide strategies to address them, all while remaining faithful to my conservative values.
It'll be a good time, it's a party, so grab your mugs and we'll pour the tea.
Welcome back everybody.
This episode's a little bit different today.
(00:51):
I know I say that like every single episode, but I mean it this time.
because we are recording on President's Day weekend.
And when I say we, I mean me because everybody else is off.
But I don't say that in an aggressive way.
Hannah and Zach are just busy enjoying a little bit of much needed time to themselves.
(01:16):
Of course, as you know, you're an environmentalist, you're young.
You know that these have been a crazy couple of weeks, so I'm glad that they're getting a break.
So I wanted to take this time, you know, just to see what's mine to do.
That might be kind of random, but I know that lot of young conservatives in particular right now are scratching their heads and looking around and wondering, you know, what can I do?
I want to do something.
(01:41):
I want to do something, but what can I do?
I find myself asking this a lot.
Or sometimes I find myself saying this when people give me four billion things to do, and then I wonder, what is actually mine to do?
What do I specifically bring to the table?
Why am I here?
(02:06):
Not to get too existential, but maybe you've been wondering the same thing.
You might be getting pushback from folks on the left, pushback from folks within your own conservative party.
pushback from other environmentalists.
There's plenty of pushback out there right now, and that can be really discouraging.
I know for me in particular, I never want to turn people away whenever they want to do something.
(02:31):
And it seems like a whole lot of people have no problem with turning folks away who want to do something.
So today I want to teach you, well, maybe not teach, but I want to talk with you a little bit more about, you know, what is mine to do?
What can you do about climate change as a young conservative?
feel like there's a whole lot of helplessness right now, a feeling of being paralyzed.
So I want to kind of get the juices flowing and give you some various ideas that I've accumulated over the last couple of weeks.
(02:56):
Just simple things that you don't got to be a millionaire, you don't got to know the president.
These are just things that you can do to make a difference in your world.
So I don't really have a whole lot to banter about today other than the fact that I've...
pretty much don't have anything to banter about because I've stopped watching the news.
I don't want to know anymore.
(03:21):
I'm completely disheartened by it.
I don't know that I need to know the news as in depth as I used to to do the things that I do anyway.
So screw that.
We're not going into it.
Let's just get right into the show.
(03:46):
So obviously if young conservatives are looking to take quick, impactful action on climate change while staying true to their values, there are several different things that you can consider and see about doing, which I've compiled for you in a list here.
Number one, consider supporting or joining a conservative climate group.
There are several different groups that you can get involved in.
There's the young conservatives for carbon dividends, conservative environmental network, republic en, citizens climate lobby, plenty of organizations that you can get involved in, American Conservation Coalition, several organizations that are geared not just towards conservatives but young conservatives as well.
So joining groups like these can get you connected with other organizations as well as connected with Republican lawmakers who might also be advocating for free market climate solutions.
(04:11):
I would also encourage you to engage with your local GOP chapter.
I think we said this a few weeks ago, but I'm really going to push that this year and I'm going to try to do this too.
I know that this is scary because if your state's anything like mine, your local GOP chapter's average age is probably about 80.
And it can be really intimidating to get in there as a fresh face, as young blood, with a perspective that might not line up with their own.
But I encourage you to see about engaging with your local GOP chapter and restoring some of that environmentalist conservatism that we saw several decades ago.
(04:36):
So get involved with your local Republican party or organization to advocate for climate policies that align with your conservative values, like market-based solutions or energy independence.
These are just a couple of things that you can do.
Number two, consider advocating for market friendly climate policies like carbon pricing.
So promoting carbon taxes or cap and trade, engaging in public discourse, these things are key.
So obviously advocating for solutions like carbon pricing, which are market based approaches that can appeal to conservative principles, engaging in public discourse by writing op-eds or posting on social media or engaging with people on social media advocating for conservative market driven climate solutions really does boost this talk in the online sphere.
(05:01):
think the more people talk about it, the more people read and hear about it, and the more likely people are to look into it.
Carbon pricing and mechanisms like this are supported by many economists across the political spectrum.
So see what it is that conservatives might be interested in and be sure to elevate that for them because a lot of them don't even realize that that exists.
Number three, support renewable energy initiatives.
So invest in or support clean energy wherever possible.
(05:26):
So encourage investments in renewable energy solutions like solar panels, wind and nuclear power, whether it's in your personal life or through supporting clean energy policies or with family or friends.
I've even done it with a few of the businesses that I've worked for.
I've brought up, know, have we thought about recycling?
Have we thought about putting solar panels on the building?
you know, see what's available to you in your area?
(05:51):
and what you can feasibly do and encourage, whether it's in your personal life and in your personal circles, or as you advocate to members of Congress or state legislators.
Be sure to push for energy independence as part of this as well.
So obviously you want to advocate for policies that encourage US energy independence through the development of domestic renewable resources and nuclear energy, which would in turn reduce dependence on foreign oil.
We've seen a whole lot of that happen just over the last couple of years with the war in Ukraine.
We've been able to see how fossil fuels have a role in dependency and independence over there.
(06:16):
It might be worthwhile bringing it up again here.
You know, what are some alternatives to make sure that we're manufacturing things here in the U.S.
for an affordable rate, creating jobs and creating energy independence here?
So again, research this in your spare time, see what's available in your area and see about crafting a message that your members of Congress might be interested in hearing or what your state legislators might be hearing.
Four.
(06:41):
Engage in local sustainability efforts.
think a lot of people forget about how big of a role your local and state level politics play because they want to go through the whole enchilada on the federal level.
I will put this to you right now.
The most rewarding environmental work that I have done has been on the local and state level.
Federal level, it's a coin toss every time, but local and state level always seems to have the most impact.
(07:06):
A lot of young people in particular forget about this.
So get involved in local environmental projects.
Work on local sustainability initiatives, whether that's, you know, community gardening, waste reduction, water conservation, planting trees in your community.
All of these things can gain broad support across political lines.
And for the most part, a lot of these are seen as apolitical.
(07:31):
I don't think any one party is saying, no, community gardens are horrible.
Cleaning up your local river?
Ah, ah, icky, we hate that.
Planting trees?
Disgusting.
(07:56):
Nobody's saying that.
If they are a sin in my way, I'll give them a knuckle sandwich.
But generally speaking, sustainability measures like these and initiatives gain positive traction.
They look good.
Nobody's really speaking out against them.
(08:21):
Nobody in power at least.
So it's something to look at joining in your area or see about creating it.
If there are no local initiatives in your area, ask why.
Is it because nobody's ever tried to do it before or was it just done poorly?
What does this area need?
(08:46):
Who would be interested?
You can't be the only person in your area interested in environmental policy.
It's just finding the other people who are and getting connected with them.
Also, support clean local infrastructure.
If we encourage these things on a federal level, it's only fair that we encourage them in our own zip codes in our neighborhoods and communities as well.
(09:11):
So encouraging or advocating for local policies to improve waste management, reducing pollution and promoting energy efficiency in public buildings can be incredibly rewarding on the local and state level.
Number five, you have to set the example yourself.
So practice sustainable personal choices.
So that can be, you know, adopting eco-friendly habits by making simple life changes, like reducing single use plastics, choosing to recycle more, buying energy efficient appliances or driving an electric vehicle if possible.
All of these actions, no matter how big or how small can add up and they set an example for others.
(09:36):
And I think a lot of people make the mistake of being comparative when they do things like this.
For example, Hannah, one of our co-hosts, does a really great job of going plastic free.
I personally don't know that I could ever do that.
So I try to do what I can in other areas, whether that's working on community gardens or lobbying or what have you.
The great thing about being an environmentalist is that there are so many different ways to do it that I would hesitate to say that any one way is correct or true or the true good ending.
(10:01):
They're all good.
I don't care if you're doing a hundred of them, I don't care if you're doing one of them, just doing something shows that you're already thinking about it enough to make a personal impact in your own life about it.
And I think that speaks volumes about your self-worth.
Obviously that means also reducing waste.
So focus on reducing your personal consumption and buying more sustainably.
(10:26):
Choose products with less packaging or support companies that prioritize environmental responsibility.
Ask yourself before the things you buy, am I going to get a lot of use out of this?
How long is this going to last?
What is this made of?
Where was it made?
(10:51):
Who made it?
Is it expensive?
Can I get a better alternative for cheaper?
Ask yourself these questions as you prepare to make purchases.
Number six, push for energy innovation.
(11:16):
So this means obviously if we're going to lobby for better techniques, we have to support them when they come out and get involved where we can.
So supporting new technologies, advocating for the development of breakthrough technologies such as nuclear fusion, carbon capture.
hydrogen fuel, these are just some of the things that we can do because these technologies align with conservative ideals of technological innovation.
These play a critical role in solving climate challenges that will probably become even more relevant in the next few years, so you might as well jump the gun and get involved right now.
Obviously, see if you can get involved in STEM as well.
(11:41):
Hannah and Zach are both STEM folks.
God bless them.
They've got that brain.
I do not.
So I work on communicating things about STEM because I do much better with words than numbers.
(12:06):
So if you're studying or interested in technology, consider pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, or math fields that work on green innovation.
I've got a friend who's getting ready to go to environmental law school because he's explaining to me, I'm not a STEM person, but I love the environment and I love to argue.
So if there's something that I can do from a legal perspective for the environment, that's what I'm going to do.
There's so many different ways to use your talents to better the environment.
I think a lot of people think, well, unless I'm an EPA engineer or an environmental engineer or a forest ranger, there's really not a lot I can do.
(12:31):
We all have different talents and skills that are needed in the environmentalist movement, and I promise you can find a way to use yours too.
Seven, advocate for conservation and stewardship.
So you have to promote conservation efforts where you can, whether it's getting involved in promoting responsible land management or promoting the conservation of public lands.
Many conservatives view these things as their moral responsibility to their kids and to their grandkids.
And I've also seen the argument recently in studies that a lot of older conservatives in particular don't care as much for the future as they do about the past.
(12:56):
Okay.
Pitch it from the angle of, if you respect your ancestors and the hard work that they did to get here, then wouldn't you preserve the land that they worked so hard to pass on to you?
Just a little food for thought.
Obviously, you've got to participate in these conservation initiatives as well.
It's not enough to support things from the sidelines.
(13:21):
You've got to have some skin in the game.
Join groups that focus on wildlife protection, forest management, or local habitat restoration projects.
Your local game and fish might be one of these groups, or maybe it's just a sustainability club.
or Green Committee, or a biology club.
I have all these things local to me and we don't have a lot going on in Arkansas.
(13:46):
So if I've got these things close to me, I promise you've probably got some of these things close to you as well.
Number eight, use your voice on social media.
I know I said something similar to this earlier, but I think it's so important that it warrants its own point.
You have to raise awareness on social platforms and provide political coverage where you can.
So sharing articles, infographics, and videos that emphasize the need for climate solutions that align with conservative values is key for what you can be doing right now.
(14:11):
Use your voice to discuss how innovation and market-based solutions can address climate change without sacrificing personal freedom.
If your member of Congress or a local politician is saying pro-climate things and you see people attacking them in the comments, take up for them.
Talk about how you think that this is a great thing, how you're a young conservative who's invested in the climate and the environment.
I've had to do this with my local member of Congress several times.
He'd meet with us when we would lobby with him.
(14:36):
He would tweet out that he met with us.
some boneheads would jump into the comments and talk about how horrible it was, well then that's when me and my lobby team would show up like the Avengers.
And it's the coolest feeling in the world when you and ten other people flood a member of Congress's social media with supportive messages.
And let me tell you, they remember it down the line.
Of course, that means you have to engage in respectful conversations wherever you can.
(15:01):
Engage with others in a constructive way, whether it's in social media or in real life.
Make sure that anytime you walk away from a conversation with someone, you leave a good taste in their mouth, even if they hate you.
And by that, I mean, don't give them anything bad to say about you.
In fact, make it hard for them to say anything about you because of how polite you were if they don't like you.
That's always my favorite thing.
(15:26):
Remember, you can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar.
So be sure to give data-driven arguments and promote unity and solving environmental issues.
And one thing that I've noticed is a lot of people reach out to me and they say, you know, it's really hard to treat this as a bipartisan issue because anytime I meet with folks from the opposing political party, maybe they say things that I don't agree with, or they push back against some of my ideas because they know that I'm the conservative in the room.
And I always remind them of a pretty valuable lesson that I learned here several years ago when I got involved in a bipartisan organization.
We would walk into the room and they would say, everything else, every other political and social issue, we leave outside the door when we come in.
(15:51):
When we come in this room, we're not Republicans or Democrats, we're environmentalists.
And I really liked that because obviously, you know, we still have our political leanings, but I think that there's strength in those meanings.
what I mean by that is you don't just sit in the room with a bunch of liberals as the conservatives because you're scoping out the enemy camp, okay?
You're doing it because is there something you can learn from being around this group of people?
Is there a certain word or phrase that they like to use that maybe we as conservatives don't use.
(16:16):
What are the arguments that matter to them?
You learn a lot about yourself in listening and engaging with others because you learn more about their perspective and the arguments that compel them.
Consider listening in addition to talking, but whatever you do, do it respectfully.
Number nine, engage with conservative leaders on climate policy.
So many of my representatives and members of Congress, anytime I go meet with them, they say, well, I'm not hearing from a thousand other young conservatives on climate change.
(16:41):
Well, that's a good point.
Why not?
We'll all change our social media profile for fun, but we won't talk to our member of Congress who writes the laws.
That doesn't make any sense.
So I'm telling you to talk to your elected representatives, write to your local representative or to senators.
(17:06):
or whoever you have to write to who's in power near you or relevant to you, and express your concerns about climate change and urge those representatives to support market-based solutions or other policies that prioritize sustainability and energy independence.
That means supporting candidates with a pro-climate agenda, and I'm gonna use the phrase bird dogging candidates that don't have a pro-climate agenda.
So if you're voting or volunteering for candidates, You have to support those who prioritize clean energy action through free market solutions, innovation or investments in clean energy technologies.
If you've got a candidate that you like who has not said anything about the environment or who has been negative about the environment, I would encourage you to ask questions, whether that's, you know, at their talks, rallies or conferences or debates, whether that's at their meet and greet events or town halls, whether that's on social media or in letters to the editor.
Let them know your concerns as a young climate change environmentalist, as a young conservative who's environmentalist.
(17:31):
These are things that I've had to do over the years with my members of Congress, where sometimes we've had somebody run who did not at all have the climate chutzpah that I would have liked for them to.
And so a lot of it was, know, let me ask questions to gauge where they're at.
Let me ask questions to gauge their willingness to reconsider.
And then what do I need to do to either help educate them or make life easy or convince them as to why this is something they need to be engaged in as a conservative.
So understand where your candidate is coming from, ask some questions if you need to, and then see, know, what can you do as a constituent to make their life easier?
(17:56):
What I've noticed is, and this might be going down the rabbit hole a little bit, there would be times that I would go to lobby members of Congress.
Well, guess what?
Thousands of people do that every single month.
What I would try to do is create a one pager of some sort that the member of Congress or the staffer for that member of Congress would be able to briefly look over.
It would be a list of bills, things that were good and bad about them as a conservative initiatives that I was concerned about.
(18:21):
You know, any statistics that might be relevant to them, like for example, we would go lobby with Senator John Bozeman while he was the head of one of the agricultural committees at that time.
So I would write, you know, here is the impact that climate change and drought.
have had on rice production in Arkansas over the last 10 years.
And stuff like that is really interesting to them, because not only is it relevant to the other things that they do, but it saves them time.
Because let's be honest, if everybody is giving their member of Congress a packet on the bills that they're interested in, do you really think that your member of Congress has the time to sit down and read and remember all that?
(18:46):
They do not.
I can barely do that, and I'm only concerned with a handful of things in one sector.
If you can make your member of Congress's life as easy as possible and make their job easy, not only will they appreciate it because you understand the game and they know you understand the game, but you're giving something that could be a helpful tool to them later on, whether it's just a fact sheet that they can pull from, what have you.
Always be nice to your member of Congress, whether they are on the same page with you or not, because whatever time you spend talking to your member of Congress, the floor should be theirs.
We have an old rule in lobbying that any time you lobby somebody, whoever you're lobbying should do most of the talking because it's not often that you've got an opportunity to sit with them and pick their brain.
(19:11):
Just something to consider moving forward.
Number 10, push for climate resilience.
So supporting infrastructure resilience, advocating for investments in climate resilience in your community, encouraging your local government to prioritize flood defenses, wildland fire prevention, and infrastructure improvements can all help withstand extreme weather events in your community in the near future.
And it will give you a little bit of leverage later on.
You should also promote climate disaster preparedness in your area.
(19:36):
That means encouraging your community to prepare for climate related disasters such as hurricanes, floods or wildfires depending on what's geographically relevant to you.
This can be seen as a conservative approach to ensuring safety and minimizing economic damage in the long term from climate related impacts by being prepared.
Number 11, host or attend local discussions on climate solutions.
So this means either joining some sort of community discussion that might be held in your area or organizing one if there isn't one.
So this can be done to bring together like-minded individuals to discuss conservative approaches to climate solutions.
(20:01):
These events could include speakers from business, technology, and policy sectors, all of which can offer insight into the climate crisis from a market-driven perspective.
Also be sure to attend town hall meetings, raise these things, with your local town hall, with your local representatives, engage in community discussions and town hall meetings to raise awareness about climate change and advocate for policies that reflect your values.
This also gives you an opportunity to hear about what the concerns of other people are in the community.
Not to mention, if you're showing up to a town hall meeting, everybody else who bothers to show up is interested in making progress as well.
And they might be interested in some of the things that you're working on.
(20:26):
Number 12, encourage corporate responsibility.
So be sure to support companies that have strong environmental policies.
Be sure to put your dollar to use, vote with your dollar.
Use your purchasing power to support companies that prioritize sustainability.
When you buy for businesses that take climate action seriously, you're helping drive market demand for eco-friendly products and practices.
(20:51):
But you also have to promote accountability for major corporations as well.
It's not enough to support companies that do the right thing.
We also have to call out companies that don't.
advocate for corp, let me try that again.
Be sure to advocate for corporate responsibility, encouraging companies to adopt greener practices without government mandates, push for transparency and environmental accountability in the private sector.
(21:16):
A lot of these corporations are conservative, reminding them, hey, if you're doing the right thing, you don't have to have the big government involved in the first place.
By being transparent of your own volition, you are already encouraging an independent, more private, small government business sector.
So by taking just one or two of these actions, although I gave you 12, young conservatives can have a meaningful impact on the climate crisis while promoting solutions that align with their conservative values of personal responsibility, innovation, and market-driven change.
Alright, so, action steps.
I am going to ask you to pick one of these 12 things that I mentioned and seriously consider doing them.
(21:41):
And if you don't like these, try one of your own.
The moral line, the moral of the story and the bottom line is get involved.
And there are plenty of places for you to get involved.
And I don't care what the boomers in your life say, whether they're on the left or the right.
If this is something that you care strongly about, you cannot sit idly by.
(22:06):
The time to sit on the sidelines has come and gone.
Now it is time to get involved and to pave a better tomorrow.
For you, our listener, email us with your thoughts.
Our email is info at greenteapartyradio.com.
Thank you for listening to Green Tea Party Radio and a very special thank you to all of our patrons.
(22:31):
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(22:56):
And just a reminder that Green Tea Party Radio is not representative of the Diocese of Little Rock, Catholic Climate Covenant, or any of our employers.
We are simply building a movement because we want the world to know that conservatives, particularly young ones, have important things to say about climate change.
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Thank you so much again for listening and we'll see you next week.
(23:21):
Bye bye.
Thanks, Peter Thien.
KZ (00:01) Hi St.
Peterson, it's your favorite Pollock again.
I'm here to record another episode of GTPR.
I love you very much.
Please enjoy.
(00:26):
Hello and welcome to the Green Tea Party, where we discuss conservative solutions to environmental problems.
I'm Katie Zekreski, and today I'll guide you through complex issues and provide strategies to address them, all while remaining faithful to my conservative values.
It'll be a good time, it's a party, so grab your mugs and we'll pour the tea.
Welcome back everybody.
This episode's a little bit different today.
(00:51):
I know I say that like every single episode, but I mean it this time.
because we are recording on President's Day weekend.
And when I say we, I mean me because everybody else is off.
But I don't say that in an aggressive way.
Hannah and Zach are just busy enjoying a little bit of much needed time to themselves.
(01:16):
Of course, as you know, you're an environmentalist, you're young.
You know that these have been a crazy couple of weeks, so I'm glad that they're getting a break.
So I wanted to take this time, you know, just to see what's mine to do.
That might be kind of random, but I know that lot of young conservatives in particular right now are scratching their heads and looking around and wondering, you know, what can I do?
I want to do something.
(01:41):
I want to do something, but what can I do?
I find myself asking this a lot.
Or sometimes I find myself saying this when people give me four billion things to do, and then I wonder, what is actually mine to do?
What do I specifically bring to the table?
Why am I here?
(02:06):
Not to get too existential, but maybe you've been wondering the same thing.
You might be getting pushback from folks on the left, pushback from folks within your own conservative party.
pushback from other environmentalists.
There's plenty of pushback out there right now, and that can be really discouraging.
I know for me in particular, I never want to turn people away whenever they want to do something.
(02:31):
And it seems like a whole lot of people have no problem with turning folks away who want to do something.
So today I want to teach you, well, maybe not teach, but I want to talk with you a little bit more about, you know, what is mine to do?
What can you do about climate change as a young conservative?
feel like there's a whole lot of helplessness right now, a feeling of being paralyzed.
So I want to kind of get the juices flowing and give you some various ideas that I've accumulated over the last couple of weeks.
(02:56):
Just simple things that you don't got to be a millionaire, you don't got to know the president.
These are just things that you can do to make a difference in your world.
So I don't really have a whole lot to banter about today other than the fact that I've...
pretty much don't have anything to banter about because I've stopped watching the news.
I don't want to know anymore.
(03:21):
I'm completely disheartened by it.
I don't know that I need to know the news as in depth as I used to to do the things that I do anyway.
So screw that.
We're not going into it.
Let's just get right into the show.
(03:46):
So obviously if young conservatives are looking to take quick, impactful action on climate change while staying true to their values, there are several different things that you can consider and see about doing, which I've compiled for you in a list here.
Number one, consider supporting or joining a conservative climate group.
There are several different groups that you can get involved in.
There's the young conservatives for carbon dividends, conservative environmental network, republic en, citizens climate lobby, plenty of organizations that you can get involved in, American Conservation Coalition, several organizations that are geared not just towards conservatives but young conservatives as well.
So joining groups like these can get you connected with other organizations as well as connected with Republican lawmakers who might also be advocating for free market climate solutions.
(04:11):
I would also encourage you to engage with your local GOP chapter.
I think we said this a few weeks ago, but I'm really going to push that this year and I'm going to try to do this too.
I know that this is scary because if your state's anything like mine, your local GOP chapter's average age is probably about 80.
And it can be really intimidating to get in there as a fresh face, as young blood, with a perspective that might not line up with their own.
But I encourage you to see about engaging with your local GOP chapter and restoring some of that environmentalist conservatism that we saw several decades ago.
(04:36):
So get involved with your local Republican party or organization to advocate for climate policies that align with your conservative values, like market-based solutions or energy independence.
These are just a couple of things that you can do.
Number two, consider advocating for market friendly climate policies like carbon pricing.
So promoting carbon taxes or cap and trade, engaging in public discourse, these things are key.
So obviously advocating for solutions like carbon pricing, which are market based approaches that can appeal to conservative principles, engaging in public discourse by writing op-eds or posting on social media or engaging with people on social media advocating for conservative market driven climate solutions really does boost this talk in the online sphere.
(05:01):
think the more people talk about it, the more people read and hear about it, and the more likely people are to look into it.
Carbon pricing and mechanisms like this are supported by many economists across the political spectrum.
So see what it is that conservatives might be interested in and be sure to elevate that for them because a lot of them don't even realize that that exists.
Number three, support renewable energy initiatives.
So invest in or support clean energy wherever possible.
(05:26):
So encourage investments in renewable energy solutions like solar panels, wind and nuclear power, whether it's in your personal life or through supporting clean energy policies or with family or friends.
I've even done it with a few of the businesses that I've worked for.
I've brought up, know, have we thought about recycling?
Have we thought about putting solar panels on the building?
you know, see what's available to you in your area?
(05:51):
and what you can feasibly do and encourage, whether it's in your personal life and in your personal circles, or as you advocate to members of Congress or state legislators.
Be sure to push for energy independence as part of this as well.
So obviously you want to advocate for policies that encourage US energy independence through the development of domestic renewable resources and nuclear energy, which would in turn reduce dependence on foreign oil.
We've seen a whole lot of that happen just over the last couple of years with the war in Ukraine.
We've been able to see how fossil fuels have a role in dependency and independence over there.
(06:16):
It might be worthwhile bringing it up again here.
You know, what are some alternatives to make sure that we're manufacturing things here in the U.S.
for an affordable rate, creating jobs and creating energy independence here?
So again, research this in your spare time, see what's available in your area and see about crafting a message that your members of Congress might be interested in hearing or what your state legislators might be hearing.
Four.
(06:41):
Engage in local sustainability efforts.
think a lot of people forget about how big of a role your local and state level politics play because they want to go through the whole enchilada on the federal level.
I will put this to you right now.
The most rewarding environmental work that I have done has been on the local and state level.
Federal level, it's a coin toss every time, but local and state level always seems to have the most impact.
(07:06):
A lot of young people in particular forget about this.
So get involved in local environmental projects.
Work on local sustainability initiatives, whether that's, you know, community gardening, waste reduction, water conservation, planting trees in your community.
All of these things can gain broad support across political lines.
And for the most part, a lot of these are seen as apolitical.
(07:31):
I don't think any one party is saying, no, community gardens are horrible.
Cleaning up your local river?
Ah, ah, icky, we hate that.
Planting trees?
Disgusting.
(07:56):
Nobody's saying that.
If they are a sin in my way, I'll give them a knuckle sandwich.
But generally speaking, sustainability measures like these and initiatives gain positive traction.
They look good.
Nobody's really speaking out against them.
(08:21):
Nobody in power at least.
So it's something to look at joining in your area or see about creating it.
If there are no local initiatives in your area, ask why.
Is it because nobody's ever tried to do it before or was it just done poorly?
What does this area need?
(08:46):
Who would be interested?
You can't be the only person in your area interested in environmental policy.
It's just finding the other people who are and getting connected with them.
Also, support clean local infrastructure.
If we encourage these things on a federal level, it's only fair that we encourage them in our own zip codes in our neighborhoods and communities as well.
(09:11):
So encouraging or advocating for local policies to improve waste management, reducing pollution and promoting energy efficiency in public buildings can be incredibly rewarding on the local and state level.
Number five, you have to set the example yourself.
So practice sustainable personal choices.
So that can be, you know, adopting eco-friendly habits by making simple life changes, like reducing single use plastics, choosing to recycle more, buying energy efficient appliances or driving an electric vehicle if possible.
All of these actions, no matter how big or how small can add up and they set an example for others.
(09:36):
And I think a lot of people make the mistake of being comparative when they do things like this.
For example, Hannah, one of our co-hosts, does a really great job of going plastic free.
I personally don't know that I could ever do that.
So I try to do what I can in other areas, whether that's working on community gardens or lobbying or what have you.
The great thing about being an environmentalist is that there are so many different ways to do it that I would hesitate to say that any one way is correct or true or the true good ending.
(10:01):
They're all good.
I don't care if you're doing a hundred of them, I don't care if you're doing one of them, just doing something shows that you're already thinking about it enough to make a personal impact in your own life about it.
And I think that speaks volumes about your self-worth.
Obviously that means also reducing waste.
So focus on reducing your personal consumption and buying more sustainably.
(10:26):
Choose products with less packaging or support companies that prioritize environmental responsibility.
Ask yourself before the things you buy, am I going to get a lot of use out of this?
How long is this going to last?
What is this made of?
Where was it made?
(10:51):
Who made it?
Is it expensive?
Can I get a better alternative for cheaper?
Ask yourself these questions as you prepare to make purchases.
Number six, push for energy innovation.
(11:16):
So this means obviously if we're going to lobby for better techniques, we have to support them when they come out and get involved where we can.
So supporting new technologies, advocating for the development of breakthrough technologies such as nuclear fusion, carbon capture.
hydrogen fuel, these are just some of the things that we can do because these technologies align with conservative ideals of technological innovation.
These play a critical role in solving climate challenges that will probably become even more relevant in the next few years, so you might as well jump the gun and get involved right now.
Obviously, see if you can get involved in STEM as well.
(11:41):
Hannah and Zach are both STEM folks.
God bless them.
They've got that brain.
I do not.
So I work on communicating things about STEM because I do much better with words than numbers.
(12:06):
So if you're studying or interested in technology, consider pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, or math fields that work on green innovation.
I've got a friend who's getting ready to go to environmental law school because he's explaining to me, I'm not a STEM person, but I love the environment and I love to argue.
So if there's something that I can do from a legal perspective for the environment, that's what I'm going to do.
There's so many different ways to use your talents to better the environment.
I think a lot of people think, well, unless I'm an EPA engineer or an environmental engineer or a forest ranger, there's really not a lot I can do.
(12:31):
We all have different talents and skills that are needed in the environmentalist movement, and I promise you can find a way to use yours too.
Seven, advocate for conservation and stewardship.
So you have to promote conservation efforts where you can, whether it's getting involved in promoting responsible land management or promoting the conservation of public lands.
Many conservatives view these things as their moral responsibility to their kids and to their grandkids.
And I've also seen the argument recently in studies that a lot of older conservatives in particular don't care as much for the future as they do about the past.
(12:56):
Okay.
Pitch it from the angle of, if you respect your ancestors and the hard work that they did to get here, then wouldn't you preserve the land that they worked so hard to pass on to you?
Just a little food for thought.
Obviously, you've got to participate in these conservation initiatives as well.
It's not enough to support things from the sidelines.
(13:21):
You've got to have some skin in the game.
Join groups that focus on wildlife protection, forest management, or local habitat restoration projects.
Your local game and fish might be one of these groups, or maybe it's just a sustainability club.
or Green Committee, or a biology club.
I have all these things local to me and we don't have a lot going on in Arkansas.
(13:46):
So if I've got these things close to me, I promise you've probably got some of these things close to you as well.
Number eight, use your voice on social media.
I know I said something similar to this earlier, but I think it's so important that it warrants its own point.
You have to raise awareness on social platforms and provide political coverage where you can.
So sharing articles, infographics, and videos that emphasize the need for climate solutions that align with conservative values is key for what you can be doing right now.
(14:11):
Use your voice to discuss how innovation and market-based solutions can address climate change without sacrificing personal freedom.
If your member of Congress or a local politician is saying pro-climate things and you see people attacking them in the comments, take up for them.
Talk about how you think that this is a great thing, how you're a young conservative who's invested in the climate and the environment.
I've had to do this with my local member of Congress several times.
He'd meet with us when we would lobby with him.
(14:36):
He would tweet out that he met with us.
some boneheads would jump into the comments and talk about how horrible it was, well then that's when me and my lobby team would show up like the Avengers.
And it's the coolest feeling in the world when you and ten other people flood a member of Congress's social media with supportive messages.
And let me tell you, they remember it down the line.
Of course, that means you have to engage in respectful conversations wherever you can.
(15:01):
Engage with others in a constructive way, whether it's in social media or in real life.
Make sure that anytime you walk away from a conversation with someone, you leave a good taste in their mouth, even if they hate you.
And by that, I mean, don't give them anything bad to say about you.
In fact, make it hard for them to say anything about you because of how polite you were if they don't like you.
That's always my favorite thing.
(15:26):
Remember, you can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar.
So be sure to give data-driven arguments and promote unity and solving environmental issues.
And one thing that I've noticed is a lot of people reach out to me and they say, you know, it's really hard to treat this as a bipartisan issue because anytime I meet with folks from the opposing political party, maybe they say things that I don't agree with, or they push back against some of my ideas because they know that I'm the conservative in the room.
And I always remind them of a pretty valuable lesson that I learned here several years ago when I got involved in a bipartisan organization.
We would walk into the room and they would say, everything else, every other political and social issue, we leave outside the door when we come in.
(15:51):
When we come in this room, we're not Republicans or Democrats, we're environmentalists.
And I really liked that because obviously, you know, we still have our political leanings, but I think that there's strength in those meanings.
what I mean by that is you don't just sit in the room with a bunch of liberals as the conservatives because you're scoping out the enemy camp, okay?
You're doing it because is there something you can learn from being around this group of people?
Is there a certain word or phrase that they like to use that maybe we as conservatives don't use.
(16:16):
What are the arguments that matter to them?
You learn a lot about yourself in listening and engaging with others because you learn more about their perspective and the arguments that compel them.
Consider listening in addition to talking, but whatever you do, do it respectfully.
Number nine, engage with conservative leaders on climate policy.
So many of my representatives and members of Congress, anytime I go meet with them, they say, well, I'm not hearing from a thousand other young conservatives on climate change.
(16:41):
Well, that's a good point.
Why not?
We'll all change our social media profile for fun, but we won't talk to our member of Congress who writes the laws.
That doesn't make any sense.
So I'm telling you to talk to your elected representatives, write to your local representative or to senators.
(17:06):
or whoever you have to write to who's in power near you or relevant to you, and express your concerns about climate change and urge those representatives to support market-based solutions or other policies that prioritize sustainability and energy independence.
That means supporting candidates with a pro-climate agenda, and I'm gonna use the phrase bird dogging candidates that don't have a pro-climate agenda.
So if you're voting or volunteering for candidates, You have to support those who prioritize clean energy action through free market solutions, innovation or investments in clean energy technologies.
If you've got a candidate that you like who has not said anything about the environment or who has been negative about the environment, I would encourage you to ask questions, whether that's, you know, at their talks, rallies or conferences or debates, whether that's at their meet and greet events or town halls, whether that's on social media or in letters to the editor.
Let them know your concerns as a young climate change environmentalist, as a young conservative who's environmentalist.
(17:31):
These are things that I've had to do over the years with my members of Congress, where sometimes we've had somebody run who did not at all have the climate chutzpah that I would have liked for them to.
And so a lot of it was, know, let me ask questions to gauge where they're at.
Let me ask questions to gauge their willingness to reconsider.
And then what do I need to do to either help educate them or make life easy or convince them as to why this is something they need to be engaged in as a conservative.
So understand where your candidate is coming from, ask some questions if you need to, and then see, know, what can you do as a constituent to make their life easier?
(17:56):
What I've noticed is, and this might be going down the rabbit hole a little bit, there would be times that I would go to lobby members of Congress.
Well, guess what?
Thousands of people do that every single month.
What I would try to do is create a one pager of some sort that the member of Congress or the staffer for that member of Congress would be able to briefly look over.
It would be a list of bills, things that were good and bad about them as a conservative initiatives that I was concerned about.
(18:21):
You know, any statistics that might be relevant to them, like for example, we would go lobby with Senator John Bozeman while he was the head of one of the agricultural committees at that time.
So I would write, you know, here is the impact that climate change and drought.
have had on rice production in Arkansas over the last 10 years.
And stuff like that is really interesting to them, because not only is it relevant to the other things that they do, but it saves them time.
Because let's be honest, if everybody is giving their member of Congress a packet on the bills that they're interested in, do you really think that your member of Congress has the time to sit down and read and remember all that?
(18:46):
They do not.
I can barely do that, and I'm only concerned with a handful of things in one sector.
If you can make your member of Congress's life as easy as possible and make their job easy, not only will they appreciate it because you understand the game and they know you understand the game, but you're giving something that could be a helpful tool to them later on, whether it's just a fact sheet that they can pull from, what have you.
Always be nice to your member of Congress, whether they are on the same page with you or not, because whatever time you spend talking to your member of Congress, the floor should be theirs.
We have an old rule in lobbying that any time you lobby somebody, whoever you're lobbying should do most of the talking because it's not often that you've got an opportunity to sit with them and pick their brain.
(19:11):
Just something to consider moving forward.
Number 10, push for climate resilience.
So supporting infrastructure resilience, advocating for investments in climate resilience in your community, encouraging your local government to prioritize flood defenses, wildland fire prevention, and infrastructure improvements can all help withstand extreme weather events in your community in the near future.
And it will give you a little bit of leverage later on.
You should also promote climate disaster preparedness in your area.
(19:36):
That means encouraging your community to prepare for climate related disasters such as hurricanes, floods or wildfires depending on what's geographically relevant to you.
This can be seen as a conservative approach to ensuring safety and minimizing economic damage in the long term from climate related impacts by being prepared.
Number 11, host or attend local discussions on climate solutions.
So this means either joining some sort of community discussion that might be held in your area or organizing one if there isn't one.
So this can be done to bring together like-minded individuals to discuss conservative approaches to climate solutions.
(20:01):
These events could include speakers from business, technology, and policy sectors, all of which can offer insight into the climate crisis from a market-driven perspective.
Also be sure to attend town hall meetings, raise these things, with your local town hall, with your local representatives, engage in community discussions and town hall meetings to raise awareness about climate change and advocate for policies that reflect your values.
This also gives you an opportunity to hear about what the concerns of other people are in the community.
Not to mention, if you're showing up to a town hall meeting, everybody else who bothers to show up is interested in making progress as well.
And they might be interested in some of the things that you're working on.
(20:26):
Number 12, encourage corporate responsibility.
So be sure to support companies that have strong environmental policies.
Be sure to put your dollar to use, vote with your dollar.
Use your purchasing power to support companies that prioritize sustainability.
When you buy for businesses that take climate action seriously, you're helping drive market demand for eco-friendly products and practices.
(20:51):
But you also have to promote accountability for major corporations as well.
It's not enough to support companies that do the right thing.
We also have to call out companies that don't.
advocate for corp, let me try that again.
Be sure to advocate for corporate responsibility, encouraging companies to adopt greener practices without government mandates, push for transparency and environmental accountability in the private sector.
(21:16):
A lot of these corporations are conservative, reminding them, hey, if you're doing the right thing, you don't have to have the big government involved in the first place.
By being transparent of your own volition, you are already encouraging an independent, more private, small government business sector.
So by taking just one or two of these actions, although I gave you 12, young conservatives can have a meaningful impact on the climate crisis while promoting solutions that align with their conservative values of personal responsibility, innovation, and market-driven change.
Alright, so, action steps.
I am going to ask you to pick one of these 12 things that I mentioned and seriously consider doing them.
(21:41):
And if you don't like these, try one of your own.
The moral line, the moral of the story and the bottom line is get involved.
And there are plenty of places for you to get involved.
And I don't care what the boomers in your life say, whether they're on the left or the right.
If this is something that you care strongly about, you cannot sit idly by.
(22:06):
The time to sit on the sidelines has come and gone.
Now it is time to get involved and to pave a better tomorrow.
For you, our listener, email us with your thoughts.
Our email is info at greenteapartyradio.com.
Thank you for listening to Green Tea Party Radio and a very special thank you to all of our patrons.
(22:31):
We couldn't do this without you.
If you're interested in getting early access to episodes as well as Green Tea Party Radio merch, check us out at greenteapartyradio.com.
If you have feedback, tell us what's on your mind and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
And just so you know, this is our passion project.
We don't have any organizational sponsor.
(22:56):
And just a reminder that Green Tea Party Radio is not representative of the Diocese of Little Rock, Catholic Climate Covenant, or any of our employers.
We are simply building a movement because we want the world to know that conservatives, particularly young ones, have important things to say about climate change.
And if you want to hear our show on your college radio station, email us at info at greenteapartyradio.com and give us the details about your campus and your radio station.
That email again is info at greenteapartyradio.com.
Thank you so much again for listening and we'll see you next week.
(23:21):
Bye bye.
Thanks, Peter Thien.
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