Belabored Podcast #61: When Climate and Labor Converge (Live!), with Nastaran Mohit and Lara Skinner

Subscribe to the Belabored RSS feed here. Subscribe and rate on iTunes here or on Stitcher here. Check out the full Belabored archive here. Tweet at @dissentmag with #belabored to share your thoughts, or join the conversation on Facebook. Belabored is produced by Natasha Lewis. As people around the world prepare to converge on New York City for the People’s Climate March, there seem to be more reasons than ever to despair about climate change, but perhaps also more reason than usual to be optimistic. Issues like the Keystone XL pipeline, superstorm Sandy, and California droughts have seeped into the public consciousness and shown how massive economic inequality overlaps with environmental devastation. But in the face of impending climate catastrophe, is real economic and environmental sustainability still achievable? And how do you tackle capitalism and climate change simultaneously? Belabored, in its first ever live recording at 61 Local in Brooklyn, speaks with two activists on the front lines of both the labor movement and the climate change policy debate about how society can deal with climate change in a way that protects both workers and the environment. Nastaran Mohit, a New York City-based organizer and activist, discusses how the experience of Superstorm Sandy and its economic aftermath provide vital lessons for both the labor and environmental movements. Lara Skinner, Associate Director of The Worker Institute at Cornell, speaks about her work on labor unions, sustainability and economic alternatives. Special thanks to 61 Local for hosting us, and to our wonderful audience. Conversation with with Lara Skinner and Nastaran Mohit Reports by Lara Skinner and Sean Sweeney at the Cornell Worker Institute: Pipe Dreams? Jobs Gained, Jobs Lost by the Construction of Keysone XL The Impact of Tar Sands Pipeline Spills on Employment and the Economy Nastaran Mohit on The Real News: Thousands Remain Displaced From Sandy Without Heat and Power Michelle: This Is How to Create a Green Economy That Works for All Where Have All the Green Jobs Gone? Imagining a “Just Recovery” from Superstorm Sandy How Sandy Clean-Up Brought Day Laborers Out of the Shadows Sarah: Whose Recovery? What Sandy Wrought, Part 1: Health-Care Crises Remain a Year After the Storm What Sandy Wrought, Part 2: In the Wake of Disaster, Reproductive Health Care Falls by the Wayside Community Organizers Fill a Large Gap in Superstorm Sandy Relief, but It’s Not Enough New Yorkers: Catch Nastaran Mohit and international guests tonight, Friday, September 19, at the opening plenary of the NYC Climate Convergence (St. Peter’s Church, 619 Lexington Avenue, 7 p.m.). The post Belabored Podcast #61: When Climate and Labor Converge (Live!), with Nastaran Mohit and Lara Skinner appeared first on Dissent Magazine.