Ep. 8 - (Solar) Power to the People with Elizabeth Yeampierre

The path to climate justice is local.In this episode of A People’s Climate, host Shilpi Chhotray sits down with Elizabeth Yeampierre, veteran organizer and executive director of UPROSE, Brooklyn’s oldest Latino community-based organization, to explore how frontline communities are taking climate action into their own hands.In a capitalist world that prioritizes bigger, faster, and more, Elizabeth’s work takes a different path. Small, hyper-local solutions like a community-owned solar grid have huge impacts. Residents of Brooklyn’s Sunset Park, where UPROSE focuses its work, are seeing lower energy costs, good green jobs, and local ownership. All while creating a blueprint for other communities to follow.Elizabeth also takes us beyond the buzzwords of “green economy" and “clean energy” to show what a Just Transition really looks like. Mainstream environmental efforts often focus on the end goal: shifting to renewable energy. But they fail to ask “at what cost and to whom?” Elizabeth’s work ensures community members aren’t left behind.This episode is a masterclass in how grassroots power can transition us to a just future.Key TopicsA Just Transition: Shifting to renewable energy while protecting workers and communities historically harmed by pollutionThe community-led renewable energy GRID ProjectResisting extractive economies and reclaiming industrial spaces without displacement or gentrification.The importance of building an intergenerational movementHow Trump-era policies have dismantled climate protections and undermined renewable energy incentivesHow disaster capitalism exploits crises and how community-led responses offer real solutionsResourcesUPROSEThe GRID Sunset Park SolarA new solar project in Brooklyn could offer a model for climate justiceUS Spending On Climate Damage Nears $1 Trillion Per YearThe Shock Doctrine (Naomi Klein)Learn more at apeoplesclimate.orgWe want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] and let us know your thoughts.Love what you hear? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review—it helps others discover the show.Find us instagram: @counterstream_media