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Episode 20: When the Oil Folks Embraced the Wind

Chantal Bilodeau

Playwright Chantal Bilodeau talks about climate-focused theater projects in the Art House section of this episode.

Citizens’ Climate Radio is a monthly podcast hosted by CCL volunteer Peterson Toscano. Browse all our past episodes here, and check out the latest episode in the post below.

Grant Samms was curious about the expansion of wind energy in Western Oklahoma, especially in the oil town of Woodward. He expected to see a lot of conflict there. Turns out, there was no conflict. Because of their identity as energy producers, the citizens of Woodward found a way to weave wind energy extraction into their lives and economy.

Grant is currently at Washington College’s Center for Environment and Society in Chestertown, Md., where he is witnessing tensions in rural Maryland over proposed windmill farms. He chats with Citizens’ Climate Radio host, Peterson Toscano, about what he learned in Western Oklahoma. It is essential for climate advocates to understand how “sense of place” plays a major role in affecting how communities respond to new ideas.  

 

 

Art House

Chantal Bilodeau is a playwright originally from Quebec province in Canada. Her award winning plays take on climate change. Set in the Arctic, they are beautiful, original, and are moving audiences all over the world. In her Arctic Cycle plays, she has roles for human and non-human characters. Chantal believes live theater experiences create special opportunities for audiences.

In order to address the loneliness and isolation that can come with doing creative work around global warming, Chantal created Artists and Climate Change, a website that is connecting artists all over the world and making their work known to climate advocates. She is also committed to bringing original quality climate theater to many communities. She talks about Climate Change Theatre Action. Learn how you can easily and inexpensively host a reading of short climate plays.

CST_SILA Production 3_2

Puzzler

The puzzler is BACK! Our latest question is one that often is thrown in the face of climate advocates in order to silence us.

You are at a community event talking to a neighbor. Let’s call him Greg. You reveal your passion about climate change and climate solutions. Greg looks you up and down and says, “So I guess you don’t use any fossils fuels yourself. You don’t drive a car, travel by plane, or heat and cool your home? What are you actually doing to address climate change in your life?”

Greg’s question sounds more like an accusation. How do you answer the question while also addressing the accusation?

Send Peterson your answers by February 15, 2018, along with your name, contact info, and where you are from. You can email your answers to radio (at) citizensclimate.org or leave a voicemail of three minutes or less at 570-483-8194 (+1 if calling from outside the USA.)

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