Watch the event highlights. The full recording is available below.
Energy Policy Then and Now: A Climate Action Conversation
Event Summary
Since the late 70s, climate activist Rafe Pomerance has worked to raise awareness in Washington about climate change and its connection to fossil fuels. Here he Joins Dave Roberts, Vox energy and climate writer and senior fellow at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, for a candid conversation. Together, they explore where we’ve been and where we’re going with our climate action efforts.
This was the first of two events at the Kleinman Center on 9/12. At 6pm, StateImpact Pennsylvania and WHYY presented a local discussion about the intersection of environmental justice, social equity, and climate change. Learn more and watch the recording.
Watch the Full Recording
Rafe Pomerance
Chairman, Arctic 21Rafe Pomerance is chairman of Arctic 21, a network of organizations focused on communicating the unraveling of the Arctic as a result of climate change to policy makers and the public. He has spent much of his career raising awareness of global warming and building support for climate solutions.
David Roberts
Energy and Climate Writer, VoxDavid Roberts is an energy and environmental writer with Vox and a former senior fellow at the Kleinman Center.
Rafe Pomerance is chairman of Arctic 21, a network of organizations focused on communicating the unraveling of the Arctic as a result of climate change to policy makers and the public. Arctic 21, which operates under the auspices of WHRC, seeks to establish a framework for Arctic policy based on the question, “what is the Arctic we have to have to sustain the global climate system?” Rafe is also a consultant to the nonprofit ReThink Energy Florida raising awareness on the impact of sea level rise in the state.
Rafe has spent much of his career raising awareness of global warming and building support for climate solutions. His work plays a central role in Nathaniel Rich’s New York Times magazine article and subsequent book, Losing Earth. It tells the story of a handful of scientists, politicians, and strategists who were among the first to try to convince the world to act on climate change – and the fossil fuel industry’s fight to stop them.
Rafe previously served as president of Friends of the Earth from 1980 to 1984, senior associate for climate change and ozone depletion policy at the World Resources Institute (1985-93), deputy assistant secretary of state for environment and development (1993-99) and climate negotiator, and president of the Climate Policy Center (CPC). Rafe was a founder and chairman of the Board of American Rivers, as well as chairman of the board both of the League of Conservation Voters and of the Potomac Conservancy.
David Roberts is a Kleinman Center senior fellow and an energy writer at Vox, where he covers climate change, clean energy, and politics. Prior to Vox, Roberts was an energy and climate writer at Grist. Known for his ability to interpret complex topics with candor and clarity, Roberts has explained everything from Shell’s zero emissions targets to why nuclear plants should remain open.
Roberts lives in Seattle with his wife, two boys, dog, and two cats.
