Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

In the spirit of the What If We Get It Right? paperback launch, sharing an excerpt of the audiobook. The heart of this audiobook is 20 interviews with people who have shaped my understanding of the answer to the titular question. It’s kind of like a whole season of a podcast packaged up with essays by me and poetry by others. Also, ahem, the audiobook was a finalist for the Audie Award. (If you’re gonna lose, lose to Stephen King.) Order the full audiobook here . The prelude, the first chapter, is “ An Ocean Love Story .” It’s about how I fell in love with coral reefs at 5 years old, and how the ripples that flowed from that have shaped the unfurling of my life ever since. This chapter is my origin story, in brief. From Brooklyn, New York, to Key West, Florida, to Washington, DC, and the Caribbean. It's one of the most personal things I’ve ever published. A little funny. A lot honest. It’s the start of my quest to understand how we, humans, can get it as right as possible here on this magnificent planet. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it has similarities with your story, too. ____ CREDITS: This podcast is ad-free thanks to the support of Future Being, a grant making and special project studio which supports the healing of our planet and the safeguarding of biological and cultural diversity. This episode was produced by Remoy Philip and me, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, with support from Jenisha Shrestha. The original audiobook was produced by Olivia Langen for Penguin Random House audio, recorded at Expanding Sky Studios in Brunswick, Maine. ____ Subscribe to the WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? newsletter. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

On this week's program, we are in conversation with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a leading climate futurist, marine biologist, and bestselling author of What If We Get It Right? She is known for her visionary work at the intersection of science, policy, and justice. As co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab and the All We Can Save Project, she is shaping a more hopeful and sustainable future. Dr. Johnson was the Opening Keynote speaker at the 2025 Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), which was held in Minneapolis on October 23rd. In this conversation with an AASHE representative, she explores how imagination, equity, and science can guide us toward transformative climate solutions. Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and teacher working to help create the best possible climate future. She co-founded and leads Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities, and is the Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College. Ayana co-edited the bestselling climate anthology All We Can Save, co-created and co-hosted the podcast How to Save a Planet, and co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy. She earned a BA in environmental science and public policy from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in marine biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She serves on the board of directors for Patagonia and GreenWave and on the advisory board of Environmental Voter Project. Above all: Ayana is in love with climate solutions. Learn more about Dr. Johnson at https://www.ayanaelizabeth.com/ Learn more about Dr. Johnson's work, download her playlist and get involved at https://www.getitright.earth/ As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Earthlings, hello! 👋🏽 This week’s guest is Ari Matusiak, CEO of Rewiring America , a nonprofit focused on accelerating the clean energy transition. With the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits expiring on December 31st , I wanted to sit down with Ari to talk about our energy bills, how we can still install heat pumps and more before those incentives run out, how your home could become energy infrastructure for your community. Plus, soba noodles, K-pop, and the very sexy topic of group scheduling. Hold onto your hats. This episode is going to be electrifying. ⚡️ CALL TO ACTION 🗣️ from Ari: Visit www.rewiringamerica.org/save to learn about the Save on Better Appliances (SOBA) campaign and, in Ari’s words: "Get yourself a tax credit. Get yourself an electric coach. Get yourself a contractor. And get yourself something electric at the electric store." Notes: Check out Rewiring America’s new report: Homegrown Energy: How household upgrades can meet 100 percent of data center demand growth . This podcast is ad-free thanks to the support of Future Being , a grant making and special project studio, which supports the healing of our planet and the safeguarding of biological and cultural diversity. This episode was produced and edited by Gabby Bulgarelli , and me, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, with help from associate producer Jenisha Shrestha. If you're enjoying the show, follow, rate, review, and to help others find us. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

This August marked 20 years since Hurricane Katrina, and the devastation that storm had across the Gulf South is still reverberating throughout the country. Today I’m talking with Dr. Samantha Montano , a professor of emergency management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy and co-founder of Disaster Researchers for Justice . She wrote a great book called Disasterology: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis . Now, amidst a continuing string of disastrous storms and wildfires, there are massive cuts at FEMA. We are clearly getting this very wrong. So I wanted to check back in with Samantha to understand what’s really going on at FEMA under the Trump Administration 🧐 (from the horror of “Alligator Alcatraz” to dealing with cyberattacks), whether we’re more prepared for hurricanes now than we were 20 years ago (spoiler: nope!), and what we can do individually and collectively to up our preparedness game.🙋🏽‍♀️ CALLS TO ACTION from Samantha: * ☎️ Call your member of Congress — (202) 224-3121: They don’t get many calls supporting FEMA, so this is helpful. Let them know: (1) we need funding for FEMA, (2) we need to hire more people at FEMA, (3) we need to remove FEMA from under the Dept of Homeland Security and re-establish it as a standalone agency, and (4) we need a qualified, Senate-confirmed emergency manager leading the agency. * 👩🏽‍💻 Sign up for emergency alerts! : Absurdly, there is no centralized way to do this. So, embark on a tiny research project: google your town name + “emergency management,” and then find your county and state alerts too. This was you can be informed and ready to be a good neighbor. * Advocate for local resources: Look into you local emergency management agency. Do they have funding? Do they have staff? Do they have a qualified person leading? Be the advocate in your community for emergency management — they don't have a lot of advocates at the local level, so this can really help. NOTES: If you're enjoying the show, please help others find us — follow, rate, review, and tell your crew! Keep up with Dr. Montano's work via her Substack newsletter: Disasterology , a monthly dispatch of interesting and/or important disaster things. This podcast is ad-free thanks to the support of Future Being . This episode was produced and edited by Gabby Bulgarelli , and me, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, with help from associate producer Jenisha Shrestha. Alright, Earthlings 🌎 see you next week. xo Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

What the heck is going on in environmental law right now? Michael Burger , executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University’s has some answers for us. In this episode, we talk federal climate funding, the billions of dollars that are at stake (frozen, impounded, and otherwise), and what’s going on with climate law at the international and local levels. Michael’s CALLS TO ACTION: (1) Don't despair. (2) Solutions require political support, so don’t run away from the politics. (3) Find resources that help inform your activities — like those at climate.law.columbia.edu . Bonus — Ayana’s CALL TO ACTION: Follow/rate/review 🌟 the show (I feel so dorky asking, but it legit matters) and tell your fellow Earth lovers to tune in. REFERENCES: Explainers on the Clean Air Act and the National Environmental Policy Act Sabin Center for Climate Change Law Key resources from the Sabin Center: Climate Change Litigation Database , Climate Backtracker , and New York State Climate Law Tracker . International Court of Justice: Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change Announcement from Lee Zeldin (EPA Administrator) about the Trump Administration’s massive push to roll back environmental regulations Urban Ocean Lab’s Climate Readiness Framework for Coastal Cities CREDITS: Producer and editor Matthew Nelson/ Stramash Media , associate producer Jenisha Shrestha, and executive produced by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

In nature, solutions are everywhere—coral reefs regenerate, forests heal, and ecosystems self-balance when given the chance. So, how can we apply that same wisdom to the climate crisis? Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a marine biologist, policy expert, a Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College, and co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab , joins Willow for an illuminating conversation about climate optimism, systemic change, and the power of solutions-driven storytelling. As the creator of the What If We Get It Right? book and podcast, Ayana offers a compelling vision of what’s possible when we shift our focus from catastrophe to collective action. Listen as they discuss the importance of local, community-based efforts, why imagination is critical in climate work, and the role we can each play in shaping a different future. For more about Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson's work: https://www.ayanaelizabeth.com/ To see a transcript of this episode: https://atmos.earth/podcast/dr-ayana-elizabeth-johnson-on-the-nature-of-climate-progress-and-solutions/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Near the end of my book tour, I found myself gazing up at those large concrete guard lions outside the New York Public Library, astounded to be entering for an event about my book. The occasion was all the more sweet because it was a family affair: I was in conversation with my cousin Steve Connell , whose incredible poem “This Living Earth” appears in my book (and which you get to hear him read in this episode!). We talked about how our family shaped us, the role of art and humor in the serious work of climate, and early inspirations. And the ultimate sweetness was that my 1st grade science teacher was in the audience, right in front. You’ll hear our warm reunion in the audio — thank you, thank you, Ms. Kristiansen. ❤️ CREDITS: This episode was produced and edited by Nora Saks, and me, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Big thanks to my cousin Steve Connell , and to the New York Public Library for hosting us and for recording this audio. And a huge thank you, credit where it’s due, to all the wonderful teachers out there. You never know the ripples that you create in the world... Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

I was originally going to title this episode “Facts Matter,” but instead chose the 90s hiphop version of that sentiment, as I’m prone to do. Today, we are peeling back the curtain on how I achieved the maximum possible accuracy and precision in my book What If We Get It Right? : I hired a fact checker named James Gaines . James is a freelance science writer, journalist, and fact checker with a special focus on solutions journalism, which we love. He grew up in a cabin in the woods in Texas, and as the child of two librarians, loves a good footnote. He comes by it honestly: his pedigree is people who sweat the details. Tune in as we reveal which facts were the hardest to check, my aversion to the term “my truth,” and how we got to the bottom of things, together. And head to the newsletter for pics and to read the poem I read to close out this episode, Marge Piercy's "To Be Of Use." It’s one of my all-time favorites, and it's the last poem that appears in What If We Get It Right? You may notice me slow down to emphasize my favorite line: “The work of the world is common as mud.” Yes. Mostly unglamorous, often solitary, sometime tedious, and that’s just fine as long as it’s a contribution to the transformation we need. CREDITS: This episode was produced and edited by Nora Saks and me, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, recorded live at Elliot Bay Book Company in Seattle, with recording assistance from John O’Brien. Check out James’ website, jmgaines.com , to find out more about all the cool work that he’s doing. And as always, huge thanks to my chief of staff (and tour producer) Jenisha Shrestha. Thanks for listening 💛 Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

Hi everyone. We recorded this episode before Election Day, when we had no idea what new version of the world this would reach you in. Wherever and however this finds you, I hope you’ll enjoy this sweet and lighthearted conversation with Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, the Georgia-native, social scientist, bestselling writer, strategist, teacher, and dear friend with whom I co-edited the All We Can Save anthology — which is kind of like the older sister to my new book What If We Get It Right? Katharine and I also co-founded The All We Can Save Project , which she now so elegantly and impactfully leads to “nurture deep, sustained, and courageous climate engagement.” We’re also sharing this episode of the What If We Get It Right? podcast on a show A Matter of Degrees , which Katharine co-hosts with another climate expert, Dr. Leah Stokes. If you haven’t listened yet, you totally should. Since this conversation was in Katharine’s hometown, I let her interview me, and she asked such great questions, as she does. The focus was on how my new book came to be, the questions it offers, and some of the answers that inspire me. A little behind the scenes scoop for ya. CREDITS: Thanks so much to Katharine, The All We Can Save Project, and the Carter Center. This episode was produced and edited by Nora Saks, and me, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, with production help in Atlanta from Frequency Media, and support from Jenisha Shrestha, my chief of staff and tour producer. And thank you for listening! Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

Recorded at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, for the Climate One radio show and podcast, this episode features journalist and environmental legend Bill McKibben, founder of Third Act , and tenacious environmental attorney, Abigail Dillen, president of Earthjustice . Both are interviewed in What If We Get It Right? , but we covered new ground here, together: fossils for fossil fuels, changes in the Supreme Court, the Environmental Justice For All Act, some lessons instilled by my parents, love politics, and so much more. CREDITS: This episode was produced and edited by Nora Saks, and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Big thanks to Climate One and the Commonwealth Club, and, as always, thanks to my chief of staff and tour producer, Jenisha Shrestha. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

I’ve always been impressed with Stacey Abrams from afar, so when I got an invitation to be directly in conversation with her, I was thrilled. In addition to her political leadership, Abrams is also a small business owner, a New York Times best-selling author, and —something far fewer people know — a champion for clean energy and climate justice. In 2023, Abrams joined the team at Rewiring America as senior counsel. That’s a great nonprofit dedicated to electrifying our homes, businesses, and communities. If you want to ditch fossil fuels and upgrade to electric (and save money doing it!) their website has all the top tips. I knew the conversation (during Climate Week NYC) would be interesting, but I had not anticipated that it would also be utterly delightful. Enjoy! CREDITS: This episode was produced and edited by Nora Saks, and me, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. And, as always, thanks to my chief of staff and tour producer, Jenisha Shrestha. Big thanks to Stacey Abrams and her team, and to the event’s sponsors: Grist, Rewiring America, Mother Jones, and the Tishman Environment and Design Center at the New School. Get full access to WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? at ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/subscribe

Host: Holli Cederholm Editor: Clare Boland Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: In this episode of Common Ground Radio marine biologist and policy expert Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and MOFGA’s executive director Sarah Alexander talk about climate change, with a focus on Maine. Following the release of her recent book, “What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures,” Johnson was interviewed at MOFGA’s Common Ground Country Fair by Alexander. Their conversation dives into the realities of climate change as well as how we can all harness our unique perspectives, skills, and interests to be part of the solution. List of subjects: – Climate change – Ocean acidification – “What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures” by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson – Organic agriculture – Farming in Maine – Back to the Land Guest/s: – Ayana Elizabeth Johnson — marine biologist; policy expert; cofounder of the nonprofit think tank Urban Ocean Lab; coeditor of the bestselling climate anthology “All We Can Save”; and author of “What If We Get it Right?: Visions of Climate Futures”. – Sarah Alexander — executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). FMI: – “What If We Get it Right?: Visions of Climate Futures” — ayanaelizabeth.com/writing – Urban Ocean Lab — urbanoceanlab.org – “All We Can Save” — allwecansave.earth/anthology – Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson — ayanaelizabeth.com – Common Ground Country Fair keynotes — mofga.org/keynotes About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a lo0ng-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA. The post Common Ground Radio 10/10/24: A Conversation on Climate Futures with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives .