UnchainedTV: First ever LA Climate Week!

0:00 L.A. Climate Week, it is coming up people! September 8th to the 15th and there are more than 100 events and there are incredible events that you can be part of and we're going to tell you exactly how you can do all that and of course all of it is a call for planetary health and climate justice. Guess what people? All you have to do is step outside to realise we are in a climate crisis. The earth is on the verge of five catastrophic climate tipping points. According to scientists who are warning us about this, the world is on the brink of five disastrous climate tipping points.

0:45 Giant ice sheets, ocean currents and permafrost regions may have already passed the point of irreversible change. But we are optimists and we know that together we can do something to stop a climate apocalypse. Turn it around and what better place to start than Los Angeles! So I would like to introduce the folks who are part of all this. I've gotten to know them. JC Arce. Yes, hi everyone. My name is JC and I am the co-founder, co-executive director of the Kaleidoscope Foundation.

1:27 What we do, very simple, support impact leaders and nonprofits with their back office and through collective power. And in the last year that we've been working, I had I had this idea alongside my co-founder Dan Thorman a year ago during your client week where we were like LA has so many amazing organisations and so many amazing impact leaders that work in climate but they're not talking to each other. Frankly there's a lot of opportunities, a lot of resources, capital in LA that can be used to mobilise real solutions to to address this climate issue. Now I'm so happy to say a year later this division has come to life alongside my dear friend and partner Larudar.

2:08 And just to see the community thousands of people and hundreds of organisations come together and producing these hundreds of events this year brings so much joy and a lot of hope for me and for us at Kaleidoscope Foundation. We're just really excited to have you all join us during Climate Week. I am super jazzed. I want to hear from Laura all about the various extraordinary events and we can all take part. And by the way if you're listening or watching from far away you too can take part because there are some remote events that you can join via Zoom. So the most important thing for you to write down, I think you should actually write some of this stuff down, is to visit LAClimateWeek.com and register for these events because there's gonna be a lot of them.

3:00 I'm attending a lot of them. I'm speaking at one of them. I'm super jazzed that Unchained TV is a media partner and that I'm on the steering committee. Steering steering steering. But Laura tell us about what people can expect. Sure there are a hundred events, more than a hundred events actually happening throughout the week all the way from documentary screenings to hikes to town halls with deputy mayors to sustainable fashion shows and of course our closing ceremony which will be one big party celebrating climate action and the community here in Los Angeles. So so many different events open to all age groups.

3:42 We have you know elementary children's book readings on climate to climate runs and marches. So really something for everyone. So I hope that you join us. I'm very excited about it and one of my dear friends Samantha Lau has just jumped on. Samantha I'm going to ask you to tell me why you decided to get involved. For plant-based treaty this is a very exciting opportunity for us to get involved because we need everybody to understand that a plant -based food system can absolutely fight climate change. Right now the animal agriculture is very devastating.

4:23 It is causing a lot of havoc on our planet and we have this opportunity to let everyone know to get everybody involved who's involved in the LA Climate Week importance of having a plant-based food system to fight climate change. Yeah and I'm just gonna put up some of the events that look there's a hundred of them so we could literally spend an hour listing them but guys and gals if you're watching and you're in LA take notes if not listen and realise that this could happen in a city of your choice. I know we're nationally syndicated that we're heard in Atlanta as well as various other parts of California and on podcasts around the world so if this excites you you might be able to do this in your city.

5:09 At a great restaurant called Olock there is going to be a film called Eating for Tomorrow narrated by the famous actress Kate Winslet that is happening on Friday September 13th. Oh my god Friday the 13th well I don't believe in superstition it's a good way to remember it and one of my heroes Dr. Silas Rao is going to be doing a Q&A afterward. I did an entire documentary on Dr. Silas Rao that streams on Unchained TV he is a genius and he has some great solutions. Here's a really fun one we've got a sustainable fashion show happening and that's on September 10th so that is a Tuesday I believe from 6 to 9 p.m. everybody is invited and I would say that that is going to be one of the most exciting events.

6:00 We've also got this is on the 9th so this is Monday this is one of the first events after the big kickoff on Sunday this is a climate town hall and again you're invited you know you can see here that it's on September 9th 530 p .m. Fiesta Hall in Plummer Park which is in West Hollywood so just remember Plummer Park in WeHo and it starts at 530 and it's going to be an incredible panel discussion. So these are just some of the incredible events that are happening and obviously Unchained TV is a vegan streaming network so I am very excited that there's going to be a big emphasis on plant-based lifestyle and you can see that there's going to be vegan food trucks including one of my favourites word -of-mouth at the closing ceremony so I want to go back to JC Arce and ask him all about the opening ceremonies and the closing ceremonies what are those going to be?

7:17 Well we are really excited to bring together the hundreds of organisations and hundreds of people that have produced all these events and celebrate at the start of LA Climate Week this Sunday evening September 8th for our opening ceremony and it's really a time to come together meet other organisers and celebrate this momentous occasion. The closing ceremony is an opportunity to bring together the larger LA community anyone who is a you know think children to families to parents to partake and really see the magic that is LA Climate Week and just celebrate all the energy and all the work that's been done throughout the week. Let me see if we can go back to my dear friend Samantha Lau.

8:01 We are planning almost we have nine events scheduled for the entire week and we're our involvement is that we're planning a lot of different types of activities and events throughout the week ranging from a town hall to a climate run to an art exhibition art gallery showing the devastation of climate change and to a fashion show to screening of Eat for Tomorrow and then we are gonna end it with a climate march so we're very excited to have all these different avenues of reaching different people in spreading the message about how important it is to fight for a sustainable system.

8:42 Excellent I know you've been working very hard on it and I am very excited to attend these events. Let's cut to the chase. Let's talk about the underlying issue here and that is climate change and the fact that climate change is literally posing an existential threat to our world and I think you know what's great about this is that Los Angeles is where all the trends start so we need to get serious about fighting the climate that is super super important and there is one aspect of the climate crisis that cannot be ignored but it has been ignored a lot and that is animal agriculture and food.

9:30 I'm going to put up an article that was in the New York Times and that pretty much explains where we're coming from and that is save the planet put down that hamburger. Researchers examined the diets of 55,500 people and found that vegans are responsible for 75 % less in greenhouse gases than meat eaters. Now this is not just anybody saying this this was an Oxford University study that studied 55,000 diets and after very in-depth study came to this conclusion.

10:12 Now when I saw this article I thought well surely CNN is going to say something about this because they play catastrophe porn day and night. Surely MSNBC is going to say something about this. I certainly didn't expect Fox News to say anything about it but no nobody picked up this story. The story of the impact of animal agriculture on the climate is not being told. Why? Well there's a pretty obvious reason. Look at the advertisers. The advertisers are the meat dairy and pharmaceutical industry. So if they put this up well wait a second what are the implications?

10:53 The advertisers keep the lights on. I was in mainstream media for more than 30 years. I'm not just talking you know off the top of my head okay. I've seen it. I've seen it in action. So what we're trying to do is alert people that of course we want to fight fossil fuels. Of course we want to switch to sustainable energy. Of course we want to use solar and other alternative energy sources. But what we eat three times a day what goes on our plate is extremely important and I personally feel that it has been under-emphasised by the environmental movement and I'm extremely thrilled that LA Climate Week is giving it its due.

11:42 So Lara can you weigh in on that a little bit? Sure yeah we as LA Climate Week really want to inspire action and inspire lifestyle change right. So one of the ways we're doing this is partnering with different companies, with different restaurants, organisations. Of course our opening closing ceremony all the events we organise are plant-based entirely but it's been so amazing seeing that the restaurant for example that we're partnered with for the opening closing ceremony for catering or the venue that we're partnered with will be going entirely vegan for the week of Climate Week with a special plant-based menu. But then also extending that to the whole month and slowly trying to become vegan as a restaurant.

12:28 So it's been really great having discussions with restaurants not really in the plant-based community and for them seeing this excitement of LA Climate Week, seeing the community wanting more from different businesses and restaurants and them actually contributing to climate action in their own way. So genuinely I think LA Climate Week is a great place for people to even just try plant-based food and see how amazing it is and then integrate it into their diet. So we really are trying to cater to the broader public and get them into lifestyle changes into the climate movement.

13:09 All right and we've got some callers right now. Let's go to Dezar from the Plant-Based Treaty is joining us because the Plant-Based Treaty is very involved in this. Welcome and what are your thoughts and comments? How's it going? Thank you again Jane for everything you do, for being a pillar in the community. Yeah we're just very excited to be a part of LA Climate Week. You know thank you to LA Climate Week, all the organisers, Laura and everyone. And it's exciting. You know it's a great moment in history because we need to empower ourselves because so much so much of the time we're not empowered by our governments or you know officials such as being in the drought in California.

13:52 They say shorten your showers, let your lawn die, don't wash your car, get ticketed. Never once did they say hey watch out that to get a plant-based meal when you can save about two months worth of showers predicted you know. So it's a great sign of the times and we're so happy to be a part of it and you know and make that bridge so you know go along with fossil fuels, solar, electric, drought tolerant. But let's get the food systems in there because that's like half of the toolbox, half of the fire extinguisher. We got a lot of work to do so we're very excited. You know there's so many events we invite everybody to join the event in person and there's also online events so you know LA Climate Week everybody's been working around the clock.

14:33 Sam, Laura, JC, everyone, all the organisers, Eugene, myself, our organisers from Plant Based Treaty, Ellen. So we're very excited and it's just it's here now so we hope everybody comes out and joins. Don't miss out. We hope to see you at all these amazing events. You're gonna want to be there. All right, Cesar, tell us about the March, the Climate March which is, everybody write this down, Saturday, September 14th. It's a great opportunity to go to the beach. Lot 5, which is very easy to find. You're going to see a lot of people gathered right smack dab in the middle of the boardwalk Santa Monica. Just remember Lot 5 South.

15:15 It's easy to find. Go to the beach in Santa Monica. Easy to find. Tell us about the Climate March. Yes, the Climate March is amazing. So again, we're bridging the communities, you know, the vegan vegan communities, animal rights communities, climate communities. We all need the unity because we are stronger together and to have this march in beautiful California on the coast reflecting towards the oceans and just everything in general. It's going to be amazing. A lot of networking going on. We're going to have some food from the vegan joint is donating some food. So you know, make sure to bring your sunscreen and stay hydrated and it's going to be amazing. So we hope to see you there as well as the WeHo Town Hall on Monday and there's events all in between, the opening and closing ceremonies.

15:59 It's going to be amazing. So we hope that you can make it out. Tell your family and friends, come on out and let's save our planet. We only got one home. This is it. We owe it to the future. We owe it to the past, present, and future. All the babies, everyone. Tell us about another one. Tell us about Eating for Tomorrow narrated by Kate Winslet down at the incredible Olock restaurant. Yes, yes. We're going to be at Olock screening the amazing Eating for a Better Tomorrow. You know, don't forget Unchained TV will be covering all these live streaming, the live streaming network. So we're going to be over there with the Q&A with Dr. Salish Rao will be there doing a Q&A.

16:39 It's going to be really awesome. So we hope you can make it there. I think that one is a capacity but there's a waiting list. So, you know, some people might not show up so we'll be able to get more people in there. The WeHo Town Hall on Monday with Vice Mayor is going to be amazing. Tuesday we have a sustainable fashion show with a panel as well. That's going to be amazing. Wednesday we have the unveiling of the gallery. We have the reception at the gallery. That's going to be a lot of fun. A lot of amazing artists are going to be there and showcasing their artwork. Thursday we got a 5k at Besties Vegan Paradise and I believe there's going to be some shirts given away.

17:19 That's not announced yet. You guys are the first to hear. There's going to be some free shirts given away for the runners as well as there's going to be amazing musical event in Pasadena for Mother Earth with legendary jazz artists. So check that out and get some more of those details and see. And then Friday of course the screening and Saturday the Climate March. So we're busy but you know what? We don't have any time to waste. The time is now. This is the coolest summer you will experience for the rest of your life unless we start making changes right now and you can empower yourselves. Y'all have the power to do it. You are so absolutely right and Cesar Acevedo you are my hero because you are working so hard on this and I've been getting all sorts of updates.

18:06 So it's true. We are dealing with a climate crisis. It's right in our face every single day we see it. I happen to live near the coast. It's a little cooler but it's still plenty hot to the point where my dogs at 3 o'clock in the afternoon they can't even touch the pavement. Imagine what it's like in Arizona or Phoenix. Mother Nature likes the idea of summer sticking around out west where heat alerts are in effect. This includes LA where temperatures will get close to 100 degrees. A ridge of high pressure will be responsible for potential record heat across Washington and Oregon Thursday and Friday.

18:46 Seattle could hit 90 on Thursday with triple digits in the forecast from Portland down to Medford. This is going to be very uncomfortable for people without AC which is common in this part of the country. Yeah that's just a slight taste. I was reading about temperatures are hitting 120 degrees. Look it doesn't matter how much money you have. If you can't walk across the street without fainting. If a delivery person and this is already happening cannot deliver because they're collapsing due to the heat. Now what's the point of it? JC what is the big picture here?

19:28 Yes I mean the heat issue within Los Angeles is a very very paramount issue here and I'm really excited to actually be speaking and moderating the panel alongside not just Deputy Mayor Chelsea Vice Mayor Chelsea Byers from Los Angeles but the LA City Chief Heat Officer of Los Angeles. Now this Chief Heat Officer is in a very unique and influential position as a decision maker within Los Angeles and a leader within the space to actually advocate and push forward policies and recommendations to address this heat issue. Now as an Angeleno and resident that's been living in LA for the last five years I've only seen this issue become worse and worse and the reality is it's not just a heat issue it's not just a food systems issue.

20:18 All these issues are so intersectional and interconnected that if we can actually identify these opportunities to tangibly work on heat and food systems for example you can actually move the needle forward in this like collective manner that we're doing at Climate Week. So I'm very very excited to actually set the new precedent addressing these issues. I am so excited and honestly honoured to be a part of this. It's really mind-blowing like the amount just the sheer amount of events it's it's great and it's you know you can take part in this you could be a part of history this is the first LA Climate Week but it certainly won't be the last.

21:01 So when you look back on your life don't you want to be a part of history? I remember being at the Women's March in Washington DC I will never forget that I was part of history. This is the same kind of thing so we really want everybody to get involved. Okay we've got some more callers. Neelofar in Dallas Texas your question or thought? It seems like such a huge endeavour to hoist and dispatch such a grand event in Los Angeles. I will wager it's going to be successful. Los Angeles is the top vegan friendly city in this country.

21:42 Well what do you think about copying this event for example in another metropolitan city such as Dallas Texas? I love that question Lara you want to take it? Sure yeah there are a lot of different climate weeks happening all around the world. I think the original I might be wrong was New York Climate Week so that happens every year. We also have London Climate Week and then SF and also Pacific Climate Week so there are a lot of different climate weeks a lot of companies and organisations putting them on. We just thought as a nonprofit based in LA why is there no climate week in LA which is the second biggest city in the US and also a very highly emitting city so there definitely has to be more work done here.

22:36 So please reach out to your local nonprofits and companies and ask them hey why is there no climate week in Dallas Texas and maybe they can put one on or you can also create one yourself so please all the power to you. Well they say everything starts in LA and then spreads eastward I've seen it with many many things and I think this is going to be one of them. Now we've got a special caller Jonathan O 'Hion who is the man who is putting together the fashion show. Jonathan bonjour monsieur tell us all about your sustainable fashion show that's going to be happening September 10th 6 to 9 p.m. Yes bonjour yeah first of all the reason why I called is mainly to give a big thank you to LA Climate Week for creating this and yes so sustainable fashion I think one of the biggest pillars of sustainable fashion is ethic and compassion I think we don't talk enough about it in the sustainable fashion world and so thank you for giving this opportunity.

23:44 I believe if we were implementing ethic in fashion meaning taking care of our planet taking care of the humans of the animals the fashion wouldn't be one of the world leading polluter but actually will be the one healing it by creating secondhand store by giving more more beautiful alternatives to a leather or fur all these horrible material that are destroying our planet so that's what we're going to do in this event is showcasing ethical alternatives in our conference and as well in the fashion show where you can see beautiful alternatives that you can actually purchase on shop like you give a damn which is a beautiful marketplace the founder who we live in Amsterdam is coming all the way for this event is going to be amazing.

24:40 All right now tell me one thing that I'd like to know and I kind of know it but you are the expert Jonathan people say well leather is natural and they love to point to leather alternatives as being synthetic and not natural and somehow extrapolating that those are worse for the environment that's not true you've explained it to me you've written a book about this tell our audience. Yeah yeah exactly I talked about it in the fashion industry doesn't want you to read this book and basically leather is not natural what is natural is the skin of the animals but nobody wants to wear a skin that will rot after a couple days it's gonna smell bad so they use around 50 to 250 different chemicals to make this leather I mean this skin becoming leather so then it's become non-biodegradable and you release a lot of chemicals there's a lot of carcinogenic chemicals in those leather like arsenic you can find a chrome 6 which is one of the worst and that's why a lot of people are producing overseas because the regulation are not as bad so then they can produce a lot of leather full of chemicals and even if it was if it were if you went to biodegrade it will release all these toxic chemicals in a in a river in our soil so it's the world there is as well studies that prove that the

26:10 production of plastic even the worst type of plastic has four time less impact on the environment than the production of leather so I'm not saying plastic is a solution I'm just saying that if we all agree that we should get out of plastic we should agree four time more that we should get out of leather I agree and I could talk to you about this all day I feel very strongly about it but let's go to the next caller we have thank you Jonathan and I'll have one this year I will see you at the fashion show Karen in Venice California your question or thought for our fabulous panel hi there so I get pretty infuriated when I'm watching mainstream media and the weather people come on and they talk about climate change but they don't discuss the issues okay they just talk about you know maybe fossil fuels how can we educate to them and I know it's scary for them because the ones that might know I don't think they all actually realise this how can we get them to talk about this on TV is it possible JC you're nodding your head well let's I mean I'll just be very frank the reality is climate journalism and climate anxiety is a great story to tell on news and media outlets and that is a story that turns people's heads but frankly our mission at the LA climate week and kaleidoscope

27:42 foundation is to take that anxiety take that doomer as a narrative and change it into something hopeful something tangible I mean as longtime activists and organisers you know working with people like Laura for example we understand being on the front lines that there are tangible ways for people in their personal life to in these larger institutions or through media groups as well to actually identify those opportunities to to be hopeful I'm actually it's it's really interesting that that that is an issue the reality is is that we as the people curious and and wanting to do the work we just have to find ways to smile I was I remember being at an event climate conference event where I was put down because I was smiling and I was questioned to have hope in this space the reality is if you all cannot identify a way to visualise a future in five ten twenty thirty hundred years where your family where you're where you're yourself and your community can can feel happy can feel safe and healthy then it is a lot harder to even fight and address these these issues and that's really what we want to do is make it so that we give you a reason and through climate week a reason to smile and reasons to find that hope and to work together to address these issues yeah I mean I agree in fact there was an article in the New York Times it said that climate apocalypse doomsday mentality is giving way to hope

29:12 and I just read a book called not the end of the world which is by a very very knowledgeable statistician who interprets the data in a way that allows us to say hey we can turn this around if if if we start making changes and that's why I want to applaud the two of you for and I'll be honest with you including the plant-based message in your overarching mission and how you're making it manifest because in the past I personally have been shouted down and told to quote-unquote you be quiet when I have brought up the issue of animal agriculture's impact on the climate and the amount of land that is used for animal agriculture and how it contributes to habitat destruction wildlife extinction and of course human world hunger which is not necessarily a climate issue but it's a very serious issue obviously especially for those people who are hungry because animals are eating a huge percentage of the food we produce that could be diverted to humans so there's so many aspects of this it's a natural but let's face it food is a very primal issue and a lot of people were very resistant and I've even read books by climate authorities who say well people are going to eat what they want to

30:43 eat that's a cop-out because the US government for example heavily subsidises animal agriculture that cheap hamburger that you get for two bucks would cost 25 maybe even more dollars if it weren't subsidised by the US government and Unchained TV has been doing a lot of interviews and stories on the farm bill that is currently being debated in Congress that will set the agenda for how much subsidy goes to that and how much goes to actually fruits vegetables nuts grains and legumes that humans eat which is a teensy tiny fraction so I think it's a really important subject and I just want to applaud LA climate week for having the courage to bring it up because I will tell you that there are a lot of quote unquote environmental groups that don't want to give it up because they don't want to offend their donors and their membership group that are still eating animals so it takes a lot of courage but let's face it the reward is coming up with a solution to climate change which thus far those cop meetings and all of that have not even accomplished and the final thing I'll say about that is that look the World Bank itself which is an incredibly powerful institution that controls billions of dollars has publicly called for changes in farm and food production to

32:14 cut greenhouse gas emissions and the final final thing I'll say is that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which is a UN agency wanted to attempt attempted to recommend a plant -based diet very recently and it was blocked it was blocked the recommendation was just shut down and so what you're doing you're on the forefront of history and I think you the two of you are my heroes no no exaggeration you are my heroes for doing the doing the right thing and making it a part of this so my gosh we've got so much going on here more people calling in Steve in Dallas Texas your question or thought for our panel yes hey Jane thanks for bringing up what happened with the IPC the IPCC the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change their summary report for policymakers was blocked and edited in a lot of ways but their main report still has the recommendation to and it shows that a vegan diet by far causes great reductions in greenhouse gas emissions it's still there in the main report it's just not in the summary reports and they have bold statements in that main report saying

33:44 that changing our diets is essential it's one of the best things we can do it shows that it has the potential to reduce more emissions than many solutions out there that are pitched all the time our national climate assessment mandated by Congress also highlights this diet change plant-based diet as a huge and essential thing we can do to address climate change it is there in those main reports that the summary reports are being influenced by a lot of people so it's there great resources plant-based treaty plant-based data speciesjustice .org slash FAQ George Monbiot a lot of these experts are out there dispelling the myths there's a great article merchants of doubt same strategies by the by the climate fossil fuel groups are trying to spread misinformation I think it's great to empower us to to reach out the climate movement activists show them that there's energy here get them on board there's a lot of great resources out there thank you for highlighting this as one of the most important things we can do to address climate change thank you thank you so much and you obviously are very knowledgeable and I appreciate that there's nothing like a knowledgeable caller they're gems so now we have Samantha Lau

35:14 on the phone she is somebody who has done so much work for this effort this climate week LA's first ever September Sunday September 8th through Sunday September 15th Samantha tell us about some of the key events and I want to start with this Hollywood Town Hall tell us about the Hollywood Town Hall it's open to the public is my understanding I'm gonna be there we're gonna be going live and interviewing people this sounds absolutely fascinating yes it is a very very exciting event this is the event that where we are and we have invited a lot of local policymaker vice mayor of West Hollywood Chelsea Byers is going to be on the panel and as JC mentioned earlier we're also going to have LA chief heat officer Mara Segura we're going to be able to talk about how local legislative action can help fight climate change can help build resiliency in all our communities and we've invited a lot of policymakers from all over the area such as Beverly Hills Culver City Pasadena all over and of course LA City Council to come and participate and see how we can use food systems to fight climate change and other programmes that West Hollywood has implemented to fight climate change and aside from the panel discussion we're also going to have plant-based food all vegan food available

36:47 for everyone to try out we're gonna have crates we're gonna have mini samplers and so that's going to be a very exciting event and all we're also going to have NGOs nonprofit organisations tabling their networking with policymakers to make sure that LA climate week is not just this week but beyond after LA climate week we want to make sure we take continue the conversation and take action on fighting climate change with a food system and again this is a climate town hall Unchained TV will be there as well as the plant -based treaty and it's Monday the 9th and it's 530 to 830 at Fiesta Hall in Plummer Park which is in West Hollywood just put Plummer Park in your ways and you'll get right there it's at 530 but the discussion goes on till 830 and again delicious plant-based food will be served if you are feeling wow there's so many events how do I keep up you can very easily go to LAClimateweek.com and it's all there for you you can register for these events they're free it's gonna be fun cuz why do I know that I'm gonna be there just kidding but it's gonna be a lot of fun so this is a really fun one and just give me one more insight into this March because I'm super psyched about

38:17 this climate March I'm gonna be speaking and it's it's it's I've been to a few of these climate marches it's a celebration it's a perfect way to spend a Saturday that's Saturday September 14th it starts at 11 o 'clock go to lot 5 South in Santa Monica basically just go to the main parking spot at the beach in Santa Monica not not the pier but just south of the pier there's a nice little a parking lot toward the southern end of Santa Monica and you're right there tell us about that Sam yes so that is a big climate March we plan to do to raise awareness about the ocean because you know as you know animal horticulture is definitely devastating the ocean temperature rise sea level rise so we definitely want to raise awareness about what's happening in the ocean at 11 we will start our rally where as you know Jane you'll be one of the speakers and we'll have other speakers talking about the importance of the ocean because if the ocean dies we all die so we need to take action on making sure our ocean is safe and so we expect a lot of people to show up and we're gonna have a rally from 11 to 12 and then at 12 we're gonna start the march along the along the beach and it'll be it'll be great we'll also have drone footage and unchained TV will be there thank you so much for capturing this important

39:49 event well thank you for all you do Samantha you have worked around the clock I can tell you I know that everybody on this show has worked around the clock in fact I'm a little nervous about taking time away from them to talk to us because they've got so much work to do however let me say this you are the people listening the people watching you are the most important people because you have to come to make it come alive so I go to a lot of different events I can tell you from what I know these are gonna be super fun super fun I like to have fun I'm not a doomsday person sure do we have to go to protests every so often yes but this is a celebration JC why you you you're a very young man you and Laura have taken the lead on this tell us about you and how you came to be the person who is spearheading this well first off I so appreciate the acknowledgement in terms of like leader this leadership and this opportunity but frankly I would not be here and this would not all happen if it weren't for people like Laura and my entire team and just my entire support system who have contributed to my well -being my ability to smile widely on and off camera and and frankly I would say I've always been really really passionate and really

41:22 curious around climate change ever since I was young I every opportunity I had to do a research paper at school I was always doing on climate change and I had this fascination especially towards a polar bears and you know when the height of the youth climate activist movement I would say started in like 2017 through like 2020 I had this opportunity I had moved to Boston Massachusetts actually and and was able to to organise the largest strike in history Massachusetts the Boston climate strike and we got over 50,000 people to to strike business as usual and fight for a Green New Deal and that was such an amazing experience that really cemented this fervour this ambition within me I didn't know at the time what that actually meant but this this pledge to build a life and career root and impact purpose and community and so you know now five years later six years later working alongside folks at Kaleidoscope Foundation and the LA climate week organising team to say hey I have this vision of bringing the Los Angeles community together 10 million people within the county and and hundreds of hundreds of thousands of people online millions of people online saying hey we have this opportunity now to take the amazing precedent that New York climate week that that cops that other events and over other leaders in this climate and sustainability space have done throughout the many years and say we can do this here in our

42:53 home and and do something to fight this issue but also find ways to smile together and be in each other's arms that is really you know that is it's to be to say hey that was the vision and to see that vision come to life is just the most heartwarming thing that and and just feeling very very blessed to to have all this happen and really I just I want to echo what I said I would we would not be here if it weren't for the amazing folks such as Laura who've just done such an amazing job to make this vision come to life well absolutely and Laura I would love to hear why you what is your inspiration and backstory that makes you so passionate about this particular issue sure the story is that of course Dan and JC thought about this months and months ago and they came to me and JC especially was like Laura I have an idea like what if we host LA climate week and I was kind of like okay JC calm down but nothing happens for like a month after but then I was just thinking and I was like wait actually I was in one of my lectures at university and I was like wait actually this is a very important thing to create why does LA not have a climate week and so I went back to the team I'm like okay guys like we're doing this I don't care we all think I think it is a brilliant idea and we we have to do this

44:23 so we've been working on it day in day out literally around the clock to put this together so it's been amazing for me I have attended different conferences I was at COP 28 in Dubai I was at the Stockholm plus 50 conference and it was just always the same a thousand people the same faces at these conferences and if really climate is impacting the public why is the public not at these conferences it is so I guess like inaccessible to people and people find it really hard to become activists and attend these conferences so really LA climate week is all about getting the public and bringing them into these conversations because climate change and climate action can only be achieved and solved if the public is involved because it really is a collaborative effort so yeah bringing all the lessons I've learned from all these different UN conferences meeting with IPCC I really wanted to put something together that is really a reflection of our climate space today so thank you JC thank you to the whole team it's going to be a brilliant week and we hope to see you there you guys are so inspiring I really see a sea change in the environmental movement in the last five years I think that prior to that people

45:55 kind of had their attitude toward well this is how you do it I can't tell you how many biographies of famous people I listen to because I walk my dogs and listen to biographies and they are purporting to be environmentalists but there's a lot of things they are personally doing that are very environmentally unsound big-time and so not that we want to shame people I'm sure I'm not the perfect environmentalist either I only recently started composting primarily because I run a streaming network about plant-based living and sustainability and I was uploading videos about composting and I stopped myself and I said I'm a hypocrite I'm uploading videos about composting and I don't compost I started composting and now I love it and you know I learned so we're all a work in progress but I do feel that as this crisis manifests more to our face I have friends who can't live in Palm Springs in the summer they can't even go to their houses in Palm Springs in the summertime it can't they have to have an apartment here in LA which is kind of crazy and so we're seeing this happening in our face we're seeing the rising sea levels we're seeing houses not far from here in Rancho Palos Verdes crumble and fall into the ocean we're seeing wildfires devastating not just people but also the wildlife it's becoming less hypothetical and more real and I think you know as the road gets narrower people are

47:25 starting to maybe get a little more real I use an addiction analogy we have to hit bottom okay I'm 29 years sober and until I hit bottom by making a big fool of myself at a party in Hollywood with a lot of important people around I didn't want to hear from anybody I was like yeah yeah yeah but then I hit bottom and then I got help and I haven't had a drink in 29 years hopefully April Fool's Day it'll be 30 years and yes that is my sobriety date which is very apropos because I made a fool of myself all the time but the point is I had to hit bottom when are we gonna hit bottom on the climate crisis and realise that it's gonna take a lot more than just lip service JC it's gonna take us changing our lifestyles yeah I if I if I can hop in here I we're at the point I actually I firmly believe this is especially now that Gen Z and young people have really taken that leadership position and communicating and raising awareness around these issues we're at the point where climate change is no longer this intangible you know oh is this a problem or not I think people have reached the consensus not just within the u.s. but around the world that this is something that impacts our lives in very different ways for example due to climate change we are expected to have a whopping 1 .2 billion people displaced due to climate change

48:55 and climate related catastrophes by 2050 and things such as displacement to food apartheid that is not just impacting people in the global south anymore now it's impacting people in developed cities in Western states such as the u.s. such as Los Angeles you might not know this but if you go out in your community there are displaced individuals your neighbours might be impacted by those these by climate change themselves and all that to say this is an opportunity this LA climate week September 8th or 15th there's an opportunity for you all to you know go beyond asking questions and doing research it's applying what the little that you know and taking that leap of faith like we all have done here and saying you know what I can find a way to do something about this and take this theoretical knowledge that I have and apply it in my own personal life and no snow act is too small and you're never too late to get started and I really really believe firmly believe now that no matter where you go people are talking about this and people are curious be the one to start those conversations and and be crazy enough like like we were to be like you know what what if in a year from now we're going to do a climate week or we're going to put on that sustainable fashion show we're going to do this this town hall you are part of the solution as much as we are and and we need you frankly we need all of you to be with us to find these these these solutions and I want to say one more thing sustainability and and action can mean a

50:25 lot of different things and what is sustainable for one community can be different for another and I say that because being representatives and being part of your community you know your community the best to be the one to voice and and and to advocate for what works for your community and for your people for your for your for your for your home that is really what what we're trying to do here in LA just because there are 88 cities for example when LA County and each city has its own set of constituents its own policymakers and really really giving that that space making that space to to advocate and not just advocate but to do something about it is very very important well I just think first of all your courage in so many ways this is a big project I recently threw one party and I thought I was gonna lose my mind by the way I apologise for barking at you when you had your your mics muted it's you know these things become very stressful and I just want to give you to a compliment for handling everything very gracefully I can learn a little bit from you guys I don't know how you're doing it staying calm cool and collected while this massive event more than 100 events within LA climate week September 8th through 15th they're they're putting their blood sweat and tears into this so guys and gals out there do yourself a favour get

51:58 involved in LA climate week okay I mean it's gonna be fun and I just want to say thank you to both of them and while we're at it please download unchained TV so it's a vegan Netflix okay that's the craziest thing I've ever heard I love unchained TV. Unchained. Unchained TV. Your life will change. It's just that easy. Unchained TV has all sorts of content for everybody. Unchained TV changed my life. Unchained TV is crushing it. I love Unchained TV. Unchained TV is my go-to. Unchained TV. Who knew? Unchained, baby, yeah!

52:41 Discover Unchained TV and transform your life for free. Unchained TV is a nonprofit organisation producing plant -based content filled with tips and tricks to spice up those healthy veggies, grains, and legumes. For more information on Unchained TV productions just visit unchainedTV.com