Bill McKibben Talks Activism, Democracy and the Struggle For the Earth
It is quite rare to find someone who is a first-class academic and analyst, and is also able to become a first-class activist, but Leah Stokes is a triple threat. A political scientist at UC Santa Barbara, she wrote the.
Leah Stokes is a political scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), known for her expertise in climate policy and energy utilities. She authored the book Short Circuiting Policy, which examines how utility companies influence energy policies in the United States. Her work gained national attention when she played a key role in drafting the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, the largest climate legislation in U.S. history. Stokes’ contributions were made while she was also caring for her prematurely born twin daughters in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), highlighting the personal sacrifices involved in policy work. Her new book, The Carbon Wave, provides an insider’s account of the legislative process behind the IRA, blending personal narrative with political analysis.
Stokes began writing The Carbon Wave as a collection of field notes, documenting her late-night thoughts and key quotes from conversations during the climate campaign. The book evolved into a narrative nonfiction work, requiring extensive interviews with policymakers, activists, and legislators over several years. Stokes aimed to recreate the legislative process from multiple perspectives, including the White House, Senate floor, and public campaigns. The writing process was shaped by the need to balance academic rigor with accessibility, ensuring readers could follow the story regardless of their prior knowledge. Stokes emphasized making the content emotionally engaging, noting that many readers have reported feeling moved or even crying while reading the book.
Stokes’ firsthand experience with the IRA negotiations revealed that the legislative process is far more complex and conflict-ridden than the simplified version often taught in schools, such as the Schoolhouse Rock cartoon I’m Just a Bill. The process involved intense power struggles within coalitions and activist groups, not just between political parties. Stokes introduced the concept of the “fight of enactment”, where groups must decide whether a finalized bill is good enough despite compromises, leading to internal divisions. For example, the IRA, originally inspired by the Green New Deal, was significantly scaled back through negotiations led by Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who held the decisive 50th vote in the Senate.
During the final stages of the IRA negotiations, Stokes faced personal attacks from some activists within the climate movement, who criticized her role in compromising on the bill’s provisions. These attacks occurred while she was recovering from COVID-19 at home with her one-year-old twins, adding emotional strain to an already high-pressure situation. Stokes described feeling hunted and in a state of fight-or-flight, contrasting the attacks from allies with the more expected opposition from the fossil fuel industry. Bill McKibben, a longtime climate activist and friend, provided perspective by contextualizing the attacks within a broader history of infighting in progressive movements. Stokes emphasized the importance of depersonalizing such moments to continue her work.
Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, played a pivotal role in the IRA’s passage by holding the 50th vote in the Senate, which allowed the bill to advance. Manchin’s concerns centered on economic issues, such as inflation and the impact on his constituents, including the extension of the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund and the creation of clean energy jobs in West Virginia. After initially walking away from the bill in July 2022, Manchin faced significant backlash, including global criticism during a heat wave in Europe. Stokes attempted to humanize Manchin in her book, presenting his motivations and flaws without excusing his actions. The IRA ultimately passed with Manchin’s support, despite the compromises it required.
Stokes’ experience in the NICU with her premature twins, who spent 75 days in the hospital, coincided with her work on the IRA. She balanced taking work calls from storage rooms in the hospital with pumping milk and traveling to Congress to testify. Stokes framed her climate activism as an extension of her role as a mother, emphasizing the need to create a safe world for her children and future generations. She argued that collective action through organizations can have outsized impacts in addressing the climate crisis. Stokes expressed cautious optimism about the future, acknowledging the urgency of the situation while highlighting the technological solutions available to combat climate change.
Stokes and McKibben concluded their conversation with a discussion about the role of young people in the climate movement. Stokes’ twins, who are now part of her household, symbolize the next generation inheriting the consequences of current climate policies. Stokes and McKibben emphasized the importance of continued collective action to ensure a safe future for all living beings. They noted that while the IRA represents a significant step forward, the clock is running short, and the world must now live up to the promises made in the legislation. Stokes expressed hope that the book would inspire readers to engage in climate activism and policy work.
