Leah C. Stokes Talks Activism, Democracy and the Struggle For the Earth with Bill McKibben

Leah C. Stokes is a political scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, known for her academic work on utilities in America, including her book Short Circuiting Policy. She also played a key role in drafting the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate law in U.S. history, enacted in 2022. Her new book, The Carbon Wave, provides an insider’s account of this legislative process, blending her experiences as an academic, activist, and mother of premature twins who spent 75 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Stokes represents a rare combination of expertise in climate policy, grassroots activism, and personal commitment to the cause, often working from unconventional locations like hospital storage rooms while balancing professional and family responsibilities.

Stokes wrote The Carbon Wave to demystify how political change happens in climate policy, arguing that most climate communication fails to explain the complex, behind-the-scenes work required to pass legislation. She contrasts this with superficial advice like using paper straws, emphasizing instead the need for collective action through campaigns and organizations. The book draws on her firsthand experience in the White House, Senate negotiations, and public activism, aiming to show readers the real-world drama and trade-offs involved in policymaking. Stokes structured the book to be accessible, even to readers unfamiliar with figures like Senator Joe Manchin, and included personal stories to evoke emotional engagement, which she believes is essential for mobilizing climate action.

Stokes’ writing process for The Carbon Wave began with informal field notes, a Google document where she recorded late-night reflections and quotes from colleagues during the campaign. To capture diverse perspectives, she conducted extensive interviews, sometimes lasting over a dozen hours, and gathered emails, text messages, and videos to recreate the legislative saga authentically. Balancing this project with her roles as a professor, climate advocate, and mother of young twins—who were born prematurely and required 75 days in the NICU—posed significant challenges. She worked from hospital storage rooms and took work calls while pumping, demonstrating her commitment to documenting the legislative process despite personal sacrifices.

Stokes’ first book, Short Circuiting Policy, was an academic work, while The Carbon Wave is a narrative nonfiction and memoir. She intentionally designed the new book to be accessible to a broad audience, ensuring it could be read as a compelling story while also offering deeper insights for those interested in political theory. At a political science conference, colleagues praised the book for its dual appeal, noting that it could be enjoyed by general readers while still engaging scholars. Stokes’ goal was to make the legislative process relatable, even to those unfamiliar with the intricacies of U.S. politics, and to evoke emotional responses, such as tears, to foster connection to the climate movement.

Stokes highlights that the legislative process is far more complex and dramatic than the simplified Schoolhouse Rock version suggests. She describes it as a high-stakes drama filled with conflicts not only between opposing parties but also within coalitions and activist groups. A key concept she introduces is the fight of enactment, where groups must decide whether a bill’s text is good enough despite its flaws, leading to internal divisions. For example, she recounts a conversation with Bill McKibben in July 2022, where she predicted the Inflation Reduction Act would split the climate movement due to compromises made to secure Senator Joe Manchin’s vote, a prediction that proved accurate.

During the final stages of the Inflation Reduction Act’s passage, Stokes faced personal attacks from within the climate movement, which she describes as emotionally devastating. These attacks occurred while she was recovering from COVID-19 at home with her one-year-old twins, adding to the stress. She credits McKibben with helping her contextualize these attacks within a broader historical pattern of infighting in progressive spaces. Stokes emphasizes the importance of depersonalizing such moments, drawing a parallel to activists in other countries who face severe consequences, like violence or murder, for their work. This perspective helped her move past the attacks and continue her advocacy.

Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, was the pivotal 50th vote in the Senate for the Inflation Reduction Act. His concerns about inflation, the economy, and his constituents’ interests—such as clean energy jobs and the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund—delayed the bill’s passage for months. Stokes’ book attempts to humanize Manchin, portraying him as someone driven by legitimate but narrow economic priorities rather than outright opposition to climate action. Despite his initial withdrawal from negotiations in July 2022, he ultimately voted for the bill, which McKibben suggests may have been influenced by public backlash during a European heat wave and concerns about his legacy.

Stokes’ twins were born prematurely and spent 75 days in the NICU, during which she continued working on the Inflation Reduction Act. She describes balancing work calls from hospital storage rooms with pumping, driven by the belief that passing the climate law was critical for her children’s future. In the book, she frames parenting as more than just ensuring immediate safety—such as using car seats or plugging outlets—but as a broader commitment to protecting all living beings from the climate crisis. She argues that collective action through organizations can amplify individual efforts, making the world safer for future generations amid escalating climate disasters, such as the 2023 El Niño and the 2023 Nepal tragedy.

Stokes expresses cautious optimism about the climate movement’s progress, noting that the technologies needed to address the crisis already exist. However, she emphasizes the urgency of the situation, as the window for meaningful action is rapidly closing. The Inflation Reduction Act is framed as a historic but suspenseful milestone, with the real challenge now being its implementation and the broader societal transformation required to meet climate goals. She draws a parallel to McKibben’s book Here Comes the Sun, which similarly ends on a note of hope tempered by the need for immediate action. Stokes’ work underscores the importance of sustained, collective effort to secure a livable future.