Ambassadors steal the show, \”Jared Diamond Speaks to the Young on Environmental Challenges\” the APRIL 4, 2014 episode of NPR\’s On Point with Tom Ashbrook.
Listen here:
OK, so the Ambassadors are not the guests; but they are briefly featured voices of a generation, and Jared Diamond is good company! The celebrated author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, The World Until Yesterday and Collapse talks about a new adaptation of an old favorite, The Third Chimpanzee, now retitled:
The Third Chimpanzee for Young People: On the Evolution and Future of the Human Animal by Jared Diamond
Audio clips of Ambassadors Zoe and Isaac figure prominently in the discussion. The lively broadcast explores how humans, and in particular young people growing up with a dangerous changing climate, might respond to our greatest challenge.
History professor and bestselling author Diamond begins this interview, \”the current generation is the first generation that faces the risk of the whole world being messed up.\” As a parent, the author had to answer to his own children when their school assigned one of his books for class. He says historically young people have regularly faced overwhelming threats to civilization; but children now grow up worrying about the end of all civilizations.
After playing clips from Ambassadors\’ speeches, Jared Diamond suggests that young people who understand what is happening to their future can have a powerful influence on how families respond.
The Ambassador audio clips come from Zoe\’s speech before the Governor\’s Climate Legislative Executive Workgroup in Seattle and Isaac\’s speech to the Power Past Coal Rally in downtown Portland.
Be forewarned: after hearing Jared Diamond, you might have to break down and buy the book. It sounds perfect for families who face this crisis together. Although you\’ll find no simple answers and only a 50-50 wager on how humans will turn out, Diamond sounds genuinely hopeful for a History professor who has devoted his life to studying the end.
Michael: The exposure our kids are getting is FANTASTIC. As we ramp up our activism, it seems likely that our young Ambassadors will be getting more regular “face time” with more authors, political insiders, senators, representatives, governors, and Prez Obama himself! Thank you for being the activist you are in facilitating this key element of the biggest cultural shift in our society ever: Moving from our Carbon based energy society to the new sustainable / renewable energy society.