Episode 101: Music, Literature, and Climate Action

Episode 101 of Citizens’ Climate Radio highlights two powerful voices shaping the climate conversation: Elise Silvestri, a college student and musician passionate about climate justice, and Linda Sue Park, an award-winning author using storytelling to inspire young activists.

Elise, who has worked on the Citizens’ Climate Radio team for six months, shares her journey through eco-anxiety, activism, and music production. She believes that addressing the climate crisis requires radical imagination — envisioning the world we want to create rather than just reacting to the crises around us. Elise also introduces us to Linda Sue Park, whose latest book, Gracie Under the Waves, follows a young snorkeling enthusiast as she discovers the urgent need for ocean conservation.

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Facing Eco Anxiety with Imagination and Action

Elise Silvestri knows firsthand the overwhelming anxiety that can come from thinking about climate change. Like many young activists, she has struggled with fears about the future, moments of paralysis, and the emotional weight of the crisis. In this episode, Elise shares how she transformed her eco-anxiety into action — first through climate organizing with the Sunrise Movement, and later through audio engineering and music production.

“I consider the climate crisis a crisis of imagination. We are stuck in a status quo that hangs us high and dry. We must be bold and imagine a world that we are excited to wake up in.” —Elise Silvestri

By blending her passion for music with climate activism, Elise has found ways to build resilience for herself and the communities she works with. From powering live sound stages with solar energy to using podcasting as a medium for climate storytelling, Elise exemplifies the power of creativity in climate advocacy.

Linda Sue Park on Finding Your Climate Passion

Newbery Medal-winning author Linda Sue Park joins the conversation to discuss Gracie Under the Waves, her latest book for young readers. Inspired by her love for snorkeling, the book follows Gracie’s growing awareness of coral reef degradation and its broader implications for the health of our oceans.

“Gracie’s journey parallels my own. At first, I just wanted to snorkel. Then I realized that the coral reefs were imperiled, and I had to do something.” —Linda Sue Park

Linda encourages young readers to find their own path into climate activism by connecting their passions to climate justice. Whether through art, science, writing, or community work, she believes that the most effective advocacy comes from personal investment.

“There are many ways to help our planet. The most effective way is to connect it to something you already love because then your enthusiasm is genuine, and you won’t get tired of talking about it.” —Linda Sue Park

The Power of Community and Collaboration

In their conversation, Elise and Linda emphasize the importance of community in climate activism. Linda notes that for too long, Western culture has celebrated rugged individualism — but collaboration is essential when it comes to the climate crisis.

“For a very long time, children’s books emphasized the idea of solving problems alone. But that time has passed. We are stronger when we work together.” —Linda Sue Park

Elise echoes this sentiment, recalling how her work with Sunrise Movement helped her feel less alone in her climate anxiety. By finding a community, she could channel her fear into tangible action.

Join the Conversation

What motivates you to take climate action? How have you navigated eco-anxiety in your own life? We’d love to hear your story!

Email us at radio@citizensclimate.org
Call or text our listener voicemail line: (619) 512-9646
Follow us on Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok (@citizensclimateradio)

Listen to the full episode now!

Transcript

Peterson Toscano: Welcome to Citizens’ Climate Radio, your climate change podcast. We highlight people’s stories, celebrate successes, and share strategies for effective climate conversations. I’m your host, Peterson Toscano, and this is episode 101.

In today’s show, you will meet Elise Silvestri. If you’ve listened to any of our Hot Mess podcast series, you may have already heard Elise’s music and voice. She wrote and performed the theme music and read out the closing credits. Elise has been working with the Citizens’ Climate Radio team for six months and recently decided to stay on for another six months. A student at NYU, Elise is passionate about music theory, podcasting, and climate justice.

In this episode, Elise shares her personal audio introduction. Then, we’ll hear an interview she conducted with author Linda Sue Park about her new book, Gracie Under the Waves. In both segments, Elise created original music to accompany her recordings and edits.

Elise Silvestri: Facing Eco Anxiety and Finding Community

Elise Silvestri: What kind of world do you want to live in? Let’s imagine it together.

My name is Elise, and I’m a college student. I’ve been a climate activist for four years. I see the climate crisis as a crisis of imagination. We are stuck in a status quo that leaves us high and dry. We must be bold and imagine a world that excites us to wake up in.

Maybe it’s a world with major investments in green jobs, where you’re guaranteed a job when you graduate. Maybe it’s one where you receive a stipend to make your home more resilient against climate threats. Maybe you can read on your commute thanks to a robust, clean public transit system. Dare to get your hopes up—if you can dream it, you can make it happen.

That mindset has been necessary for me. I’ve struggled with the overwhelm of eco anxiety. Maybe you have, too. Perhaps you’ve had racing thoughts that won’t let you sleep at night without picturing your family in a storm. Maybe you feel an unsettling uncertainty when making future plans. Or, like me, you feel an urge to visit Venice before it goes underwater.

In high school, I tried to outplan my eco dread with a climate emergency plan. I imagined running away from Pittsburgh to live on a mountain in Vermont, installing hydropower and growing my own food. But it wasn’t a dream—it was an escape from the dread. No matter what I planned, my future felt gray with uncertainty.

Then, I found Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate organization. There, I met people who shared my fears and hopes. I found community. Together, we organized, educated our neighbors, and successfully passed climate legislation in Pittsburgh. Seeing my work lead to meaningful change gave me proof that our efforts matter.

Music, Organizing, and Climate Justice

Outside of organizing, I love music production. It’s my major, and my job. Last summer, I worked in live sound, powering concert stages with solar energy. It was incredible.

Audio engineering gives me a sense of balance between logic and creativity. And, just like climate organizing, it teaches resourcefulness and resilience—two values I carry into my climate work and into this podcast.

Linda Sue Park: Finding Self-Interest in Climate Action

Elise Silvestri: What motivates you to act?

In climate activism, we talk about self-interest—the combination of personal and global reasons that drive us to care. To explore this idea further, I spoke with Linda Sue Park, a Newbery Medal-winning author and the founder of Alita Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Her newest book, Gracie Under the Waves, follows a young girl who loves snorkeling but slowly realizes the coral reefs she loves are in danger.

A Passion for Snorkeling Turned Into Advocacy

Linda Sue Park: I knew I wanted to write a book about a girl who loves snorkeling—just like me. To make it authentic, I traveled to Roatán, Honduras, one of the best snorkeling destinations in our hemisphere.

I didn’t snorkel as a child. The first time I did, I was in my twenties. But within ten seconds of putting my face in the water, I was hooked. I saw colors and creatures I never imagined. Right then and there, I decided: I will do this for the rest of my life as often as I can.

Elise Silvestri: Your book isn’t just about snorkeling—it’s about climate awareness. How did that shift happen?

Linda Sue Park: Just like Gracie, I started snorkeling purely out of love for the experience. Then, I realized that the coral reefs were imperiled. At first, I thought, If the reefs aren’t beautiful, that will ruin my snorkeling. But quickly, I learned it was much bigger than that.

The health of the oceans affects all of us—even if you live far from the coast. Everything is connected.

Encouraging Young Readers to Take Action

Linda Sue Park: I see my role as an author as helping young readers see the climate crisis in a personal way. The best way to help the planet is to connect the fight to something you already love.

Do you love hiking? Planting things? Biking? Cooking? There are countless ways to contribute. When your advocacy is linked to your passion, your enthusiasm is genuine—and you won’t get tired of talking about it.

The Power of Community and Collaboration

Linda Sue Park: Unless you are a bonafide hermit, you live in a world with other people. We need to learn to share space—even with those we don’t always agree with.

For decades, Western culture has glorified individualism. But we need to shift towards collaboration. That’s something I push for in my writing.

Many children’s books have protagonists who solve problems alone. But in reality, we are stronger when we work together.

Elise Silvestri: That’s a powerful lesson. Thank you for sharing your journey.

Join the Conversation!

How do you balance eco anxiety with action? What passions fuel your climate work? We’d love to hear from you!

Email us at radio@citizensclimate.org
Call or text our listener voicemail line: (619) 512-9646
Follow us on Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok (@citizensclimateradio)

Listen to the full episode now!

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