Episode 103: Can Art Impact Climate Change Policy?

In this episode of Citizens Climate Radio, Elise Silvestri explores how art can strengthen climate advocacy with Carrie Ziegler, an interdisciplinary Artist, Speaker, and Community Engagement Expert. Carrie talks about her process for creating and executing the Chrysalis Project: Transforming Together, an art and climate policy project that enacted powerful change over Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the participating students, Brisa Sabel, shares her experience of the successful campaign and the  joy and inspiration it gave her.

Listen to Carrie Ziegler discuss the power of art storytelling in making meaningful, local climate policy.

Guest Bio: Carrie Ziegler

Carrie Ziegler harnesses the collective power of art to drive social and environmental transformation. Through her Art in Action initiatives, she collaborates with diverse entities—local governments, organizations, schools, and universities—to create multi-dimensional works that blend participant creativity with pressing societal issues. These projects inspire active engagement, bringing communities together to create lasting change. Along with the Chrysalis Project, Carrie also led the Plastic Whale Project, where students created a life-sized whale out of plastic bags. The whale played a pivotal role in successfully passing a ban on single-use plastic bags in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Thurston County, Washington.

Based in Olympia, Washington, Carrie is recognized internationally, bringing her impactful vision to global forums, including Aotearoa (New Zealand), Ghana, France, Mexico, and Canada. She empowers Artists and Change Makers to maximize their societal impact through art, inspiring a broader movement of change driven by creativity. Complementing her hands-on work, Carrie is penning her inaugural book, Eclosion: An Artist’s Path to Power and Peace. In this work, she intertwines her memoir with a practical guide for unleashing personal and collective potential, offering a blueprint for transformative change through art—a light for a world in desperate need of inspiration.

Check out her work on her Instagram, @carriezieglerart.

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Production Team:

• Written and produced by Peterson Toscano and Elise Silvestri
• Social Media Assistance: Flannery Winchester
• Music is provided by epidemicsound.com and Elise Silvestri

Here’s a cleaned-up, titled, and lightly summarized version of the transcript for Episode 103 of Citizens Climate Radio, with clearer flow and improved readability:

Citizens Climate Radio, Episode 103

Airing: April 18, 2025
Hosted by Elise Silvestri

Opening: Creativity and Climate Action

Elise Silvestri:
Welcome to Citizens Climate Radio, the podcast where we spotlight people’s climate stories, celebrate successes, and explore effective strategies for climate advocacy. I’m your host, Elise Silvestri, and today’s show is packed with inspiration and transformation.

First, we’ll hear from collaborative environmental artist Carrie Ziegler, who helped pass climate legislation through an innovative community art project. Then, Peterson Toscano shares a good news story that’s also a personal update.

The Power of Art: Carrie Ziegler and the Chrysalis Project

Elise:
Carrie Ziegler has created numerous murals, sculptures, and interactive installations with youth and adults. You may recognize her from Episode 95 of this podcast, where she spoke alongside Rob Hopkins about imagination and climate advocacy.

Rob Hopkins (excerpt from Ep. 95):
“If we don’t nurture in people a deep longing for a low-carbon future, why would they want to help create it?”

Elise:
One of Carrie’s standout projects was the Plastic Whale Project, where she and over 900 participants built a life-size whale out of plastic bags. But today, we focus on a newer initiative: The Chrysalis: Transforming Together, launched during the early days of the pandemic.

A Community Gathers Online

Carrie Ziegler:
When COVID hit, I was working with the Thurston Climate Action Team. Suddenly, we had to move everything online. Out of this disruption came The Chrysalis Project. It wasn’t just about creating art—it was about helping people process the triple crises of the pandemic, racial reckoning, and climate change.

We used the metaphor of a chrysalis to envision transformation. Participants painted, wrote poetry, and made collages of the future they wanted to see. Then we asked them to turn their artwork over and write personal letters to elected officials.

Brisa Sable (student participant):
I was a high school senior when the pandemic began. The Chrysalis Project gave me a chance to stay connected and active in climate work. In my letter, I compared the loss of school traditions to the potential loss of environmental stability—we take both for granted.

Carrie:
One of those letters had a huge impact. At a key county commissioner meeting, an official stood up, pulled Brisa’s letter from his pocket, and read it aloud. He said he had carried it for months—it was his guiding light. That night, the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan passed, and a climate emergency was declared. Eventually, all four jurisdictions adopted the plan, thanks in part to this project.

Brisa:
It’s wild to think my letter played that kind of role. It still doesn’t feel real.

Carrie:
We ask people to change everything about how they relate to the Earth. But we haven’t given them a compelling vision of the future. That’s the artist’s job—to help people imagine the world we’re fighting for.

Podcast Update and a Personal Shift

Elise:
Now it’s time for our good news story with Citizens Climate Radio founder, Peterson Toscano. Peterson, how are you?

Peterson Toscano:
I’m great—and I think my work here might be wrapping up! Here’s why: like many of us in climate work, I’ve been adapting. I’m now a trained disaster relief volunteer with the American Red Cross, responding to regional and national emergencies. Recently, I helped set up a shelter for over 30 displaced families after a fire.

But adaptation isn’t just personal—it’s political. With the election of Donald Trump and a Republican-majority Congress, Citizens Climate Lobby is adjusting its strategy. That includes this podcast. We’ll be shifting toward a sharper focus on U.S. climate policy, equipping volunteers to engage more effectively with lawmakers.

I’m more of a big-picture person, so I’m stepping back as host. But I’ll stay on as producer—something I’ve come to love. Expect a new host, and Dana Nuccitelli from Nerd Corner will become a regular guest. Some folks love going deep into policy. Me? I’d rather hear a good story. But Dana will break things down so even I can follow along.

Outside this show, I host two other podcasts:

• Quakers Today, a monthly podcast from Friends Publishing

• Bubble & Squeak, my personal storytelling podcast
  

And yes, I’m still active on TikTok (@petersontoscano), which somehow has 100,000+ followers.

Citizens Climate Radio has been going strong since 2016—103 episodes and counting. It’s time for others to take the wheel. Elise, you’re doing a fabulous job, and I’m honored to pass the mic to you.

Closing and Call to Action

Elise:
Thank you, Peterson. It’s been a joy learning from you and working together.

And thank you, listener, for joining us for Episode 103. If you’d like to support our work, visit citizensclimateducation.org to make a tax-deductible donation.

This podcast is a project of Citizens Climate Education and is produced by me, Elise Silvestri, and Peterson Toscano. Music by Elise and EpidemicSound.

Visit cclusa.org/radio for show notes, links, and a listener survey. You can also call or text us at +1 619-512-9646.

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Let’s keep working for climate solutions—together.

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