Tallulah Brown Van Zee
Staff Writer
A small community can hold enough power to sway a whole nation, said Mathy Stanislaus, former assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management. At 10:45 a.m. today in the Amphitheater, Stanislaus will discuss climate solutions and the importance of mutual aid during a time of rapid climate change in a joint program of the Chautauqua Lecture Series and Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative.
When working with the Obama Administration, Stanislaus directly responded to climate emergencies, such as the Deepwater Horizon spill on the Gulf Coast and Superstorm Sandy’s devastation on the East Coast. When on the ground of these climate disasters, Stanislaus learned the importance of empowering local, community-based organizations in order to make significant change.
“When I was in government, I always told everyone I met that cards and letters matter,” he said. “Keep pestering me. That allows me to work the inside machinery to let them know this isn’t about me. This is about the people. You may think your voice does not matter. It does matter.”
Stanislaus found that working with local governments and workers laid the groundwork for large-scale change. If different communities around the country took action at home, they could scale up their efforts and work their way up to federal legislators.
“That’s how democracy works,” said Stanislaus. “The small change happens first, then you receive the backing that can take you to the top.”
Stanislaus now serves as vice provost and executive director of The Environmental Collaboratory at Drexel University. In this position, he works with experts from all fields to form solutions in the climate justice space.
“This effort is about taking leadership and bringing together people that may not have sat at the same table otherwise,” said Stanislaus. “Everything from insurance companies to community residents to hospital officials. How do we all take a mutual-aid perspective in solving humanity’s greatest risk?”
In his lecture, Stanislaus will discuss the value of gathering a diverse set of stakeholders to work together in forming viable solutions in the environmental sector. He said that it is essential to start at the local level in order to experiment with climate solutions. By trying new ideas and seeing what works, the mistakes that may be made will lead to the most successful innovations.
Stanislaus’ goal with The Environmental Collaboratory is to create a network involving “learners of learners.” In order to create a national conversation, it is essential to combine experts in various fields who are open to learning from one another.
“What I’ve learned in emergency preparedness with the Obama Administration is that if you think you know everything, you will quickly fail,” he said.
By creating a space for open discourse and saving a seat at the table for all who are willing to participate, creative and effective climate solutions can be implemented into local communities and later, the country at large. Stanislaus will speak more on how he has seen this mutual-aid framework be successful and will speak on the importance of implementing these practices in low-income communities.
