August Climate Leader: Joe Szakos
1. Tell us how you became involved and passionate about social and environmental issues?
When I was a senior in college, I was the weekend home manager for a group home – eight people who were coming out of mental institutions were trying to re-integrate into the community. It still scares me to think that they would have a 20-year-old with no training in charge of a group home (alone) for 48 hours. When I asked a board member of the group home why there were not better services for these folks, including more qualified staff, she simply said (in 1976), “People with mental illnesses are not organized.” I asked her where one can learn to “organize” and she encouraged me to “go to a big city.”
So I went off to Chicago and found some great mentors in community organizing. After surviving two major blizzards in 1979, I decided that living in a colder climate was not for me, so I moved to eastern Kentucky where I got a crash course in climate-related issues by organizing around strip mining and water problems. A year in Hungary in 1993-94 working with environmental NGOs also taught me a lot and 26 years with Virginia Organizing helped me connect the dots on a wide range of social justice and environmental issues.
I am a firm believer that all the “isms” are connected to climate change in real, tangible ways and we have to cross constituency lines and issue lines if we are to make real substantive change.
2. Though we find ourselves amidst this climate crisis, what is one thing you are hopeful about?
I am very hopeful about a local project I am doing with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville as well as some mentoring work I am doing.
A year ago, I officially "retired" from Virginia Organizing. Retired is a funny word, since I have still been doing trainings in community organizing -- for groups in Nebraska, Colorado, and Germany, to name a few, and I will be spending three weeks in Hungary later this year as they try to figure out how to move forward after another election of super conservative Viktor Orban. I am volunteering on all these adventures and trying to be as helpful as I can. I am also excited to be volunteering on a new materials salvaging project with the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville. With climate change looming all around us, I grew tired of seeing all the salvageable (and often new) building materials going in the dumpsters on two home renovation projects in my neighborhood, so I approached the Habitat Store and asked if we could set up a program to collect these materials from construction sites -- and the materials are then sold at the store and the net proceeds used to build some Habitat houses.
I get some great exercise, the store sells a lot of re-purposed materials, more people get affordable housing, and we divert a whole lot of materials from the landfill (which also has other side benefits such as having fewer trees cut down and less fuel to cart things off to far-away landfills). We also help people who are downsizing or just cleaning out their workshops to donate tools and other construction items to the Habitat Store for resale.
(If you know of a contractor who would like to participate in this program, or you have things to donate, just let me know!)
3. In your opinion, what is holding us (the U.S., state, or local community) back from greater progress on implementing climate solutions?
Greed.
4. How do social justice issues intersect with climate issues?
Whether we are talking about climate refugees, those affected by discriminatory practices, or people not being paid a living wage, it is all about people being left out, mistreated, or marginalized. We should work for the day when every person has their needs met — health care, housing, nutrition, education, child care, and equal access to resources regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, and so on. (For example, everyone should have one house before anyone gets two.)
We live in a lopsided world where some people get a lot and some people don’t get much of anything. I think we should limit the amount of energy each person gets to use every month – it is unfair that two people get to live in an 8,000-square-foot house and burn up tons of energy for their heating and air conditioning while other people have no heat in the winter or cooling in the summer.
5. What is a climate action personally or professionally that you are proud of?
Kristin and I got an electric car in 2018 and we have paid a lot of attention to the energy we use in our house, so we have solar panels and did a complete energy retrofit, including a highly efficient heat pump, triple pane windows, blown-in insulation throughout the house, energy-efficient appliances, and a heat pump hot water heater. We also have a nice garden, buy local produce, compost regularly, and wear thrift store clothing.
6. This is challenging work. What is your favorite way to recharge and rejuvenate?
I like to be outdoors, especially if it is connected to traveling in our campervan (with solar panels and extra lithium batteries). Also, a really good vegetarian meal with local produce and some good books help a lot!