“Revolutionary Power: An Activist’s Guide to the Energy Transition” by Shalanda H. Baker
Continuing our discussion on taking action, we are turning to the issue of how to create an energy system that works for everyone, including marginalized communities and those most in danger from the effects of climate change.
This Book Club will take place on Wednesday, July 26 at 7:00 pm. Co-hosted by Ohio Chapters of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
In Revolutionary Power, Shalanda Baker arms those made most vulnerable by our current energy system with the tools they need to remake the system in the service of their humanity. She argues that people of color, poor people, and Indigenous people must engage in the creation of the new energy system in order to upend the unequal power dynamics of the current system.
Revolutionary Power is a playbook for the energy transformation complete with a step-by-step analysis of the key energy policy areas that are ripe for intervention. Baker tells the stories of those who have been left behind in our current system and those who are working to be architects of a more just system. She draws from her experience as an energy-justice advocate, a lawyer, and a queer woman of color to inspire activists working to build our new energy system.
Shalanda H. Baker is the Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE). Prior to her appointment, she was a Professor of Law, Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University. She was the co-founder and co-director of the Initiative for Energy Justice, which provides technical law and policy support to communities on the front lines of climate change.
Baker served as an Air Force officer prior to her honorable discharge pursuant to the then existing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, and became a vocal advocate for repeal of the policy. She earned a B.S. in Political Science from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a J.D. from Northeastern University, and L.L.M. from the University of Wisconsin.