LTP 2026.5 - Danielle Levy
"Money Makes The World Go Hot: How extreme wealth and inequality are a climate problem"
Extreme wealth isn’t just unfair - it’s a climate problem. From carbon-intensive lifestyles to investments in carbon-intensive industry, the hoarding and pursuit of wealth is driving the climate crisis. Such wealth is fueling anti-climate politicians and the perpetuation of the petrostate while depriving those most impacted from the funds needed for mitigation and adaptation. At the same time, there is enormous potential in the pocketbooks of everyday Americans to interrupt this cycle. In this presentation, policy, climate, and finance researcher Danielle Levy will explore the insidious ways wealth and inequality hold us back from achieving a better future and highlight opportunities to leverage the world's economic power for climate justice.
Speaker Bio:
Danielle Levy is a recent graduate from the University of Michigan with dual Master's in Public Policy and Environment and Sustainability, where her thesis focused on local and community-oriented circular economy initiatives. During her time at Michigan, Danielle completed internships and projects with the National Coalition for Community Capital (NC3) and The Energy Equity Project. She also served as a member-leader of the Michigan chapter of Resource Generation, a movement that organizes young people with access to wealth and class privilege to advance the equitable distribution of money, land, and power. Before this career pivot, Danielle earned a BS in journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and spent more than five years producing Emmy-winning documentaries, news specials, and podcasts for CBS News and Paramount. Now interning with the Alliance for Affordable Energy, Danielle is looking for her next full-time role at the intersection of economic and environmental justice.
Lost The Plot:
Lost The Plot is a monthly seminar series - virtual and free - that talks about the systemic issues of climate change. Open to all but targeted at professionals working in climate and sustainability who want to more deeply connect with climate - which often is quite absent from our careers - and examine what it is We are all doing (and NOT doing) to address this generation-defining challenge. We seek to dispel the technooptimist standpoint inherent to the broader effort today, and instead look critically at the sociopolitical systems that have prohibited stronger and more meaningful action to date. Each month a different speaker will lead a unique discussion, come for one or all, and view whichever you miss on YouTube after. Learn more at www.lost-the-plot.com .