Votes In – What Comes Next?

The discussion examines how the U.S. midterm election results could affect climate action, alongside Brazil’s recent election. The panel sees the U.S. outcome as an opening to resist policies favoring fossil fuels, while noting that divided government may limit new climate measures. In Brazil, a climate-focused administration has opportunities to advance environmental policies, but faces resistance from a conservative legislature and tensions over expanding oil production.

This video was recorded on November 4th, 2026, and published on November 7th, 2026, and represents the opinions of the discussion participants.

The speakers consider how climate change should be discussed with voters, including whether to connect it to energy costs, food prices, insurance, and other everyday concerns. They differ on the value of avoiding the term “climate change,” but agree that communication should make the issue relevant to people’s lives. They also discuss political polarization and the influence of fossil-fuel interests.

The closing segment highlights Brazil’s roadmaps for moving away from fossil fuels and halting deforestation, as well as a report on the risks of melting in the Earth’s icy regions. The host cautions against overstating catastrophic mortality projections, while emphasizing the need for serious climate action and continued scrutiny of whether political opportunities lead to concrete results.

Links:

• Support Our Mission

• CEF 2026 GoFundMe Campaign

• Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United Ssates Constitution

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

• Climate on the Ballot

• Planetary Solvency–finding our balance with nature (pdf)

• 4 Billion Dead

• Clarifying the “4 billion deaths” figure - What the report actually says

• Planetary Solvency (CEF Video)

• Fossil Fuel Cartel - Climate Culprit? (CEF Video)

• Fact-Check: have actuaries predicted that billions will die beyond 2 degrees?

• Parasol Lost: Recovery plan needed

• COP30 Presidency launches international roadmaps to accelerate transition away from fossil fuels and halt deforestation and forest degradation by 2030

• Permanent damage set to occur to the world’s cryosphere if warming exceeds 1.5°C, report finds

Special Guest:

• Dan Galpern - is founder, executive director, and general counsel to Climate Protection & Restoration Initiative, a US nonprofit organization. He has served as legal and policy adviser to climate scientist Dr. James Hansen since 2011. Prior to the law, Dan worked for 20 years as a public interest analyst and advocate for human rights and global security.

Regular Panelists:

• Paul Beckwith - Climate Systems Scientist. Professor at the University of Ottawa’s Paleoclimatology Laboratory as well as at Carleton University.

• Regina Valdez - MS in Sustainability Management, Climate Reality Leader, GreenFaith Fellow and LEED Green Associate.

• Herb Simmens - Author, Co-founder of the Healthy Planet Action Coalition (HPAC), Climate Emergency Board Member and former college instructor.

Podcast Production:

• Charles Gregoire - Electrical Engineer, Webmaster and IT prime for FacingFuture.Earth & the Climate Emergency Forum; Climate Reality Leader

• Heidi Brault - Climate Reality Leader, BA(Psychology), Library & Information Technician Diploma - Video production and website assistant - Organizer and convener, Metadata technician, COP Team Lead for FacingFuture.Earth and the Climate Emergency Forum.

Attributions:

Background Music:

• Title: Through the City II
• Author: Crowander
• Source: crowander.com

Podcast thumbnail background image:

• Title: Gray ballot box. Presidential and parliamentary elections. The voter throws the ballot into the ballot box
• Author: Albert Karimov
• Source: Source Link
• License: Vecteezy Pro Standard