Climate change is one of the most contentious international issues of our time. With various groups claiming it as the largest existential threat to humanity, while others claiming that humans have no impact, and everything in-between, this issue continues to challenge the world in new and unique ways. This is an issue that is both global and local, requiring individual, community, and global action to effect change and protect the natural resources of the globe. It is also not just about carbon emissions, as overfishing, development, and destruction of habitat are all changing the ways in which humans interact with the earth.

In this episode we speak with Gerard Rodriguez, formerly of the Willamette Falls Trust in Oregon City, OR, who's indigenous background informs his work on environmental protection and climate change prevention. Infusing modern solutions with ancestral knowledge, Gerard guides us through the ways in which we can live more harmoniously with the earth and its systems.

This is not your traditional look at climate change from a Western scientific method, but rather a look at how humans have impacted the natural systems we rely on and ways in which community and international action can bring about needed changes. Our conversation brings a different perspective, which will assist the audience in gaining a deeper understanding of the issues at stake.

Gerard Rodriguez was the Associate Director and Director of Tribal Affairs for the Willamette Falls Trust in Oregon City, OR. In this role he worked to bring together a coalition of local tribes, governments, and interested parties to help restore the land of the Willamette Falls, the second largest waterfall in the U.S. by volume. He has an extensive history in environmental and indigenous advocacy, having started his interest in high school, working as a legal assistant, and in various indigenous outreach roles. He is Yaqui/Nahua and has a deep connection to the broader Portland region.