Benji Backer: Nature is Nonpartisan

Benji Backer: Nature is Nonpartisan

From Climate One by Climate One from The Commonwealth Club

April 3, 2026 · 57 min

About this episode

Benji Backer discusses the importance of nonpartisan approaches to environmentalism and conservation.

In a moment when nearly everything feels polarized, Benji Backer is trying to carve out a different path, one where caring about the natural world isn’t a partisan issue. As the founder of Nature Is Nonpartisan, he’s bringing together voices from across the political spectrum who might disagree on climate policy, but still share a desire to preserve public lands, wildlife, and the outdoors. Can conservation still serve as common ground in a divided country? What does it take to make environmentalism resonate beyond traditional audiences? Is a bipartisan movement possible in today’s political climate? Guests: Benji Backer, Founder and CEO, Nature is Nonpartisan Skyler Zunk, Founder and CEO, Energy Right For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit ClimateOne.org/podcasts. Highlights: 00:00 – Intro 03:30 – Benji Backer on his relationship with nature 05:54 – Benji Backer on how Nature is Nonpartisan came to be 09:29 – Benji Backer on making conservation culturally relevant 16:44 – Benji Backer on the hard work of moving policy forward 21:19 – Benji Backer on why political leanings are labeled on staff page 24:16 – Benji Backer on bringing more people into the tent 31:45 –…

People in this episode

Guests: Benji Backer, Skyler Zunk

Topics covered

  • bipartisanship
  • environmentalism
  • conservation
  • politics
  • public lands
  • wildlife

Keywords

  • Nature Is Nonpartisan
  • bipartisan movement
  • climate policy
  • public lands
  • wildlife conservation
  • political spectrum

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nature Is Nonpartisan, Energy Right, Climate One, The Commonwealth Club

More episodes of Climate One

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Climate One podcast page.