CLIMATE ONE: ENCORE: Taylor Brorby and Suzie Hicks Tell The Stories We Don’t Always Hear

About this episode

Taylor Brorby and Suzie Hicks share their unique journeys in climate action and storytelling.

Finding one's voice in climate action can come in many forms. Author and activist Taylor Brorby grew up in Center, North Dakota as a fourth-generation member of a fossil-fuel family. He struggled to find his place as a young gay kid who loved art, music, nature and poetry. Over time, he turned that tension into writing that challenges the fossil fuel industry, makes space for others stuck in a broken system, and inspires a more just future. Suzie Hicks felt the weight of climate concerns but after college, didn’t know what to do with those feelings. After doing an internship at the New England Aquarium, they realized they could merge their love of performing with a career focused on climate. With the help of a sunflower puppet named Sprout, Suzie created a children’s show that teaches kids about climate change through a frame of possibility and hope, not doom and gloom. Guests Taylor Brorby, Activist, Author, “Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land” Suzie Hicks, Climate Media Maker and Educator For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit ⁠ClimateOne.org/podcasts⁠. Highlights: 00:00 – Intro 02:20 – Taylor Brorby describes the N.D. town where he grew up 05:00 –…

People in this episode

Guests: Taylor Brorby, Suzie Hicks

Topics covered

• climate action
• personal stories
• environmental activism
• queer identity
• children's education
• fossil fuel industry

Keywords

• climate change
• activism
• storytelling
• environment
• education
• queer writers

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New England Aquarium

Books & works: Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land

Places: Center, North Dakota

More episodes of Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

• CLIMATE ONE: Medium Rare: What’s Next For Meat? · June 12, 2026 · 1h 5m
• Unfrozen: The Fight for the Future of the Arctic · June 9, 2026 · 1h 6m
• Young King: The Making of Martin Luther King Jr. · June 8, 2026 · 1h 7m
• CLIMATE ONE: ENCORE: Cities Leading the Way · June 5, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Outdoors Writer Tom Stienstra Shares His Tales of Survival … and Top Adventure Spots · June 3, 2026 · 1h 2m
• The Fight Against AI-Powered Surveillance with EFF's Cindy Cohn and Adam Savage · May 31, 2026 · 1h 8m