In the face of such grave climate threats, why has environmental policy failed us? Why has an issue that once enjoyed broad bipartisan support become a source of deep division? The 60s and 70s saw swift and effective legislation over pollution and clean air. So what has changed?

In today’s episode of the Mother Earth Podcast, guest Dan Esty discusses the necessity to modernize environmental policy. He argues the 20th century policy has not failed us, but rather the policy and law of the 20th century served 20th century purposes. Now, “it’s time to refresh the game plan.”

Dan Esty is the Hillhouse Professor at Yale University with appointments at Yale’s Environment and Law Schools and the Yale School of Management. He is the director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and co-director of the Yale Initiative on Sustainable Finance. Esty is celebrated for a number of works including "Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage,"Red Lights to Green Lights: From 20th Century Environmental Regulation to 21st Century Sustainability” and most recently "A Better Planet: 40 Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future."

Listen to this week's stimulating conversation tackling big ideas on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or any other podcast app with the links on our website.