Exit AUTOcratie, enter mobility – Katja Diehl

Decide for Impact podcast

Today, we are learning from Katja Diehl. As a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and much more, she strives to influence the spheres of mobility, the future of work, and diversity. Katja began her journey in journalism, evolving over 15 years into senior roles in the logistics and mobility sectors. Today, she aims to reshape the way we think about mobility, emphasizing a human-centric, climate-positive approach. Guiding companies, fostering startups, and leveraging her expansive network – that's her mantra. Let's get started... In this conversation with Katja Diehl, I learned: 00:00 Intro 02:50 Using humor and laughter as a coping mechanism 04:45 What has changed since the last book for people without a car? 05:45 Getting death threats daily after being on a TV show. 07:15 She needs security now since this TV show. 09:45 False framing by the host in the TV show. 10:45 The KKR - an investor in fossil fuel companies - poured oil on the fire. 12:30 The harshest thing she can do - is to ignore the haters. 13:25 The paying newsletter subscribers allow her to afford the actions against the death threats. 16:15 The inner work of not giving up. 17:00 It is difficult for her to monetize her work and the relationship to petromasculinity. 18:50 All success is about burning stuff. (fossil fuels) 20:00 Go through the pain of my privileges to discover how much I am part of the system. 21:10 Electric cars are not the solution. 22:00 Feeling calm about the mission after seven years of struggle. 25:15 The focus is on education instead of expertise. 29:30 You didn't work hard for it, you stole it from society. You got this because of privileges. 30:15 The support for company cars vs the Deutschland ticket. Not taxes for cars, but tax for mobility. 34:30 Find a good direction for your rage. 35:30 Carbon justice is about listening and learning about where is the injustice coming from. 36:45 We have to be in rooms with people we don't like, and listen. 37:15 The shift in politics under the influence of the extreme right. 40:00 We, the politicians, got the power from the people and it will not be there forever. 48:50 Media and their role on mobility and climate. 53:00 The relationship between money and media and the influence on what gets published. 56:35 Twitter or X is a disinformation machine funded by Elon Musk. 57:40 People are looking for easy stories and want to be able to blame other people for the problems. 59:50 The car is the biggest transmission part of the transport sector, 62%. 1:03:40 The car is preventing people from having social connections. 1:04:50 A loss for democracy that we don't have this 3rd place anymore. 1:06:00 People who don't want to change the system don't want to talk with you because their view of the world will change. More about Katja Diehl: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katjadiehl/ https://katja-diehl.de/ https://katja-diehl.de/podcast/ (Podcast She drives mobility) https://decideforimpact.com/show363-the-car-is-hijacking-our-freedom-autokorrektur-katja-diehl/ (8 sep 2022) Books Autokorrektur – Mobilität für eine lebenswerte Welt (2022) Raus aus der AUTOkratie - rein in die Mobilität der Zukunft (2024) Kinderbuch 2025 Resources we mention: Hate Aid - HateAid is an organization that promotes democracy and freedom of speech online and counsels and supports victims of digital violence. Axel Springer - a German multinational mass and online media company KKR & Co. Inc., also known as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., is an American global investment company Petro-masculinity Petromasculinity: How Men Are Heating The Planet The Emperor's New Clothes VAUD - Antje von Dewitz Rage becomes her - Soraya Chemaly book Olaf Scholz - chancellor of Germany Elke Kahr mayor of Graz (Austria) - Tegenlicht docu