Outrage + Optimism

As false claims suggesting that Hurricane Milton was “engineered” continue to spread on social media, analysis from Climate Central, Inc. shows that Hurricane Milton’s extreme rapid intensification was made up to 400-800 times more likely due to the extreme ocean temperatures caused by climate change. Tune in tomorrow for an special episode in which Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson will be digesting and analysing the ongoing aftermath of Hurricane Milton as it sweeps through public and political discourse, as well as lives and landscapes. Image source: BBC article https://lnkd.in/ennMQ8rH Climate Central analysis: https://lnkd.in/gWvpmK7c

A recent survey suggested that 42% of consumers worldwide think that most people will be eating plant-based diets within ten years. Will you be one of them? 🌼 Is it ok to eat meat sometimes? 🌼 What about fish and dairy? 🌼 How do we balance our principles with practicality? 🌼 And… should people who order red meat in restaurants be asked to sit outside, like smokers?! (Christiana’s suggestion which did not go down well when she made it publicly in a speech a while ago) Tune in to our latest episode in our How to Live a Good Life in a Climate Crisis as Tom Rivett-Carnac, Christiana Figueres and Paul Dickinson explore all these questions, as well as sharing their own eating habits and histories. 🎧 Out now, wherever you get your podcasts. Have a listen, we'd love to hear what you think! Join the conversation in the comments below 👇 #howtoliveagoodlife https://bit.ly/4dKYc6O

Another report, another desperate call from scientists, including recent O+O guests Tim Lenton, Johan Rockström, Michael E Mann and Oreskes Naomi. But it lands at a different time. In this week, where many are still reeling from Hurricane Helene and with Hurricane Milton yet to do its worst, many in the Global North are waking up to the fact that the climate emergency is not a vague threat in the future, neither is it a terrible thing happening to other people far away, it is here and it is now. It’s unpredictable and it can touch any of us. This is the time to take our actions to the next level. The scientists report: “We fear the danger of climate breakdown. The evidence we observe is both alarming and undeniable, but it is this very shock that drives us to action. We recognize the profound urgency of addressing this global challenge, especially the horrific outlook for the world’s poor. We feel the courage and determination to seek transformative science-based solutions across all aspects of society.” The report calls for “bold, transformative change”: 👉 drastically reducing overconsumption and waste 👉 gradually reducing the human population through empowering education and rights for girls and women 👉 reforming food production systems to support more plant-based eating 👉 adopting an ecological and post-growth economics framework that ensures social justice 👉 embedding climate change instruction into education 👉 more immediate efforts to protect, restore, or rewild ecosystems We know what we need to do, the solutions exist. The actions we take as individuals matter and the actions we take as communities are even more powerful. “Today, more than ever, our actions matter for the stable climate system that has supported us for thousands of years. Humanity’s future depends on our creativity, moral fiber, and perseverance.” Now is the time. You can find the full ‘State of the Climate 2024’ report here: https://lnkd.in/d-vVGuKY

You may have seen this clip of meteorologist John Morales reporting on the approach of Hurrican Milton on NBC - shared widely because of his emotional commentary as he understood just how horrific the consequences of the 'monster storm' will be. Morales recently wrote about the shift in his understanding of the climate crisis and consequently in how he now communicates the weather, it's well worth a read as many will relate to the mindset shift as we come to understand the gravity of the threat: "For decades I had felt in control. Not in control of the weather, of course. But in control of the message that, if my audience was prepared and well informed, I could confidently guide them through any weather threat, and we’d all make it through safely. Today as a result of so many compounding climate-driven factors, the warming world has forcibly shifted my manner from calm concern to agitated dismay. Now I look at storms differently. And I communicate differently. I don’t need to be told “you’ve changed” to know that I’m not the same. Perhaps those who have known me as the just-the-facts non-alarmist meteorologist can’t get used to the new me. That’s why they bicker and accuse me over overhyping emerging weather threats. But no one can hide from the truth." As we come to realise we are “not the same” as we used to be, once we allow ourselves to fully comprehend the climate crisis, the question is can we be what the world needs us to be now: honest, emotional, open, willing to be wrong, willing to learn, willing to change? https://lnkd.in/e9BKeCPD

What Career Should I Have in a Climate Crisis? 🤔 In a recent survey we asked listeners whether they would change their job in response to the climate crisis - 100% said YES. 🌼 Are you one of them? 🌼 Is changing your job your most effective form of climate action? 🌼 How can you best use your career to scale up climate solutions? 🌼 And… is there even such a thing as a climate change job and a non-climate change job? Tune in to our latest episode in our How to Live a Good Life in a Climate Crisis as Tom Rivett-Carnac, Christiana Figueres and Paul Dickinson explore all these questions, as well as sharing their own winding paths to climate careers - spanning chair-making, entrepreneurship and of course, top levels of the UN. 🎧 Out now, wherever you get your podcasts. Have a listen, we'd love to hear what you think! Join the conversation in the comments below 👇 #howtoliveagoodlife #climatecareers #climatejobs

Ups and (very frustrating) downs this week around forest conservation measures, two pieces of news from Switzerland (both on the outrage side unfortunately) and some excellent stories of optimism! Because we need both. 🔥 OUTRAGE 1: The EU is delaying its pioneering deforestation regulation (EUDR), a key part of its flagship Green Deal, due to political and industrial pressure. The 12 month delay means an additional 2,300 km2 of forest (an area the size of Luxembourg) will be destroyed. 🌱 OPTIMISM 1: Meanwhile, environment ministers of the G20 nations are backing the creation of funding sources for tropical forest conservation which would pay local and Indigenous communities for maintaining the ecosystems that benefit everyone. 🔥 OUTRAGE 2: Switzerland’s glaciers faced the ‘greatest loss of ice recorded since measurements began’ this summer, despite very favourable conditions of 30% more snowfall than usual in the preceding winter. 🌱 OPTIMISM 2: Colombia is pushing for unified UN climate and nature pledges, amid growing recognition that combining efforts to protect nature with those to tackle climate change will be more effective and efficient. 🔥 OUTRAGE 3: To Switzerland again where citizens voted against plans to better protect the country’s biodiversity, due to concerns about the financial cost of the measures. The health cost for the planet and all life were seemingly not as worrying to voters...? 🌱 OPTIMISM 3: Barcelona is powering its subway system in part by converting the friction created by a train’s brakes into electricity. “Regenerative braking” may provide 41% of the energy needed to power the city’s subway. As always each news item we’ve included is a complex story in its own right, reduced here to a single line as a potential signpost for further reading. You can find the links to the news sources in the comments. 🎧 Feed your ears with more outrage and optimism - two episodes of our new mini-series, How to Live a Good Life in a Climate Crisis are out this week! Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.

✈️ For many of you reading this post, flying is responsible for the bulk of your personal carbon footprint, so should it be the first thing to cut when trying to live responsibly in a climate crisis? ✈️ Is it ok to fly for particular circumstances or special occasions? ✈️ Or is cutting emissions from air travel actually the responsibility of airlines and governments? ✈️ And let's not forget that this is a debate of privilege in itself: 80% of the world never sets foot on a plane. In TWO new episodes 🎉 Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson talk about approaching the climate crisis from an individual as well as systemic level and tackle the question of flying, one of the most deeply divisive issues in the climate community today. Out now, wherever you get your podcasts. Have a listen, we'd love to hear what you think! Join the conversation in the comments below 👇

"Even as Climate Week NYC buoyed our community with innumerable stories of collaborative climate action, and nearly all the world’s governments adopted a new Pact for the Future, the high-level politicking and multi-stakeholder activity can feel quite distant from everyday life. For those of us living in relative safety, caught up in our day-to-day routines while millions reel from disastrous climate impacts, it can be hard to navigate what we should be thinking about or doing as individuals...." Read more in our latest Linkedin newsletter 👇👇👇

🌼 NEW SERIES 🌼 How to Live a Good Life in a Climate Crisis - starts tomorrow, 3 October. What does it mean to live a 'good life' at this pivotal moment when so much is asked of us - and there is so much at stake? For the next few weeks Tom Rivett-Carnac, Paul Dickinson and Christiana Figueres will spend time exploring questions from listeners around flying, food, work and having children/parenting. Tune in from 3 October, wherever you get your podcasts. #howtoliveagoodlife

Dr Stephan Harding who passed away last month, had a massive influence on the climate movement, inspiring global leaders to shift towards a Gaian world view, which puts the living Earth at the centre and in which humans are not the pinnacle of evolution but just a small part of the living Earth. We invite you to sharing a little of that shift now. In honour of his extraordinary contributions to our understanding of this beautiful planet, we’re re-releasing the Deep Time Walk, narrated by Stephan, and which has already been downloaded over a million times. This re-release includes Tom Rivett-Carnac’s eulogy, which he shared at Stephan’s memorial service this week. Stephan Harding was a founding member of Schumacher College where he was a Deep Ecology Research Fellow, celebrated teacher and author. As a celebration of this remarkable and beloved man, we hope you enjoy his history of Gaia, told through immersive sound. We encourage you to set aside time to sit comfortably, relax, and learn to “walk well into the life of Gaia” as Stephan puts it. 🎧 Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. RIP Dr Stephan Harding 💚