Notices by Dr. Katharine Hayhoe (kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks)

The climate tent has been growing exponentially the last few years: it now encompasses almost every aspect of civil society. What do you need to solve the climate crisis? The answer is, everyone--and these days, that's who's showing up to #ClimateWeekNYC!
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/21/climate/climate-week-new-york.html?unlocked_article_code=QMh2uX7Qy3h6UC9TpyPaXZgYoJ30c4-0fvCpg9wXZv-dUyV33qy78HY5qqH4acX8gm41YKHD4zvQj93QyNMFy4dQUIx29ydKOWAhj-sIWv7-eClhdu4c757GIp2y0Lb5IRv9jLPU9MYlPcsY2iocDpD12mnG5QSa12aYl_1WYtmdzwXRTyHOy_JifYIbPyOAyhaLd876zFpJ2Vn6bSh-77Xiof-ipqRqzhU0AptUqZfOe1GOxP35Xlp-xLdO47fHrUBuNbtGIYoOg0mufrBMGcq7tvnc-EvrADxbBEDn-Jo8mgwOOHH0lkRVR_8tqMs89qDMybZQXPPRQxtuLnGeMQ&smid=url-share

Speaking with people across the U.S. and around the world, I hear the same question almost every day: “What can I do to make a difference?” Most feel frustrated and powerless against the climate crisis, and alarming narratives amplify this paralysis.

Alongside the grim realities we face, people need to know what we as individuals and as a society can do, and are doing, to make a difference. Recognizing the risks is crucial, yes; but to galvanize action we need hope—not a naïve optimism, but a realistic and muscular hope rooted in purposeful action.

How does it begin? With a step so simple, we often overlook it entirely: a conversation about how climate risks affect us and how climate action benefits us -- to envision a better future, and to chart a path to get us there from where we are today.

A carpet company, a shoe manufacturer, and a streaming service have already catalyzed transformative change. What might you achieve? Each of us, individually, have the potential to inspire a culture where real hope thrives, and actions abound. It’s time to chart for ourselves the path from today’s disasters towards a future we envision together.

For weekly ideas on how you can catalyze change, sign up for my free newsletter, Talking Climate: https://www.talkingclimate.ca/

https://time.com/collection/time100-voices/6315768/climate-leadership-global-conversation/

@servelan

@HistoPol "supposedly"?! that's kind of rude. You are welcome to confirm it for yourself. https://twitter.com/i/lists/1053067173961326594?s=20

As disasters fill the headlines, I'm more convinced than ever that hope is our first best weapon against climate change.

Every time I say this, though, there's an immediate knee-jerk reaction: “We don’t need hope, we need ACTION,” they say.

But here’s the thing: we will not act if we feel we have already lost, if there is no hope.

And that’s not all - there’s a positive feedback effect between action and hope. When we act, and join with others in doing so, and see that our voices do matter, our hope grows.

It is easy to focus on the negative and feel defeated, especially when it seems to be coming for us from every angle. “In a 2021 survey of 10,000 children and young adults from 10 countries (including the U.S.), 59 percent said they were very or extremely worried about climate change. More than half said they felt sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless or guilty. Three-quarters said they think the future is ‘frightening,’” says this article.

Stories of crisis make headline news every day, but there are many examples of hopeful stories that get lost between the doom and gloom – from companies, governments, people, and organizations taking action. (I mention these stories every week in my newsletter if you don't believe me! Subscribe here, it's free: https://www.talkingclimate.ca/)

If there was nothing we could do about climate change, giving up would be a logical response. The good news is, we can still make a difference, if we take swift action. When we realize that the future is in our hands, that means we can make a difference. That is what our hope is based on.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/what-is-best-weapon-against-climate-change-hope-1815325

There’s barely a corner of the planet that hasn’t been touched by some form of climate change-related extreme these last few months. As Al Gore says, what we see on the news every day now looks like "a nature hike through the Book of Revelation."

The devastation in Hawai'i and other near-daily catastrophes can make us feel like a burning, suffering world is an inescapable fate -- but it’s not. We still have the ability to change the future, starting now. And the more we do, the better off we will all be. This is literally what the science says: every bit of warming matters and every action and every choice matters, too.

That’s why I am not giving up, and neither are millions of others. I am not accepting our current circumstances as the new normal. Throughout the world, there are companies transitioning to green energy, voters speaking up, governments making progress, and people fighting for climate action.

Yes, there are harrowing headlines; but there is also good climate news all around us. This is what my weekly newsletter is for: to share good news, not-so-good news you can share, and some very practical steps YOU can take.

Please subscribe and **share**. More people than ever are worried about climate change and they need to hear this. You can help!

https://talkingclimatenewsletter.substack.com/

There's a dangerous narrative among those already worried about climate risks, and advocating for climate solutions, that "surely THIS disaster will convince everyone action is needed at scale, and if it doesn't, then nothing will!"

Why is it dangerous? Because although psychological distance is one of the barriers to action, there are two more: lack of efficacy and solution aversion. And ironically, disasters are ramping up both of those barriers rather than dismantling them.

If we aren't aware of them and therefore don't address them directly, we won't catalyze change at scale.

And even worse, if these horrendous disasters don't immediately lead to action at scale (which sadly, most of them likely will not) -> then those who believe the above will feel there is nothing left we can do and we truly are doomed -> and if we believe that, then we truly are!

So if you hear people asking why we aren't seeing climate action at scale, please share with them these three barriers and what each of us can do to dismantle them.

The first step is so simple, everyone can do it: just make sure we are always talking about both the risks and the solutions at the same time! For more, see: https://www.ted.com/talks/katharine_hayhoe_the_most_important_thing_you_can_do_to_fight_climate_change_talk_about_it?language=en

When it comes to climate action, individual choices matter; but systemic change is key. That's why the most effective thing we can do is to advocate for action where we work, study, live, and invest. By using our voice, we can truly make change contagious (in a good way). https://ideas.ted.com/seeing-climate-change-solutions-inspires-collective-action-book-excerpt/

Across the globe - north and south, ocean and land - climate change is super-sizing our heatwaves and heat extremes. While this puts us all at risk, some are much more vulnerable than others. Here's why.

First, people living in cities experience up to 4C (7F) hotter temperatures than surrounding rural areas due to the urban heat island effect. The strength of the heat island effect increases with the size of the city, driven by differences in evapotranspiration and convection efficiency between urban versus rural areas. Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1512-9

Even within the same city, though, low-income neighbourhoods can be up to 8C or 15F hotter than high income neighbourhoods in the same city during a heatwave. This means poorer and non-white people are at much greater risk from heat-related stress, illness, and even death. Once again, climate change is a threat multiplier, exacerbating the risks the most vulnerable and marginalized already face today. Source: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021EF002016

This disparity is primarily due to a lack of green spaces and tree cover, exacerbated by the fact that poorer areas are often next to sources of heat like industrial areas -> which are in turn due to racist redlining practices stretching back to the 30s. Read: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-redlining-made-city-neighborhoods-hotter-180975754/

If you live in the U.S., find your city here: https://www.npr.org/2019/09/03/754044732/as-rising-heat-bakes-u-s-cities-the-poor-often-feel-it-most

So what can we do about it? One solution is to increase green cover through urban tree-planting and gardening. Increasing green spaces in cities doesn't just keep them cooler during heatwaves; it also reduces air pollution, promotes mental health, provides flood protection, and takes up carbon too!

In Phoenix, the organization I work with, TNC, is partnering with the city and local communities to empower citizens to advocate for and implement solutions in their neighbourhood through the Urban Heat Leadership Academy. Read: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/arizona/stories-in-arizona/city-heat-air-quality/

In Louisville, we've been partnering with the university for five years to painstakingly document the health benefits of urban greening for five years as part of the Green Heart Project, hoping to help other cities build their resilience too. See: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/kentucky/stories-in-kentucky/green-heart-project/

Even smart resilient strategies like these won't be enough, though, if we don't cut heat-trapping gas emissions. As John Holdren said, "We have three choices: mitigation, adaptation, and suffering. We’re going to do some of each. The question is what the mix is going to be. The more mitigation we do, the less adaptation will be required and the less suffering there will be."

Climate-fueled extremes are endangering people everywhere. So why aren't we seeing an immediate response at scale?

Because they're only dismantling one barrier to action, psychological distance -- and there are two more.

Lack of efficacy is rampant among those already worried about climate change; and paradoxically, the worse the impacts get, the less we think we can do about it. It's a self-reinforcing cycle.

Solution aversion also hardens as the urgency of action becomes ever more evident.

But here's the good news; they can be tackled, too!

Here's how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkMIjbDtdo0

Some people today are understandably overwhelmed by the avalanche of negative and depressing news on climate change we hear every day.

As a defense mechanism, they've convinced themselves that nothing they or anyone else can do will make a difference. We're doomed, they believe. As psychologist Susan Tanner says, "apocalyptic thinking can be very useful to people who need to feel a sense of control. Living with uncertainty...is the hardest thing to do for all human beings."

I understand and completely sympathise with where they are coming from. But if we decide we are doomed, then we truly will be. That's why, to them, I say:

If you are convinced that we are doomed and there’s nothing anyone can do to avoid the climate crisis and the collapse of the biosphere,

❌ stop doom scrolling and get off social media
😳 don’t attack or hinder others who are doing their best to make a difference
🐾 adopt a pet in need of a home
🌳 spend as much time as you can in nature
🤲 if you are able, find a local climate action group, and ask what you can do to help
❤️ focus on what you can do to make the world a better place for people around you

Others are convinced that the one specific personal action they take or one specific large-scale action will be enough to save the world if everyone did it, and they advocate for that single solution with the fervor of an evangelist.

To them, I say: there is no silver bullet, no, not even yours. But there is a lot of silver buckshot and that's even better news. We need to deploy as many solutions as we can, prioritizing what works best for a given person, place, or organization.

Project Drawdown has a great summary here: http://www.drawdown.org

If you are worried about climate change and want to make a difference,

🎙️ start a conversation about why climate change matters and what people can do
🤲 join a climate action group and lend a hand
💰 consider where you keep your money (bank, credit card, retirement + more)
💡spark ideas for change at work & school
🗳️ hold politicians accountable
🏡 reduce your personal footprint AND make your actions contagious by talking about them

Here's a great list of how individuals can spark change, based on solid social science. Keep reading down the thread for more! https://dontlookup.count-us-in.com/

We live in such an individualized society that we often focus more on our personal carbon footprint (the emissions associated with what we eat, how we travel, where we live) than on our climate shadow: how we interact with and influence those around us.

Yet, how does any system change? It changes when people within that system advocate and call for change.

That's why long-time climate activist @billmckibben says, "the most important thing an individual can do right now is not be such an individual."

And that is why I'm convinced our voices are the most powerful tool we have in the fight against climate change!
https://www.mic.com/impact/forget-your-carbon-footprint-lets-talk-about-your-climate-shadow

And finally, some will say, "Talk?! You want us to TALK? The time for talking is past!"

To them, I say: how's it going? Are you seeing the action you need? If so, great! Keep it up!

But if not, then consider this:

Talking might not sound like much: but as environmental journalist Sara Peach wrote, “‘Talk’ is the fertile field in which cultural change begins; in its absence, it’s impossible for a group of people to solve a problem.” What’s more, surveys show most of us aren’t talking about climate change. That’s why having a conversation is the critical first step to catalyzing action—and it’s something we can all do.

For more, give my TED talk a watch, and check out this recent podcast and essay I did for Cottage Life (that's where the quote above comes from!) https://cottagelife.com/outdoors/scientist-katharine-heyhoe-on-the-effects-of-climate-change-at-the-cottage/

Climate science based on physics and facts is over 200 years old. Climate denial, based on ideology and politics with some religious window-dressing, is only about 30 years old.

So the irony of this Ohio bill's wording is absolutely stunning: "...encourage students to reach their own conclusions about controversial beliefs and not seek to inculcate any social, political, or religious point of view".

I often see projection in climate denial, accusing scientists of exactly what politicians and the fossil fuel industry are doing, but this is a whole new level.

As I say in this @insideclimatenews article, “You can say gravity isn’t true, but if you step off the cliff, you’re going down. And if you teach other people that gravity is not true, you are morally responsible for anything that happens to them if they make decisions based on the information you provided.”

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/31052023/ohio-state-college-climate-bill/

There's a mental health crisis in science.

Studies that collectively surveyed tens of thousands of researchers worldwide suggest that scientists’ mental-health struggles are a direct result of a toxic research culture.

41% of respondents reported moderate to severe anxiety and 39% had moderate to severe depression.

Those levels are six times greater than in the general population.

As always, it's exacerbated for members of under-represented groups which when it comes to science is pretty much everyone who's not a white man from a high-income country: women, non-binary individuals, people of colour, those from sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQ+) and students on low incomes...also senior researchers and scientists in different countries.

h/t @DrWendyRocks

Read more:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01708-4?mibextid=Zxz2cZ

@dev_ric Oh you're allowed to, but they won't let anyone else listen.

We've had many recent updates on who's responsible for climate impacts and/or how they've been muddying the waters to delay action. Here is the latest. Prepare to be shocked (not really) and horrified (yes, always).

* Fossil fuel companies in the US created and pushed the anti-ESG campaign that's causing many companies and financial organizations to reconsider divestment and other pro-climate actions. Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/equilibrium-sustainability/4010800-documents-fossil-fuel-anti-esg-campaign/

* Greenhouse gas emissions from just 88 companies are responsible for 37% of the area burned by wildfires across western North America over the last four decades. Read more: https://time.com/6280924/polluting-companies-climate-wildfire-study/

* The damages from fossil fuel companies are estimated at $209 billion per year. Read more: https://www.climatechangenews.com/2023/05/19/study-fossil-fuel-firms-owe-209bn-a-year-for-climate-damage/

* Human-caused climate change made Asia's unprecedented heatwave 30x worse. Read more: https://time.com/6280480/asia-heat-wave-climate-april-2023/

* And finally, human-caused climate change is putting people outside the geographic ‘human climate niche’. 9% of the world's population has already shifted outside, and the lifetime emissions of ~1.2 average US citizens exposes one more future person to unprecedented heat by end-of-century. Read more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-023-01132-6