Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

Tom Rivett-Carnac:

Paul Dickinson:

—

Follow @GlobalOptimism on social media and send us a message!

Don't forget to hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss another episode of Outrage + Optimism!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Listeners

1 Comment

131. Being Smartly Selfish is Selfless with President Carlos Alvarado

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

12/02/21 • 56 min

¡Feliz Día de la Abolición del Ejército en Costa Rica!

Happy Military Abolition Day in Costa Rica!

Every year on December 1st, the country of Costa Rica celebrates the day that Christiana’s father and former Costa Rican president, José Figueres Ferrer, abolished their national army and redirected that part of the national budget to biodiversity and education. This year marks the 73rd anniversary!

So with that in mind, we take a break from our COP26 reflections to speak with President Carlos Alvarado of Costa Rica! With over 50% of their country re-forested, an energy grid that is 99.5% renewables, and ZERO investments in weapons or military, Costa Rica is a model for how to lead sustainably in a world of compounding crises. How does Costa Rica do it, and what can other countries learn from this example?

May we all be more like Costa Rica!

And! Stick around ‘til the end for a soulful tune from musical artist Bobby Bazini!

—

Christiana + Tom’s book ‘The Future We Choose’ is available now!

Subscribe to our Climate Action Newsletter: Signals Amidst The Noise

—

Mentioned links from the episode:

Listen: The Way Out Is In Podcast

Thank you to our guest this week:

Carlos Alvarado Quesada

President | Costa Rica

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

—

The incredible Bobby Bazini is our musical guest this week!

Bobby Bazini

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website | Tour Dates

—

Keep up with Christiana Figueres here:

Tom Rivett-Carnac:

Paul Dickinson:

—

Follow @GlobalOptimism on social media and send us a message!

Don't forget to hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss another episode of Outrage + Optimism!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Listeners

114. 30x30: Nature Needs More with Rita El Zaghloul

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

09/16/21 • 37 min

Today, only 15 percent of land and 7 percent of our ocean are protected. Nature needs more.

The science is very clear – to prevent a mass extinction crisis, support a growing global population, and address climate change, we must conserve at least 30% of the planet by 2030.

...So why now? The science is very, very clear - If we act now we can limit the disaster, and we could even reverse the trends of climate change in an equitable, just fashion. But how?

This week we’re joined by Rita El Zaghloul, Coordinator of the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature & People on behalf of Costa Rica. She is the driving force behind ambition at The HAC’s 30x30 campaign, slamming the pedal to the metal on their aim to agree to this plan at the COP15 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in October. The best part about it? It centers indigenous leadership and indigenous rights, while mobilizing financial resources both publicly and privately to ensure protected areas are properly managed, all the while protecting at least 30% of the planet by 2030;

We know our situation is dire. But we also know it’s going to take everything (aka Nature) and everyone (aka People) to keep us below 1.5 degrees. The HAC’s 30x30 campaign is one of the roadmaps there.

Nature is counting on us. What future will we choose?

—

Christiana + Tom’s book ‘The Future We Choose’ is available now!

Subscribe to our Climate Action Newsletter: Signals Amidst The Noise

—

Our Guest This Week:

Rita El Zaghloul

Coordinator of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature & People on behalf of Costa Rica

Twitter | LinkedIn

High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature & People

Website | Twitter

—

Musical Guest This week:

Mr Bruce

Instagram | YouTube

You need to watch Mr Bruce’s BRAND NEW video for I Am Disaster

Sign the petition to recognize the legal status of climate refugees.

—

Join the conversation online:

Christiana Figueres

Tom Rivett-Carnac

Paul Dickinson

—

Follow @GlobalOptimism on social media and send us a message!

Don't forget to hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss another episode of Outrage + Optimism!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Listener

130. Opening Hearts with Elizabeth Wathuti

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

11/25/21 • 66 min

With the ink still drying on The Glasgow Pact, we’re already hearing the results from Glasgow being labeled in binary terms like “Success” and “Failure” While we know that some stunning pledges and progressive language in the Pact came from some of the negotiations, it is also true that historically these pledges have not been met completely, or have been missed entirely. Full stop.

So with millions of humans suffering under the systemic injustice of rising global emissions, how do we meet this moment to reduce those global emissions and break those unjust systems of oppression? And how does the COP process make those necessary changes politically possible? And in the next eight years?!

Maybe it’s as simple as starting with silence.

This week we speak with Elizabeth Wathuti, environmentalist and climate activist from Kenya. She is the founder and president of Green Generation Initiative, and Head of Campaigns and Daima Consortium Coordinator for the Wangari Maathai Foundation.

Elizabeth brought the house down at COP26 this year with her speech in which she led a moment of silence followed by the urgency to every Head of State in the room to “ please open your hearts”. You won’t want to miss what she has to say to us on the show!

Stick around ‘til the end for an incredible music track from Knomad Spock!

Excerpt from Elizabeth Wathuti's speech at COP26, reproduced courtesy of the UN.

Excerpt from the Opening Ceremony of the World Leaders Summit at COP26, November 2021.

Available here: Elizabeth Wathuti at COP26 “Please Open Your Hearts” Speech

—

Christiana + Tom’s book ‘The Future We Choose’ is available now!

Subscribe to our Climate Action Newsletter: Signals Amidst The Noise

—

Mentioned links from the episode:

Read: Martin Wolf’s piece in The FT

Thank you to our guest this week, Elizabeth Wathuti!

Elizabeth Wathuti

Environmentalist | Climate Activist

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

—

The incredible Knomad Spock is our musical guest this week!

Knomad Spock

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

—

Keep up with Christiana Figueres here:

Tom Rivett-Carnac:

Paul Dickinson:

—

Follow @GlobalOptimism on social media and send us a message!

Don't forget to hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss another episode of Outrage + Optimism!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Listener

149. Presenting: ‘The Way Out Is In’ with Christiana Figueres

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

04/14/22 • 114 min

As many around the world turn inward this week, we bring you a special episode featuring Christiana Figueres from ‘The Way Out Is In’ podcast.

Many of us are looking for a way out of the crises we face. Climate, biodiversity, ecological, nature, health, wealth inequality...not to mention the deeply personal, familial, and interpersonal. A quick log in to twitter, checking the news, or reading the latest IPCC report reveals to us that we are on a path towards breakdown. We know there is a pathway out of this ‘atlas of human suffering’ as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres recently said, but how do we chart that path?

This week, we suggest that the way out of suffering is in it.

Today we are sharing an episode from ‘The Way Out Is In’ podcast, produced by Plum Village, the Buddhist Monastery founded by the Late Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich Nhat Hanh and his teachings were a vital support to Christiana in the lead up to the Paris Agreement and beyond.

In this episode, you’ll hear co-hosts Jo Confino and Brother Pháp Hữu invite Christiana on to share deeply about what brought her to Plum Village, both now and years ago during her first encounter with Thich Nhat Hanh; her journey to a spiritual practice that helped her overcome a personal crisis, and the transformative power of practices such as ‘deep listening’ and ‘interbeing’ on the negotiation process of The Paris Agreement.

So get comfortable, settle in, and join us for a special listen to Episode #21 of ‘The Way Out Is In’ - Being the Change We Want to See in the World: A Conversation with Christiana Figueres

[Content warning: This episode includes mentions of suicidal thoughts at 00:25:00 for approximately two minutes – listeners who could find this discussion distressing may wish to skip this section.]

—

Christiana + Tom’s book ‘The Future We Choose’ is available now!

Zen and The Art of Saving The Planet

—

Links from the episode:

Next ‘The Way Out Is In’ Recommended Episodes To Listen To:

War And Peace (Ukraine)

Wise Leadership w/ Lindsay Levin

WATCH: ‘A Cloud Never Dies’ on YouTube

READ: ‘Zen and The Art of Saving the Planet’ by Thich Nhat Hanh

DOWNLOAD: The Plum Village App

—

A special thanks this week to Plum Village!

Brother Phap Huu

Abbot | Upper Hamlet in Plum Village

Co-Host | The Way Out Is In

Instagram

Jo Confino

Co-Host | The Way Out Is In

Instagram

Plum Village

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Plum Village App

Twitter | YouTube | Instagram

Thich Nhat Hanh

Twitter | Foundation

—

Keep up with Christiana Figueres online:

Tom Rivett-Carnac:

Paul Dickinson:

—

Follow @GlobalOptimism on social media and send us a message!

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |

1 Listener

150. Earth Day Special: The Environmental Music Prize! with Edwina Floch

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

04/21/22 • 57 min

Australia is turning up the volume on environmentalism for the world to hear!

If you turned on your favorite music radio station, would you know we’re in a crisis?

Only 1% of songs in National Australian premier radio station Triple J’s Hottest 100 (2.5M+ votes) over the last 5 years directly referenced environmental issues...and that’s following mass bleaching of The Great Barrier Reef, The devastating Australian Bushfires of 2019-2020, AND a recent study before COP26 that reported 75% of Australians are concerned about climate change.

So why is Australian mainstream music so culturally disconnected from a population overwhelmingly environmentalist? We know artists, bands, and musicians have been and are currently creating environmentally-minded music, so how do we get those songs into the mainstream?

Our guest today, Edwina Floch, recently launched The Environmental Music Prize - A new $AU 20,000 prize that amplifies the voices of artists who inspire action for climate and conservation. The prize launched during the UN Climate Summit, and it's a global first and a call-to-action for artists to create and submit powerful music videos that celebrate nature and encourage us to defend it.

Every movement needs anthems. The search is on!

Enjoy the show and stick around to hear some amazing music from music artists Montaigne, In Hearts Wake, Little Green, Billy Otto, and King Stingray!

—

Christiana + Tom’s book ‘The Future We Choose’ is available now!

WATCH: All the Music Videos by the finalists for The Environmental Music Prize!

—

Mentioned links from the episode:

VOTE: Vote for your favorite Environmental Music Prize finalists!

DONATE: Keep The Environmental Music Prize going!

LEARN: Learn more about The Environmental Music Prize!

—

Thanks to our guest this week, Edwina Floch!

Edwina Floch

Founder | Environmental Music Prize

Environmental Music Prize

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

—

A massive thank you to all our musical guests this week:

Montaigne

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

WATCH: ‘Ready’ Music Video (feat. School Strike For Climate Activist Fergus Clarkson)

In Hearts Wake

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | EMP Profile

Little Green

Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | EMP Profile

Billy Otto

Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | EMP Profile

King Stingray

Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | EMP Profile

—

Keep up with Christiana Figueres online:

Instagram |

1 Listener

145. Africa: A View From The Frontlines of Climate Justice and Gender Equality with Vanessa Nakate

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

03/24/22 • 68 min

For years in the Global North, our dialogue around climate change has been focused on the idea that it is a looming disaster with consequences that would happen in the future if we did not take immediate action. The recent years of extreme weather events where we saw flooding in Germany and London and heat waves and storms across Europe and the United States, brought the reality home that climate change was happening NOW.

But for those living in Africa and the Global South, this ‘looming disaster’ has been a reality for decades. While the devastation, droughts, famines, wars over life-sustaining resources and refugee crises that climate change has caused might not make the headlines in the Global North the way Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has, the impacts of climate change on these frontline communities is nonetheless devastating and requires attention and action NOW.

Which is why this week we invited one of the incredible female voices from the frontline of the climate crisis in Uganda, Vanessa Nakate, an activist and founder of the Rise Up! Movement, onto the O+O podcast so we could share her concerns and action points first hand with our listeners.

In this intimate, in-depth interview with Christiana, Vanessa shares her journey from Ugandan school girl to world renowned climate activist. She tells us about her passion for gender equality and why she believes it is synonymous with bringing the climate crisis to justice, and why Loss and Damage must stay on the agenda for COP27, touted by many as The African COP.

Keep your ears open because Vanessa gives a clear call to action to any listeners who want to help African activists get their voices heard during COP 27. Vanessa asks that businesses, organizations and individuals consider supporting African activists either through providing accreditation for COP27 or through funding. If you can help please reach out via social media to Vanessa directly or via the Rise UP Movement’s website.

And stick around until the end of the episode to hear the soul-stirring Ugandan musical artist Afrie perform her single, “Let Her Know”.

Enjoy the show!

—

Christiana + Tom’s book ‘The Future We Choose’ is available now!

ACT: Fridays For Future’s 4 Digital Strike Actions

—

Mentioned links from the episode:

DONATE: Vanessa’s Solar and Stove Project

WATCH: Vanessa Nakate asks Global North Ministers the “Thumbs Up” Question

READ: A 10-Point Plan to Reduce the European Union’s Reliance on Russian Natural Gas

READ: Christiana pens an alternative ending to ‘Don’t Look Up’ for Netflix

—

Thanks to our guest this week, Vanessa Nakate!

Vanessa Nakate

Climate Justice Activist | Founder of Rise Up Movement

Twitter | Instagram

Rise Up Movement

Twitter | Instagram | Website

BUY THE BOOK: A Bigger Picture by Vanessa Nakate

—

Our musical guest this week is Afrie!

Afrie

Instagram | YouTube | Website | YouTube

—

Keep up with Christiana Figueres online:

Tom Rivett-Carnac:

Paul Dickinson:

—

Follow ...

1 Listener

137. We're Back! Welcome to Season 5

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

02/03/22 • 48 min

How do we know what we’re doing is really helping?

What should we do now that the world is changing?

A slow, intentional beginning to a new year after a racing finish to the last one raises some big questions for all of us in the climate space. This week, Christiana, Tom, and Paul set out the big topics for the year leading up to COP27. Yes, another one.

Shifting long term pledges to short term deliverables. Moving financial institutions from high carbon assets to low carbon assets. Getting the data points that move the needle on reducing emissions on the desks of central governments- Solid, concrete, ambitious NDCs driven by the innovation and flexibility of the private sector is how we will prove ourselves to a Net Zero future.

Listen in to hear how Christiana lays out how our Self-interest, with a capital “S”, is the key to unlocking our true collective potential.

Welcome to Season 5!

Stick around for an intimate and cozy musical performance from Lilo!

—

Christiana + Tom’s book ‘The Future We Choose’ is available now!

Subscribe to our Climate Action Newsletter: Signals Amidst The Noise

—

Mentioned links from the episode:

LISTEN: Overthinking IT by Willow (Paul’s recommendation)

WATCH: Joy

READ: The Book of Joy

LISTEN: The Deep Time Walk O+O Episode

—

The incredible Lilo is our musical guest this week!

Lilo

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Music

—

Keep up with Christiana Figueres here:

Tom Rivett-Carnac:

Paul Dickinson:

—

Follow @GlobalOptimism on social media and send us a message!

Don't forget to hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss another episode of Outrage + Optimism!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Listener

160. No Doom for Boomers! Mobilizing a Generation with Bill McKibben

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

06/23/22 • 71 min

ESG is in hot water - Is it just simmering or is it spoiling?

When Elon Musk tweets “ESG is a scam” that “has been weaponized by phony social justice warriors.” and a day later, an HSBC executive says that “climate change isn’t a financial risk that we need to worry about,” and then after that Former Vice President Mike Pence writes an opinion in WSJ that “ESG is elevating left-wing goals over the interests of businesses and their employees”...You start to wonder - What is all this fuss about? And why now?

This week we dig into the future or collapse of ESG as we know it, and is all this attention making ESG better or worse? And later on in the episode Bill McKibben returns to the podcast to talk about his latest venture mobilizing ‘The Greatest Generation’ to take action on Climate Change call Third Act - and his new book, ‘The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened. What a title!

And of course, be sure to stick around for an exclusive podcast performance of ‘Leaving Song’ by Max Jury.

Enjoy the show!

—

Christiana + Tom’s book ‘The Future We Choose’ is available now!

READ: Could Google’s Carbon Emissions Have Effectively Doubled Overnight?

—

Mentioned links from the episode:

READ: The Carbon Bankroll

ACT: ShareAction

ACT: Make My Money Matter

—

Thanks to our guest this week, Bill McKibben!

Bill McKibben

Founder | Third Act | 350.org

Twitter

Third Act

Twitter | Website | Linktree

350.org

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

NEW: Bill’s New Book - The Flag, The Cross, and The Station Wagon

—

Thank you to our musical guest this week, Max Jury!

Max Jury

—

Keep up with Christiana Figueres online

Tom Rivett-Carnac

Paul Dickinson

—

Follow @OutrageOptimism on social media and send us a message!

Facebook | Twitter |

1 Listener

148. The Future is Intersectional with Leah Thomas

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

04/07/22 • 66 min

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

MLK (1963)

This week, we reject our flawed, siloed thinking and embrace the oneness of social justice and environmentalism as a singular, inclusive movement.

In the Summer of 2020, our guest, Leah Thomas, coined the term “Intersectional Environmentalism” with a graphic she shared to Instagram that read, “Environmentalists For Black Lives Matter” as a call out to all environmentalists to stand in solidarity with BIPOC communities that face compounding social and environmental injustices daily. The Instagram post went viral, and the pledge she introduced along with it, The IE Pledge, has reached over a million people.

And so now that it’s 2022 and counting, how can we continue to root ourselves in that moment of clarity in 2020 and hold to the truth that you don’t have to separate race or racial justice from environmental advocacy? How can we scale climate solutions while advocating for marginalized communities all the while not making excuses for extractive industries?

We’re also joined this week by special co-host Abigael Kima, a young energy expert and climate activist from Kenya .She is the producer and host of the new Hali-Hewa (Swahili for ‘Climate Change’) podcast, which will profile African activists and climate experts airing through to COP27 on themes including a just energy transition, loss and damage, youth participation in intergovernmental processes and indigenous rights.

And —- Stick around for 3-Time GRAMMY Award Winning Artist Fantastic Negrito performing a live version of his song, “Rolling Through California”!

Enjoy the show!

—

Christiana + Tom’s book ‘The Future We Choose’ is available now!