We have to talk about Adaptation, with Ben Cooke of The Times
03/13/25 • 26 min
Outro Track of the Day
For reasons that should become clear...https://open.spotify.com/track/5PGYWv9Xp4IraLSDs8h1bY?si=1b23870ffdad4629
Ben Cooke, Earth Editor at The Times and returning champion guest on Wicked Problems, walks us through why his news outlet just devoted a whole series to climate adaptation.
Over the past 18 months, a big thesis of this project is that a certain amount of climate risk and climate effects are already happening. Very few people are willing to talk about it publicly, which I think has put all of us at a huge disadvantage.
Because talking about adaptation takes you from some pretty abstract notions about mitigating emissions, CO2 levels and average global temperatures and becomes a really local thing. What's gonna happen in my town? What should we done about it? Who's gonna pay for that?
Seeing the series of reporting on adaptation in the UK’s paper of record, particularly with the scene-setter from Science Editor Ben Spencer and cobylined with Anna Dowell, to me says we’ve really hit a big moment.
Some other pieces in the series that we discuss:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/f6181881-35b2-4333-97ae-2396ca835727
Yeah But What Can I Do?
Funnily enough, as we discussed in last episode with Ivo Mensch of the Climate Majority Project’s Forum, you might stop doomscrolling and hang out in meatspace with other people who see now for what it is but are not queuing up to throw soup at plexiglass protectors of famous Van Gogh paintings.
Talking to your neighbours about how to save each other in a natural catastrophe far more likely because of climate change that is here now is a very different chat from ‘you should go vegan to save some future version of the sky’.
Tickets are still on sale for their event 15-16th March at Limehouse Town Hall in London.
Spam is Bad
A few people have said we’re pushing you to many things that aren’t relevant. Some of you have nixed our emails. That happens with a fast-growing audience but we care what you think. We want to provide you things in which you find value.
Shorter eps? No emails about eps bar a once-a-week thing? Different content streams for our themes, because to be fair we cover a lot of waterfront from politics to tech to law to finance to culture to science. We value your time and don’t want to waste it.
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Outro Track of the Day
For reasons that should become clear...https://open.spotify.com/track/5PGYWv9Xp4IraLSDs8h1bY?si=1b23870ffdad4629
Ben Cooke, Earth Editor at The Times and returning champion guest on Wicked Problems, walks us through why his news outlet just devoted a whole series to climate adaptation.
Over the past 18 months, a big thesis of this project is that a certain amount of climate risk and climate effects are already happening. Very few people are willing to talk about it publicly, which I think has put all of us at a huge disadvantage.
Because talking about adaptation takes you from some pretty abstract notions about mitigating emissions, CO2 levels and average global temperatures and becomes a really local thing. What's gonna happen in my town? What should we done about it? Who's gonna pay for that?
Seeing the series of reporting on adaptation in the UK’s paper of record, particularly with the scene-setter from Science Editor Ben Spencer and cobylined with Anna Dowell, to me says we’ve really hit a big moment.
Some other pieces in the series that we discuss:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/f6181881-35b2-4333-97ae-2396ca835727
Yeah But What Can I Do?
Funnily enough, as we discussed in last episode with Ivo Mensch of the Climate Majority Project’s Forum, you might stop doomscrolling and hang out in meatspace with other people who see now for what it is but are not queuing up to throw soup at plexiglass protectors of famous Van Gogh paintings.
Talking to your neighbours about how to save each other in a natural catastrophe far more likely because of climate change that is here now is a very different chat from ‘you should go vegan to save some future version of the sky’.
Tickets are still on sale for their event 15-16th March at Limehouse Town Hall in London.
Spam is Bad
A few people have said we’re pushing you to many things that aren’t relevant. Some of you have nixed our emails. That happens with a fast-growing audience but we care what you think. We want to provide you things in which you find value.
Shorter eps? No emails about eps bar a once-a-week thing? Different content streams for our themes, because to be fair we cover a lot of waterfront from politics to tech to law to finance to culture to science. We value your time and don’t want to waste it.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
Data Dunkirk for Climate Science
It’s late. Stupid late. Despite remaining in recovery from 3 broken ribs and a part-collapsed lung that have sidelined me for 10 days, here’s a bit of catching up with some hope - some chaps in America who did what they could in this moment: sensing that climate data and analytics (along with other funded science) was about to go under the wheels of the Tump Train, we caught up with some guys organising a flotilla of small boats to carry what they can away from the blitzkrieg onslaught to help prepare to fight another day. It’s a climate data Dunkirk.
Outro of the Day
If that’s the opiates talking I make no apologies. Time to figure our where you fit in to help, as things collapse into a nightmare timeline.
We interview Ivo J. Mensch about the Climate Majority Project Forum focused on grassroots climate actions with a particular focus on adaptation, happening in London this weekend.
And we speak with Raj Desai and Jeremy Herzog of Fulton Ring, who have successfully rescued important FEMA climate risk data from the MAGA bonfire. Finally, we talk with Jonathan Gilmour, a data scientist at Harvard School of Public Health, who helps lead a nationwide effort to safeguard environmental and public health data in the current emergency.
They discuss the importance of data preservation, the role of international backups, and ways the tech community can contribute to this critical mission.
Outro Tracks
Hopefully listening will be as cool as compiling it. Listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2AWvHdqqNAUCJcByQEokut?si=e9d16d87d386420a
Having cleared our guns, we’ll be back soon with the Times’ Ben Cooke on their turn to adaptation, Leo Rayman on Eden Lab on how to properly score the sustainability of business operations, and much more.
If you can help us keep this going, we’d very much appreciate it.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
Watch America With the Sound Off
As other companies working on the energy transition in the US fold, the Finnish energy tech giant Wärtsilä - with big footprint in energy storage and energy management systems - is doubling down. What do they know that others don't? We asked Malin Östman, the company's head of strategy.
We had our conversation in person at the legendary Chatham House, during their Climate and Energy Summit 2025. And we share some highlights from the public bits of the event that caught our ear.
If you're enjoying these conversations and want to go ad-free, I'd invite you to check out ways you can help us keep offering independent analysis from the smartest folks in climate and energy. Go to wickedproblems.earth and check us out!
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