Defying impossible

Dear Stubborn Optimist,

We dedicate this newsletter to our dear friends and climate colleagues Pete Betts and Saleemul Huq, both climate legends who had an outsized impact on accelerating international climate action. We mourn the loss of these great souls and celebrate their work bringing agreement where it seemed impossible and championing the needs of the most vulnerable. As many of us prepare to head to COP28 we strive to honour their legacies of pursuing possibility against all odds.

Meanwhile, it’s Halloween for many people in the Northern Hemisphere: a time of year when many believe the boundaries between the living and dead are blurred. In the US, this ode to the departed has become the second biggest retail event of the year, with consumers there spending upwards of $10.1 billion on costumes, decorations and candy.? Of the millions of costumes purchased, many containing oil-derived plastic, the majority are thrown away within days.

Our culture of overconsumption was recently called out by coral reef scientist David Obura in a brilliant New York Times article on extinction:

“Energy is not the primary thing; it’s just a facilitator. It facilitates this desire for consumption: for fashion, for burgers, for products. In real physical terms, we need to shift how we consume on the planet, because we have exceeded the limits”.??

The consequences of exceeding limits are as evident as ever. Last week people in Acapulco, Mexico, were blindsided by deadly category-5 Hurricane Otis, which flooded 80% of the streets. Thousands of police and soldiers are now trying to control looting in the devastating aftermath. Tropical Cyclone Tej wreaked havoc in Oman, and we heard the news that the West Antarctic ice sheet has passed the point of no return, with rapid melt now inevitable. The Guna people of the San Blás islands, an archipelago off the coast of Panama, are preparing to be relocated to an area on the mainland that’s been cut out of the rainforest because their islands are going under the waves. The Financial Times described them as the first climate refugees from the Americas to flee rising seas.?

As many of us reel from the horrifying stories unfolding in Israel and Gaza, while also working to stem the worsening climate crisis, overwhelm and a sense of being too small to make a difference can be paralysing. In these times of darkness, we must nurture our inner resilience, strength of character and deep compassion. We need to support each other and check in on our friends, family and colleagues: it’s not always obvious when someone is struggling. Now is the time to look out for each other and pull from the deep well of love inside of us all. A better world is possible, and through unwavering support for each other, our collective actions can continually pull it closer.

If you like this ‘dose of Outrage + Optimism’ and haven’t already, do?sign up to our full bi-weekly email newsletter?to make sure you’re not just informed about the climate crisis, but also inspired to be part of the changes we all need to make.?

In this week's email newsletter you’ll find:?

?? What's coming up on the podcast

?? Direction of travel: Sharpening focus on COP28: Will governments deliver?

???How do we deal with the new research that tells us the world only has 6 years left at current emissions levels before racing past the 1.5oC temperature limit? By defying impossible - we've done it before, we can do it again.

?? Tips from the team: what we've been reading and listening to this week

With stubborn optimism.

The Outrage + Optimism team

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