How to live a good life in a climate crisis

Dear Stubborn Optimist,

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 under the United Nations, 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.?

We don’t claim to have all the answers, but with so many of us wondering ‘how do I carry on’ amidst the climate crisis, Outrage + Optimism! decided to take a deep dive into that persistent line of questioning with a new mini-series, detailed below. We hope you’ll find the conversations useful and we look forward to your feedback.

OUTRAGE + OPTIMISM: ON THE CALENDAR

This week: In honour of Dr. Stephan Harding’s recent passing, and his extraordinary contributions to our understanding of this beautiful planet, we’re re-releasing his brilliantly narrated Deep Time Walk on Outrage + Optimism (downloaded over a million times). When you need a bit of perspective on all that’s happening in the world, this journey into the history of life on Earth can be a massive help. This re-release will include Tom’s eulogy for Dr. Harding, which he read at the memorial service on September 30th. Stay tuned wherever you get your podcasts for that release.

Also this week: Tune into the first two episodes in our new five-part miniseries How to Live a Good Life During a Climate Crisis. We start with an introduction to the series, and then grapple with the question: “Is it OK to fly in a climate crisis?” Wherever you get your podcasts on Thursday, October 3rd.

Next week: Two more episodes from our miniseries How to Live a Good Life During a Climate Crisis. This time our hosts delve into the following questions: 'What career should I have in a climate crisis?’ and ‘What should I eat in a climate crisis?’ Find them wherever you get your podcasts on Tuesday, October 8th and Thursday, October 10th respectively.?

IN OTHER NEWS

During Climate Week, among many other incredible events and initiatives, scientists launched the Planetary Health Check, a comprehensive science-based initiative designed to track how well the planet is doing across several different areas beyond ‘just’ climate. Think water, biodiversity, ocean etc.?

The Health Check initiative will soon release a Planetary Risk and Opportunities tool, enabling companies to expand their climate strategies into more comprehensive risks and opportunities so they can assess exposure to physical and transition risks related to all planetary boundaries. Christiana spoke at the launch event about how the changes we need now require a rethinking of our economic models, political systems and social contracts.?

Upgrading how our economic system works so that it can regenerate (not degenerate) the web of life is something we can all contribute to. A recent paper from Lindsay Hooper and Paul Gilding from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, profiled in the Financial Times, gets right to this point by arguing that 'companies should go beyond setting targets for cutting their own carbon footprints and start lobbying for sweeping, long-term rules that reshape entire markets'.

Reshaping markets too hard in a time of crisis? Definitely not: as we like to remind? ourselves - impossible is not a fact, it’s an attitude, and attitudes are firmly within our control. How we show up matters.

Thank you for all you do to show up with stubborn optimism in these very hard times, and thank you for reading our newsletter.

With stubborn optimism from the Outrage + Optimism team.

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.