What If We Get It Right?
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In the face of hurricanes, wildfires, droughts and other fossil fueled disasters, it’s easy to feel hopeless about the future of the climate. But marine biologist, and co-founder of The All We Can Save Project, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson asks us instead to focus on the question, “What if we get it right?”
Johnson’s new book, also titled “What If We Get It Right?” features such climate luminaries as Third Act Founder Bill McKibben and Earthjustice President Abbie Dillen , whom we also feature in this week’s episode. In their different ways, they have all been at the forefront of enacting solutions at the nexus of science, policy and justice.
Upcoming Events
Leah Stokes: 2024 Stephen Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication
December 9, 2024 | 6:00 p.m.
Climate One is delighted to present the 2024 Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication to political scientist Leah Stokes.
Leah Stokes is an expert in climate and energy policy. As both an academic and a mobilizer, she focuses on implementing policies that drive widespread decarbonization. Her rare ability to communicate complex information to both academic audiences and the general public has established her as one of the most influential voices in climate action and clean energy policy. Recognized on the 2022 TIME100 Next and Business Insider's Climate Action 30 lists, she also co-hosts the podcast “A Matter of Degrees.”
Join Climate One for this special in-person conversation with Leah Stokes, policy expert, climate communicator, and the Anton Vonk Associate Professor of Environmental Politics at UC Santa Barbara.
A Nature Positive San Francisco Future: What's Good SF! Series
October 22, 2024 | 5:30 p.m.
A special invitation from our partners at The Commonwealth Club
Join Commonwealth Club World Affairs for the third installment of the "What's Good, SF!” series as we delve into the future of San Francisco and how sustainability, biodiversity and access to nature can help us flourish. From navigating climate change to improving public health, how we shape and integrate our natural world is critical—holding immense potential to support our people, places and ecosystems.
A thought-provoking discussion will bring together visionary civic leaders who are reimagining how our city can evolve to become a thriving, eco-friendly metropolis. From brand new partner collaborations like Reimagining SF to ambitions for accessible nature woven into our urban fabric, discover the plans and aspirations for nature’s place in the revitalization of San Francisco.
Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation on how San Francisco can lead the way in creating a sustainable, vibrant, and inclusive future for the whole city. As a special bonus for newsletter readers, use partner30 for 30% off in-person tickets.
What We’re Reading This Week: Rising Temperatures Make Hurricanes More Frequent and More Destructive
Climate change is increasing the rate and intensity of hurricanes, and Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which battered the southeastern United States over the past two weeks, are just the most recent examples. Warming oceans boosted Helene’s wind speeds by 13 miles per hour and boosted the storm’s rainfall by 10%. According to a rapid study from World Weather Attribution, similar conclusions will likely be proven for Milton.
The destructive legacy of hurricanes persists long after? the storms have passed. Analysts at Oxford Economics predict 50,000 job losses directly related to Helene. Wind gusts and floodwaters disturb landfills, releasing methane into the atmosphere at a rapid clip. And because the U.S. federal government’s fiscal year begins on October 1 each year, the two storms have already used up half of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) budget, leaving FEMA ill-equipped to respond to the myriad disasters sure to strike over the next 11 months.?
Rising temperatures and the subsequent rapid intensification of hurricane strength has even left the meteorological community divided. At present, the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale tops out at Category 5, reserved for storms with winds over 157 miles per hour. Milton, which peaked at 180 miles per hour, has renewed the calls from some scientists for the National Hurricane Center to add a sixth level. Opponents fear that a Category 6 would deter residents from heeding warnings about Category 3 storms, which are deadly in their own right. With communities as far inland as Appalachian North Carolina now at risk from hurricane-caused floods and storms and temperatures continuing to rise, Milton is unlikely to be the last storm to ignite calls for a sixth level of intensity.
PLUS:
Connecting the Dots
In a recent column for Bloomberg, writer Lara Williams makes a convincing case that the unfounded erosion of trust in climate scientists is preventing any reasonable evaluation of carbon removal. Many see carbon removal, the process by which past carbon dioxide emissions are captured from the atmosphere, as a viable counterpart to emissions reductions. But, as Williams writes, carbon removal technology is distrusted by many simply because of the overall lack of trust in scientists doing climate work.
Meanwhile, though the world has made great progress toward reducing its overall emissions, it is increasingly likely that we will exceed the 1.5°C warming threshold set by the Paris Agreement, making carbon removal a necessity. At the same time, many experts are concerned that even if carbon removal were to become cost-effective, that would just give license to fossil fuel companies (and the consumers of their products) to continue polluting. For insights into the tantalizing technology of carbon removal, check out Climate One's conversation with three leading experts from 2022.
Chart of the Week
One More Thing
Fed up with Twitter but missing daily updates from Climate One? Then you should join us on Bluesky instead!
On Bluesky, which is a micro-blogging site similar to what Twitter used to be, we share regular snapshots of our work, as well as news from around the world of climate science. To make the transition easy, we’ve even created a starter pack of Climate One guests with Bluesky accounts so you can follow them all with a single click and expedite the process of rebuilding your feed.