Talking Climate with Katharine Hayhoe

Cimate solutions are here. Now what?

Can we actually fix climate change? And if so -- how? This week, I handed Talking Climate over to climate scientist and Project Drawdown [https://www.linkedin.com/company/project-drawdown/] executive director Jonathan Foley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/globalecoguy/]. His message is simple: yes, we can. 🥗 Good News: From cutting food waste to protecting forests to improving how we farm, many of the solutions already exist. They just have to be scaled. ‼️ Not-So-Good News: Political leadership is faltering, corporate momentum is slowing, and climate journalism continues to shrink. Yet clean tech from solar to heat pumps are becoming cheaper and more competitive every year. 💡 What YOU Can Do: Don't just focus on your carbon footprint—focus on your climate superpowers. Need help finding them? Project Drawdown's SHIFT platform, developed with Kimberly Nicholas [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlynicholas/], helps individuals identify actions that can create the biggest ripple effects. Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://voiceoverfortheplanet.com/] for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.  Music by Bradley Myer. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca [https://www.talkingclimate.ca?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

An ocean sanctuary the size of the UK

What do a giant new marine sanctuary, the loss of climate journalism, and plug-in solar panels for apartment balconies have in common? They all show how much the future depends on the choices we make today.  🐠 Good News: Papua New Guinea just created the largest marine protected area in its history, safeguarding a stretch of ocean nearly the size of the UK in one of the most biodiverse marine regions on Earth.  😱 Not-So-Good News: NPR's climate desk has been dismantled, and many other major news organizations are doing away with climate reporting altogether. But the climate crisis doesn't go away when we stop covering it.  😎 What You Can Do: If you rent or live in an apartment, check out "balcony solar." And if local regulations are standing in the way? Use your voice to advocate for change. That's how the system changes. Check out the Smithsonian's work on ocean eDNA here [https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/trail-dna-ocean]. Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://voiceoverfortheplanet.com/] for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.  Music by Bradley Myer. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca [https://www.talkingclimate.ca?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Local climate stories give me hope

The world is no longer headed for the most catastrophic futures climate scenarios once warned about: but not because the science was wrong. It’s because people listened, and acted.  That is genuinely good news; but there's also this:  📈 Not-so-good news - The new climate scenarios cover a narrower future, illustrating how human choices over the last 20 year have closed doors. While highest warming pathways are now less likely thanks to climate action over the last decade, our chances of staying below 1.5C without overshoot are now gone. And in a future where "every bit of warming matters" that means that some previously avoidable suffering will now occur.  🇺🇸 Good news - NPR’s Climate Solutions Week highlights local climate action across the U.S., from tribal wildfire resilience plans in Montana to geothermal heating in Denver and community solar in Portland. Climate solutions are still happening, all around us!  ✈️ What you can do - If you’re travelling this summer, fly nonstop when possible, fly economy, take the train if you can, or simply slow down and stay longer in one place. Climate action isn’t only about technology. It’s about the choices we have every day - and share with others to make them contagious! Find NPR's Climate Solutions Week stories here [https://www.npr.org/series/1199537689/climate-week/archive?date=05-31-2026]. Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://voiceoverfortheplanet.com/] for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.  Music by Bradley Myer. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca [https://www.talkingclimate.ca?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Would you live in this net-zero community?

One of the biggest challenges in climate action is imagining what a better future could actually look like: especially when solutions are so often framed as sacrifices that require loss, instead of opportunities to benefit from. This week's good news and what-to-do takes those on directly—  🏡 Good news: A new net-zero community in Ontario combines climate-friendly homes with walkable streets, hills and lakes, clean energy, and cold-climate heat pumps.  🚨 Not-so-good news: A new study from Houston found that climate disasters are making already dangerous prison conditions even worse, with extreme heat, flooding, and loss of basic necessities during storms.  🚶‍♀️What you can do: Try taking a “climate walk” through your own neighbourhood this week. What makes it livable? What could make it better? Climate solutions become much more tangible once we can actually imagine them around us! Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://voiceoverfortheplanet.com/] for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.  Music by Bradley Myer. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca [https://www.talkingclimate.ca?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Introducing the "Coalition of the Willing"!

What does it actually look like to move beyond fossil fuels — not someday, but now?  🌍 Good news: In Colombia, 57 countries gathered last week for the first-ever global conference dedicated to transitioning away from fossil fuels. Together, they're creating practical roadmaps for reducing fossil fuel use. 🌊 Not-so-good news: A new study warns that much of coastal Louisiana may eventually be lost to rising seas, erosion, wetland loss, and sinking land. New Orleans could become an island in the Gulf.  ♻️ Inspiration: In Louisiana, Glass Half Full is turning recycled glass into sand and gravel for coastal restoration - reminding us that solutions don’t have to start big to matter, and that we can feed two birds with one scone!  (yes, you see what I did there)  Read more in this week’s Talking Climate and don't forget to share what you learn, to make change contagious! Find volunteer opportunities with Glassroots here [https://www.weareglassroots.org/volunteer]. Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://voiceoverfortheplanet.com/] for narrating this edition of Talking Climate.  Music by Bradley Myer. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca [https://www.talkingclimate.ca?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]