Climate One

Elizabeth Kolbert on Hope, Despair, and Everything In Between

Apr 5, 2024

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Elizabeth Kolbert discusses the challenges of climate change communication. Topics include balancing hope and despair, navigating climate uncertainties, human impact on extinctions, emotional toll of climate work, and exploring clean energy futures and activism.

56:02

Creator website

Episode guests

Elizabeth Kolbert

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Effective climate communication requires diverse storytelling approaches.

Local observations in Greenland showcase tangible impacts of climate change.

Climate journalists emphasize the need for impactful storytelling to drive environmental action.

Deep dives

Importance of Climate Change Storytelling

Conveying information about climate change is influenced by the storyteller and the way information is presented, with climate being a complex issue requiring multifaceted approaches to storytelling. Elizabeth Colbert's work highlights the impact of climate change through compelling narratives, emphasizing the need for effective communication.

Introduction

5min

Navigating Climate Communication Challenges

9min

Exploring the Balance Between Hope and Despair in the Climate Crisis

5min

Navigating Uncertainty: Understanding Climate Change Complexities

5min

Exploring Historical Human Impact on Extinctions and the Current Environmental Crisis

4min

Reflections on Climate Change Consequences

7min

Navigating Grief and Hope in the Context of Climate Disruption

2min

Exploring the Emotional Rollercoaster of Climate Optimism and Pessimism

2min

Exploring Hope and Despair in Clean Energy Futures

3min

10.

Letting Go and Taking Action

8min

11.

Reflections on Activism and Uncertainty in Climate Advocacy

5min

Even before Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” brought climate change to the mainstream, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Elizabeth Kolbert was on the beat. Her reporting in the early 2000s culminated in her book “Field Notes from a Catastrophe,” which sounded the alarm on the causes and effects of global warming.

Nearly 20 years later, Kolbert is still bringing the climate story to the public with her new book “H Is for Hope: Climate Change from A to Z.” The book is told in bite size vignettes that paint a picture of our climate present, what the future may hold and where there may be space for hope.

Guests:

Elizabeth Kolbert, Journalist and Author

Molly Wood, Climate Solutions Investor and Podcaster

Sister True Dedication, Zen Buddhist Nun

Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., CEO, Hip Hop Caucus

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord.

Join today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

Elizabeth Kolbert headshot copyright Elizabeth Kolbert

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.

Climate One

Elizabeth Kolbert on Hope, Despair, and Everything In Between

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Importance of Climate Change Storytelling

Witnessing Climate Change in Greenland

Local Climate Impacts in Western Massachusetts

Climate Reporting and Impact on Audience

Hope and Realism in Climate Communication

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts