Decoder with Nilay Patel What the climate story gets wrong
103 snips
Nov 24, 2025 
Hannah Ritchie, a data scientist and author of 'Clearing the Air', dives into the nuanced reality of climate change. She shares how long-term data has sparked her optimism about clean energy progress despite the prevailing doom-and-gloom narrative. Ritchie emphasizes the importance of individual actions and systemic change in shaping our environmental future. She highlights the dramatic drop in renewable energy costs and the surprising renewable initiatives in red states, while addressing the critical impacts of agriculture and the role of carbon removal.
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Progress Seen In Long-Term Data
- Long-term data shows humanity has solved many huge problems over decades, which shifts perspective from doom to possibility.
- Hannah Ritchie uses this historical view to argue progress on climate solutions is plausible and measurable.
Extremes Dominate Climate Coverage
- Media and psychology amplify extreme climate stories, skewing public perception toward denial or despair.
- Nuanced progress narratives get less attention despite being more accurate, Ritchie says.
Combine Individual And Systemic Action
- Reduce emissions through both systemic change and individual action; both matter and reinforce each other.
- Push governments and companies while adopting available low-carbon choices to drive broader shifts.
