Former Vice President Al Gore joins the hosts to discuss political obstacles to climate solutions. They reflect on their summer experiences, wealth inequalities, and populist movements. They highlight upcoming climate events and the need for reduced emissions. They explore the transition to renewable energy and the fraudulent behavior of the fossil fuel industry. They also discuss the dominance of shareholder value and its influence on society. Music by Hilang Child.
Fossil fuel companies have exerted control over education and media, hindering consensus on climate action.
The sustainability revolution, including renewable energy technologies and youth activism, holds great potential for transformative change.
Urgent action is needed to avert dangerous tipping points, as delaying will make addressing the climate crisis more challenging.
Deep dives
The Outrage: Fossil Fuel Companies' Control over Education and Media
One of the most outrageous aspects highlighted by Vice President Al Gore is the extent to which fossil fuel companies have exerted control over the education system and media. From influencing school curricula to disseminating false information through large media empires, these companies have perpetuated climate denial and hindered the emergence of a consensus on climate action. This control over educational and informational platforms poses a significant challenge to addressing the climate crisis.
The Optimism: The Sustainability Revolution and Youth Activism
Vice President Al Gore expresses immense optimism about the sustainability revolution currently underway. This revolution, encompassing renewable energy technologies like wind, solar, and green hydrogen, along with advancements in batteries and electric vehicles, holds tremendous potential to drive rapid and transformative change. Additionally, Gore draws hope from the growing youth activism movement, acknowledging the fresh perspective and determination of young people who are demanding urgent climate action. Their engagement and mobilization provide a strong foundation for positive change.
The Urgency and Tipping Points
While there are reasons to be optimistic, Vice President Al Gore stresses the urgent need for action to avert dangerous tipping points. He highlights the importance of acting quickly to address the climate crisis, as negative tipping points loom closer. Gore emphasizes that the longer we wait, the more challenging and complicated it will be to tackle the crisis effectively. The urgency lies in achieving significant emissions reductions and transitioning away from fossil fuels to safeguard the planet's future.
The unrealistic expectations of fossil fuel companies
The speaker emphasizes that it is unrealistic to expect the fossil fuel industry to transition to renewable energy and actively help in the climate crisis. Fossil fuel companies are driven by a different set of incentives and have prioritized capturing the policymaking process rather than reducing emissions. The exception to this rule is Orsted, a Danish company that successfully transitioned from fossil fuels to renewables and became more profitable. The speaker calls for demanding that fossil fuel companies stop blocking solutions while acknowledging the unrealistic expectation of their active participation in the transition.
The need for reform in the COP process
The speaker suggests that if the COP process cannot be reformed, then a serious conversation about building a new process should be considered. The existing COP process has faced significant barriers to participation from fossil fuel companies due to their influence and lobbying. There is a need to reform the rules of voting and decision-making within the COP to enable binding resolutions and avoid reliance on consensus that can be obstructed by major petrostates. The speaker highlights the importance of empowering the COP to take effective action and calls for a three-quarters vote to change the rules or consider alternative processes.
Welcome to another episode of Outrage + Optimism, where we examine issues at the forefront of the climate crisis, interview change-makers, and transform our anger into productive dialogue about building a sustainable future.
Back together following our break, the hosts discuss the devastating extreme weather events that have been happening across the world and they encourage us to think about how these changes within the global climate are impacting all our environments. Looking ahead to the next few months, we’ll cover the major climate events, all requiring critical decisions to be made in this important decade. They also explore some positive news stories that have happened over the last month, including the vote by Ecuadorians to halt oil drilling in the biodiverse Amazonian national park.
We have a fascinating and passionate interview from the incredible Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, he gives us an honest account of what he feels are the top political obstacles to climate solutions.
Music this week comes from the very talented Hilang Child, a British-Indonesian alt-pop artist, songwriter and drummer from South London!
