Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast Too Hot to Handle?: Facing a Future Beyond 1.5°C
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Aug 14, 2025 Ricken Patel, former CEO of Avaaz and a leading voice in climate activism, joins the hosts to discuss the pressing threat of surpassing the crucial 1.5°C warming threshold. He emphasizes the urgent need for climate contingency planning, exploring various carbon removal strategies and the challenges they pose. The conversation dives into the risks of climate overshoot, the importance of preparing for potential impacts, and the necessity of innovative solutions for a sustainable future. Patel's insights bring a hopeful yet realistic approach to the climate crisis.
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1.5°C Breach Triggers Systemic Risk
- Crossing 1.5°C isn't just symbolic; it raises the risk of rapid, irreversible climate tipping points.
- Those tipping points could cascade globally, creating systemic and non-linear impacts on ecosystems and societies.
Christiana's Shift On Contingency Planning
- Christiana describes her personal shift from opposing carbon removal to accepting contingency planning as necessary.
- She now urges continuing mitigation while constructively exploring carbon removal options.
CDR Is Diverse And Slow To Scale
- Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) spans nature-based and novel technological approaches, each with limits and trade-offs.
- Scaling novel CDR (e.g., direct air capture) requires early investment because deployment will take decades.