

Novara FM: Geoengineering is Coming Whether We Like it Or Not w/ Laurie Laybourn
Mar 27, 2025
Laurie Laybourn, Executive Director of the Strategic Climate Risks Initiative and co-author of "Planet on Fire," delves into the pressing realities of climate change and the challenges of energy transition. He discusses the ethical dilemmas of geoengineering as a tempting solution, the global implications of breaching the Paris Agreement, and the precariousness of food security amid climate impacts. Laybourn emphasizes the need for community resilience and the importance of systemic changes to address the intertwined crises of climate change and national security.
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New Climate Reality
- We've entered a new climate reality, exceeding 1.5 degrees warming and facing global-scale risks.
- Climate change impacts, like food price inflation, are destabilizing global systems.
Climate's Political Impact
- Laurie Laybourn argues that climate change influenced the 2024 US election.
- Climate-related events drove food inflation, impacting voters' economic concerns.
2010 Harvest Failure & Arab Spring
- In 2010, extreme heat in Russia and Ukraine caused harvest failures, leading to export bans.
- This triggered food price spikes and speculation, impacting vulnerable countries and contributing to the Arab Spring.