You can get all of our full show notes, newsletter, and ad-free listening at wickedproblems.earth.Do you need some Zen? I need a bit of that or something, just to get my head right. So we spoke with LaUra Schmidt, one-half of the dynamic duo of climate psychology along with her Good Grief Network co-founder and wife Aimee Lewis Reau, who wrote How to Live in a Chaotic Climate that was published a little over a year ago. And blimey we need more of their coping strategies than we ever thought we would when the book first came out.We get into climate grief, trauma, and resilience with Schmidt. We argue the challenges of individual versus collective climate action, the science and spiritual dimensions of environmental advocacy, and the importance of community in building resilience.Schmidt shares insights from her experiences growing up in rural Michigan, studying Buddhism, biology, and environmental science, and her efforts to help people cope with the emotional toll of climate change through the Good Grief Network's 10-step program.We also touch on the significance of finding meaning, joy, and humor amidst the chaos, while preparing for an uncertain future.02:12 Conversation with Laura Schmidt04:53 Laura's Background and Motivations16:09 The Good Grief Network24:56 The Long Dark: Seeds of Creativity25:37 Ancient Wisdom and Cultural Narratives29:29 Stories of Resilience and Human Agency31:05 The Role of Community in Modern Times38:13 Upcoming Events and Final Thoughts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get all the shownotes, ad-free listening, and help us keep going! At wickedproblems.earth.Join Richard Delevan in this episode of Wicked Problems as he explores the recent Trump tariffs, their impact on global trade, and their parallels with mafia control tactics. He discusses historical examples of mafia extortion in Sicily with Linda Vetrano from the grassroots anti-mafia movement Addiopizzo. Learn about the economic and social consequences of extortion and how communities can resist and build solidarity against such coercive powers. Richard also previews upcoming interviews and topics related to climate stress and solar radiation management.00:00 The Story of an Entrepreneur's Defiance00:33 Introduction to Wicked Problems00:41 Trump Tariffs and Market Reactions02:37 Understanding the Economic Impact07:29 Historical Context and Personal Anecdotes10:20 The Mafia's Influence and Extortion Tactics11:34 The Birth of the Anti-Mafia Movement15:44 The Power of Solidarity and Community30:08 The Success and Expansion of the Movement37:28 Conclusion and Future Conversations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get full notes, ad-free listening, and our newsletter at wickedproblems.earth.It feels like things are coming to a head.Here in the UK, the tensions between wanting growth and not wanting anything to change are hotting up. Adam Bell from Stonehaven UK joined me to talk the implications of Heathrow’s “unusual” substation fire for UK grid investments, Kemi Badenoch’s Net Zero too-clever-by-half turn, and the Abundance debate in which I slightly traduce Dave Vetter (sorry Dave).In the US, the dark news cycles are starting to be reflected into some dark thoughts. Proper dark. And we link to Dana R Fisher’s latest disturbing findings in Scientific American about rapidly shifting attitudes towards violence among people who a couple of years ago would be more likely to be toting a pink pussy hat than a firearm.But as always, there are winners and losers. Prashant Rao from Semafor talks us through what he’s seeing in whether the Trump administration has so demonized renewables that there are now bargains to be had in oversold renewables assets.And Prashant has a request. He’s running the London marathon on 27 April to support the Rory Peck Trust, a UK charity which provides support to freelance journalists and their families to improve their welfare and safety, and fights for their right to report freely. Which, frankly, if you don’t agree that’s a good cause you’re probably in the wrong parish. Give the Rory Peck Trust a bit of love and support Prashant’s marathon.Follow Adam Bell on LinkedIn and BlueSky.Sign up for Semafor’s Net Zero newsletter where Prashant makes a not infrequent appearance. Follow him on LinkedIn and BlueSky.Read Dana R. Fisher’s findings in Scientific American.Read Dave Vetter’s takedown of Ezra Klein’s “Abundance.”More soon in the newsletter on those last two. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get it all and get it ad-free at wickedproblems.earthThe electricity grid is more fragile and more vulnerable than it needs to be for what we’re asking the basically 120-yr-old tech to do in 2025. Last week’s outage after an explosion at the substation nearest Heathrow, London’s busiest airport, was a reminder of that.Before founding grid tech rising star ENODA, Paul Domjan advised the US defence dept, NATO and plenty of others on energy security. Paul sheds light on how the incident highlights the grid's vulnerabilities and the necessity for a more resilient and flexible electricity system. The amazing thing, Paul says, is that we’ve been this lucky for this long.A group very respectful of luck was the IRA, which after nearly killing Margaret Thatcher in Brighton in 1984 quipped: “we only need to be lucky once, you must be lucky always.” And last week’s incident, while foul play isn’t in evidence, reminded Paul of a 1996 IRA plot to disrupt London’s power supply, stopped at the last moment by MI5 in Operation AIRLINES. He cautions against complacency given the evolving threats to energy infrastructure from geopolitical tensions.The conversation underscores the need for systemic changes in utilities’ approach, investments in renewable energy, and the adoption of innovative solutions to ensure grid reliability and stability.01:15 Historical Context: IRA Plot03:54 Energy Infrastructure Vulnerabilities06:32 Interview with Paul Damian: Background and Insights07:28 Paul's Career and NATO Involvement10:23 The Fragility of the Power Grid12:13 Technological Solutions for Grid Stability26:39 Policy Recommendations for Energy Security32:28 Conclusion and Future Conversations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric, shares gripping insights from his visit to a Ukrainian power plant thriving under wartime challenges. He highlights the resilience of Ukrainian engineers in maintaining crucial energy infrastructure amid bombings. The conversation spans Europe's preparedness for similar crises, the urgent need for robust energy infrastructure and cybersecurity, and the importance of closer collaboration to combat emerging threats like sabotage. Ruby emphasizes strategic shifts needed within European supply chains for a more self-sufficient future.

Julia Kumari Drapkin, CEO of IC Change, speaks on the importance of citizen-generated data for urban flood management. Taco Engelaar from Neara discusses AI-driven solutions to enhance grid resilience against climate impacts. John Hartley, CEO of Levidian, explains innovative methods for capturing methane to create hydrogen fuel. Gus Grand and Lucy Cotton from Eden Geothermal highlight advancements in geothermal energy, exploring its potential in the UK. The discussion emphasizes the need for collaboration in adopting climate technologies for resilient infrastructure.

As other companies working on the energy transition in the US fold, the Finnish energy tech giant Wärtsilä - with big footprint in energy storage and energy management systems - is doubling down. What do they know that others don't? We asked Malin Östman, the company's head of strategy. We had our conversation in person at the legendary Chatham House, during their Climate and Energy Summit 2025. And we share some highlights from the public bits of the event that caught our ear. If you're enjoying these conversations and want to go ad-free, I'd invite you to check out ways you can help us keep offering independent analysis from the smartest folks in climate and energy. Go to wickedproblems.earth and check us out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Outro Track of the DayFor reasons that should become clear…https://open.spotify.com/track/5PGYWv9Xp4IraLSDs8h1bY?si=1b23870ffdad4629 Ben Cooke, Earth Editor at The Times and returning champion guest on Wicked Problems, walks us through why his news outlet just devoted a whole series to climate adaptation.Over the past 18 months, a big thesis of this project is that a certain amount of climate risk and climate effects are already happening. Very few people are willing to talk about it publicly, which I think has put all of us at a huge disadvantage.Because talking about adaptation takes you from some pretty abstract notions about mitigating emissions, CO2 levels and average global temperatures and becomes a really local thing. What's gonna happen in my town? What should we done about it? Who's gonna pay for that?Seeing the series of reporting on adaptation in the UK’s paper of record, particularly with the scene-setter from Science Editor Ben Spencer and cobylined with Anna Dowell, to me says we’ve really hit a big moment.Some other pieces in the series that we discuss:https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/solar-panels-farmland-food-security-times-earth-wdb6dlhk8https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/reforestation-flood-defence-farmers-times-earth-8wgzqjdg7https://www.thetimes.com/article/f6181881-35b2-4333-97ae-2396ca835727Yeah But What Can I Do?Funnily enough, as we discussed in last episode with Ivo Mensch of the Climate Majority Project’s Forum, you might stop doomscrolling and hang out in meatspace with other people who see now for what it is but are not queuing up to throw soup at plexiglass protectors of famous Van Gogh paintings.Talking to your neighbours about how to save each other in a natural catastrophe far more likely because of climate change that is here now is a very different chat from ‘you should go vegan to save some future version of the sky’.Tickets are still on sale for their event 15-16th March at Limehouse Town Hall in London.Spam is BadA few people have said we’re pushing you to many things that aren’t relevant. Some of you have nixed our emails. That happens with a fast-growing audience but we care what you think. We want to provide you things in which you find value.Shorter eps? No emails about eps bar a once-a-week thing? Different content streams for our themes, because to be fair we cover a lot of waterfront from politics to tech to law to finance to culture to science. We value your time and don’t want to waste it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s late. Stupid late. Despite remaining in recovery from 3 broken ribs and a part-collapsed lung that have sidelined me for 10 days, here’s a bit of catching up with some hope - some chaps in America who did what they could in this moment: sensing that climate data and analytics (along with other funded science) was about to go under the wheels of the Tump Train, we caught up with some guys organising a flotilla of small boats to carry what they can away from the blitzkrieg onslaught to help prepare to fight another day. It’s a climate data Dunkirk.Outro of the DayIf that’s the opiates talking I make no apologies. Time to figure our where you fit in to help, as things collapse into a nightmare timeline.We interview Ivo J. Mensch about the Climate Majority Project Forum focused on grassroots climate actions with a particular focus on adaptation, happening in London this weekend.And we speak with Raj Desai and Jeremy Herzog of Fulton Ring, who have successfully rescued important FEMA climate risk data from the MAGA bonfire. Finally, we talk with Jonathan Gilmour, a data scientist at Harvard School of Public Health, who helps lead a nationwide effort to safeguard environmental and public health data in the current emergency.They discuss the importance of data preservation, the role of international backups, and ways the tech community can contribute to this critical mission.Outro TracksHopefully listening will be as cool as compiling it. Listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2AWvHdqqNAUCJcByQEokut?si=e9d16d87d386420aHaving cleared our guns, we’ll be back soon with the Times’ Ben Cooke on their turn to adaptation, Leo Rayman on Eden Lab on how to properly score the sustainability of business operations, and much more.If you can help us keep this going, we’d very much appreciate it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charlie Mercer, Policy Director at the Startup Coalition, advocates for government backing of climate tech in the UK, stressing the need to show returns on public funding. Emma Pinchbeck offers insights on the UK's carbon budget, highlighting the urgent requirement to lower electricity prices while advancing clean energy technologies. They delve into the challenges of industrial electrification, the importance of public investment for climate innovations, and BP's notable shift back to fossil fuels, raising concerns about the future of renewable energy transitions.