Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast
Persephonica and Global Optimism
Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast is for anyone who is not ready to give up on making the world a better place. For unrivalled conversations with decision makers, visionary thinkers and a community of like-minded climate optimists, join former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres, political strategist Tom Rivett-Carnac and sustainable business consultant Paul Dickinson. Each week they make sense of all the top climate news stories, go behind the scenes at crucial talks and ensure you stay informed and inspired ahead of what is set to be the consequential year for climate action.As we approach the middle of the decisive decade for world emissions, and the 10 year anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, subscribe to Outrage + Optimism: The Climate PodcastAnd join us for our special Inside COP series with co-host Fiona McRaith where we bring you behind the scenes of COP30 in Belém! And to see video content from the show, follow us on LinkedIn, and Instagram. Got a question? Send us a voice message.This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 22, 2019 • 44min
18. Getting Outraged by Lies with Bill Nye
This week: Returning back from holidays and a rumored visit to jail, Christiana, Paul, and Tom talk with living science legend Bill Nye the Science Guy about how we combat climate denialism with both outrage and optimism! Bill shares his thoughts on big, fast, innovative science breakthroughs that can "change the world" and how we accomplish that alongside small and incremental political changes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 21, 2019 • 26min
BONUS: Outrage and Optimism on The BBC
This week we bring you a bonus episode of an interview we did on the BBC Radio. We talk the origins of Tom, Paul, and Christiana's everlasting friendship and how we got former Prime Minister of the UK, Theresa May, on the podcast. Kind of fun to flip things around and be the ones getting interviewed. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 15, 2019 • 35min
17. How Canada Came Back with Catherine McKenna
With Canada's warming rate blazing at a speed of two times the normal rate of growing global temperatures, the clock is ticking. This week, Paul and Christiana discuss the triumphant return of Canada to the table on global climate talks after a decade of absence, and later in the episode Christiana sits down with Catherine McKenna, the Canadian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change under Justin Trudeau. They get nerdy with it on climate policy and really wrestle with the uncomfortability of what it feels like to be in the midst of a transition on energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 9, 2019 • 32min
16. "Thank You for Being Late" with Tom Friedman
While we're still all on holiday or out to lunch, the climate is still changing. Our co-host Tom joins us with his daughter, Zoe, and her friend, Bethan, for an insightful brief on what 8 and 10 year olds can be doing to save the environment. Later in the episode Christiana runs into Tom Friedman (Best-selling author and Pulitzer prize winning NYT columnist) and they sit down to discuss why Tom believes the 2020 US election is "the most important election of my lifetime" and why Trump is "the American President that China deserves." Woah. Listen in to find out what he means. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 1, 2019 • 36min
15. Lobbying for "Clean" Coal with John Ashford
This week we confront the argument for clean coal head on in a conversation with famous DC lobbyist, John Ashford. John is the CEO and chairman of Hawthorn Group, an international public affairs and public relations firm he co-founded in 1992. John is an absolute genius at marketing and has had many successful campaigns in the past, including a campaign that brought the brand new idea of "clean" coal to the 2008 US election. We peak behind the curtain and get real with John about a just transition to shutting down coal plants and how to convince the American public that coal is dead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 26, 2019 • 53min
14. Outrage + Optimism LIVE Q+A!
Last week we asked all of you to submit your burning questions on climate change, and this week we answer them LIVE and on the air! Questions came in from all around the world, and we tackle them head on. We discuss if having children is being responsible, what are the chances of Boris Johnson doing a good job as Prime Minister, and "Paul, from London" confronts us on why Paul from London isn't allowed to join for the interviews. This episode was streamed live to our Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook pages! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 18, 2019 • 40min
13. Seeking Fairness in an Unfair World with Angel Gurría
This week we ask, “In a fair world, who shares the responsibility of reducing carbon emissions?” Christiana goes for a run and comes back with an insightful metaphor to help us, Tom shares about his trip to coal country in West Virginia, and Paul Dickinson explains what the OECD is and why you should know about it. Later in the episode we talk with Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the OECD. He shares why a “big, fat, price on carbon.” is how we truly change our behavior, and our world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 12, 2019 • 48min
12. Learning to Live with Grief and Joy with AURORA
This week we're taking a break from our normal policy discussions to figure out how to embrace both hope and despair in these difficult times. Christiana reveals her inner dialog of wrestling with how to sustain her "stubborn optimism," and Tom and Paul join in to share their thoughts on why the present moment is both the best of times and the worst of times. Later in the episode, Tom and Christiana sit down with AURORA, Norwegian singer-songwriter. She lets us in on how to make every mundane moment meaningful, and how she embraces grief and joy in the midst of growing global anxiety. Listen to AURORA here: https://www.aurora-music.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 4, 2019 • 41min
11. All about EU with Miguel Arias Cañete
This week we turn our attention to the EU where there has been an attempt to increase the target of all member states to net zero by 2050. We talk about what happened, why this wasn’t adopted, and what can be done to ensure the EU stays in the leadership position we have come to rely on them for. Then, Christiana travels to Brussels where she sits down with EU Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete, the man responsible for climate and energy policy across 28 countries for the last 5 years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 28, 2019 • 43min
10. Trumps' Roll Back of Science with Gina McCarthy
Exploring Trump's rollback of the Clean Power Plan, the impact on emissions and health, and the attack on science within his administration. Interview with Gina McCarthy revealing insights and optimism for the future.
