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As scorching heat grips large swaths of the Earth, a lot of people are trying to put the extreme temperatures into context and asking: When was it ever this hot before?

Globally, 2023 has seen some of the hottest days in modern measurements, but what about farther back, before weather stations and satellites?

Some news outlets have reported that daily temperatures hit a 100,000-year high.

As a paleoclimate scientist who studies temperatures of the past, I see where this claim comes from, but I cringe at the inexact headlines. While this claim may well be correct, there are no detailed temperature records extending back 100,000 years, so we don’t know for sure.

Here’s what we can confidently say about when Earth was last this hot.

This is a new climate state

Scientists concluded a few years ago that Earth had entered a new climate state not seen in more than 100,000 years. As fellow climate scientist Nick McKay and I recently discussed in a scientific journal article, that conclusion was part of a climate assessment report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2021.

Earth was already more than 1 degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit) warmer than preindustrial times, and the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere were high enough to assure temperatures would stay elevated for a long time.

Earth’s average temperature has exceeded 1 degree Celsius (1.8 F) above the preindustrial baseline. This new climate state will very likely persist for centuries as the warmest period in more than 100,000 years. The chart shows different reconstructions of temperature over time, with measured temperatures since 1850 and a projection to 2300 based on an intermediate emissions scenario. D.S. Kaufman and N.P. McKay, 2022, and published datasets, Author provided

Even under the most optimistic scenarios of the future – in which humans stop burning fossil fuels and reduce other greenhouse gas emissions – average global temperature will very likely remain at least 1 C above preindustrial temperatures, and possibly much higher, for multiple centuries.

This new climate state, characterized by a multi-century global warming level of 1 C and higher, can be reliably compared with temperature reconstructions from the very distant past.

How we estimate past temperature

To reconstruct temperatures from times before thermometers, paleoclimate scientists rely on information stored in a variety of natural archives.

The most widespread archive going back many thousands of years is at the bottom of lakes and oceans, where an assortment of biological, chemical and physical evidence offers clues to the past. These materials build up continuously over time and can be analyzed by extracting a sediment core from the lake bed or ocean floor.

These sediment-based records are rich sources of information that have enabled paleoclimate scientists to reconstruct past global temperatures, but they have important limitations.

For one, bottom currents and burrowing organisms can mix the sediment, blurring any short-term temperature spikes. For another, the timeline for each record is not known precisely, so when multiple records are averaged together to estimate past global temperature, fine-scale fluctuations can be canceled out.

Because of this, paleoclimate scientists are reluctant to compare the long-term record of past temperature with short-term extremes.

Looking back tens of thousands of years

Earth’s average global temperature has fluctuated between glacial and interglacial conditions in cycles lasting around 100,000 years, driven largely by slow and predictable changes in Earth’s orbit with attendant changes in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. We are currently in an interglacial period that began around 12,000 years ago as ice sheets retreated and greenhouse gases rose.

Looking at that 12,000-year interglacial period, global temperature averaged over multiple centuries might have peaked roughly around 6,000 years ago, but probably did not exceed the 1 C global warming level at that point, according to the IPCC report. Another study found that global average temperatures continued to increase across the interglacial period. This is a topic of active research.

That means we have to look farther back to find a time that might have been as warm as today.

The last glacial episode lasted nearly 100,000 years. There is no evidence that long-term global temperatures reached the preindustrial baseline anytime during that period.

If we look even farther back, to the previous interglacial period, which peaked around 125,000 years ago, we do find evidence of warmer temperatures. The evidence suggests the long-term average temperature was probably no more than 1.5 C (2.7 F) above preindustrial levels – not much more than the current global warming level.

Now what?

Without rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the Earth is currently on course to reach temperatures of roughly 3 C (5.4 F) above preindustrial levels by the end of the century, and possibly quite a bit higher.

At that point, we would need to look back millions of years to find a climate state with temperatures as hot. That would take us back to the previous geologic epoch, the Pliocene, when the Earth’s climate was a distant relative of the one that sustained the rise of agriculture and civilization.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Watch this TED-Ed video to learn more about how weather has been affected by climate change: 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darrell Kaufman is a Regents’ Professor in the School of Earth and Sustainability at Northern Arizona University. He has been researching the Quaternary geology and paleoclimatology of Alaska for over 30 years. He has a special interest in geochronology and in coordinating large collaborative science synthesis projects. His research group studies geologic records of environmental changes to understand how the Earth system responds to natural and anthropogenic forcings on millennial time scales. It focuses on lake sediments from Alaska, geochronology, and proxy climate syntheses.

Alamy

The health of our planet depends on all of us, and perhaps no group today feels this more acutely than the world’s youth.

Younger generations will be left to grapple with some of the most devastating consequences of a warming world. According to some projections, for example, a child born in 2020 will experience a two- to seven-fold increase in extreme weather events compared to those born in 1960.

So it’s no surprise that young people have been on the forefront of climate movements demanding bold, global action.

We asked nine young trailblazers — all pushing for change in their communities in inspiring and creative ways — to share their favorite climate-related books and podcasts, as well as what one action they’d like to see in the world.

Let their recommendations help you sharpen your understanding of the crisis from all angles:

Marina Melanidis, Founder, Youth4Nature

The best book I’ve read about the climate crisis is: All We Can Save by Ayana Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson. It’s a hopeful and unapologetically feminist view of not just the climate crisis, but how beautiful the solutions are.

My favorite climate change podcast is: The “Ajyal Podcast” with Rayan Kassem. It’s a podcast that highlights and explores the priorities, perspectives and expertise of youth leaders about nature, climate and justice within West Asia and the Middle East. It’s one of the (if not the) only podcasts focused on climate justice by West Asian youth. These perspectives are absolutely critical, yet often unheard in climate spaces, especially by the Global North. Episodes are both in English and Arabic, and cover topics including oil and gas in the Gulf region, Palestinian land rights, the fight of Indigenous communities in the Middle East for social and climate justice, and the impacts of militarization on climate movements.

If I could tell everyone on Earth to take one action on behalf of the climate, it would be: Join a collective. Individual action alone will not catalyze the systemic, transformative changes necessary to address the climate crisis. Only as a collective, pushing for change on the streets, in our communities and at the ballot box, will we be able to build the world we both need and deserve.

Ayisha Siddiqa, Cofounder, Polluters Out

The best book I’ve read about the climate crisis is: Ecology by Ernest Callenbach. This book is less about the climate crisis and more about the intricate networks of what we call ecology. The book touches on the harrowing effects of the climate catastrophe, but it also opens up the complex and ever developing life on earth. I keep it around like a thesaurus.

My favorite climate change podcast is: Mary Annaïse Heglar and Amy Westervelt’s podcast “Hot Take” is one of the most introspective series about climate. It has not only made me more knowledgeable about the history of the crisis but also be able to explicitly link it with injustice. On a separate note, I find that working in a field of emergency can be emotionally taxing and thus poetry podcasts — especially poems of imagination or finding love in everyday objects — are as necessary to my role in mitigating the climate crisis as are the facts.

If I could tell everyone on Earth to take one action on behalf of the climate, it would be: Push for complete divestment and transition away from fossil fuel. You can do this by joining groups like Polluters Out. I think for an issue of such magnitude, there are so many ways to get involved, but the single most largest contributor to the climate crisis is corporate extraction and use of fossil fuels.

Clover Hogan, Founder & Executive Director, Force of Nature

The best book I’ve read about the climate crisis is: Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation by Paul Hawken. Climate science tells us we’re hurtling toward the cliff and that we can’t just hit the brakes – we need to turn around and drive in the other direction. This book of solutions shows us how.

My favorite climate change podcast is: Season 2 of the “Force of Nature” podcast, “We need to talk about eco-anxiety.” Each episode in this 12-part series explores a different face of the climate crisis through the lens of our mental health: from the food we eat, to our relationship with media and our addiction to fossil fuels. It’s a powerful piece of storytelling told through the voices of young people who have inherited the challenge.

If I could tell everyone on Earth to take one action on behalf of the climate, it would be: To step up rather than shut down in the face of the climate crisis. It’s easy to feel powerless to make a difference, yet we’ll only create the world we know is possible if we have the courage to imagine it – and the mindset to make it happen.

Helen Watts, Director of Global Partnerships, Student Energy

The best book I’ve read about the climate crisis is: I really appreciated A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency by Seth Klein for a couple of reasons. One, being a history nerd I find the content really interesting — I’m drawn to comparative analyses between history and current times, and what we can learn from looking back at history. The second reason being that the book felt like a bit of a “calling the BS” on incremental climate action and long-term commitments by governments by pointing to the real fact that when countries throughout history have felt like they truly have no time to lose to avoid real human, political and economic costs, they do know how to act and treat that situation like the crisis it is.

My favorite climate change podcast is: For energy transition conversations, “Watt It Takes” by Emily Kirsch is awesome and really important. It features complex yet accessible conversations on the real barriers to changing our energy system and what’s working well that we can learn from. For climate change and action, “How to Save a Planet” by Gimlet is super fun, really engaging, and keeps climate action feeling fresh, innovative and people-centered, which is key when you’re feeling disillusioned with the lack of ambition and action at a leadership level.

If I could tell everyone on Earth to take one action on behalf of the climate, it would be: Show up and vote for strong climate platforms — challenge your elected officials and platforms running for office to get bolder, more concrete and more inclusive with their climate plans.

Alexandria Villasenor, Founder, Earth Uprising International

The best book I’ve read about the climate crisis is: All We Can Save, co-edited by Ayana Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson. It is diverse, and features 60 women authors writing about an array of climate issues. The best part is that it is framed with positivity and hope.

My favorite climate change podcast is: I like “Drilled” because Amy Westervelt is amazing, they are part of the Covering Climate Now media initiative and they are accountable for the information and facts they bring to the climate movement.

If I could tell everyone on Earth to take one action on behalf of the climate, it would be: Write, call and visit your lawmakers to demand action and accountability on the climate crisis. This is because the climate crisis is a systemic issue and we need broad governmental action.

Ricardo Pineda Guzman, Director, Sustenta Honduras

The best book I’ve read about the climate crisis is: The Age of Sustainable Development by Jeffrey D. Sachs. Climate change is more than just the climate. This is one of the best books to learn about intersectional impacts and sustainability.

My favorite climate change podcast is: “People Taking Action.” It’s an inspiring way to hear about how youth are changing and shaping the world. Hero|Podcast is another really inspiring podcast about youth on climate action.

If I could tell everyone on Earth to take one action on behalf of the climate, it would be: Advocacy. We need rapid and equitable decarbonization.

Haven Coleman, Founder/Director, ARID agency and #GiveAIR Fund

The best book I’ve read about the climate crisis is: Anything by Naomi Klein or Bill McKibben is the best, but This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein is a must. If you’re wondering why capitalism hasn’t solved the climate crisis already, want ideas on how you can be of help, and need hope to keep you going, this is your book.

My favorite climate change podcast is: “Hot Take” or “How to Save a Planet” — sorry, I can’t pick a fave! Their hearts and wit shine through each episode, they aren’t afraid to tell it like it is, and I always learn something new.

If I could tell everyone on Earth to take one action on behalf of the climate, it would be: Everyone on Earth needs to be starting and leading conversations about the climate crisis with everyone they come in contact with in their community. I’m choosing this because not everyone on Earth is responsible for the crisis nor does everyone have the means or power to fix it, but we all need to be talking about the crisis and how it affects us for any change to occur.

Neeshad Shafi, Co-Founder, Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar

The best book I’ve read about the climate crisis is: Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming by Paul Hawken is a comprehensive, easy-to-understand plan to save and reverse global warming, plus information to share with the community.

My favorite climate change podcast is: “How to Save a Planet” and “Outrage + Optimism.”

If I could tell everyone on Earth to take one action on behalf of the climate, it would be: At the personal level, I would recommend taking action on your carbon footprint on a regular basis. We have started the first carbon footprint calculator of Qatar to be released later this month.

Maurus Pfalzgraf, youth activist, FFF Switzerland

The best book I’ve read about the climate crisis is: I listened to the audiobook version of This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein and I learned how different the fight is in different countries.

My favorite climate change podcast is: Not a podcast, but “Our Changing Climate” is a Youtube channel I like because it informs in a way which is understandable for a really broad audience.

If I could tell everyone on Earth to take one action on behalf of the climate, it would be: If I knew a smart answer to that question I would give a TED Talk about it. I promise.

Today’s youth have inherited a big, unprecedented climate problem to solve — and the eco-anxiety to go with it. Gen-Zer and activist Clover Hogan believes the path to climate action starts with the one thing you can control: your mindset.

…

This piece was adapted for TED-Ed from this Ideas article.

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In the fall of 2021, TED invited leaders and educators from around the world to participate in COUNTDOWN, a global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis.

JeJuan Stewart, a leader in the TED-Ed Student Talks program from Georgia, answered that call by hosting TEDxYouth@Snellville, a COUNTDOWN event in her community. JeJuan shares her experience and advice for hosting a stellar, youth-centered TEDx event that focused on the problems and solutions of the climate crisis.

Why did you decide to host a TEDx COUNTDOWN event?

Our initial ideas were to:

1. Bring Black and Brown youth together around the issue of climate change

2. Expose them to Black and Brown climate change activists in our community

3. Share our EAGLE 7 TED-Ed Club experience (within the TED-Ed Student Talks program) with them so interested students could join our Club for the following school year

Event lineup

Tell us about your event!

Our event took place at the Emory University School of Public Health. The location was provided by the sponsors of the Black Public Health Students at the Rollins School of Public Health and was hosted by Snellville residents Briana Boykin, non-profit founder and former member of Black Public Health Students at Emory RSPH, and Joshua Stewart, who performed spoken word during the event.

Talks were given by several climate change community activists, including three Black founders of organizations:

1. Environmental justice activist and founder of Millennials 4 Environmental Justice Diamond Spratling spoke about the wonders of the environment

2. Environmental educator and organizer of Black Birders Week Sheridan Alford spoke about birds as an indicator species to the environment

3. STEM educator and leader Horace Buddoo spoke about why K-12 education is our best hope for action on our climate dilemma

4. Health scientist from Michigan Public Health Sabina Emerenini spoke about cardiovascular disease, environmental health and her experience as a Black woman

5. Founders of BLKHLTH Matthew McCurdy and Khadijah Ameen spoke about how environmental justice is racial health justice

6. Program Director of Eagles Educational Services/SFAYC John Reed spoke about carbon footprints and teens
   

7. Head of the Chad Livsey Project Chad Livsey spoke about community activism and his passion for maintaining clean communities through conducting Pop-Up environmental clean ups throughout Metro-Atlanta

Before the event, I spoke to each one of our speakers about their topic and determined how and if they would be relatable to high school students. I encouraged them to consider approaching their work from the position of empowering students. What would they say to their younger selves? How do they see youth impacting climate change?

TEDxYouth Countdown

How was your TED-Ed Student Talks group involved?

Our EAGLE 7 TED-Ed Club Students were involved in the promotion through social media for the event. They assisted with registration, set-up, and sponsored tables throughout the event. They earned volunteer hours for their time. Through supporting this event, they have a better idea of what to expect in the future, as well as ideas to help them design their own Talks for the Spring event.

What was the greatest success of the event?

Seeing everyone engaged and excited about the content. We also had break out discussions for everyone to meet each other and speak with the sponsors at their tables. Most of the after-event comments were centered around how we can continue the dialog and engage even more youth in the conversation for future events.

Why is it important for educators to be involved with the climate crisis

Educators are a critical component to this because they can bring balance and wisdom to the table by the way they facilitate discussions and enable youth to develop into the servant-leaders they can be.

Annisa Morgan of Dollarsat10

What advice do you have for someone interested in hosting a TEDxYouth event?

For those of you who want to step in to the experience of hosting a TEDxYouth event, I offer these words of advice:

1. Plan early. Give yourself time to review the links and supports that are available on the TEDx site. There are so many resources, chats, and videos to help you.

2. Create a planning team and delegate the tasks. Use a project managing system to help you keep up with communications between team members (IE Slack, Asana)

3. Connect with local TEDx organizers in your community. They can be a huge support for speakers, logistics, sponsors, and more!

4. Pay for videographer, editing services, and marketing services if you are able to! Alternatively, if you have access to a school with an audio/visual instructor that can provide you with student assistants for the event, it can be like a great “On-the-Job-Training” experience for them.  It will allow them to earn credits for school, volunteer hours, and experience for their portfolios.

5. Have speakers sign their paperwork prior to the event. (Ideally, during the 1st meeting!)

6. Enjoy the journey. Have a sense of humor and stay humble. Your patience will be tested and once you get the first TEDx event completed, take a deep breath and pause. Because believe it or not, you may find yourself applying to do another!

Interested in learning more? Check out TED-Ed Student Talks Program, COUNTDOWN, and how to host a TEDxYouth Event.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JeJuan D. Stewart is entrepreneur, parent coach, community leader, STEAM advocate, and a retired anesthetist of Snellville, GA. As the CEO of EAGLE 7 Consulting, she is committed to empowering all to give, lead and excel through servant-leadership development and training. EAGLE 7 TED Ed Club was started in 2014 in an effort to empower youth voices and provide access to underrepresented students of color to TED Ed Clubs.

Courtesy of UNFCCC

For two weeks this November, world leaders and national negotiators will meet in Glasgow, Scotland, to discuss what to do about climate change. It’s a complex process that can be hard to make sense of from the outside, but it’s how international law and institutions help solve problems that no single country can fix on its own.

I worked for the United Nations for several years as a law and policy adviser and have been involved in international negotiations. Here’s what’s happening behind closed doors and why people are concerned that COP26 might not meet its goals.

What is COP26?

In 1992, countries agreed to an international treaty called the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which set ground rules and expectations for global cooperation on combating climate change. It was the first time the majority of nations formally recognized the need to control greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming that drives climate change.

That treaty has since been updated, including in 2015 when nations signed the Paris climate agreement. That agreement set the goal of limiting global warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6°F), and preferably to 1.5°C (2.7°F), to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Climate change has been fueling extreme weather events and flooding, severe heat waves and droughts, loss and extinction of species, and the melting of ice sheets and rising of sea levels.

COP26 stands for the 26th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC. The “parties” are the 196 countries that ratified the treaty plus the European Union. The United Kingdom, partnering with Italy, is hosting COP26 in Scotland from Oct. 31 through Nov. 12, 2021, after a one-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (The above photo was taken at COP25 in Madrid, Spain, in 2019.)

Why is COP26 so important?

The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report, released in August 2021, warned in its strongest terms yet that human activities have unequivocally warmed the planet, and that climate change is now widespread, rapid and intensifying.

The IPCC’s scientists explain how climate change has been fueling extreme weather events and flooding, severe heat waves and droughts, loss and extinction of species, and the melting of ice sheets and rising of sea levels. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called the report a “code red for humanity.”

Countries are required under the Paris Agreement to update their national climate action plans every five years, including at COP26.

Enough greenhouse gas emissions are already in the atmosphere, and they stay there long enough, that even under the most ambitious scenario of countries quickly reducing their emissions, the world will experience rising temperatures through at least mid-century.

However, there remains a narrow window of opportunity. If countries can cut global emissions to “net zero” by 2050, that could bring warming back to under 1.5 C in the second half of the 21st century. How to get closer to that course is what leaders and negotiators are discussing.

What will happen at COP26?

During the first days of the conference, around 120 heads of state, like US President Joe Biden, and their representatives will gather to demonstrate their political commitment to slowing climate change.

Once the heads of state depart, country delegations, often led by ministers of environment, engage in days of negotiations, events and exchanges to adopt their positions, make new pledges and join new initiatives. These interactions are based on months of prior discussions, policy papers and proposals prepared by groups of states, U.N. staff and other experts.

Another aim of COP26 is to increase climate finance to help poorer countries transition to clean energy and adapt to climate change.

Nongovernmental organizations and business leaders also attend the conference, and COP26 has a public side with sessions focused on topics such as the impact of climate change on small island states, forests or agriculture, as well as exhibitions and other events.

The meeting ends with an outcome text that all countries agree to. Guterres publicly expressed disappointment with the COP25 outcome, and there are signs of trouble heading into COP26.

What is COP26 expected to accomplish?

Countries are required under the Paris Agreement to update their national climate action plans every five years, including at COP26. This year, they’re expected to have ambitious targets through 2030. These are known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs.

The Paris Agreement requires countries to report their NDCs, but it allows them leeway in determining how they reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The initial set of emission reduction targets in 2015 was far too weak to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

One key goal of COP26 is to ratchet up these targets to reach net zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century.

Another aim of COP26 is to increase climate finance to help poorer countries transition to clean energy and adapt to climate change. This is an important issue of justice for many developing countries whose people bear the largest burden from climate change but have contributed least to it. Wealthy countries promised in 2009 to contribute $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing nations, a goal that has not been reached. The US, UK and EU, among the largest historic greenhouse emitters, are increasing their financial commitments, and banks, businesses, insurers and private investors are being asked to do more.

The U.N. warned in September 2021 that countries’ revised targets were too weak and would leave the world on pace to warm 2.7 C (4.9 F) by the end of the century.

Other objectives include phasing out coal use and generating solutions that preserve, restore or regenerate natural carbon sinks, such as forests. Another challenge that has derailed past COPs is agreeing on implementing a carbon trading system outlined in the Paris Agreement.

Are countries on track to meet the international climate goals?

The U.N. warned in September 2021 that countries’ revised targets were too weak and would leave the world on pace to warm 2.7°C (4.9°F) by the end of the century. However, governments are also facing another challenge this fall that could affect how they respond: Energy supply shortages have left Europe and China with price spikes for natural gas, coal and oil.

China — the world’s largest emitter — has not yet submitted its NDC. Major fossil fuel producers such as Saudi Arabia, Russia and Australia seem unwilling to strengthen their commitments. India — a critical player as the second-largest consumer, producer and importer of coal globally — has also not yet committed.

Other developing nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa and Mexico are important. So is Brazil, which, under Javier Bolsonaro’s watch, has increased deforestation of the Amazon — the world’s largest rainforest and crucial for biodiversity and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Keeping warming under 1.5°C is still possible. The cost of failure is astronomical.

And what happens if COP26 doesn’t meet its goals?

Many insiders believe that COP26 won’t reach its goal of having strong enough commitments from countries to cut global greenhouse gas emissions 45 percent by 2030. That means the world won’t be on a smooth course for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and the goal of keeping warming under 1.5°C.

But organizers maintain that keeping warming under 1.5°C is still possible. Former Secretary of State John Kerry, who has been leading the U.S. negotiations, remains hopeful that enough countries will create momentum for others to strengthen their reduction targets by 2025.

The cost of failure is astronomical. Studies have shown that the difference between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius can mean the submersion of small island states, the death of coral reefs, extreme heat waves, flooding and wildfires, and pervasive crop failure.

That translates into many premature deaths, more mass migration, major economic losses, large swaths of unlivable land and violent conflict over resources and food — what the U.N. secretary-general has called “a hellish future.”

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Are we on track to limit global warming to only 1.5 degrees Celsius? Find out in this video: 

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In 2018, then 11-year-old Haaziq Kazi delivered his first TED Talk at TED-Ed Weekend and unveiled his prototype invention: a ship called Ervis that cleans plastic from the surface of the ocean. The homemade prototype he created in his bathtub has become the Ervis Foundation, a coalition of young people mobilizing their fellow youth to help clean our world’s oceans.

We spoke with Haaziq Kazi and Priyanka Prakash, Program Director at Ervis Foundation, about how a bathroom prototype grew into a global movement, and how the Ervis Foundation is using the TED-Ed Student Talk program to encourage young people to create Talks about their ideas, just like Haaziq did.

What inspired your original TED-Ed Talk?

HAAZIQ KAZI (HK): My very first TED-Ed Talk was about a ship I conceived to clean the ocean of the plastic waste crisis. It started with a documentary I saw on National Geographic around 5 years ago on the impact of the plastic waste crisis on marine life and ecosystems. The enormity of the problem and impact it had horrified me, and I dreamt of making a ship to clean it.

When we throw our plastic waste away, we think it’s gone, except there is no “away.” It stays on Earth and is slowly finding a place all across the world from the Mariana Trench to the human body, and we need to act before it’s too late.

Haaziq Kazi speaks at TED-Ed Weekend 2017, photo: Dian Lofton/TED on Flickr

How has the idea you shared at TED-Ed Weekend grown since delivering the Talk?

HK: If it wasn’t for my TED-Ed Talk, this journey wouldn’t have started. Period. The TED-Ed Student Talks Program gave me a platform to share my vision of a world where we can dream of a better future for the Earth. The idea of a ship which can clean oceans has morphed into various ideas and forms, but what delivering a TED-Ed Talk has truly done, is made me believe that an idea worth pursuing can lead to change in the world.

Ervis the ship is a moonshot project and I’ve learned the hard way that this is not child’s play. Problems like solving the intricate engineering of design and prototyping a futuristic ship, and then creating a monetization model of waste collection and disposal, are some of the obstacles I’ve come across. Bringing this idea into reality is a painfully slow process which I am working towards. Cleaning the ocean is a long journey and incredibly complex, but one constant of this journey is my unwavering belief that we can and we will reverse the impact of this crisis that my generation has inherited.

Since delivering my TED-Ed Weekend Talk, I have co-founded Ervis Foundation to bring a generational change in the way the youth of today consumes and disposes of plastic in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Haaziq Kazi with an Ervis ship prototype

What is the Erivs Foundation?

PRIYANKA PRAKASH (PP): The Ervis Foundation is a social enterprise that is dedicated to bringing a generational change in the way we as a society consume and dispose of plastic, by inspiring and educating the youth through various ocean literacy programs.

Launched in 2019, the Foundation has a three-pronged approach:

1. Hero: which encompasses all our educational initiatives.

2. Hub: which includes our digital initiatives such as our Zero Waste Marketplace and an app called RoaRRR which shows people their plastic footprint.

3. Hygiene: which includes the moonshot project of Ervis the Ship and an incubation lab that we hope to launch to support the implementation of innovations by youth across the globe.

Our goal is to create young leaders who are instilled with the right tools, capacities and knowledge to lead the much needed change for the sustainable future of our planet. With each passing day the climate crisis is worsening, and we hope to create a chain effect, where one person inspires the next, and together we redefine the future of our planet.

Why should young people care about and get involved with this crisis? What are some things that students can do to help end our plastic waste crisis?

HK: We have consumed more plastic in the last 10 years than in the entire 100 years before. Plastic doesn’t get destroyed, it breaks into smaller particles called microplastics which are not visible to the human eye and that is something we all should worry about. We don’t want our generation to fight a losing battle, so we need to act and care now.

Students can start with themselves, changing their behaviors on a daily basis by refusing and reducing plastic consumption. They can also act as advocates in their homes and advocate to local and national level policy makers, encouraging a culture of sustainable life. The power of the collective cannot be underestimated, and if we rise and are vocal, people will listen to us.

PP: In the last two years we have focused on building a strong foundation for our Hero initiative. We began our journey with the Blue Workshops, with a goal to bring ocean literacy into the school learning environment. Through these workshops, we engaged with students through meaningful activities and discussions, to instill environment sensitivity and inspire them to take action.

With the onset of the pandemic, we launched the Blue Circle program which is primarily a mentorship program, where we select passionate students and engage with them for three months, with support from experts, to give them a detailed insight into the marine crises and the measures they can take to conserve the ecosystem. The program culminates with each of the students developing their own projects or innovations focused on marine conservation. The youth leaders from the Blue Circle program went on to launch the Blue Warriors Club, which is a youth-led and youth-driven club focused on bringing ocean action and literacy into the school learning environment.

HK: We also have our digital initiative called Hub through which students can work towards reducing their plastic footprint. Lastly, we have Hygiene, which is an incubation lab where young people can bring their ideas and inventions to help reduce the plastic crisis and work with mentors to bring the ideas to reality.

How is the Ervis Foundation using the TED-Ed Student Talks Program?

PP: I believe that it is very important to give students the right platform to express and voice their ideas. It’s crucial to keep young people inspired and motivated, especially if we want them to take up the responsibility of leading climate action. Haaziq, I believe, is an inspiring example of the potential that young people have in truly driving change. We truly believe that if a student like Haaziq can lead climate action, then millions of youth across the globe can too. Our goal is to educate students with an aim to inspire them to create solutions for conserving our ocean.

We want to offer students a platform to channel their ideas, and incubate innovations and solutions to bring about long-term change. This is where we believe that the Student Talks program can truly motivate young leaders like Haaziq to channel their ideas for climate action in the right direction. In the upcoming edition of the Blue Circle, I am hoping to culminate the three month mentorship program by giving each of the students an opportunity to work on their own Student Talk. This will not just inspire them, but also motivate them to continue taking climate action in the long-run.

What advice do you have for students in the Student Talks program who want to turn an idea into action?

HK: Turning an idea into action starts with a profound or even an insane sense of belief, even when the world does not see it the same way. Never be afraid to follow your dreams. When you go about taking action, start with understanding the drivers, enablers, and deterrents to achieve the goal and the impact it will have. Align with the enablers and work around the deterrents. Some days will be fun, others won’t. Don’t quit.  Adapt.

Sometimes we might not achieve the goals that we started with, but if the result aligns with solving the problem statement, keep pursuing. We never know what we are capable of until we truly push the boundaries of our own resolve. Like Paulo Coelho said, “And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.” Be curious, ask questions. Asking questions gives you answers, and if it doesn’t exist, find the answer.

Digital rendering of future Ervis ship

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Haaziq Kazi is 15 years old and is currently studying at The Hotchkiss School, in Lakeville CT. Haaziq is passionate about the oceans and tackling the plastic problem afflicting oceans and marine life. At the age of 11, he was invited to speak at TED-Ed Weekend in New York to share his invention, Ervis the Ship, and has spoken on multiple other forums, including TEDxGateway Mumbai, TEDxJGEC, VJTI College, TEDxICEM, Seed and Chips Summit and Economic Times Global Business Summit, to raise awareness on the danger of plastic pollution. He was invited to speak at the 2020 United Nations session of the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), on behalf of the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY). Haaziq is also the founder of the Ervis Foundation, which works with the youth of today to change how we interact with plastic, and is currently appointed as the Regional Focal Point for SDG14, Youth Constituency for the Major Group for Children and Youth.

As the Program Director for Ervis Foundation, Priyanka Prakash is works closely on aligning the foundation’s visions with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 12 and 14 and is greatly instrumental in running the operations of the foundation. Priyanka cares deeply for marine life and is committed to work with  youth to alleviate the problems afflicting ocean life. She has worked on developing curriculums, programs and initiatives that aim at educating and inspiring the youth to take action against the plastic crises. Over the last two years, she has closely engaged with over 1,600 students across India and UAE, educating and spreading awareness about the urgency to save our Earth and to build a plastic-free environment and cleaner oceans for our future generations. She is also currently appointed as the Regional Focal Point for Asia-Pacific, India for Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) SDG 14 / Oceans Youth Constituency.

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You’ve seen the headlines.

Melting ice caps, endangered species, wildfires, heatwaves, floods, droughts, dying coral reefs, vector-borne diseases, ocean acidification, and other catastrophes.

Climate change is often framed in terms of its capacities for destruction, but addressing climate change is actually a huge opportunity to create a better, healthier world for us, as well as for the planet. It’s also a chance to renew our connections and commitments to our fellow planet-dwellers. There are so many reasons to be hopeful about our capacities to not only mitigate damage but to build a better world.

If you’re ready to learn about the innovative developments we already have to fight climate change and the exciting tools and movements in the works, here’s a starter list of books to get you up to speed on the solutions we need to implement now to begin building a better future:

1. How to Change Everything: The Young Human’s Guide to Protecting the Planet and Each Other by Naomi Klein

Young people are leading the fight against corporate greed and government inaction on climate change, and Naomi Klein’s book highlights the stories of youth activists from across the globe. Her book offers young readers not only the history of the climate crisis but also actionable ways for young people to plug into the growing youth movement for climate action. This book is laser-focused on climate justice issues and youth activism – it’s the perfect read for young readers who want to be both informed and active.

2. How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need by Bill Gates

Bill Gates came to the issue of climate change when he was studying how to address global poverty; he learned that energy and economic prosperity are closely connected…but if we keep powering our world with fossil fuels, everyone and everything will eventually be at risk. Gates divides his book into sections focused on specific aspects of society that require decarbonization – everything from how we power up to how we get around, to how we build to how we eat, and more. In each section, he offers clear and succinct explanations of what tools we already have and what developments and innovations we need to fully decarbonize.

3. All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis edited by Katharine K. Wilkinson and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

This is no ordinary anthology – in it, readers will find both essays and poetry focused on climate issues. Wilkinson and Johnson prioritize the voices of the folks too often left out of the national climate conversation: BIPOC and women. For too long, we’ve ignored these voices, to our own peril, and these editors show us exactly why we need to start listening to these groups. The essays included range in focus and are grouped thematically: Root, Advocate, Reframe, Reshape, Persist, Feel, Nourish, and Rise. But the most impactful essays might be those in which the writers share personal narratives about the ways that climate change has impacted them or their communities. The poems tap into both the existential angst so many feel contemplating something as big and amorphous as climate change and the solidarity across groups that the climate crisis has inspired.

4. The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac

These writers led negotiations for the historic 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, and the structure of this book clearly lays out two possible futures for our planet: one half of the book focuses on what life will look like in 2050 if we don’t tackle emissions (spoiler: it’s not pretty!), and the other half of the book paints a picture of all the ways that the world and our lives in it would improve by 2050 if we do address climate change. The final part of the book offers actionable steps for readers to take now to do their part to be part of the solutions.

5. Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World by Bill Nye

Science buffs and laypeople alike will love this engaging text by Bill Nye (yes, The Science Guy!). Nye’s enthusiasm and excitement for the technological innovations currently underway to combat the climate crisis is as infectious as it is fascinating. And you can’t beat his voice: Nye brings the same warmth and humor to his nonfiction as he did to his show. His short chapters and funny titles make this book especially engaging.

 Check out TED-Ed’s 7-episode series introducing some of the biggest obstacles to avoiding climate disaster — and how to overcome them: 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shannon Falkner teaches English Language Arts at Chatham High School in Chatham, NJ. She is a Teacher Consultant at the Drew Writing Project and Digital Literacies Collaborative at Drew University.  Shannon is a passionate advocate for “climate literacy” and has trained with The Climate Reality Project. In addition to teaching English, she volunteers as a climate educator and often writes about both education and climate.

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TED-Ed Innovative Educator, Kim Preshoff, based in Williamsville, NY, has been an environmental teacher for over 30 years.

Here, Preshoff shares a list of TED-Ed Lessons and TED Talks to watch and discuss with students.

As an environmental educator for more than 30 years, I have had the unique perspective of watching the climate change issue evolve over time and see first-hand students that care about what is happening. They care about future generations and they want change. So, how can we help them? Climate change can be a daunting and sometimes scary topic to discuss. My consistent response: “Knowledge is power!” Only by providing students with the science of climate change, and perspectives about what is truly happening in areas across the world, can we empower them to make a difference. Climate change must become a daily topic of discussion in classrooms across the globe, and part of everyday conversations.

TED has created several unique and informative lessons on climate change that will provide students, educators, and parents with the science and background necessary to understand the true impact of this issue. I consider these five animations my must-watch list:

Climate change: Earth’s giant game of Tetris - Joss Fong

Using the game Tetris as a comparison, this video is a terrific introduction to the carbon cycle, what can cause an imbalance in that cycle, and how that imbalance is affecting Earth’s climate. Can you define the greenhouse effect? You will after this lesson! It also covers the creation of fossil fuels, how they cause today’s imbalance in the carbon cycle, and the effect deforestation has on the carbon budget. This lesson is a fun and unique way to present the difficult topic of the carbon cycle.

Is the weather actually becoming more extreme? – R. Saravanan

Knowing the difference between weather and climate is a key point in the discussion of climate change issues.  Extreme weather events such as heat waves, wildfires and tropical cyclones have been increasing over the last 40 years. Could climate change be the culprit? Earth’s average temperature has increased nearly 1 degree C over the last 150 years– the end result is more energy in Earth’s atmosphere, and in turn more extreme weather events. Questions about climate versus weather? This lesson will clarify the differences.

Why the Arctic is climate change’s canary in the coal mine - William Chapman

How can the Arctic be used as a predictor of climate change? The Arctic region is kept in balance with feedback loops– both positive and negative.  Positive loops amplify effects while negative loops stabilize effects. Studying these feedback loops in relation to cloud cover, melting sea ice, and reflectivity can help scientists predict the effects of climate change. The Arctic is the most often talked about region in regard to climate change– this lesson will provide the background information needed to understand why.

Underwater farms vs. Climate change – Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Megan Davis

What exactly is aquaculture? Can aquaculture help fight climate change? Is there a sustainable way to farm the ocean? Aquaculture, while providing food for people, can have some negative repercussions. The answer: restorative ocean farming. A sustainable underwater farm can feed people a more healthy diet, provide jobs, and, at the same time, sequester carbon from the atmosphere. When students are looking for potential solutions to climate change– use this lesson as an example.

Can wildlife adapt to climate change? – Erin Eastwood

How resilient is nature in adapting to climate change? Scientists have seen changes in organisms, but many of these changes are not heritable. Approximately 20 different species have evolved adaptations to climate change. While this might seem like good news, humans will have to play a role in maintaining biodiversity, and helping species to continue to thrive in this changing environment. This lesson may provide a bit of hope about animals versus climate change.

In addition to these lessons, TED’s new initiative COUNTDOWN, has amplified TED Talks that provide great perspectives on issues around the world that people are facing everyday. Remember, with climate change problems, there are also climate change solutions. Through learning new perspectives, we can truly understand what other communities are going through and make changes that positively impact every person on this planet. Here are the TED Talks on my must-watch list:

10 years to transform the future of humanity or destabilize the planet - Johan Rockstrom

Has the Earth reached its climate change tipping point that could potentially make earth uninhabitable for future generations? Evidence is pointing to yes; we have begun to potentially destabilize Earth as we know it, yet we have failed to mitigate climate change. Rising sea levels, permafrost belching methane, and interwoven systems may be the downfall of Earth’s stability. Want solutions? Stewardship, science, a view of Earth as a global commons, and a willingness to change. This TED Talk will provide you with a solid foundation about what is happening in regard to climate change.

Cities are driving climate change.  Here’s how they can fix it - Angel Hsu

Urban areas contain the majority of people on Earth, and these cities have a great impact on climate change. They can decrease our carbon footprint or they can be urban heat islands. One solution is equity in greenspace for all residents of all economic levels and races. This talk provides perspective about the unique issues encountered by people living in large urban areas, and ways they can mitigate the effects of climate change.

Climate justice cannot happen without racial justice - David Lammy

When struggling with racial injustices, climate change gets put on the back-burner. But racial and climate injustices must be addressed together. Who is most likely to breathe in polluted air, live in an area suffering from extreme heat, or have homes surrounded by fewer trees? People of color who make up a greater percentage of our low economic communities. Often, individuals and countries that are most vulnerable to climate change are  those who contribute the least to the issue. Only by bringing all stakeholders to the climate change discussion can this truly be remedied. Watch this talk and gain perspective about the need to involve every citizen in the climate change discussion.

The city planting a million trees in two years - Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

How can deforestation affect a community? Lack of trees can cause landslides, flooding, and loss of biodiversity. Aki-Sawyerr’s goal is not to just plant trees, but to grow a tree steward program. The end result is a city that is collectively proud to protect itself and its homes as trees are planted in yards, schools, offices, and public spaces. While it may not be the complete answer to climate change, these trees provide a much needed carbon sink for her city. This TED Talk is proof that taking action can truly make a difference.

How to be a good ancestor - Roman Krznaric

We as humans are destroying the environmental inheritance of future generations- those with no voices about what is occurring. We need to become good ancestors, but how? Be a time rebel, extend your vision– look forward to the future, and keep our future Earth inhabitants in mind when planning out goals. Ask kids who to vote for and discuss the future with them. Focus on and learn from nature, regenerate the Earth, and take care of the place that will take care of our offspring. This TED Talk emphasizes the importance of looking forward for the sake of future generations.

Interested in learning more about climate change? Here are some additional resources and platforms:

TED-Ed’s Earth School, a 30-day journey of daily Quests using videos, resources, and activities compiled by Earth experts for students to learn more about the environment and climate change

The Count Us In project, which has 16 actionable steps you can take on your own, with your family, friends or school

United Nations Environment Program

NASA: Global Climate Change

NPR: Resources on Climate change

NOAA Climate

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We — Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson — are climate experts who focus on solutions, leadership and building community.

We are a natural and a social scientist, a Northerner and a Southerner. We’re also both lifelong inter-disciplinarians in love with words and the cofounders of The All We Can Save Project, in support of women climate leaders.

Our collaboration has led us to read widely and deeply about the climate crisis that’s facing humanity.

Here are 15 of our favorite writings on climate — this eclectic list contains books, essays, a newsletter, a scientific paper, even legislation— and they’re all ones we wholeheartedly recommend:

1. All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis coedited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson

We had the honor of editing this collection of 41 essays, 17 poems, quotes and original illustrations — so naturally we love it! But you don’t have to take our word for it. As Rolling Stone said: “Taken together, the breadth of their voices forms a mosaic that honors the complexity of the climate crisis like few, if any, books on the topic have done yet. … The book is a feast of ideas and perspectives, setting a big table for the climate movement, declaring all are welcome.” All We Can Save nourished, educated and transformed us as we shaped its pages, and we can’t wait for it to do the same for you.

2. Ghost Fishing: An Eco-justice Poetry Anthology edited by Melissa Tuckey

We count ourselves among those who can’t make sense of the climate crisis without the aid of poets, who help us to see more clearly, feel our feelings, catch our breath, and know we’re not alone. This anthology is a magnificent quilt of poems that are made for this moment and all its intersections.

3. “We Don’t Have to Halt Climate Action to Fight Racism” by Mary Annaïse Heglar

“Climate People,” as she likes to call us, should be grateful that Mary Annaïse Heglar decided a few years back to pick up her pen once more as a writer. All of her essays are necessary reading, but this one is especially so, crafted from Mary’s perspective as a “Black Climate Person.” It’s a powerful articulation of the inextricability of a society that values Black lives and a livable planet for all.

4. Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change by Sherri Mitchell — Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset

Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset means “she who brings the light,” and Sherri Mitchell does exactly that in this incredible tapestry of a book, which begins with Penawahpskek Nation creation stories and concludes with guidance on what it means to live in a time of prophecy. It is rare that a book so generously shares wisdom, much less wisdom about how we got to where we are, what needs mending, and what a path forward that’s grounded in ancestral ways of knowing and being might look like.

5. Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by adrienne maree brown

How lucky are we to be contemporaries of adrienne maree brown? Very. This is a book that we come back to time and time again to ground and enliven our work. We love this line from her about oak trees: “Under the earth, always, they reach for each other, they grow such that their roots are intertwined and create a system of strength that is as resilient on a sunny day as it is in a hurricane.” That’s the kind of community we’re trying to nurture.

6. “Circumstances Affecting the Heat of the Sun’s Rays” by Eunice Newton Foote

Eunice Newton Foote rarely gets the credit she’s due — and she deserves a lot of credit. In fact, we like to think of her as the first climate feminist. In 1856, she connected the dots between carbon dioxide and planetary warming, but science and history forgot (dismissed?) her until recently. This is her original paper, which was published in The American Journal of Science and Arts. Foote was also a signatory to the women’s rights manifesto created at Seneca Falls in 1848, alongside visionaries like Frederick Douglass.

7. The Drawdown Review by Project Drawdown

Full disclosure: Katharine is The Drawdown Review’s editor-in-chief and principal writer. But Ayana fully endorses this recommendation — it’s a valuable resource as we charge ahead toward climate solutions. We all need to know what tools are in the toolbox, and The Drawdown Review is the latest compendium of climate solutions that already exist. This publication is beautifully designed, grounded in research, and you can access it for free.

8. The Green New Deal Resolution by the 116th US Congress

It seems that almost everyone has an opinion about the Green New Deal, but few people have read the actual piece of legislation: House Resolution 109: Recognizing the Duty of the Federal Government to Create a Green New Deal, which was introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey. The big secret is that it’s only 14 pages! It makes a clear, compelling and concise case for what comprehensive climate policy should look like in the US. We’d love for everyone to read it so we can all have a more grounded discussion about what we might agree and disagree with and chart a course forward.

9. “Think This Pandemic Is Bad? We Have Another Crisis Coming” by Rhiana Gunn-Wright

Speaking of policy … this op-ed, penned by Rhiana Gunn-Wright, who is one of the policy leads for the Green New Deal, makes the connections between climate, justice, COVID-19 and our recession as clear as day. She lays out an ironclad case for the the need to address these issues together, and why. As she writes, “We need to design the stimulus not only to help the US economy recover but to also become more resilient to the climate crisis, the next multitrillion-dollar crisis headed our way.”

10. “How Can We Plan for a Future in California?” by Leah Stokes

In the midst of raging fires and continuing pandemic, UC Santa Barbara Professor Leah Stokes, who’s based in Santa Barbara, lays it plain in her piece: “I don’t want to live in a world where we have to decide which mask to wear for which disaster, but this is the world we are making. And we’ve only started to alter the climate. Imagine what it will be like when we’ve doubled or tripled the warming, as we are on track to do.” As she and others have been pointing out, journalists have been failing to make the critical connection: “What’s happening in California has a name: climate change.”

11. HEATED by Emily Atkin

This is the reading rec that keeps on giving, literally — it’s a daily newsletter that brings climate accountability journalism right to your inbox. It’s chock full of smarts, spunk, truth-telling and super timely writing that isn’t hemmed in by media overlords. If you’re pissed off about the climate crisis, Emily Atkin made HEATED just for you.

12. The July 20 2020 Issue of TIME Magazine

This entire issue, titled “One Last Chance”, is dedicated to coverage of climate, and it includes wise words from so many luminaries from politician Stacey Abrams to soil scientist Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, with a lead piece by Time’s climate journalist Justin Worland. Ayana also has a piece in this issue called “We Can’t Solve the Climate Crisis Unless Black Lives Matter.” To see all of this collected in one place — insights on topics from oceans to agriculture to politics to activism — was heartening. We hope there’s much more of this to come, from many magazines.

13. “Wakanda Doesn’t Have Suburbs” by Kendra Pierre Louis

A pop-culture connoisseur and expert storyteller, Kendra Pierre Louis takes up the topic of climate stories in her essay — the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good, she explains, are all too rare, and that’s a big problem because stories are powerful. Black Panther may be our best story of living thoughtfully and well on this planet, not least thanks to an absence of carbon-spewing suburbs. It’s going to take much better narratives, and many more of them, if humans are to, as she puts it, “repair our relationship with the Earth and re-envision our societies in ways that are not just in keeping with our ecosystems but also make our lives better.” !

14. “We Need Courage, Not Hope, to Face Climate Change” by Kate Marvel PhD

This piece by NASA climate scientist Kate Marvel is, as the kids say, a whole mood. Hope is not enough, hope is often passive, and that won’t get us where we need to go. Pretty much everyone who works on climate is constantly being asked what gives us hope — how presumptuous to assume we have it! But what we do have is courage. In spades. As Marvel writes in this poetic piece: “We need courage, not hope. Grief, after all, is the cost of being alive. We are all fated to live lives shot through with sadness, and are not worth less for it. Courage is the resolve to do well without the assurance of a happy ending.”

15. Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis

Admittedly, this last recommendation isn’t something to read, but to watch and listen to. This playlist of TED Talks by women climate leaders (who were all contributors to our anthology All We Can Save — read about it above) will inspire you, deepen your understanding, connect the dots and help you find where you might fit into the heaps of climate work that needs doing. It includes poignant talks by Colette Pichon Battle and Christine Nieves Rodriguez, which are respectively about communities in Louisiana and Puerto Rico recovering from hurricanes and rebuilding resilience and which broke our hearts open. We were so moved we invited them to adapt their talks into essays for All We Can Save. Christine’s piece — “Community is Our Best Chance” — is the final essay in the book and the note we want to end on here. It’s not about what each of us can do as individuals to address the climate crisis; it’s about what we can do together. Building community around solutions is the most important thing.

Watch Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s TED Talk here: 

Watch Katharine Wilkinson’s TED Talk here: 

Learn more about the global Countdown initiative, explore the lineup of speakers, and watch the event live on October 10th.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson PhD is a marine biologist, policy expert and Brooklyn native. She is founder of the nonprofit think tank Urban Ocean Lab, founder and CEO of the consultancy Ocean Collectiv and cocreator and cohost of the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet. She coedited the anthology All We Can Save and cofounded The All We Can Save Project in support of women climate leaders. Her mission is to build community around climate solutions. Find her @ayanaeliza.

Katharine Wilkinson PhD is an author, strategist, teacher and one of 15 “women who will save the world,” according to Time magazine. Her writings on climate include The Drawdown Review, the New York Times bestseller Drawdown and Between God & Green. She is coeditor of All We Can Save and co founder of The All We Can Save Project, in support of women climate leaders. Wilkinson is a former Rhodes Scholar. Find her @DrKWilkinson.

This piece was adapted for TED-Ed from this Ideas article.