269 episodes

Face the climate crisis head on, but understand that we have the power to solve this. From former UN Chief Christiana Figueres and the team who brought you the Paris Agreement, this podcast about issues and politics will inform you, inspire you and help you realize that this is the most exciting time in history to be alive.

Outrage + Optimism Global Optimism

    • Science
    • 4.6 • 410 Ratings

Face the climate crisis head on, but understand that we have the power to solve this. From former UN Chief Christiana Figueres and the team who brought you the Paris Agreement, this podcast about issues and politics will inform you, inspire you and help you realize that this is the most exciting time in history to be alive.

    The Pope’s Hope? Biden’s Tariffs and Jeremy Clarkson’s About-Turn

    The Pope’s Hope? Biden’s Tariffs and Jeremy Clarkson’s About-Turn

    On this week’s show….
    Christiana's Corner: Dive into the riveting insights from Christiana as she unpacks the recent CBS interview with the Pope where he declared "Climate change at this moment is a road to death." Discover why she believes stubborn optimism is our strongest ally in turbulent times.
    Paul's Perspective: Join Paul as he shines a spotlight on the pressing issue of green tariffs. Get ready for a deep dive into how these tariffs can revolutionize our approach to sustainability.
    Tom's Take: Brace yourself for a captivating argument from Tom as he advocates for the redemption of none other than Jeremy Clarkson. It seems his newfound role as a farmer has transformed his outlook on climate change…
    Tune in to this week's episode for a whirlwind of thought-provoking discussions and inspiring perspectives! 
     
    NOTES AND RESOURCES
     
    Learn more about the Paris Agreement.
     
    It’s official, we’re a TED Audio Collective Podcast - Proof!
    Check out more podcasts from The TED Audio Collective
     
    Please follow us on social media!
    Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

    • 41 min
    Trump's Oily Offer, Mobilizing Young Climate Voters and The State of Scientists

    Trump's Oily Offer, Mobilizing Young Climate Voters and The State of Scientists

    This week, with Tom away, our hosts are joined by Dr. Sweta Chakraborty, Climate Behavioural Scientist & CEO of North America, We Don't Have Time. Together they wrestle on the spectrum of outrage and optimism with the news of Trump's message to oil and gas executives, the part young people play in the climate vote and what impact the survey of IPCC scientists published in the Guardian had on the global community.
    Please remember to keep sending in your conundrums for our up and coming ‘How to Live a Good Life’ series. Email us at podcast@globaloptimism.com or send a voice message to Outrage + Optimism.
     
    NOTES AND RESOURCES
     
    GUEST
    Dr. Sweta Chakraborty, Climate Behavioural Scientist & CEO of North America, We Don't Have Time
    LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter (X)
     
    We Don’t Have Time
    Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter (X) | Instagram | YouTube
     
    Learn more about the Paris Agreement.
     
    It’s official, we’re a TED Audio Collective Podcast - Proof!
    Check out more podcasts from The TED Audio Collective
     
    Please follow us on social media!
    Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

    • 38 min
    Deceit, Small Thinking and Fiduciary Duty

    Deceit, Small Thinking and Fiduciary Duty

    This week, Christiana, Tom and Paul are back together and, as we continue to experiment with a new format, they each bring the topic they are feeling particularly outraged or optimistic about; listen in for discussions about deceitful campaigns by the oil and gas industry dating back to the 1960’s, small thinking in Europe and fiduciary duty with a capital F.
    And remember, we need your help. Be part of our new podcast series! We’ll be asking, ‘What does it mean to live a good life in a climate crisis?’ and we'd love to include questions and stories from you. While we are working to change systems, how do we also adapt our everyday lives - eating, traveling, parenting, working - to best fit with the demands of the times? Email us at podcast@globaloptimism.com or send a voice message to Outrage + Optimism.

     
    NOTES AND RESOURCES
     
    Learn more about the Paris Agreement.
     
    It’s official, we’re a TED Audio Collective Podcast - Proof!
    Check out more podcasts from The TED Audio Collective
     
    Please follow us on social media!
    Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

    • 40 min
    Movies, Mosses, and Stories to Change The World

    Movies, Mosses, and Stories to Change The World

    This week, Tom and Christiana are in Seattle recording in the Amazon studio where they are joined by special guest Kara Hurst, Chief Sustainability Officer at Amazon. Together they bring you an eclectic mix of topics of outrage and optimism ranging from the introduction of the Bechdel test for climate change, storytelling with the national geographic and mosses!
    The nature sounds that close the podcast come from One Square Inch located in the Hoh Rain Forest at Olympic National Park. Thanks goes to Quiet Parks International for allowing us to use the audio of this oasis of calm and quiet. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 
     
    NOTES AND RESOURCES
     
    GUEST
    Kara Hurst, Chief Sustainability Officer at Amazon
    LinkedIn | Twitter (X) 
     
    MUSIC / SOUND
    Gordon Hempton, Bioacoustician and Co-Founder of Quiet Parks International
    Instagram | Twitter (X) | Facebook
     
    Check out the full recording and more at One Square Inch.


     
    Learn more about the Paris Agreement.
     
    It’s official, we’re a TED Audio Collective Podcast - Proof!
    Check out more podcasts from The TED Audio Collective
     
    Please follow us on social media!
    Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

    • 50 min
    Presenting: 'The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast - Does What We Do Really Matter?'

    Presenting: 'The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast - Does What We Do Really Matter?'

    Can one vegan with no car really help the planet?
    Today, a special presentation of a podcast we think O+O listeners will love from The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast.
    The climate crisis gets more terrifying every year. The impact is undeniable and can feel totally overwhelming. Hope won’t solve it, but neither will hopelessness. A surefire way to manage anxiety and stress over the existential problem threatening our planet is to participate in solutions. So our team is prepared to answer your questions about how you can meaningfully make a difference.
    In this episode titled, ‘Does What We Do Really Matter?’, hosts Caleigh Wells and Candice Dickens-Russell tackle a hard question; Why bother taking any individual actions to help the planet if industry and other nations pollute so much that they cancel you out? Caleigh and Candice discuss and invite guest Jiaying Zhao, psychology professor at University of British Columbia, to answer how your daily choices to affect climate change can have an impact but maybe not the way you think.
     

     
    The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast
    Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Website
     
    Caleigh Wells
    Host, TADCP, and KCRW Climate Reporter
    Website | Twitter (X)
     
    Candice Dickens-Russell
    Environmental Educator, and CEO of Friends of the Los Angeles River
    LinkedIn
     
    KCRW
    Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Website
     

    • 10 min
    Microplastics, Transition Plans and The Beginning of The End of The Climate Crisis?

    Microplastics, Transition Plans and The Beginning of The End of The Climate Crisis?

    This week, our hosts each arrive with one specific issue they feel freshly outraged or optimistic about. Tom talks about how Earth Day 2024 will come to be known as the beginning of the end of the climate crisis. Christiana is outraged (and a tiny bit optimistic) about the plastics pandemic. And Paul gets fired up about investor and corporate transition plans - can he convince his co-hosts to ‘light the blue touch paper’ and ignite their own optimism?
    Music comes from Cosmo Sheldrake with his song, “Soil”. Cosmo is a UK-based multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, live improviser, and field recordist. As part of the Museum for the United Nations – UN Live’s new initiative Sounds Right, Cosmo has shared this new track “Soil (feat. NATURE)”, a homage to the powerful transformative and generative capacities of subterranean ecosystems.  Money raised will go towards conservation projects around the world.

     
    NOTES AND RESOURCES
    The Babies vs Plastics Report
    23 - 29 April 2024 in Canada - The Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution
    More on Earth Day 2024
    The IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2023 on how it expects CO2 emissions to peak “in the mid-2020s”
    First Colour Photograph of the Earth from space
    The danger of the very serious person By Pilita Clark in the Financial Times 
     
    PAUL’S BOOK TIPS
    The Corporation that Changed the World by Nick Robins
     
    MUSICAL GUEST
    Cosmo Sheldrake
    Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter (X) | Spotify | YouTube
     
    NATURE
    Spotify | Apple Music
     
    Check out the feat. NATURE playlist on Spotify
     
    Sounds Right
    Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube
    Listen to Greg Cochrane speak with Brian Eno about EarthPercent + Sounds Right on Midnight Chats
     
    Learn more about the Paris Agreement.
     
    It’s official, we’re a TED Audio Collective Podcast - Proof!
    Check out more podcasts from The TED Audio Collective
     
    Please follow us on social media!
    Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

    • 59 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
410 Ratings

410 Ratings

Prairie Trixie ,

Informed AND Hopeful!

I’m a much much much more informed consumer of climate information because I listen to this podcast. And I’m a much much much more optimistic and thus active citizen because of its uplifting tone—great work!

Musing by Me ,

Thank you!

I just finished your book. Thanks, very scary but still a window of hope. Five stars for both the book and the podcast. I will try to share each. I am sure I have made a mistake. Please, know that the April 24th episode is the first in long time that felt something resembling optimism. Again.

JNU Mike ,

Favorite podcast

This is absolutely my favorite podcast. The expert hosts, Christiana, Tom, and Paul, interview a diverse set of change makers, and have a good analysis of the latest trends and news, and still have an emotional angle because there are reasons for outrage and optimism. Acknowledging both is crucial for our climate sanity. Thank you!

Top Podcasts In Science

Technically Speaking: An Intel Podcast
iHeartPodcasts
Something You Should Know
Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media | Cumulus Podcast Network
Radiolab
WNYC Studios
Hidden Brain
Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
Ologies with Alie Ward
Alie Ward
StarTalk Radio
Neil deGrasse Tyson

You Might Also Like

The Climate Question
BBC World Service
Planet: Critical
Rachel Donald
Climate One
Climate One from The Commonwealth Club
Zero: The Climate Race
Bloomberg
Drilled
Critical Frequency
The Climate Pod
The Climate Pod

More by Global Optimism