232 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

    • News
    • 4.6 • 395 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.

    Climate Week NYC: Love Is The Answer

    Climate Week NYC: Love Is The Answer

    Welcome to another episode of Outrage + Optimism, where we examine issues at the forefront of the climate crisis, interview change-makers, and transform our anger into productive dialogue about building a sustainable future.
    This week, Tom plays the role of roving reporter live from Climate Week NYC and shares his analysis of UNGA and the growing public concern around the UN’s ability to maintain the momentum and vision that we so desperately need to keep us on track to meet our global goals. Tom also shares an incredible finding with us all presented by former O+O guest, John Marshall, CEO of Potential Energy Coalition, that the winning message that caused people to unite behind climate change action is….love. The hosts beautifully discuss what this means for us as a global community and how we should stay as close to this source as possible. 
    Throughout the episode, we also hear from a range of voices captured by Tom throughout the first part of the week from leaders representing civil society, private corporations, youth, state legislatures and communication professionals. 
    Music this week comes from Annie Hamilton and her incredible track, 'Electric Night'.



    NOTES AND RESOURCES
     
    Celine Herweijer, Group Chief Sustainability Officer at HSBC
    Twitter | LinkedIn 
     
    Ellen Jackowski, Chief Sustainability Officer and EVP at Mastercard
    Twitter | LinkedIn 
     
    Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders 
    Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
     
    Isabelle Offer, Photographer
    Website | Instagram | LinkedIn
     
    Phil Drew, Partner at Brunswick Group
    LinkedIn 
     
    Harjeet Singh, Head Of Global Political Strategy at Climate Action Network (CAN)
    Twitter | LinkedIn 
     
    Sally Fouts, Director of The Climate Pledge at Amazon
    LinkedIn
     
    Secretary Wade Crowfoot, California Secretary for Natural Resources Agency
    Twitter | LinkedIn 
     
    -
     
    MUSIC
     
    annie hamilton
    Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
     
    Check out the dreamy and fuzzy version of ‘electric night’
     
    Annie’s ‘production, sustainability, and brand ethos’
     
    -
     
    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

    • 1 hr 4 min
    September Stocktake

    September Stocktake

    Welcome to another episode of Outrage + Optimism, where we examine issues at the forefront of the climate crisis, interview change-makers, and transform our anger into productive dialogue about building a sustainable future.
    This week, we welcome back perennial friend of the podcast Nigel Topping as he joins Christiana, Tom and Paul on a fast-paced whistle stop analysis of the recent and up-coming events (Africa Climate Week, UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week) populating the climate change calendars. If that was not enough, the team also discusses the soon to be published IEA report, set to declare the ‘beginning of the end’ of the fossil fuel industry, (watch out for the ‘Minsky Moment’) as well as the much anticipated recent UNFCCC Global Stocktake report, with an invitation to view these reports in a more integrated way.
    Music this week comes from Nu Deco Ensemble and their beautiful piece of music titled 'Sacred Earth'. The orchestra’s mission is to create compelling and transformative genre-bending musical experiences that inspire, enrich and connect new and diverse audiences and artists.
     
    NOTES AND RESOURCES
     
    Nigel Topping, Member of the Climate Change Committee (CCC) / Non-executive director of the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB)
    Twitter | LinkedIn 
     
    Fatih Birol’s op-ed: Peak fossil fuel demand will happen this decade
     
    THIS WEEK: Go to a March or Climate Action Near YOU - Fight Fossil Fuels Dot Net
     
    -
     
    MUSIC
     
    Nu Deco Ensemble
    Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
     
    Check out their Daft Punk and Dr. Dre concerts on 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

    • 51 min
    We're BACK! With Al Gore

    We're BACK! With Al Gore

    Welcome to another episode of Outrage + Optimism, where we examine issues at the forefront of the climate crisis, interview change-makers, and transform our anger into productive dialogue about building a sustainable future.
    Back together following our break, the hosts discuss the devastating extreme weather events that have been happening across the world and they encourage us to think about how these changes within the global climate are impacting all our environments. Looking ahead to the next few months, we’ll cover the major climate events, all requiring critical decisions to be made in this important decade. They also explore some positive news stories that have happened over the last month, including the vote by Ecuadorians to halt oil drilling in the biodiverse Amazonian national park.
    We have a fascinating and passionate interview from the incredible Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, he gives us an honest account of what he feels are the top political obstacles to climate solutions.
    Music this week comes from the very talented Hilang Child, a British-Indonesian alt-pop artist, songwriter and drummer from South London!
     
    NOTES AND RESOURCES
     
    Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore
    Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
    Watch AG’s New TED Talk - ‘What The Fossil Fuel Industry Doesn’t Want You To Know’
     
    -
     
    Hilang Child
    Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
     
    Pre-Save or Stream the new single - ‘Lapwings’
    Extra Listening - ‘Seimbang​/​Balance’
     
    -
     
    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

    • 1 hr 21 min
    You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers

    You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers

    Welcome to another episode of Outrage + Optimism, where we examine issues at the forefront of the climate crisis, interview change-makers, and transform our anger into productive dialogue about building a sustainable future.
    For the final episode of the season, Christiana, Tom and Paul answer many of your fantastic questions including: ‘We hear a lot of talk about planting trees to sequester carbon, but most of our planet is covered by ocean, and the ocean is absorbing most of the heat. Should we be doing more to plant and restore seaweed, seagrasses, and mangroves?’; ‘If anything would be possible and all of us would work together towards one goal - what would your ideal world look like?’ and “Are we gonna be OK?”’ 
    Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to send through a question to our hosts, you made this a very special episode. Apologies if we weren’t able to get to yours, please do go and engage with us on social media and share your thoughts. 
    Music this week comes from our very own fabulous host, Christiana Figueres, check out the video of her rap here. Feel free to spread the love! 
     
    We will welcome you back in September with a very exciting not-to-be-missed interview, followed by episodes sharing insights into New York Climate Week, COP and many more important events which will see us through to the end of the year. 
     
    NOTES AND RESOURCES
     
    Christiana’s incredible rap video can be found here.
     
    Adam McKay’s video can be found here.
    The song mentioned by Paul from Gracie Fields can be found here.
    Here is a link to the lawsuit against big oil companies by the city of San Francisco.



    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

    • 1 hr 5 min
    A Jolt From Complacency

    A Jolt From Complacency

    Welcome to another episode of Outrage + Optimism, where we examine issues at the forefront of the climate crisis, interview change-makers, and transform our anger into productive dialogue about building a sustainable future.
    Pilita Clark, associate editor and business columnist at the FT is our very special guest this week and as huge fans of her work at Outrage + Optimism Tom and Christiana were thrilled to host this fascinating conversation. In this episode, Pilita discusses with the hosts the changing landscape of climate coverage against the backdrop of the extreme weather events across the globe, delves into her insights from her recent article The fossil fuel industry will not lead us out of the climate crisis | Financial Times and why exponential growth in climate solutions is a narrative that technology is leaving editors with no choice but to cover.  We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!
    If you have not yet checked out Christiana’s rap on social media - where have you been? Go show our brave host some love and let us know your thoughts. You can find it on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn
    Look out for our end of season listener mailbag special on Friday!


    NOTES AND RESOURCES
     
    Pilita Clark, FT Columnist and Associate Editor
    LinkedIn | Twitter 

    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

    • 42 min
    Powered By Nature

    Powered By Nature

    Welcome to another episode of Outrage + Optimism, where we examine issues at the forefront of the climate crisis, interview change-makers, and transform our anger into productive dialogue about building a sustainable future.
    With Tom away, Christiana and Paul discuss the extreme and deadly heat waves facing multiple continents, news which is dominating the headlines. They review the details of the recently published Letter to Parties from the incoming COP president, which sets out his vision for what he thinks needs to be accomplished at COP28 later in the year. Also, they talk about the hard won law just passed by the European Parliament to restore degraded natural ecosystems.
    Our special guest this week is Fiona Morgan, Chief Purpose Officer of Sail GP, an extraordinary international sailing competition. Hear about the Sail GP Impact League, in which athletes race to win two podiums - one for sporting performance and one for the planet. They bring us a fascinating conversation on how climate, sport, ocean and nature collide.

    To close this week's episode, music comes from the Norwegian band Darling West, and their beautiful song ‘How I Wish’.
     
    You still have time to submit your questions to our hosts for next week’s episode, email us at contact@globaloptimism.com or engage on our social media channels. 



    NOTES AND RESOURCES
     
    Letter to Parties - COP28 UAE
     
    Fiona Morgan, Chief Purpose Officer at SailGP
    LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
    Here is a link to the video mentioned by the hosts, Season 4 Calendar Revealed | SailGP
    Purpose & Impact Report 
     
    Darling West
    Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



    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

    • 53 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
395 Ratings

395 Ratings

manoazam ,

Love from Bhutan - Thank you for your wisdom!

I just listened to the episode with Okezue Bell, and he is in Bhutan for the Fab Fest! What a coincidence!

I love listening to this podcast and as a climate worker in Bhutan esp. working within the space of climate literacy, action and young people - I derive much joy and share the same frustrations expressed and channeled so eloquently and realistically in this podcast. I love the chemistry between Christina, Paul and Tom. I am big fan. One of my aspirations is to do a similar podcast to bring Bhutan’s climate stories to the forefront, owning and creating our own narrative esp. the voices and perspectives of the young Bhutanese that make up about 65% of population. Thank you again!

Phila-Dan ,

It helps me to take action.

I was writing this for a survey, and realized it was really a podcast review:

In the past 2 years, I have moved from despondency about climate change, to an excitement for action. Outrage + Optimism is a huge part of this, along with Molly Wood's Sunday "VC Sunday School" podcast interviews with climate-founders, and "How to Save a Planet". What helped me turn the corner was an interview with Katherine Hayhoe on "On Being", which my 9 year-old daughter insisted I leave playing when she got in the car. There was a particular moment in that podcast where she describes that we're actually going in the right direction, but we all need to help push the progress to go faster. That unlocked the secret for me.

I'm not very involved in big-picture policy matters, but Outrage + Optimism explains what's happening at that level with the right mix of hope and clear-minded assessments.

Personally, since I already have rooftop solar panels, I decided the "next steps" I could take would be to help others get them. So I've been like a non-salesman friend, hand-holding a few folks to help them take the hard step of "going solar". More recently I've also started to build a coalition of teachers and parents to get our public elementary school to get solar panels on the roof, and tie in all kinds of teaching with that. I'm so excited about this! It actually pulls in citywide initiatives into a wonderfully feel-good project. I am certain we will succeed. I don't know how long it will take, but we're going to make a glorious stink of the process, so everyone hears about it.

In its global and government policy focus, Outrage + Optimism actually helps me to understand how my smaller, local actions fit into a bigger picture. I can work hard myself on things that I know make a difference at my scale, while feeling comforted that others are working at vastly different levels, towards policy change, government action, and fiscal responsibility for the environment.

NorthwestRabble ,

Infuriating and Uplifting

Infuriating on the “outrage” side of the house and uplifting on the “optimism” side, this podcast does a superb job of educating its listeners on the damage mankind is doing to its own habitat AND the cooperative efforts to undo that damage. I love the energy behind Christiana, Tom and Paul’s conversations and they bring in some fascinating speakers. Found this podcast after reading (and loving) “The Future We Choose” by Tom and Christiana. Highly recommend both the podcast and the book.

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