Talking Climate with Katharine Hayhoe

Holidays are often a time for decoration and giving — which means a massive surge in waste and emissions. But they also give us opportunities to choose differently.

In this week’s Talking Climate I explore B Corps doing good and the surprising toll of seasonal waste. I've also collected a host of ideas on how our choices can reduce waste, support communities, and restore nature-- from thrifted treasures to shared experiences, and giving that supports families and ecosystems around the world.

There’s no one “right” way to give; but there are so many ways to give well, and feel good doing it.

Find the list of certified B corps here.

Learn how to spot greenwashing here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

For me, 2025 has felt like a particularly heavy year ... and you might feel the same. So as we head into the holiday season, I wanted to share a few recommendations — books, podcasts, and newsletters — that encourage me, make me think, introduce me to new ideas and solutions, and remind me how hope begins with action.

The “what to do” this week is simple: share one of these resources! If you read one of the books, pass it along, give it to someone for Christmas, or recommend it to a book club. If you enjoy a podcast episode, share it with friends who love podcasts too. And if you find a newsletter you like, post it on social media, share why you appreciate it, and invite others to subscribe.

Have a climate-themed book, newsletter, or podcast you love that isn't listed here? Add it in the comments and share why you'd recommend it!

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

Fires, floods, and fossil fuels - COP30 had it all. 

✅ Good news: Many countries brought a meaningful contribution to this "annual global climate potluck." For example, Brazil will tag 20 million cattle to stop deforestation, the $5.5 B Tropical Forest Forever Fund launched, and South Korea joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance.

 ⚠️ Not-so-good: A decade after Paris, we’ve made progress, but not enough. At COP30, a bloc of oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia and Russia prevented agreement on phasing out fossil fuels — and without that, we can’t meet Paris goals.

 💬 What you can do: COP30 reminded us that momentum comes from the ground up: from communities, cities, and individuals. And how do we get climate action started? By talking about it!

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

Extreme weather is getting stronger — but so are the solutions. This week’s Talking Climate looks at resilience, risk, and what each of us can do. ⬇️

☀️ Good news: Hurricanes are intensifying and extreme weather disasters are getting worse--but from Jamaica to Puerto Rico, clean energy is helping communities recover faster.

⚠️ Not-so-good news: A new UN report shows climate disasters have displaced 250 million people in the past decade. That's 70,000 every day!

🛠️ What you can do: Whether you’re choosing a new place or strengthening the one you have, assess your home’s climate risks so you can prepare for flooding, fire, water supply, insurance, and more.

Find the NYT guide to buying a home here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

This week marks COP30 in Belém, Brazil — the 30th global climate summit since 1992, and 10 years since the Paris Agreement. Here’s a quick look at where we stand a decade after:

🌞 Good news: A decade ago, we were on track for 4–5°C of warming; now it’s closer to 2.8°C ... 2.4°C, if all national pledges are met! And every tenth of a degree we avoid means fewer devastating impacts ahead.

⚡ More good news: Clean energy is accelerating fast. Fossil fuel use is expected to peak before 2030, renewables are now cheaper almost everywhere, and solar output has grown twelve-fold. Seven countries already run entirely on renewable power.

🔥 Not-so-good news: 2024 was the hottest year on record, and 22 of 34 planetary “vital signs” are at record highs. We are, as the latest State of the Climate report warns, on “the brink.”

🏙️ What you can do: While national negotiators debate long-term targets, many of the most effective actions are happening closer to home. Your voice and your advocacy for local action in our cities and communities can help build the positive tipping points our planet needs.

Find where your country ranks on emissions and clean energy here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

From greener cities to stronger storms to climate education resources, this week’s Talking Climate highlights how science can help us build a safer, more resilient future.

🌿 Good news: A review of 1,500+ studies finds that greener, more biodiverse cities aren’t just better for nature—they’re better for people too. Parks, gardens, and trees improve mental health, lower pollution, reduce heat, build climate resilience, and even cut mortality rates!

🌀 Not-so-good news: This year has been a poster child for how climate change is supercharging our weather extremes, from Typhoon Halong in Alaska to Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean. In total, the U.S. has already experienced $100B in weather damage in just six months.

📚 What you can do: Help kids learn (and act!) on climate change with SubjectToClimate - free lesson plans and tools that make climate education easy and effective.

Check out SubjectToClimate's story on renewable energy here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

Optimism is not a mood. It’s a courageous choice — and some weeks, it’s harder than ever to make.

Right now, as the devastation in Jamaica reminds us yet again of how climate change magnifies injustice and loss, it can feel almost impossible to hold on to hope. Yet that’s when it matters most. If we don't have hope, there is no reason to act: yet we know the science is clear that our actions matter.

In this week’s Talking Climate newsletter, I’m honored to feature kindred spirit Anne Therese Gennari — author of The Climate Optimist Handbook and founder of The Climate Optimist — who says that optimism isn’t naïve. Instead, she writes, it is “not merely a mindset or an attitude; it’s a lifestyle choice. In my opinion, one should choose to be radically optimistic or not be radical at all.”

When so much feels beyond our control, she reminds us that choosing to keep showing up is itself a radical act. Our actions, however small, make a difference: they build character, plant cultural seeds, and connect us to community. 

Even on the hardest weeks, when the headlines break our hearts, choosing hope means choosing each other, and the future we still have the power to shape.

Find the Climate Optimist Cohort here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

The Middle East is warming twice as fast as the globe thanks in no small part to its own oil + gas emissions—but from youth activists to engineers, people here are proving that even in the hottest places, change is happening.

Last week I was in Abu Dhabi for the IUCN World Conservation Congress, where thousands gathered to build a livable future for people, nature, and climate. This week's newsletter shares what I learned there!

🌞 Good News: The UAE has set a 2050 net zero target, plans to triple renewables by 2030, and is building a 5-GW solar plant. It’s also the first Middle Eastern country requiring companies to measure and reduce emissions, and is restoring its lands and oceans for conservation and climate resilience.

🌪️ Not-So-Good News: The Middle East is warming twice as fast as the global average, driven in no small part by the fossil fuels it produces. Floods and deadly heat are increasing, and migrant workers often bear the brunt.

🌱 Inspiration: From the Arab Youth Climate Movement to engineers restoring fragile ecosystems, people across the region are proving that hope and action go hand in hand.

Don't forget to share what you learn with others! Most people in most countries around the world don't even have a conversation about climate change once in a while. You can change that.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

Adam Met, this week's guest editor, combines social science expertise with musical success to catalyze climate action.

Through his Amplify project at Planet Reimagined, Adam shows how artists can mobilize millions for climate action. On AJR’s 2024 tour, over 35,000 fans took real steps — from signing petitions to calling elected officials. Now they're expanding this initiative to include artists from Billie Eilish to Tyler Childers.

As Adam writes, solving climate change isn’t about individual acts alone, but collective action. Together with Planet Reimagined, he's drafted a blueprint for this new philosophy that proposes a new way of embedding collective actions into daily life.

Find Planet Reimagined here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

This month, we lost one of the world’s greatest advocates for people and nature. 

When I was a child, she was the first scientist I ever saw on screen — a young woman in Africa, working with chimpanzees. Decades later, I met her backstage at the Paris climate talks: still tireless, still hopeful, still reminding us that “only when our clever brain and our human heart work together in harmony can we achieve our true potential.”

Even in her final days, Dr. Jane Goodall was urging us not to give up, and now her legacy lives on through the countless voices she inspired — scientists, faith leaders, and citizens alike — to act with courage, lead with kindness, and never lose hope.

The best way to honour her? Do what Jane told us to do: believe that what you do makes a difference — and then do it.

Find Jane's interview with Forbes at NYC Climate Week here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca