Talking Climate with Katharine Hayhoe

What motivates people to act on climate? The number one reason—across cultures—is love for the next generation.

✅ Good news: A majority of mothers care deeply about climate change—and they vote that way too. Studies show women, especially moms and grandmothers, are among the most engaged climate voters worldwide.

⚠️ Not so good news: Climate change is already harming reproductive health, mental health, and child safety—especially for vulnerable women and children.

👥 What you can do: Join a parent-led climate group near you! From Canada to India and all around the world, moms, dads, grandparents and more are taking action to protect their kids’ future.

As always, please share what you learn this week with someone you know. Conversations are the most powerful missing piece in catalyzing climate action. Most people don't connect what's happening to why it matters, and even fewer know what to do about it.

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

Who should pay for the climate crisis? A new study names names—and puts a multi-trillion-dollar price tag on the damage from extreme heat alone.

🌍 Good news: A new study offers rigorous evidence to support legal action against major polluters by identifying specific fossil fuel companies responsible for $28 trillion in climate damages.

⚠️ Not-so-good news: In the U.S., the National Climate Assessment, which provides the essential, localized climate info needed for resilience planning, is being dismantled, with all 400 authors dismissed last week.

♻️ What you can do: It’s student move-out season—aka “mountains of stuff headed for landfills.” But it doesn’t have to be that way; dozens of campuses are reducing emissions and waste as well as helping local communities through recycling and donation drives.

Read more 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

What gives me hope? When clean energy alleviates poverty, leaders speak up for justice, and people realize they’re not alone in caring about climate.

Good news: Pakistan installed 22 GW of solar in 2023—more than Canada ever has, and more than the UK added in the past five years.

Not-so-good news: The world lost Pope Francis last week. He was a fearless advocate for climate justice, continually reminding us that climate change is a moral issue that hits the most vulnerable first and worst.

What you can do: Two new studies show most people care about climate change—but they don't talk about it, because they think others don’t. When we speak up, we empower action!

Read more here.

Watch How to Talk About Climate Change here.

Read Three Steps to Better Climate Conversations 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

Beavers, birds, and biodiversity—sometimes, nature really does know best. And our love for the natural world can be a powerful driver of climate action.

🌿 Good news: In the Czech Republic, a government dam project stalled for years… until a colony of beavers built a network of dams in the exact same spot. As one expert put it: “Beavers do it for free—one thousand times better than people.”

🐸 Not so good news: Amphibians are in hot water—literally. A new study shows that if temperatures rise 4°C, nearly 1 in 13 amphibian species could face extinction.

🐦 What you can do: Get outside and go birding! It’s a simple, joyful way to deepen your connection to the natural world. Paying attention to nature starts right in our own backyards.

Read more here.

Watch Beavers and Wildfire: a stop motion story by Emily Fairfax 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

We all want to protect what we love—but how can we love what we don’t know? This Earth Day, I highlight the power of food, nature, and everyday choices to catalyze climate action.

Good News: Programs like EcoCooks are teaching young people how their food choices affect the planet—and when kids learn, they often inspire their parents to change, too.

Not So Good News: Many of us live far beyond the planet’s means—especially in wealthier countries. Our outsized ecological footprints show how urgently we need to rethink how we consume Earth’s limited resources.

What We Can Do: Modern life increasingly disconnects us from the outdoors: but spending time in nature can reduce stress and improve our health! Whether it's a forest or a nearby park, even 20 minutes outdoors a day can make a difference—and apps like NatureDose can help.

Read more 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