Climate change is REALLY SCARY, right, but that doesn't mean you have to wibble helplessly in the corner. While the go-to currency of most climate awareness campaigns is 'hope' – does fear get a bad press? It turns out fear is a great motivator of climate action too, as long as we learn how to use its power for good, not the dark side. After all, if you think climate change isn't a bit alarming, you're not paying attention. 

Joining me on this episode is Professor Sarah Jaquette Ray. Sarah's written and thought loads about how fear, and its twin emotion of disgust, are used by bad people to divide us and scapegoat on climate change and the environment. But she's also thought loads about how to hack your fear: dosing yourself up just enough to make good things happen, without giving in to the terror entirely. 

Sarah is also the host of the fab Climate Magic podcast. 

Let me know your thoughts on the show - [email protected]. Please rate, review and subscribe, and share the show on socials. And do consider chucking this humble indie podcaster a few quid at www.patreon.com/yourbrainonclimate. 

Owl noises = references: 

• 11:57. The 2003 film, the Fog of War. 
• 18.26. Christiana Figueres: stubborn optimism. 
• 21.49: Greta: cathedral thinking. 
• 22.44: Hannah Proctor's book, Burnout. 
• 26.55: Check out my episode about Risk, with Adam Corner... 
• 35.01: ... and my chat about Disgust, with Yoel Inbar. 
• 36.48: Mary Douglas's book Purity and Danger. 
• 40.20: Don't Mess With Texas! 
• 48.31: Tending and befriending. 
• 50.03: Joanna Macy's three narratives / stories of now. 
• 58.58: Thích Nhất Hạnh's ideas about nutriments.

The show is hosted and produced by me, Dave Powell. You can follow the show on instagram @yourbrainonclimate, and I occasionally put up a Substack. 

YBOC theme music and iterations thereof, by me. Thanks as always to Ruth Everett for the voices. Show logo by Arthur Stovell at https://mondial-studio.com/.