On The Know Show this week, we discussed the boiling points that are exploding everywhere, all over the world – from pension reforms to judicial reforms, political activism, to Ukrainian wheat flooding markets and hurting farmers, along with a rise in commentary from the intellectual left, urging communities that the time has come to get onto the streets and fight for a better future.
One of the phrases you will start to hear more and more is the “climate economy,” and this is about how extreme weather events, ecosystem loss, overshoot, and more, will increasingly and negatively impact the global economy. The very simple truth is, our extractive, growth-based economy has hit its tipping point, and guess what? It’s time to pay up.
How much we pay, depends on how we act and when, but practically no country on earth is ready for what is now on our doorstep – see those crazy tornadoes in the US this week? We need to accept that the years and decades ahead will be extremely challenging, so working on our own personal resilience is critical right now, as is fighting for our governments to do the right thing by its citizens, but also for the millions and millions of people living in countries without the money to get ready.
We always see so much push back from wealthy countries on its obligations towards less wealthy countries. However, the very simple reality is, if we can help people stay where they are (which they WANT to do) perhaps the millions or billions of climate migrants won’t be on our doorstep anytime soon, and we won’t see the societal collapse that will come with huge and chaotic mass movement. Let’s also remember, we still don’t know where the climate migrants will come from – it could be you. It all depends on the order the tipping points fall.
We are now at the point where it is time for us all to get ready. We need to plan 50 years out, aligning with the climate scientists’ predictions, and we need to prepare for what is to come, otherwise, we will be completely overwhelmed, and that time is already knocking on our doors.
Because of the abysmal state most countries are in with regards to adaptation measures, we can (and should) expect more protests in more places. We should also expect more craziness and chaos, but please, let’s focus on getting as many as we can aligned on a vision of how we want to walk into this future, together. If we don’t, it will be miserable for everyone, not just the global south.
Here’s the clip from The Know Show where we discussed this wide-ranging topic.
I also really want to encourage everyone to read this article: America’s Terrifying Cycle of Extremist Violence.
One quote I pulled from it: The sociologist Norbert Elias, who left Germany for France and then Britain as the Nazi regime took hold, famously described what he called the civilizing process as “a long sequence of spurts and counter-spurts,” warning that you cannot fix a violent society simply by eliminating the factors that made it deteriorate in the first place. Violence and the forces that underlie it have the potential to take us from the democratic backsliding we already know to a condition known as decivilization. In periods of decivilization, ordinary people fail to find common ground with one another and lose faith in institutions and elected leaders. Shared knowledge erodes, and bonds fray across society. Some people inevitably decide to act with violence. As violence increases, so does distrust in institutions and leaders, and around and around it goes. The process is not inevitable—it can be held in check—but if a period of bloodshed is sustained for long enough, there is no shortcut back to normal. And signs of decivilization are visible now.
This is not the right path for us – agreed? Well let’s make sure it doesn’t happen.
Right, onto the reads.
Friend’s content and mine
What I learned from Motivational Speaking in Helsinki, Finland – visiting the happiest country in the world, Andrew Bryant shared his insights. Lots of inspiration there.
Uncommon Courage gave me the courage to speak up – Bavani Periasamy – super grateful to Bavani for this heartfelt, authentic and vulnerable review of my book, Uncommon Courage.
Donation time
If everyone gave #just10percent of their time, talent, money or voice, we’ll change the world. Can you donate? Make it a regular donation to the World Food Programme. Or donate to the UN Refugee Program, Medicine Sans Frontier, PowerOf , Kiva.org , Soi Dog Foundation. It’s a time for giving and taking care of each other.
Content to read
And here’s the content I’ve been reading or watching this last week. Scan the headlines, read the ones that jump out at you, read or watch them all. Knowledge is power, and global knowledge is even more powerful.
Climate crisis
Extinction Rebellion Founder Speaks Out | Aaron Bastani meets Roger Hallam
IPCC’s conservative nature masks true scale of action needed to avert catastrophic climate change
Over 400 mn Indians to suffer because of climate-triggered calamities: Experts
India’s heat action plans exclude the most vulnerable: Report
The Greenland Ice Sheet is Close To A Melting Point Of No Return
‘Unimaginable heat’: Will this year’s El Nino cause a global warming surge?
‘Terrified for my future’: climate crisis takes heavy toll on young people’s mental health
The Planetary Emergency is a Crisis of Spirituality
Letter: Adaptation policies on global warming flash red
The UK has almost no credible plans to adapt to climate change
Deadly Tornadoes Cut Paths Through Midwest and South
Map: track where tornadoes have been reported across the Midwest
What caused Earth’s biggest mass extinction?
There’s no greater feminist cause than the climate fight – and saving each other
UN Water Conference: the entrepreneurs on a mission World Economic Forum Podcast
Giant meatball from extinct mammoth DNA unveiled by food firm
Ecuador landslide: Rescuers dig through mud for survivors
World ‘population bomb’ may never go off as feared, finds study
Disaster Politics: Surviving End Times
Trophic rewilding can expand natural climate solutions
Microalgae Could Help Sustain Our Growing Population Better Than Current Agricultural Systems
We should regulate SUVs out of existence
We are coming back to life and this changes everything
Food waste makes up ‘half’ of global food system emissions
‘Very precarious’: The European countries facing another year of drought
Climate Grief Hurts Because It’s Supposed To
Immediate action is needed to ensure ‘a livable future for all,’ UN report says
Climate change: The biggest health threat to humanity
Experts: Climate change is destabilizing insurance industry
Why Climate Change Is Going to Wreck Our Financial System
Just how good were Exxon’s climate projections?
New plastic formations in the Anthropocene
Mississippi: Rescue efforts begin after tornado destruction Published
Mississippi tornado: Why was it so destructive?
More storms feared after Mississippi tornado
London last summer was the trailer for a climate disaster movie. Here’s how to stop that coming true tks Oliver Gill
All UK honey tested in EU fraud investigation fails authenticity test
Methane from fossil fuels is elephant in room in Safeguard Mechanism
Nature is out of sync—and that’s reshaping everything, everywhere
Creating the Leaders We Need | Owen Sheers Planet: Critical Podcast
Poole harbour: major incident declared over leak from oilfield
The billionaire amateur racing driver who runs the Poole oil leak pipeline
Finally, Lolita may go free: Historic deal clears way to move killer whale from Miami Tank
20 Surging Climate Tech Startups (2023)
Cargo ships powered by wind could help tackle climate crisis
Mercedes set to invest billions in e-vehicles plants
Boom cycle means 82 pct renewables target is doable, says regulator
Richard Muller: I Was wrong on Climate Change
Energy from green hydrogen will be expensive, even in 2050
Microplastic pollution impairs seabird gut health tks Mary Pulaski
Want to cut global emissions by 10%? Stop fossil-fuel subsidies
Over a dozen people dead after heavy rains trigger flash floods in Somalia
Climate scientist Michael Mann makes a home at Penn
The Greenland Ice Sheet is close to a melting point of no return, says new study
A 1988 Climate Warning Was Mostly Right
Octopus Farming Is Deeply Disturbing. A Professor Explains Why.
Italy wages war on lab-grown food in drive to protect tradition
Why California’s floods are jacking up food prices
Property firms ‘alarmingly slow’ to respond to climate emergency
America’s Fossil Fuel Economy is Heading for Collapse – It Signals the End of the Oil Age
Alexander Skarsgård Explains the Answer to Everything. (It Involves Doing Some Math.)
The Guardian view on Plymouth’s lost trees: an act of vandalism
The Greatest Threat to Life on Earth | George Monbiot
UK scientists urge Rishi Sunak to halt new oil and gas developments
The UK has almost no credible plans to adapt to climate change
Swiss court case ties human rights to climate change
Plastics cause wide-ranging health issues from cancer to birth defects, landmark study finds
Climate change: England not ready for impact
The links between pollution and miscarriage: ‘This is the stuff nightmares are made of’
Saul Griffith’s electrifying rallying call looks beyond Labor’s loophole-ridden emissions policy
Abyssal ocean overturning slowdown and warming driven by Antarctic meltwater
Mass food fraud and safety scandal engulfs sector
US puts Italy-sized chunk of Gulf of Mexico up for auction for oil drilling
‘Making history’: UN adopts landmark resolution on climate justice
Wildfire engulfs a Thai mountain
Antarctic ocean currents heading for collapse
Rows over Asian carbon credits overlook project benefits
Singing to trees and Indigenous wisdom: the UK festival aiming to prevent ecological collapse tks Kevin Cottam
Want to sequester carbon? Save wild animals
A critique of the WaPo article : Why climate ‘doomers’ are replacing climate ‘deniers’
£3.5m of Tory donations linked to pollution and climate denial, says report
Why We Can’t Just Do It: The Truth about Our Failure to Curb Carbon Emissions
Thailand’s extreme air pollution: ‘I feel sorry for my daughter’
We Don’t Need Nuclear, We Need Renewables, Investment And Consistency From Government
Fruit in crisis: Florida’s orange groves buffeted by hurricane, disease
Climate Change Is Destabilizing Insurance Industry
Explore Time-Lapse Views of Our Changing Planet
Scientists discover regions of the UK with greatest potential to use heat from deep thermal waters
It’s Time For A Youth Climate Corps
‘Dire’ climate warning as experts say ‘window is shrinking’ to limit global warming to 1.5C
‘Half-baked, half-hearted’: critics deride UK’s long-awaited climate strategy
How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
Global politics
Russia’s Bakhmut offensive stalls due to ‘extreme attrition’ of forces in battle
EU threatens more sanctions if Russia moves nukes to Belarus
Dmitry Muratov: Nuclear warning from Russia’s Nobel-winning journalist
China uses Putin’s weakness to increase its leverage over Russia, says Ursula von der Leyen
State Department urges US citizens to leave Russia immediately
China spent US$240 billion bailing out ‘Belt & Road’ countries: Study tks David Lim
Xi Jinping Says He Is Preparing China for War
A failed revolt and an ‘embarrassing’ display: the week that saw Boris Johnson’s downfall
UK is poorer as a country, says Michael Gove
The world still needs a policeman. Let’s hope the US doesn’t quit the job
How the Right Turned Radical and the Left Became Depressed
Donald Trump indictment: Ex-US president to be charged over hush money Published
Trump Sings a Song of Sedition
Trump will believe an indictment can help him become president again. Can it?
‘God, guns and Trump’: Thousands turn out for Texas rally Published
America faces a type of extremist violence it does not know how to stop.
What Many Americans Misunderstand About Israel’s Unrest
Israelis are reminding us that protests can work – but they’re not a cure-all
Police water cannon strike down protesters in Israel
Police fire tear gas as fresh protests erupt in Kenya despite
India’s parliament adjourned after protests over Gandhi expulsion
Here’s the story behind the trending hashtag #MacronOrdure (#MacronGarbage)
Macron: ‘I have no regrets pushing for this necessary reform’
Business and technology
A CEO shares the 5 toxic personality types he sees ‘over and over’ again—’I stay far away’
Thailand records 5.57mn tourist arrivals in first quarter
Liquidation Lethargy: The Local Filmmakers HOOQ Abandoned In Debt
Into all problem-solving, a little dissent must fall
Introducing the AI Mirror Test, which very smart people keep failing
AI could replace equivalent of 300 million jobs
Pausing AI Developments Isn’t Enough. We Need to Shut it All Down
Why Elon Musk joined a call to stop A.I. development
‘We are super, super fucked’: Meet the man trying to stop an AI apocalypse tks Charles Reed Anderson
Sparks of Artificial General Intelligence: Early experiments with GPT-4
Social issues
The French Are KICKING OFF: Why Aren’t We?
Vatican rejects ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ justifying colonialism
Vatican Repudiates ‘Doctrine of Discovery,’ Used as Justification for Colonization
Brian Stelter thinks the news has a reliability problem The Gray Area with Sean Illing Podcast
Ukraine Grain Influx Triggers Protests In Poland, Bulgaria
WHO: New Omicron Subvariant XBB.1.16 Is ‘One to Watch’
Blood tests may spare cancer patients chemo
Technology has become the double-edged sword of Asia’s protests
‘Live free and die?’ The sad state of U.S. life expectancy
Online trolls are taking a toll in China tks Steve Johnson
Kevin Kelly, editor, author, and futurist
Reporter Has Emotional Reunion With Son Live on Fox News While Covering Shooting at His School tks Evelyn Lee
3 kids, 3 adults killed in shooting at Nashville private elementary school
Amsterdam launches stay away ad campaign targeting young British men
Nine in 10 toddler foods fail international nutrition recommendations: new study tks Debora McInnes
Ruth Perry: Ofsted urged to pause inspections after teacher death
‘Disgusting’: Pauline Hanson slams Latham’s homophobic comments
Foreigners arrested, property seized in child sex trafficking raids
Italian art experts astonished by David statue uproar in Florida
Passion, humour, history
Ren – Hi Ren
This mysterious graveyard of shipwrecks was found far from sea
What Archaeology Is Telling Us About the Real Jesus
BBC releases first-look images for major new drama series Ten Pound Poms tks Leah Hannan
High school seniors solve an ‘impossible’ 2000-year-old mathematical problem
Protests erupt in NYC — not for Trump but for ‘The Joker’
The Game Of Thrones Theme Song | Fender Custom Shop tks Lex Johnson
Let me know what jumped out at you? Or share with me what you’re reading? I love that!
Cheers
Andrea
Want to get in touch?
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Environment education
Four environment resources to help you navigate this challenging territory.
- Knowledge, constantly updating
- Individual action and awareness, so we do our part
- Resources for those struggling with eco-anxiety. Please share with your community.
- Finally, more than 100 mini-videos on many topics regarding the multiple crisis’ we face. Feel free to download and use as your own. No credit necessary.
Uncommon Courage: an invitation
Uncommon Courage is an invitation to be your courageous best self every day. It’s also an antidote to the overwhelm, fear, and rage rolling around the world. But it’s more than a book; it’s an invitation to join an inclusive community that wants to better understand humanities challenges – both global and personal – in order to take courageous action and create a better world for everyone. If Covid19 has given us the time and space to reflect, Uncommon Courage gives us the nudge we need to create lasting change.
You can buy it on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Booktopia, Smashwords, Kobo, Gardners, Odilo, Indie Bound, BookShop by BookTrib and Scribd.
Better yet, order it from your local bookstore, so you can #SupportLocal.
You can read the reviews, including a new five-star review on Book Commentary, another five-star review on ReaderViews, a review on BookTrib, and three more on Booklife, another on Book Commentary and Blue Ink Reviews. I’m also collating reviews on my Website too. Have a look and grateful to everyone who has written or recorded one.
Come and join the conversation in my Facebook Group Uncommon Courage.
Listen in to the Uncommon Courage, the podcast on Apple, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are published.
The Know Show
Check out The Know Show. It’s a fortnightly wrap up of the news!
Climate Courage
A fortnightly conversation on issues that matter to you and I, focusing on the actions we can all take.
18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile
Listed by Book Authority in the 100 Best LinkedIn Books of All Time and 22 Best New LinkedIn eBooks To Read In 2021 and 2022 categories. Grab it today if you want to take your professional presence to the next level! When it comes to LinkedIn, it really is time to ask — can you really afford not to have this book in the hands of every employee?
Are you a Social CEO? The Social CEO: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader.
Want to claim your stage? Unleash Your Voice – Powerful Public Speaking for Every Woman
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