Outrage + Optimism

Latest Episodes:

207. Five Times Faster Jul 06, 2023

Show notes

With the hosts back together, Christiana and Tom discuss their week at Plum Village with Paul, and Christiana mentions the privilege of meeting Emmanuel Faber, the Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). They debrief on their fascinating conversation with him about the recently launched IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards, ushering in a new era of sustainability-related disclosures in capital markets worldwide, something very close to Paul’s heart.

Our interview this week is with Simon Sharpe, Director of Economics for the UNFCCC Climate Champions, Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute and author of Five Times Faster. In conversation with Christiana and Tom, Simon discusses how we can accelerate climate action, why we need to decarbonise the global economy five times faster than we have managed so far, and why some of the real blocks to achieving this could be the very ideas and institutions that are supposed to be helping us.

To close the episode, we have some exciting instrumental music from a listener of the podcast, Gilmore Trail.

NOTES AND RESOURCES

Simon Sharpe

Director of Economics for the Climate Champions Team and Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute. Author of Five Times Faster

Five Times Faster Website I LinkedIn

Gilmore Trail

Website I Facebook I Instagram I Twitter I Youtube I Bandcamp I Soundcloud I Spotify

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206. Space, Time and The Ultimate Dimension! Jul 01, 2023

Show notes

This week, we bring you a very special joint episode of Outrage + Optimism and The Way Out Is In. From the peace and tranquility of the International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism, Christiana and Tom speak with Zen Buddhist monk Brother Pháp Hữu and journalist Jo Confino.

Listeners of both podcasts are invited to join in on an intimate and deep conversation covering everything from the missing spiritual elements in the climate movement, moving beyond linear timelines into exponential transformation, and what happens when we all stop.

So bring your tea to the table and let the radical collaboration begin.

NOTES AND RESOURCES

Note: this episode was edited on 22.09.23 date in response to a listener comment on language

Listen and Subscribe to ‘The Way Out Is In’

Listen to Brother Phap Linh perform ‘Music for Difficult Times’

LISTEN: ‘Bringing the Ultimate Dimension Down to Earth’

READ: ‘Zen and The Art of Saving the Planet’ by Thich Nhat Hanh

To learn more about our planet’s climate emergency and how you can transform outrage into optimistic action subscribe to the podcast here.

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205. How To Talk About Climate Change So People Will Listen Jun 22, 2023

Show notes

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 our hosts discuss the slow progress made at the negotiations in Bonn which concluded last week and how the perceived lack of direction has led many in the climate community to feel anxious about how successful talks will be in Dubai later in the year. Christiana also touches on the New World Bank report, Detox Development: Repurposing Environmentally Harmful Subsidies, highlighting the trillions of dollars wasted on subsidies for agriculture, fishing and fossil fuels that could be used to help address climate change instead of harming people and the planet. With Tom off to the Global Citizen Power Our Planet Live event on Thursday, the hosts discuss their hopes for a more positive outcome from The Summit for a New Global Financing Pact also happening in Paris this week. Look out for the anticipated momentum to gather pace on Mia Mottley’s Bridgetown Agenda for the much needed reform of international finance. Our special interview this week is with the brilliant communications expert John Marshall, CEO of Potential Energy Coalition, to discuss climate change’s marketing problem and how we can solve it. Essential listening and the team here all agree we could learn a lot from John’s insights! For anyone wanting to learn more about the important work of Potential Energy, click here. Our fabulous music this week comes from Hazel Mei and her song Golden Chains, another finalist from this year's Environmental Music Prize. Check out her links below. With Clay away, huge thanks to Airaphon who mixed and sound edited the podcast this week. Please don’t forget to let us know what you think here, and / or by contacting us on our social media channels or via the website. NOTES AND RESOURCES John Marshall, Chairman and CEO of Potential Energy Coalition LinkedIn | TED Bio Potential Energy Coalition Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Hazel Mei, Environmental Music Prize Finalist Instagram | Facebook | YouTube For anyone wanting to watch the absurd Fox news interview with Power the Future founder, Daniel Turner, here is the link. 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

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204. LIVE Q+A on Lifelines VS Deadlines Jun 15, 2023

Show notes

This week we are excited to share our Live Lifelines vs Deadlines Q&A session packed with brilliant questions from some of our listeners!

Alongside our regular hosts, we welcomed back the fabulous Fiona Macklin and Dylan Tanner co-hosts of the original mini-series with Paul Dickinson, and were thrilled to once again offer O+O listeners the chance to peek behind the curtain on our live recording.

Listen to the episode to find out how our hosts feel about what place the oil and gas companies should have at COP28, and should they be there at all? And is it time for the climate movement to unite around one single issue, and what should that be?

We close this week's episode by sharing an inspiring video which shows the moment 200 South African firefighters landed in Canada to help fight the wildfires.

Please don’t forget to let us know what you think here, and / or by contacting us on our social media channels or via the website.

NOTES AND RESOURCES

Don’t Miss Another LIVE O+O Event - Sign up here for our newsletter!

Got thoughts from this episode? Continue the conversation here on LinkedIn.

—

Fiona Macklin, Senior Adviser, Groundswell at Global Optimism

Dylan Tanner, Executive Director at InfluenceMap

Twitter | LinkedIn | Website

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Please follow us on social media!

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203. Tomfoolery! Red Herrings! Jun 08, 2023

Show notes

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 anti-ESG action hitting the headlines across the ‘puddle’ (as Christiana would say), our hosts begin this week by walking us through the origins of the anti-ESG movement which we covered in our Season 6 episode: ESG: Facts are not Political, before moving us on to explore the current spate of legal cases being brought by certain Republican groups, designed to intimidate members of net zero alliances.

We were very fortunate to speak to Maurits Dolmans, attorney and partner of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, and a rising star of the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance, who helped us understand the baseless allegations and coordinated propaganda employed by Republican groups (such as Consumers’ Research and the State Financial Officers Foundation) to delay and obfuscate meaningful climate action, while putting voters’ pensions, investments and livelihoods at risk. Expect high octane outrage from this episode!

Relief in the form of our talented musical number comes this week from Constant Follower and their track “The Merry Dancers on TV”. Check out their links below. Also, don't forget we’re hosting a live Q+A session on Monday 12 June with Paul, Fiona, Dylan, Tom and Christiana to cover all those burning questions unearthed by the Lifelines vs Deadlines mini-series. Details about how to register your place can be found here. Please don’t forget to let us know what you think here, and / or by contacting us on our social media channels or via the website. NOTES AND RESOURCES

Don’t miss our LIVE Online Podcast Recording & Q+A on Monday, June 12, 2023. Click the link to register and save your spot!

Letter from 23 Attorney Generals to the Net Zero Insurers Allianz that Paul mentioned in the episode.

Maurits Dolmans

LinkedIn | Blog Co-Authord by Maurits

Constant Follower

Instagram | Linktr.ee | McAll’s Story

Check out UK-based Charity - Help Musicians

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202. No Matter What, We're Going Too Slow Jun 02, 2023

Show notes

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, Christiana, Tom and Paul debrief on Paul’s recent mini series and discuss the news that insurers are leaving the Net Zero Insurance Alliance after the ESG backlash in the U.S. There is a big week coming up, with the Bonn climate intersessionals in preparation for the COP28 in Dubai later in the year. Finally, they discuss the devastating news of heat waves in India and Asia, and the fact that the World Meteorological Organization has said that there is a 66% chance that the world will exceed the 1.5 °C threshold in at least one of the next five years.

We introduce you to this year's Environmental Music Prize which aims to amplify the voices of artists who inspire action for climate and conservation. We feature three of the finalists; Meraki Mae, SheisArjuna and Sunfruits.

Also, don't forget we’re hosting a live Q+A session on the 12th June with Paul, Fiona, Dylan, Tom and Christiana to cover all those burning questions unearthed by the Lifelines vs Deadlines mini-series. Details about how to register your place can be found here. Please don’t forget to let us know what you think here, and / or by contacting us on our social media channels or via the website. NOTES AND RESOURCES

Don’t miss our LIVE Online Podcast Recording & Q+A - June 12, 2023. Click the link to register and save your spot!

Environmental Music Prize 2023

***Go to EnvironmentalMusicPrize.com to VOTE for your favorite 3 finalists by Sunday, June 4th!***

Edwina Floch

Founder, The Environmental Music Prize

LinkedIn | Twitter

Finalists Featured: Meraki Mae - Warrior Instagram | Facebook | Spotify SheisArjuna - Vessel Instagram | Facebook | Spotify Sunfruits - End of The World Instagram | Facebook | Spotify Learn more about the Paris Agreement. Credits: Exec Producer: Sarah Thomas Producer/Sound Design/Editor: Clay Carnill Production Coordinator: Mandy Clark Social Media Manager: Kam-Mei Chak Communications Manager: Zoe Tcholak-Antitch Operations Manager: Katie Bradford 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

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201. Lifelines VS Deadlines: The Need For Science Based Policy (Part Two) May 25, 2023

Show notes

Last week Paul Dickinson, Dylan Tanner and our guests explored some of the good, the bad, and the downright dark side of government action on climate policy, or perhaps that should be inaction.

This week, with the help of co-host Fiona Macklin, part two of Lifelines vs Deadlines will go beyond the politics and speak to industry and city leaders, lawyers and youth activists on the need for collective support around regulatory lifelines if the deadlines, climate science has set for us are to be met. Expert guests including:

Mark Watts, Executive Director at C40 Cities

Lord Adair Turner, Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission

Paul Polman, Business leader, campaigner and co-author of ‘Net Positive: how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take’

Georgina Beasley, Secretary General at Net Zero Lawyers Alliance

Joshua Amponsem, Founder, Green Africa Youth Organization and Co-Director - Youth Climate Justice Fund

Shyla Raghav, Co-Founder, Chief Portfolio and Partnership Officer at TIME CO2

Dr Ellen Quigley, Special Adviser (Responsible Investment) to the Chief Financial Officer and Principal Research Associate (Climate Risk & Sustainable Finance) at University of Cambridge

Please don’t forget to let us know what you think here, and / or by contacting us on our social media channels or via the website. NOTES AND RESOURCES

Paul Dickinson, Founder Chair at CDP

Fiona Macklin, Senior Adviser, Groundswell at Global Optimism LinkedIn Dylan Tanner, Executive Director at InfluenceMap Twitter | LinkedIn | Website Mark Watt, Executive Director at C40 Cities Twitter | Instagram Lord Adair Turner, Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission Twitter

Energy Transitions Commission Twitter | LinkedIn Paul Polman, Business leader, campaigner and co-author of ‘Net Positive: how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take’ Twitter | LinkedIn | Website Georgina Beasley, Secretary General at Net Zero Lawyers Alliance LinkedIn Net Zero Lawyers Alliance LinkedIn Joshua Amponsem, Founder, Green Africa Youth Organization and Co-Director - Youth Climate Justice Fund Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram Shyla Raghav, Co-Founder, Chief Portfolio and Partnership Officer at TIME CO2 Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | InstagramTIME and TIME CO2 Twitter | LinkedIn | Website Dr Ellen Quigley, Special Adviser (Responsible Investment) to the Chief Financial Officer and Principal Research Associate (Climate Risk & Sustainable Finance) at University of Cambridge LinkedIn

Paper: Universal Ownership in Practice: A Practical Investment Framework for Asset Owners

Paper: Universal Ownership and the Polycrisis: Social Norms, Feedback Loops, and the Double HermeneuticCredits: Series Producer: Catherine Harte Exec Producer: Sarah Thomas Producer/Sound Design/Editor: Clay Carnill Production Coordinator: Mandy Clark Social Media Manager: Kam-Mei Chak Communications Manager: Zoe Tcholak-Antitch Operations Manager: Katie Bradford

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

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200. Lifelines VS Deadlines: The Need For Science Based Policy (Part One) May 18, 2023

Show notes

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 Paul Dickinson introduces the first of his two-part series on Lifelines vs Deadlines: The Need for Science Based Policy by delving into some of the big, underlying and often nefarious causes currently blocking the implementation of meaningful science-based policy which would accelerate our collective transition to a net zero world. Paul kicks off the episode by outlining the enormity of the net zero target that businesses have set themselves in line with scientific targets and expresses his belief (which is share by many) that these goals are not achievable without meaningful government policy to derisk, regulate, set a level playing field and penalise persistent offenders. Why then, instead of governments swooping in with these regulatory lifelines, are we seeing at best antipathy or at worst active disinformation campaigns to block regulation that might aid businesses to make the necessary transitions to align with Net Zero strategies and investments? What are the forces at play? Why aren't governments stepping up to the challenge? These are a few of the questions Paul and Dylan will be exploring over Part One of this mini series with a range of expert guests including:

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Naomi Oreskes
Amita Chaudhury
Steve Waygood
Chris Skidmore MP

NOTES AND RESOURCES

Dylan Tanner, InfluenceMap Website | Twitter | LinkedIn Senator Sheldon Whitehouse Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Naomi Oreskes Twitter | LinkedIn Amita Chaudhury LinkedInAIA Group Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn Steve Waygood Twitter | LinkedIn Aviva Investors LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube Chris Skidmore MP Twitter Credits: Series Producer: Catherine Harte Exec Producer: Sarah Thomas Producer/Sound Design/Editor: Clay Carnill Production Coordinator: Mandy Clark Social Media Manager: Kam-Mei Chak Communications Manager: Zoe Tcholak-Antitch Operations Manager: Katie Bradford 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

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199. Climate and Nature: One and The Same May 11, 2023

Show notes

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, Christiana, Tom and Paul cut straight to heart of our collective outrage following yet more announcements from Oil and Gas companies disclosing record-breaking profits. The fact that these record breaking profits are juxtaposed with record-breaking temperatures directly causing devastation to people and planet leads to a line-in-the-sand moment for Christiana. Our esteemed guest this week is Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28. Tune in as the hosts explore with Razan her journey to her current role, her passionate focus and belief on the integral role of nature in tackling the climate crisis and the importance of engaging, understanding and preserving different cultural relationships to our environment. This week's music comes from a wonderful artist called Arya with her superb track: "The Art of Letting Go."

NOTES AND RESOURCES

Check out Arya’s “Por Amor De Mi Vida”

WATCH: Zen Rapstars of Plum Village - “Little Star” Performance

SIGN UP: Donna Grantis' Culture vs Policy Email List (scroll down to bottom of the page to enter your email) 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

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Bonus: From Action to Empathy to Impact May 08, 2023

Show notes

Okezue Bell, a high school senior, activist and a social entrepreneur, is the co-founder of Fidutam, a SIM card based application that provides microloans to low infrastructure and unbanked communities, and the co-inventor of something called WeArm, which is a low cost 3D printed human like prosthetic arm for below the elbow amputees.

Christiana and Tom caught up with him to hear more about his work in the climate space, how he views the current situation and his ideas for a clear solution driven approach to tackling the climate crisis.

Notes

Okezue Bell

LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter| Website

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

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