I was recently a guest on My Climate Journey, a podcast that features various climate types discussing how they got where they are and how they currently think about the climate crisis. Host Jason Jacobs and I had a fun conversation about my road into journalism and how my views on various perennial climate debates — optimism versus pessimism, green growth versus degrowth, technocracy versus spiritual change — have changed over the years.
Your point about liking stories of dedicated people working to solve discrete problems is just so great. Not only do I like them a lot, but they have real impact! They might even be causing some "revolutions in consciousness".
My uncle is a right of center guy, but he's a gearhead, and the story of instant torque got him to buy a Tesla. Absolutely not a thing I would've predicted before. I sent him your interview with the scientist working on advanced geothermal and thought it was very cool. And then I pointed him to the Ramez Naam post about the fast decline of the cost of solar with deployment. He now thinks the government investing money to scale up these potential resources is good (not a waste of taxpayer dollars)! Enough of these little stories pile-up and I think I've got at least one consciousness revolutionized.
Dave, I’ve been reading your stuff since the Grist days and have always enjoyed your personal writing style and take on climate stories. Your origin story that you share in this podcast makes clear where that perspective comes from. You are able and willing to articulate the big, complex, human picture like only a few others and that elevates you to one of today’s few essential voices.
It's curious that you seem to think that the climate issue is separate from environmentalism and that you (because you like cities & people) are not an environmentalist. I and my wife sold our house (of 27 yrs) in the country in 2016 and moved into the city. I am & have been an environmental activist for over 30 years and believe there isn't any other environmental issue more important than global warming. To me the most important thing about environmental protection and the climate isn't about saving butterflies & bears. It's about saving my grandson.
This was a fantastic podcast. There were a lot of things that helped me clarify my own thinking/approach, including letting go (a bit) from how to live my life in this society while taking climate seriously.
Made me realize I needed to update my payment info too - it had changed and I wasn't paying, but I realized how worth it to me this is.
Great insights. This really helped in understanding your framing; I found myself nodding along in agreement.
The Carbon problem cannot be “solved” with one policy, the movement has to be build brick by brick, fantastic enlightenment can’t be a critical dependency, the fossil fuel industry is a capitalist endeavor and subject to those rule sets, performance virtue is irrelevant as an economic force, solutions are possible but are done by real people and there are lots of them. I’m actually reassured you said the things that are unpopular to say. I’ve also been reading and listening since your grist days.
Your point about liking stories of dedicated people working to solve discrete problems is just so great. Not only do I like them a lot, but they have real impact! They might even be causing some "revolutions in consciousness".
My uncle is a right of center guy, but he's a gearhead, and the story of instant torque got him to buy a Tesla. Absolutely not a thing I would've predicted before. I sent him your interview with the scientist working on advanced geothermal and thought it was very cool. And then I pointed him to the Ramez Naam post about the fast decline of the cost of solar with deployment. He now thinks the government investing money to scale up these potential resources is good (not a waste of taxpayer dollars)! Enough of these little stories pile-up and I think I've got at least one consciousness revolutionized.
Dave, I’ve been reading your stuff since the Grist days and have always enjoyed your personal writing style and take on climate stories. Your origin story that you share in this podcast makes clear where that perspective comes from. You are able and willing to articulate the big, complex, human picture like only a few others and that elevates you to one of today’s few essential voices.
It's curious that you seem to think that the climate issue is separate from environmentalism and that you (because you like cities & people) are not an environmentalist. I and my wife sold our house (of 27 yrs) in the country in 2016 and moved into the city. I am & have been an environmental activist for over 30 years and believe there isn't any other environmental issue more important than global warming. To me the most important thing about environmental protection and the climate isn't about saving butterflies & bears. It's about saving my grandson.
Bob Egbert
Roanoke, Va.
It was a pleasure to have you on the pod! Thanks for sharing.
This was a fantastic podcast. There were a lot of things that helped me clarify my own thinking/approach, including letting go (a bit) from how to live my life in this society while taking climate seriously.
Made me realize I needed to update my payment info too - it had changed and I wasn't paying, but I realized how worth it to me this is.
Great insights. This really helped in understanding your framing; I found myself nodding along in agreement.
The Carbon problem cannot be “solved” with one policy, the movement has to be build brick by brick, fantastic enlightenment can’t be a critical dependency, the fossil fuel industry is a capitalist endeavor and subject to those rule sets, performance virtue is irrelevant as an economic force, solutions are possible but are done by real people and there are lots of them. I’m actually reassured you said the things that are unpopular to say. I’ve also been reading and listening since your grist days.