Category Archives: Climate Curious

What farmers in India are doing to protect their crops from heat waves

A greenhouse-in-a-box is helping small-scale farmers yield more dependable and successful crops in India, thanks to TED Fellow and green farming innovator, Sathya Raghu Mokkapati. A story of equity and climate justice in action, this week’s uplifting Climate Curious by TEDxLondon is a celebration of how an easy-to-build, low-cost structure is helping farmers earn an extra $100 per month in profits. Tune in with co-hosts Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst live from TED Countdown to learn about why farmers in India perceive climate change as an act of God, how practical and simple solutions can sometimes be the best, and how Sathya hopes to reach 100,000 farmers in the next five years.

Read the summary blog to get the highlights: https://tedxlondon.com/podcast/climate-curious-what-farmers-in-india-are-doing-to-protect-their-crops-from-heat-waves/

Climate Quickie: Why guilt and shame don’t drive climate action

Why the blame game won’t work in climate and what to say instead, with atmospheric scientist, author, TED speaker and one of TIME’s 100 most influential people, Katharine Hayhoe.

Enjoyed this quickie? Listen to our full-length chat with Katharine on why talking is the most important thing you can do to fight climate change: https://tedxlondon.com/podcast/climate-curious-why-talking-is-the-most-important-thing-you-can-do-to-fight-climate-change/

How climate tech got its sexy back

Wanna make big bucks? Invest in climate positive companies, says Silicon Valley climate tech investor, Gabriel Kra, on the latest episode of Climate Curious by TEDxLondon. Once seen as lame, low return investment options, climate tech companies are having a major comeback. So much so, that they’re now the highest return businesses to invest in – let’s get that moolah! Tune in with co-hosts Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst live from TED Countdown to smash through the fossil fuel investing myth, learn how we’re all affected by it (hint – your pension), and why Gabriel believes this is “the greatest business opportunity of our generation.”

Read the summary blog to get the highlights: https://tedxlondon.com/podcast/climate-curious-how-climate-tech-got-its-sexy-back/

Watch Gabriel’s TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/gabriel_kra_5_promising_factors_propelling_climate_action

Why talking is the most important thing you can do to fight climate change

How to fix climate change? Start by having a good old chit chat about it, says atmospheric scientist, author, TED speaker and one of TIME’s 100 most influential people, Katharine Hayhoe. Tune in to the latest episode of Climate Curious by TEDxLondon to discover actionable tools to having a productive chinwag about climate change, which she tells us is really as simple as one, two, three… connect, bond, and inspire. From avoiding gloom and doom facts, to simply leaving the climate deniers behind, this episode with co-hosts Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst will equip you with buckets of hope and healing! As Katharine puts it, “talking catalyses action – it’s the first domino that then leads us all the way to a better future.”

Learn more: https://tedxlondon.com/podcast/climate-curious-why-talking-is-the-most-important-thing-you-can-do-to-fight-climate-change/

Why oceans are heroes, not victims

“We’ve just been talking about the ocean as a victim, but I believe that it’s part of the solution,” says ocean adviser for the UN, Susan Ruffo, on the latest episode of Climate Curious by TEDxLondon. They provide half of the oxygen we breathe, absorb almost a third of the world’s carbon and cover 71% of the planet. But, Susan argues, oceans get surprisingly little air time in the climate conversation. And given how many solutions its unexplored depths might provide to climate problems – that needs to change. Tune in with co-hosts Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst live from TED Countdown to learn about why we must think of the ocean differently, what changing the chemistry of the ocean means for the creatures living in it, how oyster reefs are being used to reduce the threat of flooding and more.

Learn more: https://tedxlondon.com/podcast/climate-curious-why-oceans-are-heroes-not-victims/

Why the climate crisis is a health crisis

“It’s impossible to have healthy people on a sick planet,” says climate and health campaigner Shweta Narayan, on the latest episode of Climate Curious by TEDxLondon. Shweta introduces a new perspective: by viewing climate change through the lens of the Hippocratic Oath — an ancient set of ethical standards sworn by physicians (and no, it has nothing to do with hippos!)— every person has a role to play in the climate fight. Tune in with co-hosts Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst live from TED Countdown to learn about why how we must focus on “first doing no harm” before anything else, how we cannot put a cost on our ability to simply breathe clean air, and how her four dogs are her secret weapon to avoiding eco-burnout.

Learn more: https://tedxlondon.com/podcast/climate-curious-why-the-climate-crisis-is-a-health-crisis/

Watch Shweta’s TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/shweta_narayan_it_s_impossible_to_have_healthy_people_on_a_sick_planet

How seaweed reduces cow burps

Gassy cows no more – Ermias Kebreab, animal scientist and TED speaker shares how feeding cows seaweed reduces their methane filled burps on the latest episode of the Climate Curious podcast by TEDxLondon. Tune in with Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst live from TED Countdown to learn why stopping eating meat and dairy is not an option for most people in the world, how approaching food with a different sort of sustainability mindset is key, and why we already have the solutions we need – it’s right there, in that slimy smelly stuff wrapped around our ankles at the beach – seaweed! As this visionary Burger King puts it, “it’s a win, win, win situation.” Even Ben says he’s “feeling really, really, really encouraged.” Kerching! We’ve hit the climate jackpot this week.

Climate Quickie: How to prevent climate activism burnout

If you want to look after the planet, first of all, you need to look after yourself. We catch up with anti-fossil fuel environmental campaigner, Tzeporah Berman, on how to take care of your mental health, when it feels like the world is literally crumbling!

Enjoyed this quickie? Listen to our full-length chat with Tzeporah on why fossil fuels are the weapons of mass destruction – everyone has them, but nobody needs them: https://tedxlondon.com/podcast/climate-curious-why-fossil-fuels-are-the-new-weapons-of-mass-destruction/

Why climate has a youthwashing problem

Youthwashing is the latest corporate eco marketing strategy. But young climate activists aren’t falling for it, says environmental educator Isaias Hernandez, aka @QueerBrownVegan on the latest episode of the Climate Curious podcast by TEDxLondon. In a bid to try and clean up their image, multinational businesses (usually with a vested interest in fossil fuels), feature WAY too many young faces in their ads… and we’re over it. In this chat with co-hosts Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst, learn what institutionalised racism feels like in the climate movement (from someone on the inside), why we need to push for multigenerational wisdom as opposed to piling the pressure on young people to save the world, and how foraging for mushrooms is the perfect eco self-care activity to try today. Tune in to learn why climate has a #youthwashing problem.

Learn more: https://tedxlondon.com/podcast/climate-curious-why-climate-has-a-youthwashing-problem/

Check out Isaias’ page, @queerbrownvegan: https://queerbrownvegan.com/

How cities are redefining what it means to be green

Cities — if they are designed to be sustainable, equitable and joyous — are the best hope for humanity, says architect, author and TED speaker, Vishaan Chakrabarti, on the latest episode of TEDxLondon’s Climate Curious. This self-confessed city-lover aka ‘Professor Skyscraper’ is putting the joy back into our cities by designing communities that are cheaper to live in, easier to get around, and offer more collective, inter-generational and diverse living. Vishaan shares his vision for changing the narrative when it comes to ‘green cities’ – think less urban parks and more clean electrical grids and goldilocks homes – not too big, not too small – just right! Tune in with Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst live from TED Countdown to learn why cities, as Vishaan puts it, are a bit like acupuncture; “a small move can make a really big difference.”

Read more: https://tedxlondon.com/podcast/climate-curious-how-cities-are-redefining-what-it-means-to-be-green/

Watch Vishaan’s TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/vishaan_chakrabarti_a_vision_of_sustainable_housing_for_all_of_humanity