Talking About Climate Change During the Holiday Season

Speaker: 00:00:01

Hi, I'm Christina.

2

: 00:00:02

I'm from Prague.

3

: 00:00:04

Hi, I'm Jen, and I'm from Canada.

4

: 00:00:06

Hi, I'm Oladunji, and I'm from Nigeria.

5

: 00:00:10

Hello, I'm Liki, and I live in Paris.

6

: 00:00:13

Hi, I'm Brian, and I'm from New York.

7

: 00:00:15

Welcome to Carbon Sessions, a podcast with

Carbon Conversations for every day, with

8

: 00:00:23

everyone, from everywhere in the world.

9

: 00:00:26

In our conversations, we share ideas.

10

: 00:00:28

Perspectives, questions, and things we

can actually do to make a difference.

11

: 00:00:33

So don't be shy and join our Carbon

Sessions because it's not too late.

12

: 00:00:42

I'm Nikki.

13

: 00:00:43

Hi, I'm Christina.

14

: 00:00:44

Hi, I'm Jen.

15

: 00:00:46

Today is December 1st, the first day

of December and year end holidays or

16

: 00:00:52

the festive season is approaching.

17

: 00:00:55

And we're going to meet a lot of

people, friends, family, there will be

18

: 00:01:01

a lot of gatherings around and we keep

saying on this podcast and during our

19

: 00:01:07

conversations is that we need to talk

about climate change and I think that

20

: 00:01:13

the holiday season, the festive season

is a great opportunity to do that.

21

: 00:01:18

You know, to talk about climate change,

I don't know how to start because there's

22

: 00:01:23

always people that you haven't seen for

a long time, they will say, so what's up?

23

: 00:01:29

I don't know about you, but

you know, I'm kind of annoying

24

: 00:01:32

when people say, Oh, what's up?

25

: 00:01:34

And so.

26

: 00:01:35

You could say the

temperature of the earth.

27

: 00:01:39

We can start with that.

28

: 00:01:44

So when you meet someone you haven't

seen in a while and say, Oh, what's up?

29

: 00:01:49

What's your answer?

30

: 00:01:52

That's a good start.

31

: 00:01:54

Sea levels?

32

: 00:01:58

Blood pressure?

33

: 00:01:59

Anxiety.

34

: 00:02:04

Um, yeah, well, I'm not sure that it is

a good angle to approach that because,

35

: 00:02:13

because we're supposed to have fun, you

know, to enjoy the company of each other.

36

: 00:02:18

And so it, I don't think

it's a great way to.

37

: 00:02:22

Create more anxiety,

you're supposed to relax.

38

: 00:02:25

So are you saying we shouldn't talk

about it at our holiday tables, or, um?

39

: 00:02:30

No, that's not what I'm saying.

40

: 00:02:32

No?

41

: 00:02:33

No, I'm saying that, you know, what

Christina said before about, you know,

42

: 00:02:37

connection, maybe we can start with that,

you know, because, uh, what I, noticed

43

: 00:02:42

around, like, you know, everywhere in

the media and in social media is that the

44

: 00:02:46

world has become more and more divisive.

45

: 00:02:48

And so maybe, you know, Christina

can share a little bit of wisdom.

46

: 00:02:53

Yeah.

47

: 00:02:53

When we connect with people we know

and our family, uh, I guess all the

48

: 00:03:00

movements started with one, two people,

small group, and then it spread.

49

: 00:03:07

And so, without that connection, it's

really hard to Uh, talk about any

50

: 00:03:14

kind of emotional and heart issue.

51

: 00:03:19

So my suggestion for, uh, the

holidays is choose your priorities

52

: 00:03:26

and first connect and see people

and listen to people and be patient.

53

: 00:03:32

And uh, And maybe ask questions about

what they enjoyed last year or how was it

54

: 00:03:43

different compared to a year before that.

55

: 00:03:47

And there's a lot of changes in 2023.

56

: 00:03:50

So, uh, I would suggest, yeah, I think

that's what I'm going to try to connect.

57

: 00:03:56

And, uh, even though people,

different ages, maybe older people

58

: 00:04:02

asking them, Hey, how was it?

59

: 00:04:05

When you were growing up and what

was different with your grandparents?

60

: 00:04:11

So some kind of questions that are

not that divisive and more be curious.

61

: 00:04:17

So that would be my suggestion.

62

: 00:04:19

And by the way, it's really

interesting, and there is a climate

63

: 00:04:24

change conference going on right now.

64

: 00:04:28

Hopefully everybody starts talking

about it, and hopefully they'll

65

: 00:04:31

connect and start making some.

66

: 00:04:34

Changes.

67

: 00:04:36

What do you guys think?

68

: 00:04:38

I love your, your curiosity.

69

: 00:04:40

That's such a good tool.

70

: 00:04:42

That's such a good communication

tool in general, but it's a really

71

: 00:04:46

good way to invite conversation

without sounding judgmental, you

72

: 00:04:52

know, like, tell me more about that.

73

: 00:04:54

I'm interested in that.

74

: 00:04:56

You know, that kind of thing.

75

: 00:04:57

Yeah.

76

: 00:05:00

Go into the joys, not into

the fears and frustrations.

77

: 00:05:05

Even though it's hard, but, uh,

hopefully we're just all people.

78

: 00:05:10

We want to connect and be

together and make things better.

79

: 00:05:14

Yeah.

80

: 00:05:15

And I think it's important to remember

that the goal is not to try to win

81

: 00:05:22

the argument, to win the conversation,

and to prove that we're right.

82

: 00:05:26

Because I think that we all come from

different places, uh, with a different set

83

: 00:05:33

of values and have different priorities in

life, and we cannot agree on everything.

84

: 00:05:40

But there are some things we can agree on.

85

: 00:05:41

And so we can build our conversation

upon that, upon things that we agree.

86

: 00:05:47

I think this is the power

of doing things together.

87

: 00:05:50

Like, you know, it could be a game,

that could be Preparing food, making

88

: 00:05:55

drinks, and uh, when we're a little bit

relaxed and do things together and then

89

: 00:06:00

um, and then start the conversation.

90

: 00:06:02

Oh!

91

: 00:06:04

That is We have a, actually we have a,

we can listen to podcasts as well because

92

: 00:06:09

we have, now we have a, um, library of

over 150 episodes of Carbon Sessions.

93

: 00:06:20

And I'm sure that there is one

episode for everybody, you know,

94

: 00:06:25

there's conversation for everybody.

95

: 00:06:27

So I think, yeah, one thing with

that, uh, if you, you know, if you

96

: 00:06:31

have someone say, Oh, yo, what's up?

97

: 00:06:34

Oh, um, I'm a host on the

podcast on climate change.

98

: 00:06:38

Um, so what you're interested and then

you can promote the podcast and say, okay,

99

: 00:06:42

well, we can listen to this together and

then, uh, and then start a conversation.

100

: 00:06:47

Well, and, you know, we always welcome

guests and people to ask questions, so

101

: 00:06:53

people listening to this could also reach

out to us and let us know that, you know,

102

: 00:07:00

you have a question or you have an idea

or you have some expertise in an area.

103

: 00:07:06

And then that's another way to say,

Hey, I was on this podcast recently.

104

: 00:07:11

Yeah.

105

: 00:07:11

Or the question I had was

featured on this podcast recently.

106

: 00:07:15

And, uh, we always welcome

that kind of thing.

107

: 00:07:18

Yeah.

108

: 00:07:20

I think, I think the key is to meet

people where they are and be curious,

109

: 00:07:25

be open and ask questions, uh,

because we're not experts and even

110

: 00:07:31

experts, they ask a lot of questions.

111

: 00:07:34

That's what makes them experts.

112

: 00:07:35

Yeah, because they ask the right

questions, because I was listening to a

113

: 00:07:40

podcast on, um, a science communicator who

was explaining the scientific approach.

114

: 00:07:48

And what he said is that science

is the best knowledge that

115

: 00:07:54

we get at this point of time.

116

: 00:07:56

But as soon as we get something, a

scientist gets a proof of something,

117

: 00:08:02

that would trigger 10 other questions,

because It's not like the end of

118

: 00:08:06

the world that we prove something.

119

: 00:08:08

What makes science progress is

to constantly asking questions.

120

: 00:08:12

So that's why I think, you know, asking

questions as, um, and be curious.

121

: 00:08:16

It's a very, very, very strong way to,

uh, to make the conversation progress.

122

: 00:08:22

Yeah.

123

: 00:08:23

And to learn.

124

: 00:08:25

And maybe also be in that between space.

125

: 00:08:29

Where we didn't solve it, there is

a question hanging above the table.

126

: 00:08:34

And see what everybody's

idea of a certain thing is.

127

: 00:08:39

Ooh, that would be interesting

and ask everybody how they

128

: 00:08:44

understand the climate change.

129

: 00:08:45

What is it for them?

130

: 00:08:48

For me, the big aha was when, uh, I

listened to scientists doing some research

131

: 00:08:53

in North Pole and they said, well, before

the weather was steady, now, uh, the

132

: 00:08:59

extremes go, you have quick, really cold.

133

: 00:09:03

Few weeks and then hot few weeks in

places where it should be cold and

134

: 00:09:08

cold where it should be hot or warm.

135

: 00:09:11

And so it gets, uh, kind of messed up.

136

: 00:09:16

So that's one of my explanation, but it

would be interesting even though it's

137

: 00:09:21

not correct and it's not, uh, proper.

138

: 00:09:25

It would be interesting what other

people really think about this thing

139

: 00:09:30

that's One of the things I did this

week is I It was on the news that a

140

: 00:09:37

year ago this past Wednesday, we had a

flash snowstorm that shut down bridges

141

: 00:09:44

and there were, there were videos of

buses sliding backwards, downhills.

142

: 00:09:49

And it was just, it was, I remember people

being stuck in their cars for five, six

143

: 00:09:53

hours because they couldn't go anywhere.

144

: 00:09:56

And I forgot that it was.

145

: 00:09:58

It was a year ago and you know,

today it's three degrees and

146

: 00:10:03

it's raining, um, which is very

different than how it was last year.

147

: 00:10:09

But even that, you know, if you

had a significant situation, you

148

: 00:10:14

could say, remember when, remember

when that happened, you know?

149

: 00:10:19

I think also Christina, your work

with ConnectedDot is very important.

150

: 00:10:25

Uh, because sometimes we

tend to feel disconnected, so

151

: 00:10:30

disconnected with climate change.

152

: 00:10:33

You know, it's, it's happening there,

you know, it's, it's not me, it's them.

153

: 00:10:38

But actually A lot of things

are connected, so maybe you can

154

: 00:10:41

explain a little bit, you know, the

concept of connected dots and how

155

: 00:10:45

the whole thing ties in together.

156

: 00:10:48

Yeah, in the, in our

website, the CarbonAlmanac.

157

: 00:10:52

com, we have a piece that calls

Connect the Dots, and we put together

158

: 00:11:01

many pieces from the book, many

ideas, which looked very separate.

159

: 00:11:10

But they were all connected.

160

: 00:11:12

So for example, the connection

between the soil and, uh, between,

161

: 00:11:19

uh, clothing industry and, uh, between

the food, how far it comes from.

162

: 00:11:29

Also, there is a beautiful map that

you can push on one thing you might

163

: 00:11:35

be familiar and it will show you many,

many connections to everything else.

164

: 00:11:42

So it's, uh, yeah, it's to seeing

that we're not separate, whatever

165

: 00:11:47

we do, whatever decisions we make.

166

: 00:11:49

Let, let's say if we, if I go shopping

and decide to go to a certain store or

167

: 00:11:55

buy a certain thing, that thing came

on a truck from certain country or it

168

: 00:12:04

came, it was walked in from the farm.

169

: 00:12:07

into the square.

170

: 00:12:09

So there are all these connections,

how it kind of multiplies.

171

: 00:12:17

It's not only the using the

gas, but it's also using, uh,

172

: 00:12:23

people that working over time.

173

: 00:12:27

So the connection is not only

to CO2, to oil, but also how we,

174

: 00:12:36

uh, how we are towards earth.

175

: 00:12:39

The renewables, and how we

act towards other people.

176

: 00:12:43

Do we really want them to be in the

stores working for us on Sundays?

177

: 00:12:49

Or at 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock at night?

178

: 00:12:52

And I think all these connections are

in a way connected to climate change.

179

: 00:12:58

Because we stopped caring.

180

: 00:13:00

Or we started caring

about different things.

181

: 00:13:02

Yeah.

182

: 00:13:05

I think that very often we do

not necessarily do the right

183

: 00:13:08

thing because we just don't know.

184

: 00:13:10

We don't know how to connect the dots.

185

: 00:13:13

We don't know where the dots connect.

186

: 00:13:15

And so that's why we don't

necessarily have the good behavior.

187

: 00:13:23

Yeah, and that's one thing.

188

: 00:13:26

really passionate about, about the

information and sharing information.

189

: 00:13:31

And one thing that really started me

was when I was in Montana, I was really

190

: 00:13:41

frustrated with some government decisions.

191

: 00:13:44

So I went to the Capitol.

192

: 00:13:47

And ask the secretary of the governor

and said, look, people in my neighborhood

193

: 00:13:52

have problems and it's not working.

194

: 00:13:55

How come these decisions are not made?

195

: 00:13:59

And he said, do you know that you need

only a hundred people to get together

196

: 00:14:05

a hundred people, and that's when we'll

start listening and that's so easy.

197

: 00:14:12

Or writing letters to, uh.

198

: 00:14:16

Congressmen and all this thing, but

just a hundred people is not that

199

: 00:14:20

hard and that's starting changing

things on the government level.

200

: 00:14:26

I think it's possible, but I think

people start have to talking to

201

: 00:14:32

other people, not only looking at the

internet, but just go walking into

202

: 00:14:36

the office and ask people around.

203

: 00:14:39

What are you using?

204

: 00:14:41

That's a really, really good point.

205

: 00:14:43

I recently heard that writing a

letter, like a proper letter, not

206

: 00:14:47

an email, uh, but a proper letter to

government, they have to deal with it.

207

: 00:14:54

They have to then do something with it.

208

: 00:14:56

They can't just delete it or

set it aside or ignore it.

209

: 00:15:01

It has to then be dealt with and

there's so much more power in a

210

: 00:15:06

written letter, even from one person.

211

: 00:15:10

Than we, we probably even think.

212

: 00:15:13

Wow.

213

: 00:15:14

Yeah.

214

: 00:15:15

How is it in France, Leakey?

215

: 00:15:18

Oh, yeah, um, it's the same thing.

216

: 00:15:21

I write a lot.

217

: 00:15:24

When I'm not happy about something,

I write to my municipality,

218

: 00:15:29

to my local government.

219

: 00:15:30

Yeah.

220

: 00:15:32

Real, real snail mail.

221

: 00:15:33

And, um, and, you know, we don't get

so many snail mails these days, so

222

: 00:15:38

it's, uh, it's on the top of the pile.

223

: 00:15:41

Yeah.

224

: 00:15:41

Cool.

225

: 00:15:42

Yeah, but going back to, you know,

um, not knowing things, I think it's

226

: 00:15:47

very, very important also to freeze our

knowledge, our level of understanding

227

: 00:15:54

of how things interact with each other,

what the mechanism behind climate change,

228

: 00:16:01

otherwise it will be very easy for us

to be manipulated, to be greenwashed.

229

: 00:16:07

So that is, um, something

that is important.

230

: 00:16:10

So I think these conversations help,

our podcasts help, because that shows

231

: 00:16:17

in our podcast we acknowledge the fact

that we don't know a lot of things,

232

: 00:16:21

but we're still trying to figure out.

233

: 00:16:23

But also there's um, there's our book,

The Carbon Almanac, which has a lot

234

: 00:16:29

of resources to get a very good layer

of understanding of the mechanism

235

: 00:16:35

of the climate change behind the

underlying, uh, the climate change.

236

: 00:16:40

How we got here and how we can solve this

mess we're in because there are solutions.

237

: 00:16:47

That would be such a good Christmas gift.

238

: 00:16:50

Oh, yes

239

: 00:16:54

And Because you can pick it up and open it

to any page and find a complete thought a

240

: 00:17:01

complete you know, topic, you could have

it lying around when you have gatherings.

241

: 00:17:07

Yes.

242

: 00:17:08

And you could have it on.

243

: 00:17:09

I'm going to do that.

244

: 00:17:11

I'm going to pull mine out and

put it out on the coffee table.

245

: 00:17:14

And then, yeah, people might get curious

and pick it up and start looking at it.

246

: 00:17:19

And Hey, did you know this?

247

: 00:17:22

You can look smart in the book.

248

: 00:17:27

And then of course I didn't like

it and said, Oh, did you know this?

249

: 00:17:31

And there are funny cartoons in

it too, so it's not just serious.

250

: 00:17:36

Oh, and there's pictures

and, and statistics and

251

: 00:17:39

other people can pick it up.

252

: 00:17:41

It doesn't always have to be us or you, it

could be your friends or your family could

253

: 00:17:46

pick it up and say, Hey, look at this.

254

: 00:17:50

You could plant it, plant it in your

living room or your dining room.

255

: 00:17:57

And it would make a good gift.

256

: 00:17:58

It would make a good gift and

a good conversation starter.

257

: 00:18:02

As well.

258

: 00:18:02

And there's also the kids,

the kids' resource, the kids'

259

: 00:18:05

book, which is all, yeah.

260

: 00:18:08

Yeah.

261

: 00:18:09

That's fantastic.

262

: 00:18:10

Actually, I think I'm gonna order

some kids one and, uh, if we, if the

263

: 00:18:16

people that, um, that don't agree,

well, we can all always check the

264

: 00:18:20

resources because there's, everything

is noted and, uh, that's right.

265

: 00:18:25

We can look it up straight away.

266

: 00:18:28

And don't forget, the

kids' book is for free.

267

: 00:18:32

You don't have to buy the kid's

book, Carbon Almanac kid's book.

268

: 00:18:36

You can just print it or go to somewhere

where they get, well, print it and bind

269

: 00:18:42

it for you and you get a free gift.

270

: 00:18:46

That's true.

271

: 00:18:48

That's true.

272

: 00:18:49

There you go.

273

: 00:18:49

We just made a plug.

274

: 00:18:51

And one thing to know about the Carbon

Almanac is it's not a profit organization.

275

: 00:18:57

So all of the money that's made from

the sale of all of the books goes

276

: 00:19:02

back into spreading the message.

277

: 00:19:05

So, um, You know, we're all volunteers.

278

: 00:19:10

Yeah.

279

: 00:19:10

We, you know, we do pay for, for platforms

and that kind of thing, but above all the

280

: 00:19:17

proceeds from everything that we do at

the Carbon Almanac goes back into sharing

281

: 00:19:22

the message and getting it out there.

282

: 00:19:23

So we've given books away to libraries

and to government officials and

283

: 00:19:28

to schools and all over the place.

284

: 00:19:31

And there are hundreds.

285

: 00:19:33

literally hundreds of people

volunteering their time and their

286

: 00:19:37

expertise working on this project.

287

: 00:19:38

So you can always jump in.

288

: 00:19:41

Yeah.

289

: 00:19:41

And there is a Spanish book for

free, Spanish carbon almanac.

290

: 00:19:45

You can download it for

free on this from the site.

291

: 00:19:49

So I think, yeah, if you

go to the carbonalmanac.

292

: 00:19:52

org, there's a lot of stuff.

293

: 00:19:55

There's the, you know, you can download

books for free, the Spanish version,

294

: 00:19:58

the, uh, the kids version in, I

don't even, I didn't, I stopped , uh,

295

: 00:20:03

keeping count of the numbers of

translations that there are on the

296

: 00:20:07

kids book that you can just print out.

297

: 00:20:10

There's the, um, the connected dot.

298

: 00:20:13

There's.

299

: 00:20:14

All these podcasts and, um, wow.

300

: 00:20:18

There's a teacher guide, isn't there?

301

: 00:20:20

There's an educator's guide that's free.

302

: 00:20:22

So if you download the children's

book, you can download the

303

: 00:20:26

teacher guide for your classroom

that was created by teachers.

304

: 00:20:31

And the.

305

: 00:20:31

And the photo book as well.

306

: 00:20:33

Wow.

307

: 00:20:33

We nearly forgot that one.

308

: 00:20:38

Lots going on.

309

: 00:20:38

Lots of goodies.

310

: 00:20:40

Lots of goodies.

311

: 00:20:41

So I think, yeah, the main

message is go to thecommonalmanet.

312

: 00:20:46

org and then you got a lot of stuff.

313

: 00:20:49

Um, I don't know that our

conversation will lead us there.

314

: 00:20:54

It's all about connecting.

315

: 00:20:56

Yes.

316

: 00:20:58

Connecting things.

317

: 00:21:00

So That's Karen.

318

: 00:21:02

Sounds good.

319

: 00:21:03

It's not too late.

320

: 00:21:04

Not too late.

321

: 00:21:05

Yeah.

322

: 00:21:06

Bye.

323

: 00:21:07

Be caring.

324

: 00:21:08

Bye.

325

: 00:21:11

You've been listening to Carbon

Sessions, a podcast with carbon

326

: 00:21:15

conversations for every day with

everyone from everywhere in the world.

327

: 00:21:20

We'd love you to join the Carbon

Sessions so you too can share your

328

: 00:21:24

perspectives from wherever you are.

329

: 00:21:26

This is a great way for our community

to learn from your ideas and

330

: 00:21:30

experiences, connect and take action.

331

: 00:21:33

If you want to add your voice to the

conversation, go to the Carbon Almanac.

332

: 00:21:38

Org slash podcast and sign up

to be part of a future episode.

333

: 00:21:44

This podcast is also part of

the Carbon Almanac Network.

334

: 00:21:48

For more information to sign up for

the emails, to join the movement,

335

: 00:21:52

and to order your copy of the Carbon

Almanac, go to the carbon almanac.org.

336

: 00:21:58

Be sure to subscribe and join

us here again, as together

337

: 00:22:01

we can change the world.