Listen, Read, Watch: Getting informed about the Climate Crisis
By Katie Boyle, Account Director &Smyth
In addition to our ‘A-Z of Climate Resources’, we have curated a selection of content that explores the climate crisis in clear, helpful and hopeful ways. Whether you prefer to listen, read or watch we have pulled short and longer-form items so that it can fit into your day whether on the move, at home or in the office!
LISTEN
BBC Sounds ‘Rethink Climate’ - This digestible 5-part series covers Leadership, Green Technology and Innovation, Green economy, Money and Prosperity, Behaviour and Communication, Pledges and Progress.
BBC The Climate Question - Answering climate-specific questions in each episode, this podcast covers queries such as how to speak to a climate denier, do climate protests work, and what should Africa do with its fossil fuel reserves among a whole host of other pressing issues.
Better World Podcast - This podcast by Henry Lihn and Max Moinian provides listeners with steps that can be taken to create real change in the world, as well as highlighting products that create and support a better world.
Doc Society Mother’s of Invention - This climate podcast with Mary Robinson and Maeve Higgins ran from 2018-2020 and explored how Climate change is a ‘man-made problem with a feminist solution’, interviewing game-changing women that are working to address the climate crisis.
Gimlet ‘How to Save a Planet’ - This climate podcast focuses on actionable solutions to take away the overwhelming feeling often associated with the climate crisis. Its Instagram has handy guides to the actions mentioned in the series too.
Extinction Rebellion ‘Climate Change for Beginners - an Extinction Rebellion Podcast’ - This podcast series ended in 2022 however its bitesize episodes (-10 mins) take climate terminology and pertinent issues and break them down into simple, understandable terms.
Living Change: A Quest for Climate Leadership - A podcast about corporate sustainability and climate leadership hosted by Andrea Learned, an experienced sustainability advisor and communications strategist. Interview-led new series with special guests at leadership levels.
Yale Climate Connections - Short on time? This is the climate podcast for you! In 90 seconds, Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz of Yale University shares inspiring stories of hope about the climate crisis. Episodes are released daily.
The Climate Alarm Clock Podcast - This weekly podcast hosted by Darragh Wynne, Ciara Daly and Anna Pringle features climate news, interviews with experts and science and policy explainers.
RTE Lyric FM ‘Where Life Sounds Greener’ - Listen to ecologists, environmentalists and creatives share their nature projects in this new series.
Conversation Beneath the Trees - Good news stories about combining forestry with farming can result in enhanced food security, water quality, animal health, biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
The Business Post Five Degrees of Change - Hosted by Policy Correspondent Daniel Murray, this multi-season podcast interviews guests working in the areas of ESG, discussing what businesses can do for climate action and to effect change.
READ
Greta Thunberg – The Climate Book
Project Drawdown – Drawdown, The Book
Naomi Klein - On Fire: The Case for a Green New Deal
Naomi Klein – How to Change Everything (suitable for younger readers)
Naomi Klein - This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs the Climate
Solitaire Townsend – The Solutionists: How Businesses can Fix the Future
Dr. Tara Shine – How to Save your Planet One Object at a Time
Colm O’ Regan – Climate worrier: A Hypocrite’s Guide to Saving the Planet
Elizabeth Kolbert - H is for Hope: Climate change from A-Z
Hannah Ritchie - Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet
Michael E Mann - The New Climate War
Mary Robinson - Climate Justice
Christina Limpert - Words of change: Climate
Georgina Stevens - Climate Action: The future is in our hands
Eleanor Ross - Communicating Climate: How to transmit your climate message and avoid greenwashing
Need more inspiration? Future Earth Catalog collates its own Good Reads list of climate-related books, check that out here for even more ideas!
Anthropocene Magazine - From Future Earth, this publication is the first of its kind to focus specifically on the Anthropocene, the current epoch which is named after humanity’s influence on the globe. Its mission is to bring together the world’s most creative writers, designers, scientists, and entrepreneurs to explore how we can create a sustainable human age we actually want to live in. Read the digital version here.
Andrea Learned ‘Climate Influence’ - Curated climate insights aimed at leaders (not consumers). Sign up for the newsletter or read Andrea’s articles on-site.
Covering Climate Now (CCNow) - CCNow collaborates with journalists and newsrooms to produce more informed and urgent climate stories, to make climate a part of every beat in the newsroom. Founded in 2019, it now boasts +460 partners across some of the world’s biggest news agencies e.g. Reuters, Bloomberg, Agent France Presse. This site has up to date articles, resources, newsletters which are free to access and additional features for working journalists too.
The Climate Reality Project – Is a non-profit organisation founded by former US Vice President Al Gore for education and advocacy on the climate crisis. Check out its blog here for written content on climate and policy news.
Project Dandelion - is a women-led campaign for social justice that is co-founded by Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland
and Chair, The Elders. In a series of articles, videos and other resources, learn how the climate crisis disproportionately impacts women and girls.
New Zero World in partnership with Global Commons Alliance have launched a white paper ‘A New Era in Climate Communications’
WATCH
Rising Tides: Ireland’s Future in a Warmer World - Broadcaster Phillip Boucher Hayes explores how climate change is already affecting the world and to find out what it means for us in Ireland in this limited series produced by Earth Horizon for RTÉ 1.
Earthrise studio ‘The Breakdown’ - A 5-part mini series (All episodes sub-10 minutes) breaking down the key components of the Climate Crisis into accessible shorts. Watch here.
The Eco-Creators Helping The Climate Through Social Media – this short Ted talk by Zahra Biabani dives into the role eco-creators on Tik Tok play in spreading hope and action.
Are Ad Agencies, PR Firms and Lobbyists Destroying the Climate? – This stirring Ted Talk by Futerra founder Solitaire Townsend looks at the “X industry” where x = influence, to highlight the pivotal role that professional services have in furthering the climate crisis to resolution.
TED Countdown presents ‘In the Green: The Business of Climate’ - The Business of Climate Action’, a 6-part series featuring senior business leaders that discuss tangible climate actions being implemented to progress how businesses can address the climate crisis in measurable ways.
Adam McKay - Don’t Look Up – For when you feel like watching something a bit more long-form and dramatised, this cutting satire has an all-star cast that doesn’t disappoint.
Have suggestions of your own? We would love to hear what you think is missing from the list!