The Heating Arctic impacts on countries like UK, Canada and Scandinavia are worsening - Interview with Dr Jennifer Francis

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

#Podcasting Education #Nick Breeze

31:01

National Geographic photographer and conservationist Jaime Rojo has spent decades capturing the beauty and fragility of the monarch butterfly. Their epic migration is one of nature’s most breathtaking spectacles, but their survival is under threat. In this episode, Jaime shares how his passion for photography and conservation led him to document the monarchs’ journey. He and host Brian Lowery discuss the deeper story behind his award-winning images, one about resilience, connection, and the urgent need to protect our natural world. See Jaime's story on the monarch butterflies at his website: rojovisuals.com , and follow Brian Lowery at knowwhatyousee.com .…

about a year ago 25:22

MP3•Episode home

__________________

COP29 in Azerbaijan is now also on the horizon. The world’s largest climate conference is for another consecutive year being hosted in a country with stated aim of increasing production and sales of fossil fuels - the underlying cause of accelerating climate breakdown.

If you want to learn more about the UN’s COP process and why it has failed to deliver the structural changes that could have averted much of the destruction we are currently experiencing, then my book, COPOUT, is available worldwide in paperback and audiobook.

Order 'COPOUT' BY NICK BREEZE

I will be attending COP29 to report both on the lack of progress being made in the official negotiations, while also speaking with attendees on a wide range of related climate topics.

I recently spent 2 weeks in the summer in S. Portugal’s Alentejo region where temperatures regularly surpass 40ºC (104ºF). The climate stripes chart included here, made especially for the project by Climate Stripes creator Professor Ed Hawkins, shows the rising mean temperatures in Evora, in Alentejo, that have become much more pronounced since the 1980’s and will continue to rise. Slight rises in the mean temperature mean increased rises in the mean temperature and increased frequency of extreme temperatures. A signal of testing times ahead.

For the second week of this visit I was joined by world renowned glaciologist and climatologist Professor Jason Box, and Anglo-Chinese author and journalist, Janet Wang. With over 25 interviews recorded, I’ll be releasing a special series titled ‘Into the Heat’ looking at how these communities are adapting to the rising extremes and, as Jason Box says, ‘They are winning in sustainability’. We also discuss the thresholds of viability and why the survival of wine and olive oil producing communities in S Portugal connects to the wellbeing of communities in places like the UK and other parts of N. Europe. Subscribers will get access to additional behind the scenes footage.

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In this interview with Dr Jennifer Francis from the Woodwell Climate Research Centre in the US, we discuss her teams new research into feedbacks from the melting Arctic Ice cap. We also discuss how destructive climate impacts are starting to influence policymaking, albeit with resistance from misinformation campaigns. Finally, we discuss the rise of research into geoengineering and Jennifer’s insights into whether we should deploy risky temporary-techno fixes to buy time, while we wait for structural action at the policy-level to be implemented.

149 episodes

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

The Heating Arctic impacts on countries like UK, Canada and Scandinavia are worsening - Interview with Dr Jennifer Francis

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

__________________

Order 'COPOUT' BY NICK BREEZE

I will be attending COP29 to report both on the lack of progress being made in the official negotiations, while also speaking with attendees on a wide range of related climate topics.

_____

149 episodes

#Podcasting Education #Nick Breeze

כל הפרקים

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
Movie: ‘The Researcher’–Gianluca Grimalda on why activism must be stubborn in the face of resistance 37:51

7 days ago37:51

37:51

In this ClimateGenn episode I speak with Dr Gianluca Grimalda, the researcher who shot into the limelight when he was sacked for refusing to fly back from Papua New Guinea. I met Gianluca at the Films For Future Festival in Zurich where his movie was getting an early screening. He represents a growing number of scientific researchers who are prepared to take action to draw attention to what the science is telling us - namely that we are barreling towards total global climatic disaster. Grimalda is calling for a global strike by scientists in protest of decades of allowing special interests and profits to override what is best for society.The Researcher documentary is now available for streaming and download on platforms including YouTube, Amazon and iTunes.…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
Climate Change Committee Chair - Is the UK ready for extreme climate? 11:29

15 days ago11:29

11:29

In this interview we recorded at COP29, Professor Hugh Hunt speaks with UK Climate Change Committee Chair, Piers Forster. [Order 'COPOUT - How governments have failed the people on climate' by Nick Breeze] Piers clearly asserts that Carbon Capture and Storage technologies (CCS), that are forecast to remove emissions from so-called hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and steel, will not be enough to offset the damage causing carbon pollution. Whether CCS is viable at any meaningful scale remains highly uncertain. At a time when global heating is accelerating and the destructive impacts, such as fires and floods, are making much of the planet uninsurable, phasing out fossil fuels and reducing carbon pollution has never been a more serious issue. Forster also responds to questions related to Al Gore calling CCS a fraud and whether the UK is anywhere near prepared for the more extreme climate impacts that are coming towards us. The UK must take phasing out fossil fuels and protecting nature seriously, to send a signal that we are truly out of the extractive and destructive 20th century mindset that has become an existential threat. Thanks for listening. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in UK Decarbonisation Piers Forster confirmed that CCS plays a role in the UK's net-zero strategy, particularly for difficult-to-decarbonise industries and sectors like aviation, which faces major challenges in reducing emissions. He emphasised that "you can't get there all the way with carbon capture and storage," making it clear that reducing emissions must remain the priority. The UK government has earmarked £22 billion for CCS over 25 years, mainly to support two industrial clusters, ensuring a "just transition" without shutting down key industries like Port Talbot and Grangemouth. Response to Al Gore’s Accusation that CCS “… is a fraud!” When asked about Al Gore calling CCS a "fraud," Forster acknowledged concerns, stating, "it depends on the context." He explained that CCS should not be used to justify fossil fuel expansion but should be reserved for sectors with no viable alternatives. "As soon as you say you want to use it for generating electricity, that's not a good use of it at all," he said, advocating for renewables like wind and solar instead. UK Preparedness for Extreme Weather Forster was clear about the UK's lack of readiness: "We are absolutely not prepared. We should be. We are encouraging the government to really think about climate resilience, just as it thinks about reducing its emissions.” He stressed the need for urgent action to protect infrastructure, homes, and lives from increasing climate risks.…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
John D. Liu interview - To survive climate, stop destroying ecological function 32:28

6 weeks ago32:28

32:28

Welcome to this ClimateGenn episode recorded during COP29 in Baku, a conference unashamedly hijacked by the fossil fuel industry. John D. Liu is a renowned ecologist, filmmaker, and environmental advocate. Liu's later career has been dedicated to large-scale ecosystem restoration, emphasising the profound impact of natural regeneration in combating climate change. His pioneering work with the Ecosystem Restoration Camps and his advocacy for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration have made significant contributions to global environmental efforts. This discussion offers profound insights into reimagining our future through the lens of ecological restoration and sustainability. If you are concerned about the future then why not travel with me through every COP conference from COP21 in Paris to COP28 in Dubai, by ordering my book ‘COPOUT - How governments have failed the people on climate’. In COPOUT you’ll gain insights into what actually is going on in these supposed world saving conferences and how we have ended up in this dire era of dangerous consequences. You can order COPOUT via the link in the notes or on any online bookstore worldwide in paperback and audio version. 2025 has opened with terrifying wildfires in Loss Angeles demonstrating that climate catastrophe is not only here but that it is tearing great holes in the fabric of our societies. I will be posting many more interviews and also adding many more archive interviews on key topics to the members area. Thank to you for listening, sharing and also to all subscribers for support. Order COPOUT: https://amzn.to/4gSAU19…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
~50% chance of vital ocean circulation halting this century | AMOC: critical component of Earth’s climate 25:40

6 weeks ago25:40

25:40

As Gabriel says in the interview, if the AMOC collapses then we can expect much harsher weather in Europe (especially in UK & Ireland) as less heat is transported via the Atlantic circulation. Less heat means less moisture leading to less rain and more drought. In these conditions, food production is impossible and, with concurrent food crashes around the globe, famine is likely. What an AMOC collapse means for us all should be understood by citizens and policymakers alike. Averting it, if possible, a primary collective goal. From Climate Genn host Nick Breeze: Welcome to this ClimateGenn Episode. That opening clip was recorded on the Cryosphere Pavilion at COP29 in Baku. It shows IPCC Deputy Chair, Diana Urge-Vorsatz asking Professor Stefan Rahmsdorf about the latest research on the potential halting of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation – known as AMOC – the ocean currents that transport heat from the tropics to the north Atlantic. In this following interview with researcher Gabriel Pontes, we expand on his recent AMOC research and what this means for places like the UK and Ireland, identifying key components of the AMOC puzzle. We also consider whether policymakers should be weighing this kind of climate risk more seriously. If you are interested in how the COPs have been manipulated and rendered unfit for purpose by successive governments then you can order my book ‘COPOUT’ from any online retailer. COPOUT traces my own footsteps documenting the failures that have led us to where we are now in the era of severe consequences. In the next episode I speak with Camilla Gjerde about her recently published book, Natural Trailblazers, about the authors travels in search of .…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
Should Norway’s Equinor energy company cease new oil and gas production to avoid irreversible climate catastrophe? Ola Elvestuen MP for Oslo is not so sure. 20:41

12 weeks ago20:41

20:41

Welcome to this episode of ClimateGenn recorded at the end of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The question we are putting to Norwegian MP for Oslo, Ola Elvestuen is: Should Norway’s Equinor energy company cease new oil and gas production to avoid irreversible climate catastrophe? A quick note that if you want to come with me into the COPs from COP21 Paris to COP28 in the UAE, meeting lots of experts, and digesting the layers of complexity and eye-popping contradictions, over a beer or glass of wine, then order my book ‘COPOUT - How governments have failed the people on climate’, from any online retailer. COPOUT has been commended as ‘A Must Read’ and ‘Essential Reading’, taking the reader up close to the worlds largest summit to try to change our current disastrous trajectory for climate breakdown. Norwegian fossil energy company, Equinor, formerly Statoil, has been widely criticised for not aligning with the Paris Agreement. Equinor continues to plan for expanded oil and gas production, maintaining a dangerously high 95% reliance of fossil fuel revenue by 2026. Critics argue that Equinor must halt new fossil fuel exploration and stop developing pre-final Investment Decision (FID) projects outside Norway to avoid 67% of emissions from unapproved projects. Equinor’s capital expenditures conflict with essential climate goals, raising concerns about greenwashing and inadequate short-term emission reduction targets. This next excerpt from Professor Kevin Anderson is taken from the last ClimateGenn episode and was recorded the day before this interview with Ola Elvestuen. Thank you for your attention:…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
Professor Kevin Anderson - "... taking large risks with dire consequences ..." 36:23

12 weeks ago36:23

36:23

Welcome to ClimateGenn. I recorded this interview with Professor Kevin Anderson via Zoom from Baku in the last days of COP29. Kevin provides some critical insights into how the headlines we often see reported breakdown from a numerical standpoint. Although the COPs remain an important component of our overall global diplomatic approach to this complex existential problem, there are no signals that the promise of the Paris Agreement will be kept by the nations who repeatedly pledge to hold to it. So what do we do? Here Kevin offers a range of his insights. With the clock ticking, and human greed still in charge of the agenda, our collective agency and actions matter much more than we can ever imagine. Thank you for listening. There are many more episodes on the way. Please subscribe to support this work, or you can order my book COPOUT and join me on the journey from COP21 to COP28 to see how we have ended up in this mess and why we urgently need to break the pattern. Thank you.…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
Should we engineer the climate? Nick Breeze interviews Dr Heidi Sevestre and Herb Simmens 36:50

12 weeks ago36:50

36:50

In this Climategenn episode we hear two committed voices non different sides of the climate engineering debate, make their cases as to why we should or should not research geoengineering with the intention of deployment to cool the Earth. Dr Heidi Sevestre is an internationally renowned polar scientist making the case against climate engineering (also known as geoengineering) and Herb Simmens is the founder of an international group called the Healthy Planet Action Coalition (HPAC). Both interviews were recorded at COP29 and reflect entrenched positions on both sides of the debate. There are many more voices and we urgently need to hear them - not least from the vulnerable communities who maybe severely impacted by such cooling schemes. The last word goes to Professor Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Vice Chair of the IPCC, where she comments on how climate engineering is moving into the main literature advising the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Thanks for listening. Subscribers can preview the episode recorded during week 2 with Professor Kevin Anderson ahead of its as yet unknown publishing date. If you have been following the UN Climate Summit and want to go inside the talks, accompanied by countless expert insights, then order my book COPOUT from all online outlets worldwide, in paperback and audio formats.…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
Is the climate glass half full or half empty? IPCC Vice Chair Prof. Diana Ürge-Vorsatz 21:40

13 weeks ago21:40

21:40

In this interview with the Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Professor Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, gives her perspective on a range of critical issues - in part presenting a glass-half-full perspective, despite so many mounting challenges. This was recorded on Saturday 16th Nov at the midway point through COP29. Since the COP has ended, countries have finalised a $300 billion dollar pledge to vulnerable nations set against a required $1.3 trillion by 2035. Trust between so-called developed and developing or vulnerable nations remains stubbornly low. But meeting the $1.3 trillion required funding is not a charity gift, but rather a collaborative investment in all our futures. Until we collectively realise the only way forward is with all hands seen as equal, the fate for us all remains entirely bleak. More COP29 interviews are on the way as well as an interview this week with the author of a new study on the state of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) that risks up-ending all our climate rhetoric to date. If you want a fast paced journey through the last eight COPs from Paris to the UAE then order my book COPOUT online , in paperback or audio, from all main retailers. This was my 9th COPOUT experience and I’ll be writing a supplementary chapter in the coming weeks that will include astonishing in-person admissions from delegates of fossil fuel producing nations as well as forays into the north of Azerbaijan through decimated landscapes and threadbare ecosystems. Thanks to all subscribers! Summary:…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
Lessons Europe Can Learn From Africa On Adaptation - Ina-Maria Shikongo 13:38

13 weeks ago13:38

13:38

COP29 Baku series of interviews - also consider buying Nick's book, COPOUT - How governments have failed the people on climate. Available online worldwide in paperback ebook and audio formats. Key Points from Ina-Maria Shikongo: Reason for Attending COP29 : Advocates for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and opposes Namibia’s plans for offshore oil drilling amidst the climate crisis. Climate Impacts in Namibia : Namibia faces severe drought, hunger affecting over 50% of the population, and controversial plans to cull wildlife to feed communities. Oil and Gas Exploration : Major players like Shell, Total Energies, and BW Energy are involved in Namibia. Concerns over corruption, lack of benefits for locals, and unethical practices in oil projects. Human Rights Violations : Oil extraction often results in displacement, environmental damage, and lack of compensation for affected communities. Censorship and Risks : Activism in Namibia faces censorship, intimidation, and legal challenges. Shikongo is included in misleading corporate reports without her consent. Global Climate Inequities : Criticizes the prioritization of profits over environmental and human rights, highlighting inadequate climate finance and infrastructure in Europe and Africa. Concerns about COP30 : Hopes for greater freedom of expression in Brazil but fears ongoing prioritization of oil interests, risking indigenous rights and environmental protections.…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
Nature Is Angry! A New Era Of Extreme Weather: UK Met Office Chief Meteorologist & Climate Risk Prof Join The Dots. 24:58

16 weeks ago24:58

24:58

In this ClimateGenn episode, Professor of Climate Risk at University of Newcastle, Hayley Fowler, and Professor Paul Davies, Chief Meteorologist at the UK Met Office, explain how the mega storm events we are now seeing so frequently, are generated and why they are going to get more intense and more widespread. This was recorded just after the incredible central European flooding in the 1st half of September. Since then the media has been filled with images of Hurricane Milton and now we see the area around Valencia in Spain is lying in ruins. With the UN Climate Summit only days away, we are witnessing a decisive US election where one of the nominees denies we have an existential climate problem in favour of taking money from the fossil fuel industry and enacting policies that amplify the impact. Will COP29 be another washout like COP22 in Morocco in 2016? Only time will tell. I will be reporting from the COP publishing a range of interviews across key topics. <-- DOWNLOAD Nick's book 'COPOUT - How governments have failed the people on climate' a tour of the UN Climate Summits (or COPs) from Paris to the UAE. --> The collaboration between senior climate scientist Hayley Fowler and chief meteorologist Paul Davies is increasing our understanding of extremes, so that we can be better prepared in the face of these life threatening storms. A link to their recent research paper on this topic is here. As both scientists warn, new technology, such as warning systems, can help us save lives but it will not cure the problem. We urgently need global emissions reductions at rates of around 43% by 2030 to avoid the very worst of a wide range of impacts. It is obviously too late to avert a new era of climate disasters, including large-scale damage to infrastructure, accelerating tipping points and huge loss of life. Our food systems and supply chains are also at risk. Despite the threats we must strive to create the changes at every level of society and within our communities. Thanks for supporting this channel. I am in the midst of finishing a large project which has caused a delay in publishing interviews. This should soon be remedied. Thank you.…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
Interview with XR cofounder, Gail Bradbrook: "How do we live an honourable life?" 19:42

21 weeks ago19:42

19:42

In this ClimateGenn episode I am speaking with Extinction Rebellion cofounder, Gail Bradbrook, about the role of activism today and the inner world of those taking action that can and does result in severe imprisonment, and in some countries, even death. ORDER COPOUT BY NICK BREEZE: https://genn.cc/copout-nick-breeze/ GAILS LINKS: https://www.praler.net/ https://buymeacoffee.com/gailbradbrook/the-leadership-able-bring-just-transition Gail identifies her own position on taking risks and how, in her words, to "live an honourable life in these times.” Climate activists in the UK today risk prison sentences that we might expect to be handed out to people convicted of violent crimes, presenting a danger to society. But by silencing dissenting voices, the risk to society is that collective failings can be easily be swept under the carpet. During COP21 in Paris, Naomi Klein pointed out that the pressure of activists between the failed COP in Copenhagen 2009 and COP21 Paris 2015, created the momentum for countries to come together and sign the Paris Agreement. Since then the world has changed dramatically with climate impacts pushing the thresholds of safety for communities all around the world. The failure of countries to honour their Paris commitments is contributing to the severe climatic consequences we are seeing now. In a recent email I received, the case was put that activist calls for revolution are misplaced because we do not have time to restructure our society before large impacts overwhelm our ability to adapt. However, many activist calls - like Gail here - are for expanded democracy, such as the creation of civil assemblies, where citizens are given expert insights, allowing them to better inform policy. In this sense, the role of activism is to maintain momentum towards better policies that increase adaptation and resilience in as fair and equitable way as possible. Next ClimateGenn Episode With carbon emissions stubbornly high, we are seeing the rising trend of destruction. In the next ClimateGenn episode I speak with Climatologist, Professor Hayley Fowler from the University of Newcastle and Chief Meteorologist at the UK Met Office, Paul Davies. We discuss their work bridging the gap between meteorology and climatology to enhance severe storm warning systems in order to save lives. Whether in Europe, North Africa, the US, Philippines, the Himalayas, or beyond, severe life threatening storms are increasing in strength and frequency, in all cases posing an existential threat. Paul and Hayley discuss the intricacies of how these storms form and how they have found new ways to decipher critical signals within the expanse of noisy data. This episode will be available to subscribers very shortly and be public in a weeks time. Thank you to all subscribers and to everyone who has gotten in touch with feedback and episode suggestions. It is greatly appreciated. Remember you can support this channel by subscribing on Patreon or Youtube, as well as by ordering my book ‘COPOUT - How governments have failed the people on climate’ which is available worldwide in paperback and audio. COPOUT is based on my UN COP reporting from Paris 2015 to Dubai 2023. I take the reader behind the scenes to witness first-hand how the failure of successive global climate summits has led us to this era of dangerous consequences. Thanks again for listening.…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
UK Gov funding Geoengineering: Between grinding rocks and a very hard place - Interview with Dr Shaun Fitzgerald 18:35

22 weeks ago18:35

18:35

Intro with clips - Prof. Jason Box (Geological Survey of Denmark & Greenland), Prof. Kevin Anderson (Tyndall Centre for Climate Research), Prof. Heidi Sevestre (AMAP, Arctic Council), Joshua Aponsem (Green Africa Youth Organization, Ghana), Anni Pokela (Operatatio Arktis, Finland) Lord Rowan Williams (Fmr. Archbishop of Canterbury). I started recording interviews on geoengineering over ten years ago and the thought back then that in the mid 2020’s nothing would have been achieved in global emissions reduction, would have been too depressing to contemplate. Yet here we are. The Paris Agreement was meant to steer the world towards a cleaner brighter future but it has been ignored. Emissions from forest fires and melting permafrost are way beyond their thresholds and extreme weather impacts are testing infrastructure and ecosystems all over the planet. Climate activists are even being locked up with cruel prison sentences for trying to act for the collective good. I discuss this in my next episode with XR cofounder, Gail Bradbrook. The UN Climate summit, COP29 will be held in one of the most significant cradles of the fossil fuel industry - Baku in Azerbaijan. There is no expressed intention to reduce emissions but instead the the COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev has a (quote) a ’vision to enhance ambition and enable action.’ - whilst the widespread extraction of fossil fuels continues unabated. With all this in mind, the conversation of engineering interventions to try and delay the most destructive impacts of extreme climate, is moving along. It is controversial and divisive and yet voices from across the world, including in the Global South are saying that we need to take the research seriously. In this interview with Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, Director of the Centre for Climate Repair at the University of Cambridge, we discuss the controversy and the viability of schemes. The news broke during our recording that the UK government agency, ARIA, have put out a call for proposals, offering £56.8m in grant funding for geoengineering projects. The largest government funding of it’s kind. The failure of the global negotiations is discussed in my book COPOUT - How governments have failed the people on climate that is available worldwide in paperback and audiobook format. Sadly, the failure of the 3 decades of global climate summits means we are getting much deeper into the era of consequences. Central Europe is experiencing deathly storms and flooding while the smoke from Portugal’s forest fires are spreading a toxic blanket over Spain and beyond. From the Amazon to Asia, ecosystems and infrastructure are being pummelled by natures response to carbon pollution. Next week I will be recording a 3 way interview with Dr Paul Davies from the UK Met Office and Dr Hayley Fowler from Newcastle University about their recent research paper titled 'A new conceptual model for understanding and predicting life-threatening rainfall extremes’ - which is both important and fascinating. Thank you to all subscribers - there is extra content being uploaded for Patreon and Youtube subscribers.…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
The Heating Arctic impacts on countries like UK, Canada and Scandinavia are worsening - Interview with Dr Jennifer Francis 25:22

23 weeks ago25:22

25:22

Welcome to a new series of ClimateGenn where we aim to speak with a range of global experts to be better able to understand the changes in the global climate system that are rapidly impacting the world in which we live. Although some like to use the term climate chaos - if we dive into the noise, more often than not, there are signals we can learn from. __________________ COP29 in Azerbaijan is now also on the horizon. The world’s largest climate conference is for another consecutive year being hosted in a country with stated aim of increasing production and sales of fossil fuels - the underlying cause of accelerating climate breakdown. If you want to learn more about the UN’s COP process and why it has failed to deliver the structural changes that could have averted much of the destruction we are currently experiencing, then my book, COPOUT, is available worldwide in paperback and audiobook. Order 'COPOUT' BY NICK BREEZE I will be attending COP29 to report both on the lack of progress being made in the official negotiations, while also speaking with attendees on a wide range of related climate topics. I recently spent 2 weeks in the summer in S. Portugal’s Alentejo region where temperatures regularly surpass 40ºC (104ºF). The climate stripes chart included here, made especially for the project by Climate Stripes creator Professor Ed Hawkins, shows the rising mean temperatures in Evora, in Alentejo, that have become much more pronounced since the 1980’s and will continue to rise. Slight rises in the mean temperature mean increased rises in the mean temperature and increased frequency of extreme temperatures. A signal of testing times ahead. For the second week of this visit I was joined by world renowned glaciologist and climatologist Professor Jason Box, and Anglo-Chinese author and journalist, Janet Wang. With over 25 interviews recorded, I’ll be releasing a special series titled ‘Into the Heat’ looking at how these communities are adapting to the rising extremes and, as Jason Box says, ‘They are winning in sustainability’. We also discuss the thresholds of viability and why the survival of wine and olive oil producing communities in S Portugal connects to the wellbeing of communities in places like the UK and other parts of N. Europe. Subscribers will get access to additional behind the scenes footage. _____ In this interview with Dr Jennifer Francis from the Woodwell Climate Research Centre in the US, we discuss her teams new research into feedbacks from the melting Arctic Ice cap. We also discuss how destructive climate impacts are starting to influence policymaking, albeit with resistance from misinformation campaigns. Finally, we discuss the rise of research into geoengineering and Jennifer’s insights into whether we should deploy risky temporary-techno fixes to buy time, while we wait for structural action at the policy-level to be implemented.…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
Massive Marine Ecosystem Crash Along Galicia’s Coast Due To Prolonged Atlantic Heatwave 18:52

44 weeks ago18:52

18:52

In this first published ClimateGenn episode for a couple of months, I want to thank subscribers for your patience. I have not been sitting idle but much more trying to digest the appalling consequences of climate heating that we are now experiencing. [Order COPOUT By Nick Breeze here] Everyday on social media, climate graphs and charts are posted with varying degrees of deep red and other markers of urgency. Yet, nothing happens except the posts become more shrill and the problem of climate disaster becomes more irreversible. As someone who engages a lot with climate science and scientists, somehow I had fallen into a space whereby the actual meaning of these charts had become abstract. Codified and filed away in my mind to avoid real exposure to true meaning. Then something happened. I arranged to meet with Guillermo Díaz Agras at the marine biology research station in La Grana in Galicia. The research station is a satellite of Santiago University and the team here conduct extensive research along the coast and in the river valley’s, called rias. What I expected to be an introductory overview of the research station turned into a horrifying cerebral experience; an awakening if you like. Guillermo showed me a long stream of images of dead dolphins, turtles and otters, saying simply: ‘That was just last week!’. He then explained how much of the indigenous shellfish are dying. The mussels no longer forming in this stretch of coast, the seaweed that bound the mussels to the rocks and the floating platforms, no longer there. The ecosystems that were embedded within them, gone. In 2022, 220 dolphins were found dead along this coast. In 2023 that number rose to 667. In 2024 we are already over 315 as of last week. He then explained that the Atlantic Ocean heatwave that we see in those charts plastered all over the internet is triggering a massive breakdown of marine ecosystems along this coastline. The heated ocean creates more evaporation which is driving the most incredible downpours of rain. This in turn is desalinating the local waters and making life impossible for many species. The northerly winds that are well known here and blow the warmer surface waters out to sea, have stopped. The acidity of the ocean water from constant burning of fossil fuels is stopping shell formation too. This is what is meant when scientists speak of a cascade of climate impacts. The Atlantic Ocean heatwave is the main driver of this catastrophic cascade. But this ecosystem is deeply connected to the Galician way off life, their cultural identity and local economies. Last week, with Guillermo, I met with the head of the regional fishing group. The impacts that I have mentioned are now creating a zombie-like industry. Fishermen here used to work the whole year through, everyday. Now they work around 15 days per year and receive subsidies from the government. The lack of life in the oceans due to the ocean heating mean that new species are being shipped in from more exotic parts of the world where they can survive the hotter waters. These species take 3 years to mature and then have to be reordered. Aside from the unknown unknowns regarding dumping foreign species into these waters, the shellfish have to be reordered. However, as this happening along the coast in different communities, demand is outstripping supply. The government are funding the 3 yearly purchase of the new stock but not the ability to breed. Guillermo is nervous that the imported, and essentially invasive species, may have unforeseen deleterious consequences for the wider ecosystem. However, everything is dying anyway. When I asked him what he thinks we should do, he shakes his head and says, “it is too late!” These very words are stating very clearly that it is too late to save nature. We are part of nature and intricately connected to its bounty. Just recently The Guardian newspaper blindly published an article praising Galicia for its super healthy seafood diet. There is no reference in the article to the crashing seafood stocks. The article is as blind in its fantasy of long life and abundant seafood as it is perpetuating cliches and myths about the Earth we are destroying. In a moment I will play the interview I recorded with Guillermo giving the overview of the situation along this coast. I am resuming the podcast series and will be publishing more material on this specific issue. There is also a lot of material I have recorded on geoengineering that I will publish in the subscribers areas for Water level members. It will be edited for use at a later point. This has been an intense period of work and there is much more to do. My book COPOUT is available to order in the US and Canada from 21st May. COPOUT explains how we got into this mess. The thirty years of complete political failure to change humanity’s course. I am now working on a second book that is looking at the consequences of failure and although it may sound harrowing, we have to keep in mind that it is just reality and that life will go on, until it doesn’t. We have a collective duty to do what we can to sustain and where possible restore the damages our species has created. Thank you too all subscribers and supporters. Please do get in touch or leave comments. I do try to respond to as much as possible.…

ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

1
Cayman Islands Youth Make case For climate survival with potential evacuation plan 23:40

51 weeks ago23:40