Posts by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
(DIR) Post #AW3aofVPzFV4V9J7ke by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-05-26T19:34:27Z
2 likes, 13 repeats
On Monday, I wrote an essay about climate and biodiversity for Scientific American. I tracked proportional engagement, calculated as (likes + shares + comments)/followers, over six social media platforms.The winner? MASTODON, by a landslide.Second place? INSTAGRAM. It's harder to share posts on IG, but lot of people like things there!The loser? FACEBOOK, also by a landslide.* * On Facebook, I've been shadow-banned since August 2018 when they listed clean energy and climate as "socially sensitive topics" so my page there stopped growing 6 years ago and now only about 1% of my followers there ever see my posts. It's actually too bad, because that's the platform where I reach the most conservative audiences through their connections to friends and family. So even though it's dead last, I still persist.
(DIR) Post #AW3d3V4RGadsOCt7my by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-05-26T20:09:47Z
0 likes, 3 repeats
In absolute terms, both Mastodon and Instagram punch above their weight. Twitter and LI are just below. And FB is, no surprise, extremely low.
(DIR) Post #AW3d9FafjZxG7GhtSK by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-05-26T20:04:33Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@Humpleupagus sure, here it is. You can see that Mastodon and IG are punching above their weight, Twitter and LI are proportional, and FB is very low.
(DIR) Post #AWA0wrsRdahawaPMC8 by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-05-29T20:37:52Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
There's a mental health crisis in science. Studies that collectively surveyed tens of thousands of researchers worldwide suggest that scientists’ mental-health struggles are a direct result of a toxic research culture.41% of respondents reported moderate to severe anxiety and 39% had moderate to severe depression. Those levels are six times greater than in the general population.As always, it's exacerbated for members of under-represented groups which when it comes to science is pretty much everyone who's not a white man from a high-income country: women, non-binary individuals, people of colour, those from sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQ+) and students on low incomes...also senior researchers and scientists in different countries.h/t @DrWendyRocks Read more:https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01708-4?mibextid=Zxz2cZ
(DIR) Post #AWBZpSS2zPBcV88NkW by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-05-30T15:45:22Z
2 likes, 1 repeats
At a classical concert the other day, my dad started talking with the man beside him, who said he was a journalist. When my dad introduced himself, the man said the name “Hayhoe” was familiar to him, because of “the notorious climate activist Katharine Hayhoe.” 😁My dad, a science educator, then asked, "so what evidence WOULD convince you that climate change is real and serious?" He had no good answer--and I wouldn't expect him to, because climate denial isn't about facts. It's about looking for plausible excuses to stonewall climate solutions. In my experience, 99.9% of climate denial is solution aversion. But because most of us prefer to perceive ourselves as good people, and saying "sure, this is a real problem that's affecting real people especially the poor and vulnerable but I don't want to fix it" isn't good, we seize on any excuse (it's not real! it's not human-caused! those scientists are cooking the data for profit! CO2 greens the planet! We can adapt! It's too late anyways!) to justify our desire for inaction.For more, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkMIjbDtdo0
(DIR) Post #AWM496X18XGyW0LIDw by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-03-20T19:23:38Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Finally, so many of the solutions are (a) already available today, and (b) benefit us in so many ways -- addressing health, equity, justice, and even economic concerns while increasing resilience and accelerating the transition to a clean energy future.
(DIR) Post #AWM498bhQ6Cqx6Y3nc by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-03-20T19:23:54Z
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Climate change stands between us and a better future. Many of the solutions are already at hand. At this point, the only question is: what are we waiting for?
(DIR) Post #AWM49CrRbVB495wgtc by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-03-20T19:24:25Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Here's the website where you can access all the figures and the report itself: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/figures/
(DIR) Post #AWrAsWFS9m7VnTvOpU by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-06-19T17:19:19Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
"Why debating clearly established facts on which the vast majority of scientists and scientific literature agree - even if you're invited to do so on the Joe Rogan show - is a Very Bad Idea" by my colleague @andrewdessler.Andy speaks from his personal experience, responding to the harassment our fellow Texan Peter Hotez is receiving for refusing to "debate" vaccine dismissive and non-scientist Robert Kennedy Jr. https://theclimatebrink.substack.com/p/the-science-of-debate-a-reflection?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
(DIR) Post #AXabs2Oji7aaXEA4lU by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-07-09T18:54:35Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
If you are worried about climate change and want to make a difference,🎙️ start a conversation about why climate change matters and what people can do🤲 join a climate action group and lend a hand💰 consider where you keep your money (bank, credit card, retirement + more)💡spark ideas for change at work & school🗳️ hold politicians accountable🏡 reduce your personal footprint AND make your actions contagious by talking about themHere's a great list of how individuals can spark change, based on solid social science. Keep reading down the thread for more! https://dontlookup.count-us-in.com/
(DIR) Post #AXabs35d8dtsgGEKci by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-07-09T18:57:29Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
We live in such an individualized society that we often focus more on our personal carbon footprint (the emissions associated with what we eat, how we travel, where we live) than on our climate shadow: how we interact with and influence those around us.Yet, how does any system change? It changes when people within that system advocate and call for change. That's why long-time climate activist @billmckibben says, "the most important thing an individual can do right now is not be such an individual."And that is why I'm convinced our voices are the most powerful tool we have in the fight against climate change! https://www.mic.com/impact/forget-your-carbon-footprint-lets-talk-about-your-climate-shadow
(DIR) Post #AXabs3jKl1ewfOo2Vc by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-07-09T19:01:24Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
Some people today are understandably overwhelmed by the avalanche of negative and depressing news on climate change we hear every day. As a defense mechanism, they've convinced themselves that nothing they or anyone else can do will make a difference. We're doomed, they believe. As psychologist Susan Tanner says, "apocalyptic thinking can be very useful to people who need to feel a sense of control. Living with uncertainty...is the hardest thing to do for all human beings."I understand and completely sympathise with where they are coming from. But if we decide we are doomed, then we truly will be. That's why, to them, I say:If you are convinced that we are doomed and there’s nothing anyone can do to avoid the climate crisis and the collapse of the biosphere,❌ stop doom scrolling and get off social media😳 don’t attack or hinder others who are doing their best to make a difference🐾 adopt a pet in need of a home🌳 spend as much time as you can in nature🤲 if you are able, find a local climate action group, and ask what you can do to help❤️ focus on what you can do to make the world a better place for people around you
(DIR) Post #AXabs5o12aap6V0o5I by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-07-09T19:03:41Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Others are convinced that the one specific personal action they take or one specific large-scale action will be enough to save the world if everyone did it, and they advocate for that single solution with the fervor of an evangelist.To them, I say: there is no silver bullet, no, not even yours. But there is a lot of silver buckshot and that's even better news. We need to deploy as many solutions as we can, prioritizing what works best for a given person, place, or organization.Project Drawdown has a great summary here: http://www.drawdown.org
(DIR) Post #AXabs8jAB5UgAJlTRA by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-07-09T19:05:41Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
And finally, some will say, "Talk?! You want us to TALK? The time for talking is past!"To them, I say: how's it going? Are you seeing the action you need? If so, great! Keep it up!But if not, then consider this: Talking might not sound like much: but as environmental journalist Sara Peach wrote, “‘Talk’ is the fertile field in which cultural change begins; in its absence, it’s impossible for a group of people to solve a problem.” What’s more, surveys show most of us aren’t talking about climate change. That’s why having a conversation is the critical first step to catalyzing action—and it’s something we can all do.For more, give my TED talk a watch, and check out this recent podcast and essay I did for Cottage Life (that's where the quote above comes from!) https://cottagelife.com/outdoors/scientist-katharine-heyhoe-on-the-effects-of-climate-change-at-the-cottage/
(DIR) Post #AYFpAXJHGDNr1Wcnz6 by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-07-30T18:34:01Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
Headlines around the world have been overwhelmed with the impacts of climate change-fueled extremes on people and places. Extreme heatwaves, flash floods, continuous wildfires, record-breaking ocean temps and more: all are being super-sized by our warming planet.Surely, you think, surely THIS will galvanize action? And to a certain extent, it does. Seeing people, places, and things we love being impacted dismantles a main barrier to climate action: psychological distance. Research I did with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found that hot, dry extremes do make people more aware of & concerned about climate change.But there are other, greater barriers to climate action. The first is lack of efficacy; i.e. if I do something, will it make a difference? In the US, over 70% are already alarmed or concerned, but 50% feel helpless & don't know what to do to make a difference. For them, as this diagram below explains, more fear-based messaging just paralyzes them even further. For the 20% dismissive or doubtful, their barrier is solution aversion. They're convinced climate action is worse than inaction; that it will rob them of their profits, their freedom, or their ideology. Often they begin with science-y sounding objections (it's the sun! CO2 is plant food!) but within the next breath they'll be talking about the EPA taking away their gas stove or about how they need a gas-powered truck. For them, more evidence for harmful impacts just hardens their resolve to "fight back." That's why, when we talk about climate change, it's essential to pair negative info about the risks with positive info about what we as individuals can do to make a difference and what we as a society can do, and the benefits of those actions for us today, as well as for climate tomorrow.The goal isn't to have the entire world paralyzed by anxiety: it's to have the world galvanized for action. And for that, we need hope; not false hope that everything will be okay (because it won't be, if we don't act) but hope tied to action and efficacy -- the conviction that if we do something, it WILL make a difference.
(DIR) Post #AYW9RKnGvm99WefQuG by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-08-08T00:39:08Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Across the globe - north and south, ocean and land - climate change is super-sizing our heatwaves and heat extremes. While this puts us all at risk, some are much more vulnerable than others. Here's why.First, people living in cities experience up to 4C (7F) hotter temperatures than surrounding rural areas due to the urban heat island effect. The strength of the heat island effect increases with the size of the city, driven by differences in evapotranspiration and convection efficiency between urban versus rural areas. Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1512-9Even within the same city, though, low-income neighbourhoods can be up to 8C or 15F hotter than high income neighbourhoods in the same city during a heatwave. This means poorer and non-white people are at much greater risk from heat-related stress, illness, and even death. Once again, climate change is a threat multiplier, exacerbating the risks the most vulnerable and marginalized already face today. Source: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021EF002016This disparity is primarily due to a lack of green spaces and tree cover, exacerbated by the fact that poorer areas are often next to sources of heat like industrial areas -> which are in turn due to racist redlining practices stretching back to the 30s. Read: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-redlining-made-city-neighborhoods-hotter-180975754/If you live in the U.S., find your city here: https://www.npr.org/2019/09/03/754044732/as-rising-heat-bakes-u-s-cities-the-poor-often-feel-it-most
(DIR) Post #AYW9RN3eVqRCY2LXiS by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-08-08T00:44:44Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
So what can we do about it? One solution is to increase green cover through urban tree-planting and gardening. Increasing green spaces in cities doesn't just keep them cooler during heatwaves; it also reduces air pollution, promotes mental health, provides flood protection, and takes up carbon too!In Phoenix, the organization I work with, TNC, is partnering with the city and local communities to empower citizens to advocate for and implement solutions in their neighbourhood through the Urban Heat Leadership Academy. Read: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/arizona/stories-in-arizona/city-heat-air-quality/In Louisville, we've been partnering with the university for five years to painstakingly document the health benefits of urban greening for five years as part of the Green Heart Project, hoping to help other cities build their resilience too. See: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/kentucky/stories-in-kentucky/green-heart-project/Even smart resilient strategies like these won't be enough, though, if we don't cut heat-trapping gas emissions. As John Holdren said, "We have three choices: mitigation, adaptation, and suffering. We’re going to do some of each. The question is what the mix is going to be. The more mitigation we do, the less adaptation will be required and the less suffering there will be."
(DIR) Post #AZ3Yjs3NcnQ66PvnZw by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-08-24T12:06:57Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
Most conservative politicians (in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and more) don't have any problem with the basic physics that explains how increasing heat-trapping gas levels in the atmosphere causes the planet to warm. It's the same physics that explains how stoves and refrigerators work: and they use those every day, don't they?As the debate last night highlighted, what they have a problem with are the solutions. That's why every objection - it's not real, it's not serious, it's too expensive, it's China - is specifically designed to delay or prevent action. That's their whole point.So what can we do about it? It's more important than ever to talk about viable, practical, beneficial solutions. I have a Global Weirding episode that explains! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkMIjbDtdo0https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/23/us/republican-debate-climate-change.html?unlocked_article_code=c1GtaZSfuZfE1rsL8IMZCduKIA4Q0a3g7MoOj4okm4cg0H38p082AESni8fUJI43nx6MnUqlWzj_f0eps3lrEtCFC_iLc1q1CpsIs_3v34-6H4F6J0myrmgQpBGMEh5g2HfBKPykV3Mb8iuQbC8rXrAg5fzce28McLtu-TopaGCd783LDizWSDd5DpKeQUqsEHT9pYl6TPegmXbiq0sgS9cIlxzgGugxifuJhPTJsgsbBK5S99xQA74mRRlyPykuaBHNJQ9j3LLS7Bd7gGsrcrnl95amANeuh0nXVQrpwfDPs0N875TjN22HvkmG7qMksXITvGsMleIhpCwfb-Tw0yPiNwrP0Q&smid=url-share
(DIR) Post #AZEgweJMxuhTcQZcK8 by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-08-28T22:46:12Z
0 likes, 3 repeats
45 climate scientists were asked what we thought of this years' climate disasters. Here are the highlights.We all pretty much agree that "despite it certainly feeling as if events had taken a frightening turn, global heating to date is entirely in line with 3 decades of scientific predictions. But being proved right is cold comfort, as our warnings had so far been largely in vain.""Climate science’s projections are pretty robust over the last decades. Unfortunately, humanity’s stubbornness to spew out ever higher amounts of greenhouse gases has also been pretty robust." @meinshausen "What we are seeing this year is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, of what we expect to happen,” says Natalie Mahowald, and "this will become the average summer in 10 years’ time unless the world cooperates and puts climate action top of the agenda" adds Piers Forster.As Gavin Schmidt said previously, we are not surprised, but we are shocked. Krishna AchutaRao agrees, adding that "the impacts are frighteningly more impactful than I – and many climate scientists I know – expected.”As a result, psychological distance is decreasing. “I do think we are hitting a tipping point in global consciousness,” I said. “Nearly everyone can now point to someone or somewhere they love that is being affected by wildfire smoke, heat extremes, flooding, and more.”And we all agree about what needs to be done. “We need to stop burning fossil fuels,” says Fredi Otto. “Now."* By "we," we mean starting with the biggest emitters. As Paola Arias says, "We need a just + equitable transition. A very small % of the population is responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions.” [specifically, Oxfam finds that the richest 1% produce 2x the carbon of the poorest 50%]Read: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/28/crazy-off-the-charts-records-has-humanity-finally-broken-the-climate?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
(DIR) Post #AZnQqZwKvn0yu2zFAW by kathhayhoe@climatejustice.rocks
2023-09-15T15:23:42Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
We all contribute to climate change, but our contributions aren't equal. 💰 The richest 1% produce more than twice the carbon emissions of the poorest 50%.🌍 People living in countries like Australia, Canada and the US emit over 20x the carbon of those in many low-income countries.🇺🇸 In the US, 12% consume half the meat and fly two thirds of the miles.That's why we need system change: so the easiest and most affordable options for everyone are also the best options for people and the planet.