What a week! The coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol put a damper on all of my projects over the weekend. I’m concerned about the future of climate justice and justice in general in this country. But I still managed to pull this newsletter together. I even found a couple of good nonfiction pieces about climate and the coup attempt.
With that said, let’s explore some creative climate news. This week, we’ll be talking about climate fiction, creative climate nonfiction, climate podcasts, and climate television and film.
Climate Fiction
This newsletter covers both new(ish) releases and older works of climate fiction. I’ll give precedence to new releases that look exciting, but I also want to cover some older works you may have missed. This week’s issue features a little of both.
The Ministry for the Future
The Ministry for the Future is the latest work of climate fiction by sci-fi legend Kim Stanley Robinson. Yale Climate Connections has a detailed review. The story, which is set in the near future, portrays both the catastrophic nature of the climate crisis and some largely technocratic approaches to solutions.
As I’ve come to expect from any Kim Stanley Robinson book, the Ministry for the Future is long-winded and has a lot to unpack. If you’ve liked his previous work on climate, you’ll be sure to enjoy this one. If you haven’t read his work before, then buckle up and prepare for a lot of seeming tangential content that eventually adds up to a complex and fascinating fictional take on the climate crisis and climate solutions.
The Weight of Light
The Weight of Light is a collection of science fiction stories, art, and essays exploring human futures powered by solar energy, with an upbeat, solarpunk twist. What will it be like to live in the “photon societies” of tomorrow? How will a transition to clean, plentiful energy transform our values, markets, and politics?
What I find most fascinating about The Weight of Light is the way that it combines fiction and nonfiction. It starts with the premise that human societies will transition to solar-powered energy infrastructures. The essays by various experts explore the technical, climatic, and ethical implications of different approaches to this transition. The fiction explores the impacts of four different types of solar infrastructure: big urban, small urban, big rural, and small rural. The resulting collection is both an enjoyable read and thought-provoking look at some of the many different choices and considerations we’ll face as we transition away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner energy infrastructure.
More Climate Fiction
Creative Climate Nonfiction
I wasn’t planning on covering creative climate nonfiction this week. However, in light of recent events, I decided to include nonfiction that addresses the coup attempt and its connections to the climate crisis.
The Climate Crisis Will Be Steroids for Fascism
Earther often has excellent commentary and analysis related to the climate crisis. The Climate Crisis Will Be Steroids for Fascism explores the connections between the coup attempt, the extremists who conducted armed checkpoints during the wildfires in Oregon last summer, and the ways in which climate disruptions will contribute to, and be perpetuated by, social unrest and white nationalist extremists.
More Creative Climate Nonfiction
Climate Podcasts
Do you like podcasts? My morning jog has become my favorite time to listen to podcasts. I listen at 2.0x speed, so I usually fit in 25-30 minutes worth of audio each morning.
There are so many good climate podcasts out there! Each one has a different focus and tone that may appeal to a different audience. I listen to as many as I can. If you want to be more selective, you can read the descriptions, try an episode, and see which podcast may be right for you. I'm sure at least one of the many climate podcasts out there will be right up your alley.
Hot Take
Hot Take is a climate podcast that takes an intersectional look at the climate crisis and the climate conversation. There are three reasons why this is usually the first climate podcast I recommend to people.
It’s a podcast about climate communication. Whether the hosts are talking about the latest climate stories, interviewing a climate communicator, or just chatting with each other about climate and intersecting topics, the emphasis is always on how climate communicators are talking about climate. This includes how they can do so more effectively and how they are (or aren't!) taking climate justice into consideration.
Mary Annaïse Heglar and Amy Westervelt’s witty banter is the absolute highlight of this podcast. The stories and interviews are interesting enough that I would listen anyway just for those. But the dialog, commentary, jokes, and artful use of just the right amount of cursing add so much to the experience. I often find myself laughing out loud and/or cursing at climate villains right along with them.
The Hot Take newsletter that goes along with the podcast includes one of the most thorough digests of climate news and commentary that I’ve seen. Even if you’re not a podcast person, the newsletter is worth reading.
The Climate Pod
The Climate Pod was one of the first climate podcasts I ever listened to. It’s a podcast on the latest climate issues with the journalists, activists, academics, and artists at the center of the story. This podcast blends serious climate news, interviews, and commentary with a goofy sense of humor provided by the hosts, brothers Ty Benefiel and Brock Benefiel. They’ve had a broad range of guests, including some big-name climate communicators and even a few celebrities like Bill Nye, Rainn Wilson and Ted Danson.
More Climate Podcasts
I’m going to highlight one or two climate podcasts per week for the next few weeks. If you want to see the full list of climate podcasts I’ve found so far, check out my Climate Podcasts page. If you know of a climate podcast that isn't listed, let me know! The more, the merrier. Having a broad range of climate podcasts ensures that almost everyone can find one that's right for them.
Climate TV & Film
I've found surprisingly few examples of thorough exploration of climate themes in popular film and television. I’m going to start this week with a documentary series that I felt took a particularly creative and effective approach to communicating about the climate crisis. In future weeks, I’ll explore films or shows that reference climate in some significant way, even if it’s not the primary focus. If you have any suggestions, let me know.
Years of Living Dangerously
Years of Living Dangerously was a fascinating Emmy-winning documentary television series about the climate crisis, which the show described as the biggest story of our time. Season 1 premiered in 2014 and Season 2 premiered in 2016.
I was really impressed with this series for several reasons.
First of all, the use of celebrities as narrators draws in a broader audience. I heard about people tuning in because a celebrity they liked was on the show. Even viewers like me who aren't particularly obsessed with celebrities may find it entertaining or engaging to learn about the climate crisis along with a familiar actor.
Second, the inclusion of multiple stories about the science, scientists, and people’s experiences grappling with the science helped breathe life into climate science and its role in our lives. Humans are storytelling animals, so encountering the science through storytelling rather than charts and graphs makes it feel more tangible and compelling for many audiences.
Finally, that storytelling approach was a key part of the appeal. This wasn’t an abstract documentary about science or policy. The celebrity guest hosts served as stand-ins for the viewer — listening to people talking about climate, asking questions, learning about both the science and its impacts right along with the viewer. I still found the show interesting even as someone who was already familiar with some of the issues addressed. But I could also see how it would be compelling to people who were completely new to the topic.
There's still no official word yet one way or the other on the prospects of a Season 3. Either way, the two existing seasons are a great way for a broad range of audiences to learn more about the climate crisis.
Coming Next Week
Thank you for reading Creative Climate! Here’s a sneak peek at a few topics we’ll be exploring next week.
Climate Fiction
Climate Music
Climate Podcasts
And Beyond!
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About Creative Climate
Creative Climate is a newsletter created by me, Treesong. I’m a father, husband, author, talk radio host, and Real-Life Superhero living in Southern Illinois, USA. I’ve spent most of the past twenty years or so looking for creative ways to advocate for environmental justice and climate justice. You can learn more about my writing and superhero adventures on my website, treesong.org.
If you like Creative Climate, please tell your friends! I have no advertising budget for this newsletter, so people only hear about it through word of mouth. The more subscribers we get, the better the newsletter will be, especially in terms of discussion among subscribers and bonus content for paid subscribers.
If you have ideas for future issues, let me know! Email me at creativeclimate@treesong.org with your suggestions. In the meantime, thanks for reading Creative Climate!