This week, I’m delighted to welcome fellow climate Katharine, Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, as guest editor of Talking Climate.

🌍 Good news: The lawyers who contributed to the landmark International Court of Justice climate ruling reminds us how every one of us has unique gifts to bring to climate action.

⚠️ Not-so-good news: Young people are carrying an enormous emotional burden as climate impacts intensify, with many feeling fear and uncertainty about the future.

💚 What we can do: We don’t have to answer this question alone! Katharine's new book, Climate Wayfinding, and the accompanying program helps us move from climate anxiety and uncertainty toward courage, community, and action.

talkingclimate.ca/p/finding-ou…

Climate change is already reshaping our energy systems, our health, and even the basic medicines we rely on. But progress continues, and we can help.

⚡ Good news: Global investment in clean energy hit a record $2.3 trillion last year, outpacing fossil fuel investment for the second year in a row.

🦠 Not-so-good news: New research suggests that warming temperatures and drought may be fueling antibiotic resistance in soil, making infections harder to treat.

🌿 What we can do: The Nature Conservancy's free guide offers simple ways to get outside, from bird-watching to planting for pollinators to my personal fav: finding new ways to “wander and wonder.” Pick one thing and give it a try this week!

talkingclimate.ca/p/how-warmin…

There's a job opportunity for a Conservation Connectivity Facilitator at St Andrews University, Scotland

Fixed term till the end of March 2027

Closing date is 11th May, details in the link.

environmentjob.co.uk/jobs/1098…

The Transition University of St Andrews are a good bunch of folks, getting things done.

#Job

⛪️ Good news: In the U.K., over 100 church leaders are calling out climate misinformation, making the moral case for why it causes real harm and delays action.

🐍 Not so good news: Climate change is shifting where species live—and in the case of venomous snakes, a new global study finds rising temperatures could increase the likelihood of dangerous encounters for millions.

🌱 What you can do: In the Netherlands, nearly 13M pavement tiles have been replaced with plants through a nationwide “tile flipping” challenge that's cooling neighborhoods, reducing flood risk, and restoring habitat. talkingclimate.ca/p/faith-lead…

🌱 Good news: Cities like London, Paris, and Barcelona are redesigning streets for people instead of cars. This cuts pollution while improving health, local economies, and quality of life.

🌡️ Not so good news: Rising nighttime temperatures are disrupting sleep worldwide, with cascading effects on health, learning, and productivity—especially for the most vulnerable.

🏡 What you can do: Simple steps like adding window film, choosing reflective roofing, and planting trees can keep your home cooler, save money, and reduce the urban heat island effect, if you live in a city.

I am sorry there are not actually any stories about cats in the newsletter this week. I just couldn't resist this image of a cat trying to keep cool indoors.

Read on for all the details, and don't forget to share what you learn with others! talkingclimate.ca/p/three-citi…

That’s the end of the saltmarsh planting sessions for now. Many thanks to all the volunteers who came out to help get thousands of plants planted.
Next it’s time to take more cuttings from the stock plants in the poly tunnel.

There’s a wee blog post with some of the photos taken during the planting here:

greenshores.wp.st-andrews.ac.u…

#Saltmarsh #volunteers #NatureScot #NatureRestorationFund

When did caring about the planet become “un-Christian”?

In this episode of Cold Facts, Hot Takes, I take on troll comments about faith and climate change - and I get a lot of them.

I also paint the broader picture of how theology, ideology, and identity have become intertwined in the U.S.—and how that shapes what people believe, even when those beliefs conflict with both science and faith.

Watch the full video by joining the Talking Climate community on Substack: talkingclimate.ca/p/when-did-c…
or Patreon: patreon.com/posts/when-did-car…

🌎 Good news: One of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on Earth, the Great Bear Sea, is Canada’s first - and the world's second largest - marine protected area network, co-governed by 17 First Nations.

⚠️ Not-so-good news: A new The Nature Conservancy Science study finds that 35% of the world already lives in areas where extreme heat limits safe outdoor activity for part of the year.

🌱 What you can do: Even small actions like planting native species or supporting community gardens can cool cities, reduce flooding, and support biodiversity.

And when we talk about climate solutions, anger and worry decreases: and hope rises! When we make climate action visible, it becomes contagious. talkingclimate.ca/p/indigenous…

We got to meet an amazing person, Natasha Zarine, this week, who is using prize money from the St Andrews Prize for the Environment to clean up rivers in India
more background on Natasha here:
globalindian.com/story/cover-s…

#RiverRestoration

Hope isn’t something we wait for: it's something we create. This week's Talking Climate news illustrates why it matters so much, and how innovation and courage can help!

💧 Good news: A solar-powered system can pull drinking water directly from the air—up to 1,000 liters of clean water a day, even in dry areas where billions of people already face water scarcity.

🧠 Not-so-good news: Climate change is increasingly affecting people's mental health, from Madagascar to Appalachia. In the U.S. alone, rising heat could lead to hundreds of millions additional days of anxiety and depression each year by end of century.

🚶 Inspiration: Three members of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light recently completed a 320-mile pilgrimage from the oil-producing Permian Basin to the state capitol in Santa Fe to call for climate action.

Read more in this week’s edition, and don't forget to share! talkingclimate.ca/p/pulling-cl…