The clean energy transition is moving faster than many people realize—but it can also be slowed more easily than most of us expect.
🚘 Good news: More than one-quarter of vehicles sold globally are now electric, and some of the biggest growth is being seen in countries like Vietnam and Turkey.
✋ Not-so-good news: Clean energy progress can be slowed by just one determined opponent and the resulting delays can be costly. A four-year delay in one wind project opposed by one determined retiree resulted in emissions equivalent to those of 2 million gas-powered cars in a year 🤯
🏘️ What you can do: Local decisions matter. Town halls, hearings, and public comments shape our future: and they only work if people show up. You don’t need to be an expert; your voice can make a real difference.
It's nice to see saltmarsh in recovery. The fragmented saltmarsh with crevices has new extending saltmarsh in front of it. This new saltmarsh will take some of the energy out of the waves before they reach the damaged areas and reduce further erosion. The grass at the front is already trapping sediment, increasing in height, storing carbon, and extending habitat. #NatureScot #NatureRestorationFund #Nature #Saltmarsh #ClimateAction
US needs Europe to ‘stand tough’ against Trump over Greenland, retired general says Retired US Lieutenant General Ben Hodges: “The United States spent billions of dollars and decades helping Europe after [World War II], and I’m very proud and glad that we did it. Now, I think we’re in a situation where the United States needs Europe to help us, to save us from ourselves… to stand tough against this administration.”
US needs Europe to ‘stand tough’ against Trump over Greenland, retired general says Retired US Lieutenant General Ben Hodges: “The United States spent billions of dollars and decades helping Europe after [World War II], and I’m very proud and glad that we did it. Now, I think we’re in a situation where the United States needs Europe to help us, to save us from ourselves… to stand tough against this administration.”
We've got more sampling planned for January, continuing the ongoing monitoring of the restoration sites. We won't have the benefit of the University of St Andrews photographer to take photos this month though we love the photos Gayle took when she came out with us and made us look in focus/focussed. Photo Credit Gayle McIntyre/University of St Andrews. #NatureScot #NatureRestorationFund #Saltmarsh #FieldWork
This has been an extraordinarily hard year for science, both globally and especially in the United States.
In this week’s Talking Climate, I unpack why recent cuts to scientific programs and data don’t only affect climate research in the U.S. They weaken the knowledge infrastructure we rely on to protect public health, manage risk, and make good decisions around the world.
I also share good news from Sweden, where smart policy has turned waste into heat and power, reminding us that the most effective solutions often solve multiple problems at once.
And, as always, there's a "what you can do" ... which this week is to start a conversation about how weather and climate science supports our everyday lives. And NCEI director Deke Arndt is ready to help!
Why is this so important? Because when we take science for granted, we're witnessing in real time how much easier it becomes to lose it.
isnt it maddening that the people screaming education and science are not valid are the least knowledgable to know what they are against? Its almost as though they never got edumacated purpely.
Just a damn shame in the US those morons are driving the bus.
Thank you for your great work. We're just heading into a period of extreme heat and fire danger here in #australia and we really appreciate the work of (climate) scientists.
There will be no polytunnel plant propagation session running tomorrow (Wednesday 7th Jan) as it is too cold for volunteers and plants alike. We should be back next week!
This week, I’m setting aside Talking Climate’s usual format to share joyful stories of people taking action for climate and nature—because sometimes what we need most is a reminder that solutions are already underway.
🇿🇦 In South Africa, SeaH4 is producing sustainable biofuel from algae that can be used in conventional engines to help decarbonise shipping and aviation.
🇮🇳 In India, faculty and students at Azim Premji University are turning climate data into an embodied experience by performing the story of India’s heat waves through dance.
🇦🇱 In Albania, after 12 years of tireless advocacy, two activists succeeded in protecting the entire Vjosa River, creating Europe’s first Wild River National Park.
🇦🇺 In Australia, a humorous new series, The New Joneses, follows hosts traveling the country by EV to explore climate solutions.
🇨🇦 In Canada, nineteen-year-old Fatih Amin, shaped by climate impacts he witnessed growing up in Bangladesh, is cataly
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This week, I’m setting aside Talking Climate’s usual format to share joyful stories of people taking action for climate and nature—because sometimes what we need most is a reminder that solutions are already underway.
🇿🇦 In South Africa, SeaH4 is producing sustainable biofuel from algae that can be used in conventional engines to help decarbonise shipping and aviation.
🇮🇳 In India, faculty and students at Azim Premji University are turning climate data into an embodied experience by performing the story of India’s heat waves through dance.
🇦🇱 In Albania, after 12 years of tireless advocacy, two activists succeeded in protecting the entire Vjosa River, creating Europe’s first Wild River National Park.
🇦🇺 In Australia, a humorous new series, The New Joneses, follows hosts traveling the country by EV to explore climate solutions.
🇨🇦 In Canada, nineteen-year-old Fatih Amin, shaped by climate impacts he witnessed growing up in Bangladesh, is catalyzing youth-led climate action.
🇵🇪 In Lima, Peru—one of the world’s driest cities—an engineer is using fog-catching nets to pull clean water from the air for communities that need it most.
We can’t fix climate change alone—but we don’t have to. Millions of people are already working on it, and when we add our voices and our hands, action accelerates.
Don’t forget to share what you learn here this week. Two great conversation starters are, “Did you know…?” or “You wouldn’t believe what I read…?” Give it a try! talkingclimate.ca/p/climate-in…
On April 2, Dirk and his friend Taylor climbed Mt Snowdon in Wales. It was very windy. Click here for video.
With Taylor and family, and the Beatles, in Liverpool
Dirk at the pier in Weston Super Mare after completing Chase the Sun, a 205-mile cycling event on the longest day of the year, starting on the east coast of England at sunrise and attempting to reach the west coast by sundown
On the same pier the next day
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On April 2, Dirk and his friend Taylor climbed Mt Snowdon in Wales. It was very windy. Click here for video.
With Taylor and family, and the Beatles, in Liverpool
Dirk at the pier in Weston Super Mare after completing Chase the Sun, a 205-mile cycling event on the longest day of the year, starting on the east coast of England at sunrise and attempting to reach the west coast by sundown
On the same pier the next day
In Dunkirk, on a trip in July to see the Tour de France
Dirk swimming in Loch Ness during a rewilding (ecological restoration) trip in northern Scotland
With Hilary and Chuck Wilcoxen on Shetland during a guided hiking trip in Scotland by their company, Team Long Run
On the beach at St. Andrews, during the same trip, where the opening scene of Chariots of Fire was filmed
This week’s Talking Climate newsletter is guest edited by my friend @Bill McKibben — one of the most influential climate activists of our time and a lifelong voice for hope, honesty, and collective action.
In his issue, Bill shares:
🌞 Good news: Australia is rolling out free midday electricity thanks to a solar boom—an extraordinary glimpse of what a clean energy future can look like.
⚠️ Not-so-good news: Why the U.S. risks turning its back on that future, just as the rest of the world races ahead.
🤝 What you can do: How local and state action can help “simplify solar” and make affordable clean energy accessible to more people.
As Bill often reminds us: “The most important thing an individual can do right now is not be such an individual.” If you’re looking for clear-eyed honesty, big-picture hope, and practical ways forward, this one’s for you.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 🎄🎁
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This week’s Talking Climate newsletter is guest edited by my friend @Bill McKibben — one of the most influential climate activists of our time and a lifelong voice for hope, honesty, and collective action.
In his issue, Bill shares:
🌞 Good news: Australia is rolling out free midday electricity thanks to a solar boom—an extraordinary glimpse of what a clean energy future can look like.
⚠️ Not-so-good news: Why the U.S. risks turning its back on that future, just as the rest of the world races ahead.
🤝 What you can do: How local and state action can help “simplify solar” and make affordable clean energy accessible to more people.
As Bill often reminds us: “The most important thing an individual can do right now is not be such an individual.” If you’re looking for clear-eyed honesty, big-picture hope, and practical ways forward, this one’s for you.
The Trump administration says it will dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a cornerstone for American climate and weather science. I went on NPR today to explain what this could mean for climate research. Listen here: npr.org/2025/12/18/nx-s1-56483…
If you are in the US and you would like to send a message to your elected representative about this, American Geophysical Union has a template here: agu.quorum.us/campaign/151565/
Climate action is happening all around us — in communities, classrooms, churches, and unexpected corners of the world. Here are a few stories of hope, concern, and practical choices we can make together.
🌱 Good News: Innovations in clean energy are accelerating every day, from a solar-powered heated blanket invented by a 12-year-old Scottish student to keep unhoused people warm, to more churches going carbon-free every week.
⚠️ Not-So-Good News: Experts in climate science, health, and risk recently issued the UK’s first-ever National Emergency Briefing on the climate and nature crisis, highlighting escalating risks to food, health, national security, and biodiversity and more.
✈️ What You Can Do: If you’re traveling this season, consider thoughtful choices like staying local, choosing lower-carbon options, or flying direct when necessary. For now, offsetting travel emissions can help support community-centered climate projects ... while we're waiting (and advocating for) for a comprehensive, long-term fix!
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Climate action is happening all around us — in communities, classrooms, churches, and unexpected corners of the world. Here are a few stories of hope, concern, and practical choices we can make together.
🌱 Good News: Innovations in clean energy are accelerating every day, from a solar-powered heated blanket invented by a 12-year-old Scottish student to keep unhoused people warm, to more churches going carbon-free every week.
⚠️ Not-So-Good News: Experts in climate science, health, and risk recently issued the UK’s first-ever National Emergency Briefing on the climate and nature crisis, highlighting escalating risks to food, health, national security, and biodiversity and more.
✈️ What You Can Do: If you’re traveling this season, consider thoughtful choices like staying local, choosing lower-carbon options, or flying direct when necessary. For now, offsetting travel emissions can help support community-centered climate projects ... while we're waiting (and advocating for) for a comprehensive, long-term fix!
Holidays are often a time for decoration and giving — which means a massive surge in waste and emissions. But they also give us opportunities to choose differently.
In this week’s Talking Climate I explore B Corps doing good and the surprising toll of seasonal waste. I've also collected a host of ideas on how our choices can reduce waste, support communities, and restore nature-- from thrifted treasures to shared experiences, and giving that supports families and ecosystems around the world.
There’s no one “right” way to give; but there are so many ways to give well, and feel good doing it.
Some states have Benefit Corps, too, like @millforge , which aren't certified by B Lab, but are still great sustainable ways to give holiday experiences & gifts!
During this mega AMA, science correspondent Miles O’Brien and digital anchor and correspondent Deema Zein will interview scientists, academics, digital creators, influencers and others about the challenges they face while communicating facts about sc…
Here's a throwback to a very still winter's day at the start of the year. The Green Shores team have spotted what we assume was a water vole -it was too fast to be sure- hopping into and swimming in these naturally forming salt pans. Salt pans are a bit like rock pools without the rocks, where water remains when the tide is out. Restoring saltmarsh provides more habitat for all the saltmarsh creatures. #NatureScot #NatureRestorationFund #voles #Biodiversity
For me, 2025 has felt like a particularly heavy year ... and you might feel the same. So as we head into the holiday season, I wanted to share a few recommendations — books, podcasts, and newsletters — that encourage me, make me think, introduce me to new ideas and solutions, and remind me how hope begins with action.
The “what to do” this week is simple: share one of these resources! If you read one of the books, pass it along, give it to someone for Christmas, or recommend it to a book club. If you enjoy a podcast episode, share it with friends who love podcasts too. And if you find a newsletter you like, post it on social media, share why you appreciate it, and invite others to subscribe.
Have a climate-themed book, newsletter, or podcast you love that isn't listed here? Add it in the comments and share why you'd recommend it! talkingclimate.ca/p/climate-co…
Nature Podcast · Updated Weekly · Transform your life with nature as your guide. As the editor-in-chief of Atmos, Willow Defebaugh has dedicated her life to illuminating the wisdom of the natural world. In The Nature Of, she sits down...
Ma Quest
in reply to Green Shores • • •Green Shores
in reply to Ma Quest • • •