News from a World in Flux Ep. 38: Why we need climate popularism with Caroline Lucas and Rupert Read

Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.EPISODE 38: Why we need climate popularism with Caroline Lucas and Rupert ReadCharlie Gardner talks to former Green MP Caroline Lucas and Rupert Read, director of the Climate Majority Project, about their new report on climate popularism. They explain how the populist right has made climate policy toxic, and why the way back may be adaptation: retrofitting homes, greening cities, restoring nature and growing food together. These community projects cut bills, keep people safer in heatwaves, rebuild trust between neighbours and are harder to turn into a culture war. They also cover why climate popularism isn't populism, the place of grief and joy in climate politics, winning over some Reform voters, and a proposed People's Plan for Climate Resilience that Rupert sees as a vindication of XR's call for citizens' assemblies. REFERENCESThe Climate Majority Projecthttps://climatemajorityproject.comCLIMATE POPULARISM: Breaking the grip of right-wing populism through a new politics of crisis resiliencehttps://assets.climatemajorityproject.com/Climate%20popularism%206Oct26.pdfGlobal biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security (UK Government assessment, redacted version)https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e0eae719d837d69afc7de/National_security_assessment_-_global_biodiversity_loss__ecosystem_collapse_and_national_security.pdfWhen Nature Becomes a Security Threat - Caroline Lucas, The Rest Is Politics (episode 1)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rT9694CQFcPOWER STATION - documentary about turning a Walthamstow street into a solar power stationhttps://power.film/ ---------------------Follow us on BlueSkyClare [email protected] [email protected] you can, please donate to help with the production of this showhttps://ko-fi.com/worldinflux 

Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up once more to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.EPISODE 37: Why nature loss is a national security risk, with James BullockRecorded live at an Extinction Rebellion Love & Rage event, Clare and Charlie are joined by Professor James Bullock for a special "live" episode to unpack what climate breakdown is already doing to nature in Britain and beyond and what it means for our security. They explain how extreme heat, drought and fire are scorching ecosystems, why species can't keep pace as the seasons shift out of sync, and why collapse is "a process, not an event". They explore what failing ecosystems mean for our food and livelihoods and why the government's redacted report on nature collapse and national security matters. Finally, they ask: what can we actually do about all this?REFERENCESGlobal biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security (UK Government national security assessment, January 2026, redacted version)https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e0eae719d837d69afc7de/National_security_assessment_-_global_biodiversity_loss__ecosystem_collapse_and_national_security.pdfZack Polanski demands full release of report warning of ecosystem collapse (Novara Media, 9 Sept 2026)https://novaramedia.com/2026/09/09/zack-polanski-demands-full-release-of-report-warning-of-ecosystem-collapse/In the Climate Emergency, Conservation Must Become Survival Ecology (Gardner & Bullock, Frontiers in Conservation Science, 2021)https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2021.659912Tritrophic phenological match-mismatch in space and time: oaks, caterpillars and birds (Woodland Trust Nature's Calendar) https://naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk/analysis/research-reports/2017/tritrophic-phenological-match-mismatch-in-space-and-time/Mountain pine beetle outbreaks and climate change in British Columbia (Forests.org)https://forests.org/foresters-blog-mountain-pine-beetle/The continuing plight of Lough Neagh (British Wildlife)https://www.britishwildlife.com/?p=3015430x30: guide to Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (IUCN)https://iucn.org/resources/grey-literature/30x30-guide-inclusive-equitable-and-effective-implementation-target-3Zero Hour campaignhttps://www.zerohour.uk---------------------Follow us on BlueSkyClare [email protected] [email protected] Bullock @jmbecologist.bsky.socialIf you can, please donate to help with the production of this showhttps://ko-fi.com/worldinflux 

Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up once more to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.EPISODE 36: Net Zero boosts economy and Trump accelerates transitionIn this week's episode Clare and Charlie discuss the boost to the economy the push for Net Zero is delivering in the UK. They also discuss how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is accelerating decarbonization around the world.REFERENCES The Race for Net Zero - CBI Economicshttps://ca1-eci.edcdn.com/The_UK_Net-Zero-Economy_in_202_June_2026.pdf?v=1780384001 ---------------------Please, share, comment, subscribe, like, mobilise, and donate!https://ko-fi.com/worldinflux 

Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up once more to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.EPISODE 35: A food crisis is coming this year and the government is unpreparedIn this episode Clare and Charlie discuss how a perfect storm is brewing that will result in a coming food crisis this year and what you can do to prepare. They cover how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is affecting fertilizer supplies and increasing fuel prices, while a developing El Niño weather event is going to exacerbate already difficult growing conditions. All this against a background of a fragile food system and an unprepared government means we need to organise to keep ourselves safe.This isn't the final word in terms of things to think and do. It's really important to think about the near term impacts, but it's a huge topic and there is much more to cover in future episodes.REFERENCESBritain ‘sleepwalking into a food crisis’ without urgent action, experts say - The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/28/britain-sleepwalking-into-a-food-crisis-without-urgent-action-experts-saySteve Keen – Things Fall Apart - Brave New Europehttps://braveneweurope.com/steve-keen-things-fall-apartIndustry body warns fuel crisis could leave crops rotting in UK fields - The Guardianhttps://www.farminguk.com/news/industry-body-warns-fuel-crisis-could-leave-crops-rotting-in-uk-fields_68483.html 'Unpredictable and extreme’: Asia braces for El Niño - The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/05/el-nino-asia-unpredictable-extreme-weather-climate-change-crisisPro-Social Hoarding - George Monbiothttps://www.monbiot.com/2025/03/20/pro-social-hoarding/A food revolution: campaigners in Liège want all the region’s produce to be grown locally. Can they do it? - The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/jul/16/the-good-life-in-liege-the-start-of-a-food-revolutionPlanting Value in the Food System - The Vegan Societyhttps://www.plantingvalueinfood.org/Eating Away at Climate Change with Negative Emissions - Helen Harwatt and Matthew Hayekhttps://animal.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/Eating-Away-at-Climate-Change-with-Negative-Emissions%E2%80%93%E2%80%93Harwatt-Hayek.pdf---------------------Please, share, comment, subscribe, like, mobilise, and donate! https://ko-fi.com/worldinflux 

Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up once more to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.EPISODE 34: The psychological effects of repression and what's next for the climate movement?In this episode Clare and Charlie explore how escalating state repression is reshaping climate activism, from the rise of underground tactics and sabotage, to why crackdowns may be radicalising some campaigners while deterring others. They also discuss the future of climate organising, including: mutual aid, community resilience, local assemblies, land-based resistance in France, and the growing attempts to unite climate action with anti-war, anti-poverty and justice movements. They raise the question of what a coherent political vision and philosophy for the climate movement might actually look like in an age of collapse, inequality and authoritarianism.REFERENCESResearch on climate protest repression in the UK (University of St Andrews / Nature Climate Change)https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-026-02570-8Guardian article on how climate protest crackdowns may radicalise activistshttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/25/criminalisation-of-climate-protesters-in-uk-is-counterproductive-research-findsUnderstanding and Accelerating Collective Climate Action (Report from Leiden Conference)https://zenodo.org/records/17583133The Difficulty Ecologism Has Not Yet Facedhttps://thefurrowedmind.substack.com/p/the-difficulty-ecologism-has-notHumanity Projecthttps://humanityproject.uk/The Climate Mobilization (US climate survival organising project)https://www.theclimatemobilization.org/Water Sovereignty Toolkit (The Climate Mobilization)https://www.theclimatemobilization.org/water-sovereignty-toolkitA Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnithttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/301070/a-paradise-built-in-hell-by-rebecca-solnit/Soulèvements de la Terre (“Earth Uprisings” movement in France)https://lessoulevementsdelaterre.org/Climáximo (Portuguese climate justice movement)https://www.instagram.com/climaximopt/Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative - https://fossilfueltreaty.org/Citizens’ Convention for Climate (France)https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr/en/ --------------------Please, share, comment, subscribe, like, mobilise, and donate!https://ko-fi.com/worldinflux 

Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up once more to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.EPISODE 33: The true cost of AI and a COP replacement?In this episode, Clare and Charlie discuss the first Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels conference held in Santa Marta Colombia in April 2026. They also look at what data centres and a booming AI industry means for the environment and beyond.REFERENCESJust Transition Away from Fossil Fuels Conferencehttps://transitionawayconference.com/Key Outcomes from Santa Marta - Carbon Briefhttps://www.carbonbrief.org/santa-marta-key-outcomes-from-first-summit-on-transitioning-away-from-fossil-fuels/The AI Climate Hoax Reporthttps://drive.google.com/file/d/12l1W4W25b-_ff6yFNJABkfal9_9oevxe/viewNew datacentres risk doubling Great Britain’s electricity use - Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/23/new-datacentres-risk-doubling-uk-electricity-use-ofgem-peak-demandUK departments at odds over energy demands of AI datacentres - Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/26/uk-departments-at-odds-over-energy-demands-of-ai-datacentres The Thermodynamic Endgame of Industrial Civilizationhttps://kasperbenjamin.substack.com/p/the-thermodynamic-endgame-of-industrial Data Centre Watch report https://www.datacenterwatch.org/report---------------------Please, share, comment, subscribe, like, mobilise, and donate!https://ko-fi.com/worldinflux 

Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up once more to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.EPISODE 32: Smashing JP Morgan, AMOC collapse, tipping points, and jury cutsIn this episode, Clare and Charlie unpack the latest climate science looking at the “Hothouse Earth” trajectory and accelerating tipping points, the growing risks around the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, and what it means to lose control of the Earth system. They also discuss the acquittal of the medic protest targeting JP Morgan, the role of juries and how they're under attack.REFERENCESTrajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene - Will Steffen et al.https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1810141115The risk of a hothouse Earth trajectory - William J. Ripple et al.https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(25)00391-4Daily Mail coverage of AMOC riskshttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9304273/The-Gulf-Stream-weakest-1-000-YEARS-climate-change.html Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA)https://www.aria.org.ukJPMorgan Chase fossil fuel financing reporthttps://www.bankingonclimatechaos.orgDefend Our Jurieshttps://defendourjuries.orgThe Secret Barristerhttps://thesecretbarrister.com---------------------Please, share, comment, subscribe, like, mobilise, and donate! https://chuffed.org/xr/uk

Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up once more to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.EPISODE 31: Biodiversity: suppressed report, finance gap, grassroot's protection, and Hannah SpencerIn this episode Clare and Charlie examine a censored UK intelligence assessment on biodiversity breakdown, the economic system driving ecosystem destruction, and the role of people power in protecting the planet. They also discuss what a surprising Green Party by-election victory might mean for climate politics.REFERENCESITV coverage of suppressed biodiversity national security reporthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59DZiPdsOc8IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessmenthttps://www.ipbes.net/bba-report/media-releaseRole of social movements in conserving nature New paper in PNAS based on Environmental Justice Atlashttps://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.2513327123NB the views in this show are Clare and Charlie's own and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Extinction Rebellion.---------------------Please, share, comment, subscribe, like, mobilise, and donate! https://chuffed.org/xr/ukExtinction Rebellion UK: https://extinctionrebellion.uk/

Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up once more to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.EPISODE 30: Floods, Zack Polanski, community organizing, and biofuelsIn this episode Clare and Charlie tackle a new report that looks at how vulnerable the UK is to future flooding, the rise of Zack Polanski and community organizing, and why biofuels are not the answer.REFERENCESTowns may have to be abandoned due to flooding - The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/14/millions-more-homes-in-great-britain-at-risk-of-flooding-investigation-findsAviva building future communities report 2025https://static.aviva.io/content/dam/aviva-corporate/documents/newsroom/pdfs/reports/building_future_communities_report_2025.pdfBiofuels globally emit more CO2 than the fossil fuels they replace - T&Ehttps://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/biofuels-globally-emit-more-co2-than-the-fossil-fuels-they-replace-studyWhy I’m not pinning my hopes on Your Party, or any other - Gully Bujakhttps://www.absurdintelligence.com/why-im-not-pinning-my-hopes-on-your-party-or-any-other/NB the views in this show are Clare and Charlie's own and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Extinction Rebellion.---------------------Please, share, comment, subscribe, like, mobilise, and donate! https://chuffed.org/xr/uk 

Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up once more to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.  EPISODE 29: CO2 accelerating, corals gone forever, is it time to start geoengineering?In this episode Charlie explains the recent measurement of accelerating atmospheric CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere as well as the announcement that coral bleaching has passed a tipping point, while Clare delves into the world of solar radiation management at a recent conference she attended with James Hansen.REFERENCESRecord leap in CO2 concentrations - The Guardianwww.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/15/record-leap-in-co2-fuels-fears-of-accelerating-global-heatingJames Hansen & Clare Farrell - Climate Reckoning in ATLAS25, Operaatio Arktishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2UME_Z8oig --------------------- Please, share, comment, subscribe, like, mobilise, and donate! https://chuffed.org/xr/uk