If, like me, you like board games, you are very concerned about the climate crisis and you wonder how we can engage the unconverted public to the seriousness of the situation there is some good news. Quoting from this article How board games can get people involved in climate action “Tabletop games (board games, card games, role-playing games – anything that can be played around a table) have a unique ability to engage players in complex systems. Experiencing a scary imaginary future in a game can inspire players to take action in the real world. Games engage our brains in a different way than just hearing news about climate disasters. And they can prepare us to make better choices.” Read the article to find out what climate crisis games there are and what ones are in the process of being developed. I for one am looking forward to playing them. See this short 2 minute video Board game designers aim to make tackling climate change fun if you don’t want to read the article.
Good News
- The insane potential of Pumped Storage Hydropower. Another great short (12 minute) video from Dave Borlace and one that illustrates some good news. Dave says ”Pumped Storage Hydro had, until recently, been all but written off as a fully exploited dead-end for energy storage expansion. According to new research though, it turns out nothing could be further from the truth! It could literally be the lynch pin to get us to 100% renewable global electricity grids without having to pillage the earth (and deep seabed) of critical minerals.”
- Extreme weather events are exactly the time to talk about climate change – here’s why
- Amazon deforestation falls over 60% compared with last July, says Brazilian minister
- First turbines being installed at world’s biggest offshore windfarm in North Sea
- China Built More Offshore Wind In 2021 Than Every Other Country Built In 5 Years
Not so Goods News
This week the UK government announced that around 100 new oil and gas licences for the North Sea will be issued. At the same time the Prime Minister said the government would back two new carbon capture and storage plants, one in Aberdeenshire and one in the Humber. Check out the first 8.5 minutes of this week’s Inside Science BBC Inside Science Reality check: carbon capture and storage to hear what this decision means for the UK’s aim of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. For more on these announcements check out the following articles:
- Sunak announces approval of 100 new North Sea oil and gas licences | Fossil fuels | The Guardian
- New North Sea oil and gas licences will send ‘wrecking ball’ through climate commitments | Fossil fuels | The Guardian
- Sunak’s new oil and gas licences are ‘moral and economic madness’
- All the evidence against the UK’s plans to expand oil and gas drilling
- Rishi Sunak’s green backtracking contrasts strongly with previous prime ministers’ efforts
- Does carbon capture and storage hype delay emissions cuts? Here’s what research shows
And in other Bad News
- Rishi Sunak warned that Tories’ key green pledges are ‘unachievable’ | Environment | The Guardian
- We asked the British public what they really think about net zero – here’s what we found
- ‘Era of global boiling has arrived,’ says UN chief as July set to be hottest month on record | Climate science | The Guardian
- John Humphrys – From Global Warming to Global Boiling | YouGov
- The oil industry has succumbed to a dangerous new climate denialism
- UK energy windfall tax: what it is and why it needs to change
- Greece wildfires: how climate change is involved, and what we can do about it
- As heat records fall, how hot is too hot for the human body?
- Nuclear war would be more devastating for Earth’s climate than cold war predictions – even with fewer weapons
- Ocean heat record broken, with grim implications for the planet
- Antarctica is missing a chunk of sea ice bigger than Greenland – what’s going on? “Antarctica isn’t just for the penguins: it matters for all of us!”
TV and Films about Climate Change
How we drive, heat our homes and keep the lights on needs massive change, but what will it take to make it happen? ‘What they really mean for you’ is a two part series on BBC that tries to answer this question with regard to Electric Cars and Heat Pumps. The series is made in conjunction with the Open University and it includes a quiz ‘Are you a NetZero Hero?’ Find it here. What They Really Mean For You | An OU/BBC Co-production
A short 8 minute Greenpeace film Don’t Stop uses the events at a party to illustrate metaphorically what is going on and why with regard to climate change.
Finally a reminder that a new film about one man’s awakening of the climate crisis and what he did about it. My Extinction (Trailer) For a review of the film see My Extinction review – cheerfully dishevelled film-maker gets stuck into climate crisis | Movies | The Guardian. It can be seen at Home Cinema in Manchester on Monday 7th August at 18.20. If you want to go I would advise you to book tickets now as I know of a number of people that are going and there is limited seating for this one showing.