Earth

It’s not too late to talk about climate change

Earth, the new climate and sustainability desk, wants to make climate journalism people-first.

Man holding up a sign that says "There is no planet B" at the climate march in London.

Taken at the climate march in London on 21st September 2014. Photo courtesy of Garry Knight.

By Shreya Agrawal

Here’s the biggest question with our climate crisis: how do you react to a looming apocalypse when the news you hear is controversial and often contradictory?

Some factions of our society have taken to shooting down the messenger, a tactic which can never bode well for the future of any civilization. Some have simply chosen to ignore the problem until we absolutely have to deal with it.

Well, now we have to deal with it. Extreme weather has created such a frenzy that nothing feels normal anymore. This year, we have seen cataclysmic floods in Pakistan, record-breaking heat in the Southwestern US, and droughts in China that dried up parts of the Yangtze. The heatwaves here in Los Angeles were so scorching that our power grid was overwhelmed to the point of blackouts.

Most climate-related news reads like a harbinger for doomsday, which can often scare people into ignoring the problem and not talking about it.

While we may be headed for that scenario, I don’t believe we will actually get there. We still have numerous ways to solve the climate crisis. Millions of people believe their efforts can make a difference and take individual action to save our planet, just like Patagonia’s founder, who recently gave away his company to fight climate change. If we all come together and fight this crisis collectively, I think we can get to a sustainable society.

At the Earth desk, we are looking for better ways to tell climate stories, and so we have decided to tell stories about the people at the center of this crisis, which means they are stories about all of us. Because every single one of us is affected by this crisis, whether we realize it or not.

Our goal is to implement a multimedia approach to our storytelling, so that every member of our audience has something to connect with. So, here’s what you can expect in the future:

A Earth newsletter that pops into your email once a week to catch you up on the latest climate happenings from around the world;

Explainer articles and shows to answer some of the questions you have about the climate crisis, but never knew to ask;

And stories from USC, Los Angeles and beyond. Stories about sustainability, policies, the planet and its people.

We want to educate people about the climate crisis so none of us feel alone or afraid, so we need more stories about resilience and willpower that inspire more people and communities to act against climate change. We may not have the ultimate answer on how to solve the climate crisis, but we will uplift all those small ideas that lead towards bigger change.

If you believe you have a story to tell, we welcome you to be a part of the Earth desk. All climate stories are necessary, and we need to start telling them now.