We got silly talking climate change with a comedian
So it got a bit blue on Nori’s Reversing Climate Change podcast this time, and it’s possibly our funniest podcast to date. There are bad words out the gate talking about just how bad climate change might be, if that’s something with which you are concerned. Mark Stevenson has made a career out of science translation, whether in comedy clubs, his books, music, or plays, or with big companies, nonprofits, and governments. Not sure where he has time for it all. Quite refreshing to speak to folks in this space approaching things from a creative angle. As we channel David Hume in this podcast, the heart leads and the brain justifies after the fact.
This is quite similar to what we try to do in our writing and podcasts. If you ever happened to see our internal communications, it gets heady and numerate quickly. Climate math, details of agriculture, monetary economics, game theory: it’s a lot to take in. So in our public communications (minus technical documents, the white paper, etc.) we try to speak like someone you might meet at a bar. We sort of wish we had just done this podcast over a pint at the pub because that’s what it felt like, with everyone on their Archbishop of Banterbury A-game.
The Norinauts are philosophically quite aligned with Mark not only in matters of communication and fun, but also big picture. It is in the best interest of companies to be thinking about how to deal with climate change and to have plans for it. The best talent wants to work for companies thinking about these issues, and companies that are practicing systems thinking and planning for massive strategic risk like climate change could tend to be more creative in their approach to problems. I haven’t seen these studies but Mark tells us that companies with these practices tend to do better than those that don’t. Could be correlation and not causation, but his reasoning rings true to me.
On the most Nori level possible, Mark references Georgetown, Texas, where renewables are so cheap that a town in the heart of Trumpbelt love them. When renewables are this good, political conflict goes away. It isn’t a punitive downgrade for a costly environmental solution. It’s an upgrade with no need to fight over science or the motivations and reliability of environmentalists. That’s what Nori would like to do with carbon removal. When people are making money and/or the cost of making good choices goes down, everyone wins and we get … stuff done.
We range widely here, from the benefits and costs of decentralization, as well as the loss of legitimacy in mainstream political institutions and why that is both dangerous and a good opportunity. Mark’s insightful and bawdy, and embodies an approach we find endearing and valuable. Hope you enjoy.
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