Every month, on the first and third Tuesday, The Straits Times dives into pressing environmental topics, from climate change to biodiversity issues. Currently, it feels like we are in an “ice age” for climate action. Instead of focusing on the environment, discussions revolve around wars, trade conflicts, and political matters, pushing climate news to the background.
Many countries and businesses are rolling back their environmental goals. Despite worsening conditions, they’re sidestepping strong climate actions. What’s the way forward? Can regional climate agreements take the place of global strategies? Will renewable energy continue to unify efforts? And how can we bring climate issues back into public conversation?
In a recent episode of The Straits Times’ Green Pulse podcast, hosts Audrey Tan and David Fogarty tackle these pressing questions. This week’s highlights include:
- Renewable energy is gaining traction amidst ongoing talks of fossil fuels.
- Resource rush and issues surrounding Greenland’s climate realities.
- The decline of multinational cooperation affects climate discussions.
- How to reignite interest in climate issues.
- The importance of centering human stories in environment reporting.
Expert opinions can provide fresh insights. A recent survey from the World Economic Forum revealed that 74% of global respondents consider climate change a significant threat. This indicates a rising awareness and urgency among the public, calling for renewed focus on climate action. However, social media trends show that geopolitical conflicts often overshadow these concerns, becoming the dominant narrative.
Historically, significant global climate agreements faced both support and criticism. For instance, the Paris Agreement was groundbreaking but also sparked debates about the effectiveness of such measures in light of national interests. Today, as we see a shift towards bilateral agreements, we must question whether these can match the ambitions of comprehensive global cooperation.
It’s clear: climate change must not be an afterthought in our global agenda. To rekindle interest, we need to make the issue personal and relatable. Storytelling that connects climate impacts to people’s lives can help bring the topic to the forefront again.
To explore these discussions further, you can listen to the Green Pulse podcast [here](https://omny.fm/shows/green-pulse-1/from-greenland-to-deep-sea-mining-is-geopolitics-killing-climate-action/embed).
