Dr. Katharine Hayhoe - Effecting Change Through Authentic Conversation
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is a world-renowned climate scientist, professor, and Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where she leads and coordinates the organization's scientific efforts. She is also the author of "Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World," an excellent book you've likely heard me reference on the podcast. Whether you are interested in learning more about the facts, data, or projections regarding climate change, or if you are seeking guidance on how best to approach challenging conversations about climate, I highly recommend "Saving Us." It's an optimistic, solutions-oriented guidebook for finding common ground and having productive conversations.
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Katharine was born and raised in Canada and has been obsessed with science, the natural world, and the universe for as long as she can remember. Her undergraduate studies focused on physics and astronomy, but as she was finishing up her degree, she happened to take a climate science course, which captured her imagination and changed the focus of her education and career. Today, Katharine is a distinguished professor at Texas Tech, a highly respected researcher, and a sought-after speaker with a TED Talk that's been viewed more than 4 million times. And to top it all off, in 2021, she joined The Nature Conservancy as its Chief Scientist.
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Katharine and I met up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where she was the keynote speaker at a community event focused on climate and climate change in the Yampa Valley and beyond. Katharine and I chatted for an hour before her event, and we managed to cover a lot of ground. We discussed her book "Saving Us," her TED talk, and a concept known as "The Six Americas of Global Warming." We discuss how and why her Christian faith plays such an important role in her work to solve climate change, and she offers some common-sense, optimistic approaches to having challenging conversations with smart people who do not think that climate change is a threat. She also talks about her role at The Nature Conservancy, specific climate opportunities and challenges facing the American West, and she offers a ton of excellent book recommendations.
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Thank you to Dr. Hayhoe for taking the time out of her busy schedule to chat with me, and thank you for listening. Hope you enjoy.
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- Dr. Katharine Hayhoe
- "Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World"
- Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/katharine-hayhoe/
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This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.
On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West.
To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado
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TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- 3:30 - Why Dr. Hayhoe wrote "Saving Us"
- 5:45 - Regarding Dr. Hayhoe’s TED Talk
- 8:15 - Discussing The Six Americas of Global Warming
- 12:00 - The relationship between Dr. Hayhoe’s faith and climate work
- 17:45 - When religion and climate change dismissal historically became tied together
- 21:30 - Discussing the balance between fear and guilt as motivating and stagnating forces
- 28:00 - What surprised Dr. Hayhoe in writing the book
- 33:45 - Role playing how to interact with intelligent people who doubt climate science
- 37:30 - Applying lessons learned from COVID-19 to climate change
- 41:30 - Dr. Hayhoe’s time as 9-year-old abroad in Columbia and how it influenced her thinking and career
- 46:15 - Why Dr. Hayhoe decided to work with The Nature Conservancy, and the impacts she hopes to make
- 50:15 - The stats Dr. Hayhoe would want to see to feel she has had an impact in five years
- 54:45 - The challenges and opportunities facing the arid West amidst climate change
- 57:00 - Dr. Hayhoe’s reading habits and some books she has loved
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