(Document)
The Failure of COP26: A Problem Well Stated Is Half Solved
This is a 45 minute talk I gave for Mach Speak in January 2022, followed by about 20 minutes of questions with the audience.
The failure of COP 26 has left many of us asking some fundamental questions not only about the UK climate movement and the current state of politics, but also about traditional notions of change. Here I set out to describe how the goals of the climate movement are being received in the current political climate, along the way considering the problems of media, social media and polarisation, and ultimately discussing the hard problem of political change.
Some of the materials I used for the talk can be found linked below:
Stephan and Chenoweth, ‘Why Civil Resistance Works’ (2008)
Richard L. Hasen, ‘Identifying and Minimising the Risk of Election Subversion . . .’ (2021)
Martin Luther King Jr, ‘A New Sense Of Direction’ (1968)
Audrey Tang, ‘Digital Tools Open Up Taiwan’s Democratic Imaginations’ (2015)
The Future of the Welsh Language in the Machynlleth area.
Online discussion with the Calon, Meddwl, Corff group Summer 2020.
Climate Denial and Climate Fact
Interview with John Mason, Summer 2020.
The Death of Marjorie Kimble
A short story co-created during a series of 4 workshops (Summer 2020), with contributions from Jane Hoy, Linda Sever, Ceitidh Coille Riley, Shellie Enteen, Smele Xerri, Joy Purcell, Marck Chejkst, Michael ‘Breddelwyn’ Peterson and Diane Perazzo.
To Catch A Fly
A short story by Adam Thorogood.
Mixed Farming in Bro Ddyfi
An nterview with Chris Higgins.
Zero Carbon Britain
An Interview with Paul Allen.