Last week in New York City, tens of thousands of people gathered for Climate Week, which was observed here in Wisconsin with a march at the state capitol. Despite the Trump administration’s anti-science and pro fossil fuel agenda, many people remain committed to the fight against ecological disaster. On today’s show, climate scientist Kate Marvel takes up this fight, saying that the knowledge that climate change isn’t a mystery helps her stay grounded and motivated so she can focus on solutions.

Marvel tells host Douglas Haynes about her new book, Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet. She reminds listeners that while humans are unpredictable, it is not human nature to be selfish. Instead, she looks to times when people have come together to fight ecological problems, like the killing of whales, the Clean Air Act, and the ozone hole. 

Marvel breaks down how climate models work to study Earth systems and theorize what might happen to the planet if humans took different actions. She describes climate models as toy planets that live on computers. A key insight of Marvel’s book is that emotions are key to who we think about and understand climate change. She says there’s no conflict between getting the facts right and having feelings about them, feelings like awe and wonder, fear and anxiety, as well as hope and love.

Kate Marvel is a climate scientist and one of the premier science communicators working today. A former cosmologist, Marvel received a PhD in theoretical physics from Cambridge University. She led the “Climate Trends” chapter in the U.S. Fifth National Climate Assessment, has given a TED Talk, appeared on Meet the Press and The Ezra Klein Show, and testified before the U.S. Congress. She has written for Scientific American, Nautilus magazine, and the On Being Project. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.

Featured image of Kate Marvel’s new book, Human Nature, published by Harper Collins.

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