Sometimes you just have to disrupt the system! Christiana Figueres is a renowned leader in global climate change, known for her role as Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC from 2010-2016. She successfully led international climate negotiations in Cancun, Durban, Doha, Warsaw, and Lima, culminating in the historic Paris Agreement of 2015. She's credited with pioneering collaborative diplomacy. Today, she co-founded Global Optimism, co-hosts the podcast ‘Outrage & Optimism’, and co-authored...

Why has burnout culture been normalised in activism and how can we change it? Arifa Nasim founded Educate2Eradicate, a non-profit organisation committed to spreading knowledge to prevent the hundreds of thousands of individuals at risk from experiencing forced marriage, genital mutilation and honour-based abuse. Arifa has educated more than 5,000 individuals and plans to grow Educate2Eradicate into a holistic program, training larger organisations and offering counseling and legal advice to...

How does the climate crisis make you feel? Mitzi Jonelle Tan is a full-time climate justice activist based in Metro Manila, Philippines. She is the convenor and international spokesperson of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines, the Fridays For Future of the Philippines. A strong voice on anti-imperialism, anti-colonization, and the intersectionality of the climate crisis, she is committed to changing the system and building a world that prioritizes people and planet, not profit,...

Why is it so difficult to chat with family and friends about causes you care about? Jamie Windust is a an author, content creator and Contributing Editor at GAY TIMES. They made headlines in 2018 for calling out the staff of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald for "Misogyny, homophobia, transphobia everywhere", and in 2019 for petitioning the UK Parliament for gender-neutral passport options. In 2020, they published their book, ‘In Their Shoes: Navigating Non-Binary Life’ and...

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves who or what the true enemy is… Sophia Kianni is an Iranian-American social entrepreneur and activist. She studied at Stanford University and is the founder of Climate Cardinals, the world’s largest youth-led climate nonprofit, with 10,000 volunteers in 80+ countries. She is the youngest United Nations advisor in US history. She was most recently appointed to serve on the EPA’s National Youth Advisory Council. In the fifth episode of season 3, Confessions...

Wait, you’re getting paid to be here?! Isaias Hernandez (he/they) is an educator and creative from Los Angeles. He’s more commonly known by his moniker, Queer Brown Vegan: the independent media platform he started to bring intersectional environmental education to all. They’ve been featured in Vogue, New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Yale Climate Communications. His social media advocacy earned him recognition as a top climate creator by Harvard C-CHANGE. Being overworked...

Have you ever felt imposter syndrome because of your age? Ziad Ahmed (he/him) is an American-Muslim-Bangladeshi entrepreneur and speaker. He's the CEO/Co-Founder of JUV Consulting, a Generation Z consultancy that has collaborated with over 20 Fortune 500 companies, gaining recognition from the New York Times and earning him a spot on Forbes' 2019 #30Under30 list at the age of 19. Severn Cullis-Suzuki gained international attention at the age of 12 when she delivered her famous speech at the...

How can we encourage more people to get involved in activism? Jaiden Corfield is an activist turned social entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the social impact sector ranging from building radical schools that nurture learning to pioneering bold and disruptive funds that re-invent philanthropy. Jaiden has worked alongside some of the world’s largest organisations and institutions to create and sustain positive change across education, philanthropy and policy.  Ben Hurst...

What even is a ‘perfect’ activist? Tori Tsui (she/they) is a Bristol-based climate activist, speaker, writer and consultant from Hong Kong. She is the co-founder of the space, Bad Activist Collective, and a member of the climate coalition, Unite For Climate Action. In 2023, they released their debut book 'It's Not Just You', which explores the intersections between mental health and the climate crisis. To kick off the first episode of season 3, Confessions of a Climate Activist, Clover sits...

This season, we’re diving into “Confessions of a Climate Activist”. What comes to mind when you picture an activist? Is it a person glued to the road? Someone with a reusable coffee cup? Maybe, a teenager holding a microphone? Whatever it is, I want you to let it go — because I’m about to invite you behind the scenes. You’re going to hear from activists on the stuff that doesn’t get talked about. Burnout; getting cancelled; the ethical compromises of making money; imposter syndrome, and even...

About the Episode In the final episode of season 2, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover explores the role education plays in understanding global eco-anxiety and mitigating the climate crisis. First up, Clover meets with Joe Brindle, founder of the Teach the Future campaign, to learn why our education on the climate crisis has been limited and whether or not it was a deliberate attempt to restrict awareness. We then hear from people around the world experiencing eco-anxiety and...

About the Episode In the penultimate episode of season 2, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover will be learning about nature and extinction and how it aggravates eco-anxiety worldwide. First, Clover meets environmental filmmaker and Wildlife photographer of the year, Aishwarya Sidhar, to better understand capitalist systems that are driving extinction. We then hear how young people's eco-anxiety has been worsened by ecological extinction; our resident psychotherapist, Caroline Hickman,...

About the Episode In this episode, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover investigates how modern politics have generated the climate crisis and heightened global eco-anxiety; and what we must do to find a unifying vision for the future.  First up, Clover meets Colombe Cahen-Salvador, co-founder of ATLAS, to learn more about how politicians have escalated the climate crisis and whether they actually want us to politically disengage. We then hear from young people around the world on how...

About the Episode In the ninth episode of season two, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover considers how our modern consumerist culture, founded on the desire to accumulate material possessions, has led to the climate crisis and in turn, eco-anxiety.  First up, Clover meets the former Global Communications Lead of Break Free From Plastic and Founder of People Over Plastic, Shilpi Chhotray, to discuss our culture of overconsumption, and why breaking free of consumerism is at the heart of...

About the Episode In the eighth episode of season two, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover explores how our relationship with food contributes to global eco-anxiety and the climate crisis.  First up, Clover meets the founder of the food waste initiative TooGoodToGo, Jamie Crummie, to discuss the enormity of our problematic global food system, and why managing food waste is the single most impactful thing individuals can do to lessen their CO2 impact. We then hear from young people about...

About the Episode In the seventh episode of season two, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover rifles through the world of fast fashion to discover the true extent of its impact on the climate crisis, and how this accentuates global eco-anxiety.  First up, Clover sits down with environmentalist blogger, Aditi Mayer, to track the origins of fast fashion, and understand how our disposable culture has unravelled our sense of what is, and what is not art. Later in the show, our resident...

About the Episode In the sixth episode of season two, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover dives deeper into eco-feminism and the impact of the climate crisis on women & girls. Through her conversation with Nergiz De Baere, creator of ChicksforClimate, Clover unearths the disproportionate effects of the climate crisis on women. We then hear from young people whose stories have been shaped by gender inequality; our resident psychotherapist, Caroline Hickman, on why women need to...

About the Episode In the fifth episode of season two, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover sets on a journey to uncover our relationship with water and how this vital element is at the core of the climate crisis. Firstly, Clover meets water rights activist, Beze Gray, to analyse why water rights & scarcity will become an increasingly ubiquitous problem for all. Later on, young people around the world share how our fractious relationship with water worsens their eco-anxiety. We then...

About the Episode In the fourth episode of season two, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover sheds light on the intersection of climate justice and social justice being two sides of the same coin. First up, Clover meets Isaias Hernandez, creator of QueerBrownVegan, to deconstruct the climate crisis, racism, and inequality, and learn how these topics intersect. We then hear from young people around the world, sharing how social inequalities affect their eco-anxiety; our resident...

About the Episode In the third episode of season two, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover explores our world of plastic and its impact on people and the planet. First up, Clover meets Melati Wijsen, founder of Bye Bye Plastic Bags. Melati explains why our oceans are drowning in plastic, and how that could gravely impact all life on this planet. We then hear from young people around the world experiencing eco-anxiety; our resident psychotherapist, Caroline Hickman, on how to harness our...

About the Episode In the second episode of season two, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover discerns how our media has shaped the climate narrative in the past, and how we can leverage it to accelerate climate action. First up, Clover speaks with filmmaker and fellow climate activist, Jack Harries, about what ‘woke’ him up to the climate crisis and why, in his words, it’s been the ‘story we failed to tell.’ We then hear from young people around the world sharing how media impacts their...

About the Episode In the first episode of season two, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover embarks on a journey to learn more about how our production and use of energy contributes both to the climate crisis, and the rise of eco-anxiety. First up, Clover sits down with activist Aneesa Khan to understand more how the lies told by the fossil fuel industry perpetuate our ‘addiction’. We then hear from young people around the world, sharing how their eco-anxiety is impacted by fossil fuels;...

Hi, my name's Clover and welcome to Season 2 of the Force of Nature Podcast: We need to talk about eco-anxiety. Some of you may be wondering what eco-anxiety is while others may be struggling with it right now. This podcast is for both of you. For those curious listeners who want to understand the impacts of climate change on our mental health, this podcast is your crash course. Each week on the show we'll be exploring a different face of the climate crisis: from the food we eat, to our...

In this episode of Force of Nature, Clover sits down with James Arbib - co-founder of RethinkX, the non-profit think tank exploring how technology will shape the future and disrupt all levels of society. From lab-grown meat to driverless, electric cars, James helps leaders make better decisions for an equitable, healthy, and resilient society. In this episode, Clover and James discuss the influences that shape our lives, planning for uncertainty, and whether the system really is too broken to...