156. Why It's "Not Too Late" with Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua
Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast
Persephonica
4.7 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 2 June 2022
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Reactions to the now infamous presentation of the suspended HSBC Head of Responsible Investing, Stuart Kirk, is still a source of considerable outrage here at Outrage + Optimism. Kirk’s presentation entitled "Why investors need not worry about climate risk" peddled such dangerous climate disinformation that it prompted Christiana to refer to it in her brilliant op-ed in Investor Week as one of the most irresponsible public statements we have heard in years. In this week’s episode brace yourself for Paul’s no holds barred account of what he really thinks about Stuart Kirk’s views and hear Christiana expand on why opinions like Kirk’s threaten the emergence of stakeholder capitalism. Tom’s insightful analysis further links the growing movement of incumbents rallying against ‘woke capitalism’ with the corporate disclosure of emissions and climate risk that is about to be regulated in the US and the EU.
Thankfully our main interview this week features a previous, much loved, Outrage + Optimism guest Rebecca Solnit, and the inspirational Thelma Young Lutunatabua whose Not Too Late project offers us the tools to tackle this current wave of disinformation, and provides tangible stories of hope. Hear how the project aims to invite newcomers to the climate movement, as well as providing climate facts and encouragement for people who are already engaged but weary. Listening to these two incredible women speak about Not Too Late ‘rang a bell of truth in our souls’ as Thelma so beautifully puts it in the interview.
Sit back and be sure to enjoy the remarkable track Preacher Man by Mica Millar.
Enjoy the show!
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Christiana + Tom’s book ‘The Future We Choose’ is available now!
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Not Too Late
Make sure to visit the Not To Late project launched by Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua
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Mentioned links from the episode:
Not So Moral Money? - link to the Business Green article Christiana mentions in the episode that deunks Stuart Kirk's presentation.
On Being podcast episode with Tarana Burke speaking about the need for ‘revolutionary grace’ mentioned by Thelma.
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A HUGE thank you to Adam, James and the team at Airaphon this week for editing this week’s podcast while Clay is away!
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Thank you to our musical guest this week, Mica Millar!
Mica Millar
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to Outragean Optimism, I'm Tom Rificanec. |
| 0:15.3 | I'm Cristiana Fijeres. |
| 0:16.9 | And I am Paul Dickinson. |
| 0:18.7 | This week we talk about the outrageous comments made by Stuart Kirk of HSBC and the wider |
| 0:23.8 | war that is brewing on what is now being called Woke Capitalism. |
| 0:27.7 | We speak to Rebecca Solnett and Thelma Young, Luton Atomboa about their new project |
| 0:32.1 | It's Not Too Late and we have music from Mika Miller, thanks for being here. |
| 0:46.5 | Alright you two, so big on the outrage this week, let's just get it out of the way when |
| 0:50.0 | we start. |
| 0:51.0 | Cristiana I know you've been like a cork in a champagne bottle over the last few days, ready |
| 0:55.0 | to let loose about this issue. |
| 0:56.7 | A few days ago, we're actually about a week ago now that we're recording this, Stuart |
| 1:00.5 | Kirk, the head of responsible investing at HSBC, gave a speech, the head of irresponsible |
| 1:09.5 | investing head of irresponsible investing. |
| 1:11.7 | The global head of responsible investing at HSBC asset management gave a presentation |
| 1:15.7 | entitled, why investors need not worry about climate risk in which he said things like |
| 1:20.6 | who cares if Miami is six meters underwater in a hundred years, he was making the point |
| 1:25.6 | on a regular basis that this doesn't move financial markets. |
| 1:28.8 | So why should he care? |
| 1:29.8 | This was picked up in various bits of media, of course, all around the world. |
| 1:33.8 | But the Wall Street Journal in particular came out and said that Kirk was merely saying |
| 1:37.5 | what many in his industry believe but are too timid to say, climate change poses a negligible |
... |
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