3 ways to fight climate change without getting overwhelmed (w/ Ayana Elizabeth Johnson)

How to Be a Better Human

TED

Self-improvement, Personal Growth, Better Human, Chris Duffy, Interviews, Emotional Awareness, Self-help, Education

4.2 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The future could be amazing, if we get it right. That’s so rarely how we think about it though. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist and author of the anthology What If We Get it Right?, is constantly collecting visions of the future and of climate solutions that are worth working towards together. Chris and Ayana talk about how to find your unique role in climate activism, the media’s responsibility in reporting climate-solution-focused news, and how to emphasize climate solutions rather than only catastrophizing the crisis. This is an episode all about what needs to be done, what you can do, and the world we could build together.

Follow

Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)

Guest: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (Instagram: @ayanaeliza | LinkedIn: @ayanaelizabeth | ayanaelizabeth.com)

Links

ayanaelizabeth.substack.com

Getitright.earth

Bookshop.org What If We Get It Right?

urbanoceanlab.org

Listen to Ayana's podcast, What If We Get it Right?, on Apple or Spotify!

Subscribe to TED

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!

For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.

Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:

TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, it's Adam Grant from Worklife, a podcast from TED.
0:05.3	This episode is brought to you by FreshWorks.
0:08.0	FreshWorks believes the complexity is the enemy of efficiency.
0:11.2	So stop wrestling with bloated expensive service software that takes forever to implement an update,
0:16.4	where ROI is someday, not today.
0:19.1	You've been overcharged and underserved for way too long.
0:22.7	Uncomplicate with fresh service for IT and fresh desk for customer support.
0:27.9	And with FreshWorks AI-assisted service software, you'll work smarter, not harder.
0:33.1	FreshWorks uncomplicates.
0:35.2	Learn more at freshworks.com.
0:41.4	Breaking up is never easy, but saying goodbye to your old clunky work tools, well, that's easy. Just repeat after me. It's not me. It's definitely you,
0:48.9	you rigid, unfriendly software. It's time to freshen things up with Monday.com.
0:54.9	The first work platform you'll love to use.
0:57.7	With stunning dashboards, customizable templates, and built-in AI that actually works,
1:02.8	switching to a new work platform has never felt this good.
1:06.3	So move on to Monday.com.
1:09.3	Right now we are living through some of the most tumultuous political times our country has ever known.
1:15.5	I'm David Remnick, and each week on the New Yorker Radio Hour, I'll try to make sense of what's happening, alongside politicians and thinkers like Cory Booker, Nancy Pelosi, Liz Cheney, Tim Walts, Katanji Brown Jackson, Newt Gingrich, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Charlemagne
1:30.8	the God, and so many more. That's all in the New Yorker Radio Hour, wherever you listen to podcasts.
1:46.5	You're listening to How to Be a Better Human. I am your host, Chris Duffy, and today on the show we have Iyanna Elizabeth Johnson.
1:50.5	Now, Ianna is someone who has completely changed the way that I think about the climate crisis.
1:55.6	And that's not because she convinced me that it's not a big deal.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from TED, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of TED and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.