How Can Climate Entertainment Help Us Talk About Climate Change?

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 31 March 2026

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Is emphasizing the cold, hard facts of climate change – the acres lost to sea level rise, the percentage increase of global warming – actually the right approach for getting people to act? “If we want climate progress in energy, transportation and agriculture, we need progress in pop culture, media and sports,” writes longtime energy and climate reporter Sammy Roth. Roth and climate media advocates argue that seeing electric vehicles in movies like “Barbie,” induction stoves on HGTV or a whole team protesting an oil company in “Ted Lasso” show how climate conscious realities can easily exist — and inspire viewers to advocate and take action. We’ll talk about why storytelling in film, TV and advertising has such a powerful sway over us, and take stock of the landscape of climate change depictions on your screens. Guests: Sammy Roth, author, Climate-Colored Goggles: a newsletter about climate & culture Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, national climate strategist; founder, Climate Critical [a Black-led climate collective]; board member, Good Energy [an organization focused on Hollywood climate storytelling] Jessica Kutz, lead climate reporter, The 19th John Marshall, founder and CEO, Potential Energy Coalition [a nonprofit marketing firm that works to increase public action on climate change] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Round Trees,
0:03.8	who have transformed your favourite ice lolly flavours into delicious fruity sweets.
0:08.8	Just imagine, chewy sweets inspired by the mouth-watering taste of juicy fruit pastoral lollies,
0:14.9	perfect for eating whenever, wherever.
0:17.6	Also available in zingy, sour watermelon and tropical mango lolly flavors. New round
0:23.1	trees lollies. Lollie treats now in sweets. Grab a share bag today.
0:30.3	Hey, it's Scott Schaefer, host of KQ80's Political Breakdown. Head over to Political Breakdowns
0:35.6	Feed Saturday, April 4th to catch a debate between
0:38.7	the top three candidates trying to get your vote for the San Francisco congressional seat,
0:43.5	now held by Nancy Pelosi for the past 38 years. We'll hear from San Francisco supervisor
0:48.9	Connie Chan, former political advisor and software engineer, Shoycott Chakrabarty,
0:56.3	and California State Senator Scott Wiener on why they should be the one
0:57.8	to replace the Speaker of Merida.
0:59.9	That's Saturday, April 4th.
1:01.8	Search for Political Breakdown
1:03.1	wherever you get your podcasts.
1:06.3	From KQED.
1:09.9	This is Forum. I'm Laura Clivens in for Mina Kim. I'm a climate reporter here at KQED. I've written
1:16.6	about wildfires, heat waves, the strain on our energy grid, and I read tons of stories that hold
1:22.1	powerful groups accountable or report on system failures. These are necessary.
1:28.5	But are they enough?
1:30.4	For the people who will not read this kind of story, how else can climate messages be shared?
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

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

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