Editor’s Note: Bill McGuire is Emeritus Professor of Geophysical and Climate Hazards at University College London and author of “Hothouse Earth: A Resident’s Guide.” The views expressed in this commentary are his own. read more CNN Opinion here.
Q: How many climate change deniers does it take to change a light bulb?
A: What are you talking about, the lamp is fine.
Look, despite the post-COP28 despondency, it is possible to laugh about climate change. In fact, it’s not only possible, it’s essential.
What we needed from the Dubai climate summit was a binding pledge to halve emissions within six years so that we would have some chance of keeping the global average temperature increase (compared to pre-industrial times) this side of 1.5° C to keep. and sidestepping a dangerous, pervasive climate crisis.
What we got was a vague intention to transition away from fossil fuels – no timeline, no roadmap. It was the kind of result that elicits a chuckle and a disbelieving shake of the head. But chuckling is a healthy response even when things seem bleak – especially then.
Comedy and humor have long been proven ways to deal with difficult times. She can help relieve stress, distract the mind from the problems of the moment and boost overall well-being, all things we need now more than ever.
In World War II, comedy was used to belittle Hitler and reduce him to a figure of ridicule that changed him from a monster to a joke in the public’s perception; from someone to be feared, to someone who can be defeated. Those who suffered the devastating night bombings of British cities in 1940 and 1941 fought back the only way they could: laughing. The so-called Blitz spirit relied on a good dose of black humor, which in my opinion still plays a key role in improving the mood today in war zones like Ukraine.
When times are tough, people resort to humor and repartee. The reason is simple. If you don’t laugh, you will cry, and that marks the beginning of a very slippery slope. As civilization faces a threat that rivals that of any war ever fought together, and the outcome of the latest climate COP offers little hope, this is something we must – not just remember – but also actively adopt it as a weapon in our arsenal to fight for. a better future for our children and their children.
They say laughter is the best medicine, but… Weaponized comedy has the potential to do more than just make us feel good. It can help not only inform and educate about global warming and the climate change it causes, but also encourage and strengthen action. Fortunately this happens.
Because comedy can engage people in ways that other approaches to climate change cannot, it can be an effective way to get the message across.
This is why ventures like ‘Climate Science Translated’, which I participated in earlier this year, are so important. The British project – the brainchild of ethical insurer Nick Oldridge and climate communications company Utopia Bureau – pairs climate scientists with comedians, who ‘translate’ science into bite-sized, funny and quite irreverent chunks that can be understood, digested and appreciated by everyone.
Four short films have now been made – all available to watch on YouTube – ‘starring’ myself and the brilliant comedian and actor Kiri Pritchard-McLean for the first time.
Take my word for it: “we are underestimating some major potential risks and tipping points.” Or maybe you prefer Kiri’s translation: “Even the craziest predictions are probably not crazy enough. You thought it was bad, but it’s much worse than that. As Kiri emphatically notes, “When comedians help scientists, you know things aren’t going well.”
Elsewhere, a number of stand-ups have devised routines around global warming and climate collapse – including the excellent Lara Ricote, which won the Best Newcomer award at the prestigious British comedy festival Edinburgh Fringe in 2022, and Stuart Goldsmith’s climate-focused ‘ Spoilers” routine, which was launched at this year’s festival.
There’s even a ‘Sustainable Stand-up’ course, aimed at teaching comedy beginners how to tackle climate and social issues in their shows, and running in 11 countries.
In the US, the Climate Comedy Cohort brings together comedians to develop new routines based on the hottest climate science, and take their work into a series of live shows and short videos.
Some climate professionals have even taken matters into their own hands, such as Scot Dr. Matt Winning, who has a PhD in climate policy, and uses stand-up to get his message across: “My idea is that we’re making more people afraid of flying – so we need to put big glass floors on planes….” It may sound like there’s enough happening, but as the climate continues to collapse around our ears, it’s clear that more is needed – much more.
The world’s biggest climate joke has just ended in the United Arab Emirates, where more than 80,000 delegates – including 2,400 from the fossil fuel sector – have conspired to take the mickey.
Nearly three decades of climate COPs have done nothing to reduce emissions or rein in the ever-rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The UK Met Office has just predicted that global average temperature rise could reach 1.5°C next year, but the COP28 final communiqué continues to hammer home the question of how we can still avoid a permanent rise above this critical threshold, while we at the same time failing to show how.
COP28 was always intended to be a comedy show of sorts, and one that even the best comic writers would struggle to come up with. The conference was held in a major oil state, whose colossal wealth depends on the extraction of fossil fuels, and which has no interest in reducing carbon dioxide emissions from their combustion. The conference was chaired by the head of the country’s national oil company. .
Pre-leaked papers showed that the UAE planned to use the opportunity provided by the meeting to strike new oil and gas deals, while – halfway through – it emerged that the COP president had made a strong defense of fossil fuels, arguing that dumping they would see us living in caves again.
You have to laugh – the kind of slightly hysterical laugh that quickly turns to crying. Oh, and to make it even sweeter, the host for next year’s COP29 will be Azerbaijan – another major oil producer.
Instead of making progress in tackling the climate crisis, we are at a minimum standing still and possibly even going backwards. A role for comedy in helping change things has never been more urgent.
So let’s see more comedians build the climate crisis into their shows, and let’s get the real big players involved. Come on Bill Bailey, Lee Mack, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Jack Dee and the rest. It’s your world too.
And what about a climate sitcom – isn’t it time for it to happen? “Last of the summer heat wave” anyone, or maybe “Only fools and climate scientists”?
I know – “Third superheating rock from the sun.”
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