Solutions-based podcast encourages everyone taking positive climate action
Environmental journalist tells people to focus on how they can have healthier better lives and be kinder to the planet in The Decarbonisation Dialogue
Journalist and author Anna Turns focuses on net zero solutions in a recent episode of The Decarbonisation Dialogue encouraging listeners to see change as a positive.
Anna, who is currently completing a fellowship with the Solutions Journalism Network and the Dutch-based European Journalism Centre, says that whilst we must not ignore the everyday climate crisis stories we see on our news channels, she believes people should look for the solutions too.
In episode 11 of The Decarbonisation Dialogue, Anna also talks about how her background in wildlife TV production and storytelling inspire her mission to provide well balanced, well researched journalism.
The Salix podcast showcases a range of voices from across science, business, industry, the arts, journalism, the church and young people.
Purpose-driven Anna has worked in the media for more than two decades, from TV production to magazine journalism and radio broadcasting.
The Oxford University biology graduate has even run her own campaign – Plastic Clever Salcombe.
Anna said: “What has always driven me, and what has always given me that purpose is this want to look at what is happening in response to the problem.
“We’re obviously facing a lot of different crises at the moment in terms of pollution, nature, biodiversity, climate, everything. Some people call it the polycrisis.
“That can be very overwhelming. So many people disengage from content, mainstream media, so I really love the challenge of trying to find creative ways to make that inspiring and bring a pull factor into that to get people to actually look at what is happening.”
We’re obviously facing a lot of different crises at the moment in terms of pollution, nature, biodiversity, climate, everything. Some people call it the polycrisis.
That can be very overwhelming. So many people disengage from content, mainstream media, so I really love the challenge of trying to find creative ways to make that inspiring and bring a pull factor into that to get people to actually look at what is happening.
Action: government, business and people
In our podcast interview, Anna says that as individuals we can only do so much and looks to government and business to make the big decisions on climate.
Although government must make the key regulation and legislative changes, Anna believes business is central.
She said: “Business is a bit more like a small powerboat, it can pivot much more easily, it’s got more flexibility, and I think business is really key to shifting the landscape and to demanding more change at scale and also responding to that collective call for action from consumers, from citizens.”
Although business can pivot, the consumer must also play a hand. She urges consumers to look at verifications, certifications and to use these to hold businesses to account on all matters climate.
Claims like ‘ethically produced’, ‘environmentally friendly,’ or ‘sustainably sourced’ should be scrutinised.
This way, she believes the businesses that are thinking ahead and about the planet can benefit. She feels it’s a positive that businesses will have to do more work to prove what the ingredients are, the supply chain, where things come from and how something was made.
She added: “This empowers us to know more and make more informed choices, and this is a good way to support the businesses that are doing a lot more, to make things truly sustainable.
“I think we can catalyse change, I think we can accelerate things and speed things up and support business in speeding that up as well.
“I think doing nothing to me, is not really an option. By holding business and governments to account, we can make sure they are doing the right thing.”
Anna constantly looks for positive solutions and believes that each of the three, government, business and people can work together.
“I don’t think blame is very useful we are all in this system, we all live in this system.
“We don’t want to give up our current lifestyles, we want to carry on as we are, but I also think there is huge potential to create a greener, fairer future that is better, and we all have a role to play in that.”
Changing the message emphasis
Anna wants to see the tide turn in how people think of change and climate and much of this comes down to the way messages are framed.
“We need to change, but so many of the changes when it comes to becoming more ‘sustainable’ are about not doing something or about doing something less.
“What I would love to see is more, ‘let’s eat more vegetables, let’s eat more seasonal food, let’s eat more of this, not let’s eat less of this’ because that’s quite constricting.
“As soon as you say don’t do something to someone, it’s ‘oh you’re taking something away from me’, and actually you think, it’s going to save you money, it will be healthier for you, it’s going to be better for the environment as a side benefit.
“When you sell it as a positive in other ways as well, I think it is more attractive to people.
“Doing things that are joyful, and that make your life better now and are hopefully better for the planet too, are going to be much easier to sell to people.
“We need to think of it in terms of positive solutions rather than inhibiting people.
“Having a better future is a very exciting thing, having a greener more sustainable supply chain, having better working conditions, having less pollution, all of these things that come with net zero and having a better future, we’re not going to regret it.”
In our interview, Anna also talks about her connection to the sea and the local environment.
Climate journalism
As a freelance environmental journalist, Anna has written regularly for many national publications including The Guardian, BBC Future, New Scientist and Positive News and The Conversation – always with a focus on solutions.
Her first book, Go Toxic Free: Easy and sustainable ways to reduce chemical pollution, was published in 2022.
Today, Anna is committed to ensure climate awareness is more easily part of every discussion and to be on the frontline for latest knowledge.
She said: “I want to make my climate journalism better but also to help other journalists make their climate journalism better.
“To know what questions to ask, we don’t need to know all the answers, but we need to know which experts to ask and what to ask them.
“For climate not just to be an environment story but to be an everything story.”
To know what questions to ask, we don’t need to know all the answers, but we need to know which experts to ask and what to ask them.
For climate not just to be an environment story but to be an everything story.
The Decarbonisation Dialogue
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