The Turnstone changed my life

Reflecting on my writing over the last year, and an announcement (6 minute read)

I’d like to take a moment and acknowledge that 2022 has not been an easy year for many people. The bad news, whether about conflict or climate change, has been unrelenting. Economically, the world is in a bad way, and that’s hurting people everywhere, especially the poorest. Some are facing personal struggles as well. If you are one of those people, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

I’m acknowledging this, because I think it’s important. You, as a reader of The Turnstone, have read about difficult issues like climate change at a time when life isn’t easy. I greatly appreciate that you continue to do so.

Despite the unrelenting bad news, and the fact that I sometimes frighten myself with what I’m writing, I am personally ending 2022 feeling positive. Perhaps this is a touch delusional. But I think part of it comes down to the fact that I’ve done more to live by my values. For years, I worried about climate change without knowing much about it or taking concrete action. So, I turned the main focus of my science writing onto climate change.

What I have learned has been confronting. Until this year, it was relatively easy for me to put climate change out of my mind. Now, I have a sense of urgency. But it is more than that. Some of what I have written has confronted me about my own life and my own choices. So, I’ve started doing things differently.

The changes that I’m talking about didn’t start with climate change. In fact, it was an article I wrote about face masks and Covid-19 which really challenged some of my choices. I loved my homemade cloth masks, because I don’t like using disposal items when I can avoid it, and who can’t love a face mask decorated with pictures of native birds. The problem I found, to put it bluntly, was that cloth masks are rubbish. They aren’t nearly as effective as disposable surgical masks or an N95-equivalent at stopping the spread of germs. And no mask is much use if it doesn’t fit firmly.

So, I went out and bought a pack of surgical masks. I cut off the ear tags and stuffed them inside my cloth masks as filters. Then, I tightened up the elastic of the masks so they sat snugly against my face. It was more difficult to breathe through the masks, but I knew that they were a lot more effective. For particularly high-risk situations, like spending a long time on a bus or a plane, I bought N-95 equivalent masks.

I admit, I worry about creating more plastic waste. However, I’ve discovered that they can be reused. I’m not throwing them in the bin after a single use, so I have managed a compromise.

Me in my native bird-themed mask, with surgical mask filter inside

But it was writing about climate change that really changed me this year. There are three articles which affected me most deeply. The first was an article I wrote about climate change and the Arctic. When I was writing it, I learned about two feedback loops where warming temperatures trigger certain events in the Arctic which then cause more warming. I ended that article shocked and saddened by the depth of the crisis we face.

Another article which had a profound effect was the article I called “Off the grass”, where I looked at methane and New Zealand’s agricultural emissions. That article also left me saddened, because I hadn’t previously understood just how much cattle and sheep farming contributed to climate change. I could no longer eat beef, lamb and dairy products without thinking about the climate impacts. As a result, I decided to try and cut down my meat and dairy consumption. That has turned out to be harder for dairy products than meat, but I’m working on it. (Just an aside, if you are a friend or family member and you serve me meat or dairy, I will happily eat it. These changes are about what I buy myself.)

The other article which confronted me about my own choices was the one I wrote about air travel. I love travel and I have been privileged to visit a number of countries. But until I sat down to write the article, I didn’t fully appreciate how bad it was for the climate. Writing that article didn’t stop me taking a trip to present at a conference in Europe this year, but it has made me look for other ways to reduce my transport emissions.

The other way I’ve changed my thinking about climate change is that now it is something I talk about. Once, I would have worried about bringing it up – after all, it’s not an easy topic for a casual chat. It’s a subject that can bring up strong opinions and emotions, which can be difficult. But my thinking has shifted now, and I can mention it in passing without worrying how other people will react.

I know I could do better when it comes to climate change conversations. I want to get better at listening. I want to understand what people are thinking and feeling about climate change. That isn’t something I’m going to improve by researching my articles. It is going to take practice.

So, that brings me to my announcement. I mentioned it last week, but I’m announcing it more formally this week.

Take part in a conversation

Nobody is going to solve the climate crisis in isolation. This is a problem where we need to work together, and in order to work together better, we need to start having better conversations.

I would like to get some of these conversations started.

In January, I am planning to hold two group conversations about climate change. Each conversation will involve 4-6 people and use the format from Living Room Conversations, a structured approach to talking about difficult topics. I will facilitate these conversations and write up some thoughts and reflections.

I have a few people, but I would like a few more, one or two in Wellington who can take part in an in-person conversation, and a couple more to take part in a Zoom conversation. If the conversations go well and people are interested, I will run more of them over the next year.

You don’t need to have any special knowledge about climate change to participate. Instead, I’m looking for people who can share their own perspective and are interested in learning more about the perspectives of others. As well as learning about different perspectives on climate change, these conversations are a chance to learn about and practise ways to have better conversations about climate change.

I’d love to hear about your thoughts on climate change, so if you are interested in taking part in a conversation, please let me know. You can contact me directly by simply replying to this email.

I’m due to send a “talking about vaccines” issue of The Turnstone on December 25th, but since it is Christmas Day, I will send it a couple of days early. However, I will be sending a special Turnstone out on Christmas Day (I can schedule them in advance, so I won’t actually be writing and sending it on the 25th). After that, I’ll be back to my normal publishing schedule.