“There’s no hope for humanity.”

This week on Saving the World from Bad Ideas, I talk with Dr SJ Beard about why doom thinking can paralyse us — and how existential hope might just save us.

🎧 Listen: www.weplanet.org/podcast/epis...

New episode 🎙️
Bad Idea #26: “Facts will beat Misinformation.”

From fake news to populism, pandemics to AI, this one digs into how misinformation spreads, why it sticks, and what we can do about it... with Cambridge psychologist Sander van der Linden.

🎧 weplanet.org/podcast

Hurricanes. Floods. Fires. Tornadoes. Are extreme weather disasters getting worse because of climate change? Not according to Roger Pielke Jr, who has got himself cancelled by climate activists despite sticking to the IPCC line on extreme weather. Latest podcast:
www.weplanet.org/podcast/epis...

In this week's podcast: the shocking story of how anti-nuclear ideology within Germany’s Green Party has led to the dismantling of 12.5 GW of clean energy capacity, just when Europe needs it most. Taking on the bad idea of the Energiewende: Noah Rettberg.
www.weplanet.org/podcast/epis...

My podcast guest this week challenges the bad idea that 'everyone hates nuclear' - and she's even written a book on the subject, profiling the nascent pro-nuclear grassroots citizens' movement. Meet star US writer Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow... www.weplanet.org/podcast/epis...

Full text of my WSJ op-ed with Ted Nordhaus:

marklynas.org/2025/05/16/o...

Have China's emissions just peaked?
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-cle...

We're six minutes from Armageddon. Is today the day?
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/six-minut...

Also out today: new podcast with Alan Robock, long-time expert on nuclear war impacts. Bad idea: "we need nuclear weapons". Alan was one of the scientists who first showed how nuclear winter will devastate the biosphere and end civilisation. www.weplanet.org/podcast/epis...

It seems sadly fitting that two nuclear-armed powers are on the brink of war on the day I release my book on how to avoid nuclear war - a 'small' war between India/Pakistan (each have 150ish nukes) would devastate civilisation and kills 100s of millions.
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/six-minut...

Should we bring wolves back to the United Kingdom? I say yes, wolf expert Luigi Boitani says... to find out, listen to my latest 'Saving the World from Bad Ideas' podcast out today. This week's 'bad idea' - we can't co-exist with wolves (hint!) www.weplanet.org/podcast/epis...

Just in case you thought there was still time to save the Arctic, along comes my new podcast episode with Dr Julienne Stroeve to disabuse you. Sorry everyone. They can't all be hopeful.
www.weplanet.org/podcast/epis...

New podcast episode out today, with the one and only @georgemonbiot.bsky.social George takes on the 'bad idea' that progress is inevitable, and insists that every step forward has to be fought for, and Capitalism will always fight back... www.weplanet.org/podcast

On this week's podcast, I speak with Vijaya Ramachandran about the bad idea that fossil fuels should be banned in the Global South. Releasing this Thursday.
If you haven't already, catch up on the first three episodes with Steven Pinker, Hannah Ritchie and Oliver Morton: weplanet.org/podcast

One day to a new beginning... www.weplanet.org/podcast (with apologies to Les Mis)

The wait is nearly over...

We are standing on a nuclear knife edge, and while climate heating threatens humanity over many decades, nuclear war could destroy civilisation in just a few hours. Please join me @hayfestival.bsky.social on 25 May, for my Pugwash Lecture on this critical issue: www.hayfestival.com/hay-on-wye/h...