The last few weeks have been full of climate news, some of it terrifying, but also full of hope as people have become more vocal about the lack of concrete action being taken by governments and corporations. There was vocal disappointment that followed the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, which ran from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13 and saw many people protest during the conference, including Greta Thunberg.
With recent flooding in B.C. that saw key transportation routes severely disrupted following a summer of fire and a heat dome that killed nearly 600 people in the same area, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that something needs to be done to fight climate change, and it needs to be done quickly.
YouTube Channels That Provide Education on Climate Change
To help you grapple with what’s happening, the complexity of the situation, and what solutions could help mitigate environmental catastrophes in the future, here are five YouTube channels that discuss the climate crisis.
1. Climate Town
Climate Town uses humor and comedic situations to talk about the big stuff. Like why plastic recycling is an actual scam, ditto with your ‘carbon footprint’, and, oof, a big one: why we can’t just buy our way out of climate change. They use science and facts to break down a lot of the big issues, all with humor and suggestions about what we could be doing.
2. Global Weirding
Although there aren’t any recent videos on the YouTube channel, Global Weirding is still a great resource with a ton of relevant information and talking points about climate change. Hosted by Katharine Hayhoe, this PBS segment uses cartoons and science to break down big ideas in a way that’s easy to understand. Hayhoe explains what’s wrong with a few degrees, how climate deniers manipulate facts and the pandemic’s effects on climate change.
3. Our Changing Climate
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This YouTube channel looks at some big, and sometimes uncomfortable, truths about how the way our societies operate directly impacts the climate. They’ve explored the impact of online shopping, taken a look at the legitimacy of Ecosia, an eco-friendly search engine, and why we have to look critically at veganism. With most of their videos clocking in under 15 minutes, they do a wonderful job of making heavy and complex topics understandable and easy to interact with.
4. Climate Adam
Another climate activist who critiqued COP26, Adam has a PhD in atmospheric physics from the University of Oxford and uses their knowledge and understanding of science to inform their videos. They’ve discussed a wide range of topics on YouTube, from how we can do better when we talk about climate change, to whether we should adapt or fight climate change, and even the psychology behind why we don’t act to avoid even more catastrophic impacts and weather events. This is another channel where most the videos hit the 10-minute mark.
5. Aime Maggie
Aime Maggie’s content runs a bit of a wider range than some of the other channels, with some videos taking a “slice of life” approach, like showing us what she eats in a day as a vegan in Las Vegas. She also tackles sensitive and important topics such as eco classism, greenwashing, and even how your YouTube fav is killing the planet. There are also videos on ‘unsustainable’ habits she still has and this great video on what intersectional environmentalism is and why we need it.
How to fight climate change
Of course, the important thing is that, once we watch these videos and have the knowledge and information about climate change, we have to do something with that knowledge to help the environment.
So how can we all do our part and be climate advocates? We can contact our elected officials (repeatedly!), show up to a Fridays for Future or climate change protest, or reach out and connect with the people and groups in our communities that are working towards environmental sustainability.
