How are you? I hope you’re managing to keep your head above water these last tumultuous hours and days. This week on Fresh Dialogues, I have some reassuring wisdom and some practical tips to bring you comfort and help you keep hope alive.
Like millions of us, I watched in disbelief last night as many of the swing states turned red. The “blue wall” that some pundits anticipated –– and said Trump would pay for –– just didn’t materialize. I found myself in such a state of anxiety that I could barely breathe.
Frankly, I’m stunned that so many people voted for Trump despite his many atrocities: the blatant lies, his anti-science stance, demolishing environmental protections and his gross mishandling of the pandemic. And with the resurgence in Covid around the world, it sometimes feels there’s no end in sight to our elevated stress levels.
As I write this, early afternoon on Wednesday November 4th, the Associated Press has yet to call several key states, but there doeslook like a path to victory for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. I can but hope.
How do you find hope at times like these?
If you’re also feeling high anxiety, despair, or even depression right now, this advice from a wise man named Manfred will give you hope.
“It’s so important right now to take care of yourself, and in that act of self-love and compassion you may be able to reach out to another, and that person another still, until we collectively heal from these challenging times,” Manfred Melcher.
As you’ll hear soon, Manfred reminds us to “Mind your own light.” You’ll find out what he means below.
My latest report for the BBC explored the timely question: Is online connection as effective as face to face meetings?
I explored the surge in teletherapy, but I think there are important lessons to be gleaned for all of us, whether you’re seeking to connect to friends, family or a mental health expert. I was reminded of the importance of radical self care.
My report aired October 28th on the BBC World Service program, Health Check. The segment starts at 28:00 on the BBC podcast
You’ll even find some humor in the report, despite the heavy topic. After the transcript below, I’ll share some tips to help you get through these next few days and weeks. And please join me at the end of the Fresh Dialogues podcast as we do some deep cleansing breaths together. You’ll be surprised at how stress relieving that can be.
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Here’s a transcript of the report (lengthened and edited for clarity). Names have been changed to protect people’s privacy.
The BBC’s Claudia Hammond: On the show last week, we were talking about the difficulty of patients and their relatives receiving bad news over the phone rather than in person due to restrictions in hospitals. Now something similar is happening in therapy sessions.
In the United States, a recent survey by the American Psychological Association found that due to the virus, three-quarters of therapists are now providing remote services, either on the phone, or through video conferencing software. But when people are pouring their hearts out and talking about their innermost thoughts, can a digital encounter ever be the same as a face to face session?
For Health Check, our reporter Alison van Diggelen reports from the west coast of the U.S. where, as well as the pandemic, people have been dealing with forest fires, choking smoke, and power cuts. The demand for mental health care is growing.
Alison van Diggelen: Kristin, lives alone in a beachside community in Southern California. She faced intense challenges before Covid struck. Recently divorced, she moved house and launched a new business last year. On top of her anxiety and panic attacks, there’s now another stress factor:
Kristin: Loneliness definitely has been an issue… not being able to see family: touching people, hugging people for four, five, six months. We weren’t built for that. Humans are built to connect. We have this innate need to connect with each other. Covid took that away. In order to protect each other, we had to disconnect. And find other ways to stay connected.
Alison van Diggelen: She saw an ad for the online therapy app Talk Space, featuring the Olympian swimmer, Michael Phelps.
Kristin: I did think: if he’s open to talking about it… I think people should talk about it more. We hire trainers to keep us physically fit all the time, and our mental health is just as important. That’s what a therapist is there for: to help us work on those issues which are just as hard, and if you don’t address them, it’s very dangerous. I said, there’s nothing to lose to try it.
Alison van Diggelen: Six hundred miles north, Arthur, a recent college grad, is adjusting to life back home with his parents and starting a new job in Northern California.
Arthur: All these feelings overwhelm you: mainly anxiety. depression, it’s been a tough time… especially family matters.
Alison van Diggelen: Even further north, Justin, a millennial, based in Washington State suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. He obsesses about finding perfection and has regular compulsions to wash his hands.
Justin: One of my biggest triggers is unstructured time so when I started working remotely after Covid, it just really messed up my productivity and work habits. It became challenging to focus. I need a good separation of work and life…
Alison van Diggelen: When he visits his extended family, he faces even more triggers:
Justin: One of my family members triggers my intrusive thoughts, makes me feel invalidated.
Alison van Diggelen: Kristin, Arthur and Justin are some of the 50 million Americans with mental health issues. A 2017 study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration revealed that only 43% received treatment.
Of those who’ve managed to get help, since Covid struck, most are unable to meet with therapists in person and have begun using online platforms like zoom or similar technology to connect via video or audio.
But how does it compare to traditional, in-person therapy? Leslie Moreland is director of the Regional TeleMental Health Program at the San Diego Veterans Administration Health Care System. She cites peer-reviewed studies showing that video conferencing can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy for treating post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. She says telehealth can help close the gaping needs gap.
Leslie Moreland: The studies have shown repeatedly that in terms of clinical efficacy, meaning symptom reduction, that the video conferencing modality is comparable, so you can achieve the same clinical outcomes, in terms of clinical effectiveness, feasibility and safety.
Alison van Diggelen: Moreland also examined what researchers call “therapeutic alliance” – which is when you feel comfortable with a therapist, that you can trust them, and that they attune to and validate your experience. Is it possible to establish all of that, when the patient and client aren’t even in the same room?
Leslie Moreland: The research has found that the therapeutic alliance is quite comparable, and is comparable enough that the benefit of the treatment still stays intact. Research has shown that patients do like to get therapy this way. More times than not, if you have the option to sit in the same room as someone, that’s often better, it feels more comfortable for folks.
Alison van Diggelen: Moreland believes that even before Covid, busy schedules, and juggling a family and a career, made teletherapy the only practical solution for many people, especially those living in remote areas.
For Kristin, saving time driving to and from therapy sessions was a huge advantage of moving from traditional therapy to teletherapy.
Kristin: Right away I felt connected, well taken care of. It was very professional. I liked the therapist I was matched with.
Alison van Diggelen: After a couple of video conferencing sessions with her new therapist, she used the texting feature exclusively.
Kristin: The technology of just having it on my phone. I liked that so much better than seeing a therapist at a certain time, and having all that stuff bottled up, writing it down in a journal. It was easier, if I was dealing with an issue or triggered by something, I could just take out the app and text her. I would get a response within two hours. I just LOVED that. It felt like having my own personal mental health trainer in my pocket.
Alison van Diggelen: Justin also likes the flexibility that teletherapy offers:
Justin: The best thing about teletherapy is the freedom to do it wherever I feel comfortable doing it. I like to pace a lot, move around when I do therapy. I like doing it outside. It’s nice to have fresh air. I get stuck in thought loops easily and therapy helps me parse out everything I’m thinking of sequentially. That helps me feel able to move forward.
Alison van Diggelen: But Leslie Moreland warns against treating therapy too casually – and has learned to set boundaries with clients. She’s even had to ask some to save that glass of wine or beer for after their session.
Leslie Moreland: There’s an informality that can influence the process… People get very casual, we have to remind them you need to wear a shirt … people are in the drive-through ordering food! If you don’t have anywhere in your room that’s safe, you can sit in the bathroom but we prefer otherwise.
Alison van Diggelen: Andrew finds technology glitches, rough connections and lagged responses can make the challenge of communicating with his male therapist harder.
Andrew: Some things are tougher to explain on Zoom. If he asks me a question, I have to find more words to convey the message. In a sense that facial expressions, body language and being able to read the tone of voice: It’s better in-person than on a call.
Alison van Diggelen: But he has learned some valuable life lessons from teletherapy:
Andrew: I used to feel I had to climb the whole mountain, it was just overwhelming. I realize the problem can be broken up into smaller chunks. You take each one by one….You don’t need to find the one answer to deal with the whole problem. It’s a process.
Alison van Diggelen: And how is teletherapy working for therapists? Manfred Melcher is a California based therapist with over 20 years of experience. He conducts about 70% of his therapy sessions online, but has mixed feelings about teletherapy.
Manfred Melcher: I notice if I do too many in a row, I get fatigued more than I do in in-person sessions. So much takes place in person with a client, the nuances of connection… While a video is quite good, it’s not the same. ..I try to do two in a row, then schedule someone who wants to come in in-person, or I’ll take a break. I try to do not more than 5 a day, that’s my limit.
Alison van Diggelen: He also cautions against the “app-ificaton” of mental health: the spike in online apps like Talk Space that offer text based therapy.
Manfred Melcher: We interact with technology with a lot of casualness….That could hurt people. I’d advise people to see apps in a realm of entertainment. They could contribute to your knowledge of psychology, understanding yourself emotionally, but the treatment… If you’re going to technology for treatment for a psychological issue, a medical issue: Woah! I’d be very cautious.
Alison van Diggelen: Experts predict that teletherapy is here to stay, except for severe cases of mental illness (like psychosis), where in-person therapy is vital. Most therapists and patients expect they’ll adopt a hybrid approach to therapy after the pandemic.
Therapist Manfred Melcher anticipates that the mental health crisis has yet to peak. Even he admits to moments of despair and finds the mantra “Mind your own light” sustains him.
Manfred Melcher: It’s so important right now to take care of yourself, and in that act of self-love and compassion you may be able to reach out to another, and that person another still, until we collectively heal from these challenging times.
That is my greatest hope… that we realize how connected the world is, and how dependent we are on each other. We are one human family in a deep relationship.
Our survival depends on each of us minding to our own light, and honoring the light of the other. And in lifting up the other, we lift up ourselves.
Alison van Diggelen: Justin, the young millennial dealing with depression in Washington gets a lot of the support he needs from teletherapy – but hopes to see his therapist regularly, in person, soon…..
Justin: I think everyone can benefit from therapy… it’s incredibly helpful and very grounding. For me it’s important to be face to face with someone. It makes me more comfortable and helps me focus better.
END of report
Simply put, we all need each other, and deep connection more than ever right now. But we must remember to first, mind our own light.
If there’s ever a time for radical self care, this is it dear friends. Do whatever nourishes you this week:
Finally, I hope this breathing exercise will help you get through the next few challenging days. Here’s a handy video that helped me cope with last night. Many thanks to the team at The School of Self for making it.
If you’d like to try this breathing exercise, please turn off your phone, close your eyes and put one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Are sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin…(Take three long, deep breaths: in for five…out for five, in for six…out for six, in for seven…out for seven).
Remember: Mind your own light, and then share it with others who need it right now…
Thanks again for reading and listening to Fresh Dialogues. I sincerely hope the next time we connect, we’ll all be breathing more easily.
Find out more about radical self care at Fresh Dialogues:
Why is Trump accusing China of hacking biotech companies, and threatening to ban TikTok? Smart policy or Red Scare tactics to distract us from his fatal response to the pandemic ?
Last month, Donald Trump finally started wearing a mask and doling out some good advice on Covid. Is it too little, too late?
I was invited to join the BBC World Service program Business Matters to discuss the latest reversal from the White House, as well as breaking business news and analysis.
“Trump only started wearing a mask last week, which is unconscionable. And he’s been spreading misinformation on the number of cases and cures…”
Here are highlights from my conversation with the BBC’s effervescent Rahul Tandon in London, and outspoken business advisor Simon Littlewood in Singapore. The transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Rahul Tandon: Alison, where you are in Silicon Valley, this rising tension between China and the US… What do people make of it? Is there a lot of support for the president and Mike Pompeo’s strong stance?
Alison van Diggelen: This is a political move, this is distracting action from our president’s mess up of the response to the Covid virus. I applaud their call to come together to fight a common enemy. But they’re forgetting that the biggest threat humanity faces is Covid-19.
There is a race going on, it’s like a new space race to find a reliable vaccine. It’s even more intense than the space race: the first country to get there will get a humanitarian reward of saving lives and also an economic reward. There will be a massive reward by allowing a swift return to business as usual, and a huge boost in consumer confidence.
This Trump White House action is a distracting political move. It feels a bit like the Red Scare of the Cold War Era.
Simon Littlewood: I agree. That’s exactly what it is. I’d echo Alison’s comments. There clearly are serious domestic issues in the U.S. and the president would do well to concentrate on them.
Rahul Tandon: I want to come back to Alison: we’re talking about China trying to hack information when it comes to Coronavirus vaccines and treatments. That’s just like the old world of espionage. It’s something that’s always gone on and now we’re looking at the stakes in a new tech world?
Alison van Diggelen: That’s right. Last week’s Twitter hack showed that even tech companies in the heart of Silicon Valley, with some of the smartest minds in the world and savvy programmers, are not immune to cyber criminals. I think it’s very likely that Americans are doing the same in China. Every major super power is trying to hack in and see what the other countries are doing. It’s just like the space race.
Rahul Tandon: There we go. We have two of the finest minds in the world with us here on Business Matters today. (Thanks Rahul!)
Simon Littlewood: Hopefully un-hacked!
Rahul Tandon: I was very certain about Alison. But Simon, we’ll need to give you another 40 minutes to see how you perform during the rest of the program…
Trump: We’re asking Americans to wear a mask…imploring young Americans to avoid packed bars, and other indoor gatherings. Be safe and be smart.
Rahul Tandon: Are Americans being safe and smart? Are people wearing masks?
Alison van Diggelen: I’m holding my breath hearing the president. He only started wearing a mask last week, which is unconscionable. And he’s been spreading misinformation on the number of cases and cures.
I’m glad to hear that he’s finally pushing the right message –– congratulations to whoever persuaded him! But his White House has been undermining the clear scientific evidence from Anthony Fauci who’s probably the best qualified to educate the world on what needs to be done.
It’s a little late, but I’m glad he’s doing the right thing finally. I hope he uses his Twitter account to spread the right message: Wearing a mask is the most effective thing people can do, as well as sheltering at home and minimizing exposure to others.
We also discuss:
The Green Recovery: Fergus Nicoll’s interview with Tim Smith, the founder of the Eden Project about changing attitudes to nature, localism and the environment, as a result of the pandemic.
What can be done to tackle the growing problem of fake news during the coronavirus pandemic?
“Mother Nature is a very powerful educator” and her power has never been more apparent than during Covid-19.* But what have we learned from this unprecedented pandemic?
Firstly: That what was once impossible, is now possible. Who’d have predicted that governments facing a global crisis would put humanity ahead of the economy? Despite all odds, they did and for the most part, continue to do so.
Secondly: With many economies in the deep freeze, we have a rare opportunity to create a “new” new normal, one that’s less carbon intensive and more environmentally friendly.
This week’s podcast explores these important questions: Is the Earth sending us a message? And if so, can we rise to challenge, before it’s too late?
OK, here’s a sobering statistic: A recent IPSOS Mori poll revealed that over 70% of the global population consider that, in the long term, climate change is as important a crisis as the coronavirus. Think about that for a minute.
Climate activists –– like the team at Global Optimism –– have renewed confidence that this pandemic has produced the wakeup call we need to re-examine our priorities. Instead of returning to business-as-usual and locking in higher emissions, some leaders are using the slogan: “Build back better.” The BBC’s Roger Harrabin writes about the need for the UK to avoid “lurching from the coronavirus crisis into a deeper climate crisis.” Britain’s Climate Change Committee Chairman, John Gummer has called for rebuilding the economy with a focus on green jobs, and boosting low carbon industries like clean energy and electric cars.
The pandemic has taught us that, instead of denial and inaction, basic risk assessment and preparation could have avoided mass chaos and deaths around the world. I’m sure you’ll agree that witnessing over-stretched intensive care units and the Hunger-Games-like scramble for ventilators, face masks and personal protection equipment was excruciating. It didn’t have to happen. Over five years ago, Bill Gates warned us about the risk of pandemics. Why did no one listen?
Today, Bill McKibben, Greta Thunberg and others are warning us about the risks of climate change. Calling them all Cassandras -– prophets of doom and gloom -– is no longer an option. We’re all in this together and we are woke! Let’s harness this united mindset and act NOW to green our economy, before it’s too late.
Some people might scoff at my idea that the pandemic could mean the Earth is sending us a message: the FT’s Robin Harding couldn’t conceal his mirth, as you’ll hear soon! But Jamie Robertson supported my idea, recalling his high school “Fruit flies in a jam-jar” experiment. Thanks Jamie! So think about this: Is the jam-jar sending the flies a message? It’s clear that you don’t have to be a sentient-being to send a message.
Here are highlights of my conversation with the BBC’s Jamie Robinson and the FT’s Robin Harding, (edited for length and clarity). We start by hearing from Tom Rivett-Carnac about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change direction, as governments use unprecedented levers to jumpstart their economies.
Tom Rivett-Carnac: If we now just subsidize fossil fuels, previous ways of doing things, we’re just going to end up with another boom and bust and very quickly be back to where we were in terms of pollution. An interesting correlation between climate and the pandemic: In both cases, relatively small amounts spent yield massive returns to benefit society.
Recent analysis suggests that if world leaders had spent $3.4 Billion annually preparing for Covid 19, it could have prevented at least $4 Trillion in costs, not to mention the human costs of the pandemic. That’s also true of climate. Taking action to prevent further impact is the cheapest thing to do and we should learn from the experience of the virus and invest now to prevent the impacts of climate change, and reap the benefits of the transition to a green economy.
Jamie Robertson: Robin, how does that argument fit in Japan?
Robin Harding: I don’t think that argument plays very strongly in Japan. I disagree with it strongly. The virus has revealed how miserable we are if we can’t go on holiday, see people, go out to work. I think people will be keen to get back to normal. What it reveals about the climate and the environment is that shutting everything down, avoid traveling to improve the environment isn’t going to wash with people. Instead we need to think about ways to decarbonize… Japan tends to prioritize the economy over the environment and always has.
Jamie Robertson: Now I want to go to California and see if the feeling is any different there, Alison?
Alison van Diggelen: There is a change in mindset, the pandemic and climate change are connected: we’re united against a common enemy. And we are learning to work from home more and that’s having a positive impact on climate change and it’s going be a lasting legacy.
Today on Earth Day, it’s worth framing it like this: When Europeans came to The Americas, they brought smallpox and other diseases that decimated the Native American population because they didn’t have immunity. Now, the tables have turned: we humans are the invaders of the natural world. We’re now being exposed to wild animals’ pathogens; (from bats etc.) and we don’t have natural resistance. So it LOOKS like Mother Earth is fighting back. So I’m hoping, and I think many people are hoping, that this pandemic could stimulate a shift in mindset: we might become more inclined to protect rainforests, rethink farming and rethink our use of oil. If not, if we keep encroachment on wild areas, we could face more pandemics like this one.
Jamie Robertson: Robin, I imagine you’re not going along with that?
Robin Harding: I don’t feel this is the earth is sending us a message, that we’re doing something wrong (laughter)…
Jamie Robertson: There is the argument that if you put a large number of people in a small space: we have 8 billion people living on earth, you’re going to get more diseases. If you put fruit flies in a jam jar, they expend in number and then they die off…
Robin Harding: That’s belied by our actual experience. As we’ve become richer and more developed, we’ve succeeded in taming diseases. This disease came from a wild animal market that wasn’t properly regulated. So to me, the lesson is you need to regulate wild animal markets, not that you need to need to revert to nature.
Jamie Robertson: Alison, final word from you on this argument?
Alison van Diggelen: I appreciate your support here, Jamie. Arguably we’ve crossed a line here … and I don’t think regulation itself is going to help us.
*In 2019, during a must-read interview with the Washington Post, environmentalist and author, Bill McKibbon, famously said “Mother Nature is a very powerful educator.” Here at Fresh Dialogues, we couldn’t agree more.
If you’re stuck at home and thinking: what can I do to help my community? I hope today’s podcast will inspire you.
Last week, my colleagues at The BBC World Service invited me to join the show Business Matters and share news from Silicon Valley. Even though the valley is one of America’s COVID-19 hotspots, I was determined to report something positive.
For inspiration, I thought of Mr. Rogers, America’s beloved TV personality and puppeteer. He famously said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
During this unsettling time, when it’s easy to get scared and give in to despair, I find his advice reassuring. But I think he meant more than one thing. I think, if Mr. Rogers was alive today, he’d say:
Find people who are helping…
Find opportunities to help, and encourage others to help in their communities.
So I scoured the news for uplifting stories about people who’re helping in my community. A tweet from California Governor Gavin Newsom caught my eye. He praised the rapid response of a Silicon Valley company that’s stepping up to meet the urgent need for ventilators to keep COVID-19 patients alive. I immediately got in touch with Bloom Energy and interviewed its chief operating officer, Susan Brennan that afternoon. She told me she challenged her team by saying, “We’re going to solve this thing!” I wanted to know: was the solution the brainchild of one person, or a team effort? You’ll find out below.
My interview aired on the BBC World Service on April 2, 2020.
Here are highlights of my conversation with the BBC’s Jamie Robertson and Enda Curran, chief Asia economics correspondent at Bloomberg in Hong Kong. The transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
We began by discussing the record 10 million people in the United States who’re unemployed, many almost overnight. Jamie Robertson: Alison, you must know people who’ve been made unemployed. Are they just lying down and taking it or are they getting up and doing something else, finding other opportunities? Alison van Diggelen: In California, Governor Newsom has set up a job matching site. The state has partnered with private companies so you can go online and find jobs that fit your skills. Other people are doing coding classes, or online training, to become yoga teachers for example.
This week, I interviewed Susan Brennan of Bloom Energy and heard about an engineer called Joe Tavi. He hasn’t lost his job, but has found a new job. He was on the production team for fuel cell making, but is now on the “Tiger Team” to refurbish ventilators for the cause. People are really seeing opportunities within this devastation. Robertson: We’re going to be hearing from him in the last piece on this program. You’ve got a fascinating report….
Over in Silicon Valley, a fuel cell company called Bloom Energy has stepped up to refurbish non-functioning ventilators for hospitals in record speed by repurposing their warehouses. Here’s the company’s COO, Susan Brennan. Susan Brennan: Valves, pumps, airflow, batteries: If you look at the pieces, there’s so much commonality between a ventilator and a fuel cell. Completely different function and process, but at its base level: very common inputs.
I spoke to the head of health and human services on March 17th, St Patrick’s day. That’s when I built the Tiger Team. I said: this is a mission, either you’re in or you’re not in. But if you’re in, we’re going to solve this thing!
My engineer, Joe Tavi, went home on a Wednesday. He downloaded the manual, taught himself overnight, developed processes the next day, Thursday. On Friday we convinced the state that we were capable of doing this. Everybody’s asking: what they can do right now? Where is that niche that you have, that you can go fill?
Susan asks a very good question: where’s the niche that you have, that you can go fill?
Find out more
Bloom Energy is refurbishing between 1000 and 2000 ventilators a week. To date, it has delivered over 1000 ventilators in California and Delaware. If you have ventilators in need of refurbishment, please contact Bloom Energy today. You could save a life.
If you’d like to share what you or your company is doing to help fight the pandemic or support people in your community, join the conversation at Facebook
This week, Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager, stole the show at the United Nations General Assembly. Thanks to her, climate change is on the minds of the world. I was invited to discuss climate change action on the BBC World Service this month and we explored the role of activists like Thunberg, indigenous people, and technology pioneers like Elon Musk.
With visible rage, Thunberg described the urgency of action in stark terms on Monday.
”People are suffering, people are dying, entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth.”
Then Thunberg made a passionate plea to each one of us, especially political leaders, to examine our consciences.
“How dare you continue to look away? The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you.”
Greta Thunberg’s fury was evident to everyone who watched her, but she ended on a positive note:
“Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.”
BBC host, Jamie Robertson led a lively discussion exploring the urgency of climate change action and we were joined by ABC Australia’s Clare Negus. I took the opportunity to praise Thunberg’s tenacity.
The program started with a soulful report by the BBC’s Frey Lindsay. He reported on a gathering of indigenous community leaders from around the world who met at University College London to listen, exchange ideas and build solidarity in the fight against environmental degradation and climate change.
Listen to the podcast at the BBC World Service (environmental discussion starts at 10:40)
Here’s a transcript of conversation highlights (edited for length and clarity):
Jamie Robertson: In California, you’re very much on the front line, we think of the wildfires…do indigenous people have a role to play here?
Alison van Diggelen: It’s important for us in California, and around the world, to listen to the indigenous people. What we do over the next ten to twenty years is going to determine the fate of humanity. We need to remember environmentalist, John Muir, who said:
“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”
Technology plays a role in this by increasing transparency. Almost everyone has a mobile phone (and can take photos of environmental abuses), so multinationals can’t get away with what they used to.
Jamie Robertson: How high up the news agenda are questions about environmental problems and climate change?
Alison van Diggelen: Greta Thunberg, bless her heart, is keeping it on our agenda, but I wish it were higher. Looking at the Democratic Party Presidential debates, climate change was there, but I wish we could raise the issue more. People are concerned about what’s impacting them on a daily basis. There’s not enough of a long term view. We need more people like David Attenborough (and Greta Thunberg and Bill McKibben) speaking up for the environment.
Jamie Robertson: Clare ?
Clare Negas: It’s a major criticism of ABC Australia that we do too much on climate change and not enough on cost of living stories!
Jamie Robertson: I want to take the conversation on to the Frankfurt Motor Show and the extraordinary confrontation between the “Lords” of the auto industry and ordinary citizens worried about climate change, worried about cars and what they’re doing to the environment.
Alison, you’re in California at the forefront in the development of electric vehicles and things which could actually make a difference. Is there a sense of optimism that these things will work?
Alison van Diggelen: Absolutely. California is where Elon Musk jumpstarted this electric vehicle revolution. Tesla is doing phenomenally well. They’re due to sell about half a million electric cars this year. California is a state that is doing all it can to boost the sales of electric vehicles (EVs). It accounts for half of all U.S. sales of EVs thanks to rebates and state government policies. It has a goal of getting 5 million EVs on the road by 2030 and it does things like fast tracking permissions for charging infrastructure; that’s a key part of making EVs the number one form of transport.
Elon Musk has predicted that within 10 years, the majority of cars produced will be electric. Others like Morgan Stanley say it’s more like 20 years. It may be somewhere in the middle.
Jamie Robertson: Clare, do you have such faith?
Clare Negas: I do! I think globally electric cars will be the future. In Australia it’ll be a bigger battle because there is such a cultural identity around petrol and diesel fueled engines. We’re a strong car culture and that will continue. A few years ago, we drove a Tesla hundreds of kms to prove it wouldn’t run out of energy. There were no problems. Check out Clare’s fascinating report here.
End of Transcript
Extra: The program included a discussion about the college admissions scandal and I made a shout out to the hard working team and students at Breakthrough Silicon Valley who arguably have the most to lose. Their leader John Hiester recently wrote a moving oped about his outrage at cheaters like Felicity Huffman.
Find out more about clean tech and technology’s role in climate action at Fresh Dialogues.
