After the IPCC report on the latest climate science was released in August 2021, there was no shortage of commentary on social media. All sorts of experts filled the newsfeeds. Here are some of the best.
Scientists helped us break down what’s going on
Firstly, there was no shortage of helpful and knowledgeable people getting into the detail of the work – its findings.
Given that this is a really detailed report, penned by thousands of scientists worldwide, really useful summaries wouldn’t fit in just one tweet. Here’s one of the best science breakdowns:
The IPCC AR6 Climate Change report summary for Policymakers main points, in gif form (🧵): pic.twitter.com/KjRva9WqxS
— Steven Schultze (@GEO_Schultze) August 9, 2021
There was some viral analysis on how doing nothing would quickly eclipse the cost of ambitious climate action – like the Green New Deal being proposed in the US:
Let’s get one thing straight: the cost of the Green New Deal is far less than the cost of losing our planet to the climate crisis.
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 9, 2021
But for all the grownups breaking it down for us, more often than not the most stark analysis was seized upon by youth climate activists:
Unsurprised by the findings of the IPCC report, which shows us nothing we didn’t know already. We’re skyrocketing towards hitting 1.5oC by 2030, and the climate crisis is already impacting every region.
Politicians must act & we must create community care systems now.— Scarlett 🌎 (@ScarlettOWest) August 9, 2021
And what it means if action continues to be delayed:
We don't need today's @IPCC_CH report to tell us how bad things already are.
We just have to look outside.
But we can't allow our fates to be sealed by greed, the wealthy, the fossil fuel industry, or despair. We still have time. We still have us. pic.twitter.com/sQLQXlc8aB
— Sunrise Movement 🌅 (@sunrisemvmt) August 9, 2021
Some took aim at Boris Johnson’s plan for an oil field off the Shetland Islands.
U.K gov must #StopCambo . We clearly have no time for new oil and gas projects. It’s not up for debate. It’s clear science. Inaction is a death sentence for millions.
Cosying up with the fossil fuel industry while we face civilisation breakdown? Is this a joke to you? #IPCC
— Dominique Palmer FRSA (@domipalmer) August 9, 2021
Lots of people came through with reminders of who’s most responsible
Posters were pretty clear on describing who was to blame:
Dear fossil fuel industry,
We'll see you in court.#IPCC #ClimateJusticehttps://t.co/0YV397wIaI
— Greenpeace International (@Greenpeace) August 9, 2021
Some even managed to make us LOL, on this very point:
Listen, we are all to blame for the climate crisis. Some of us drive to work, some of us forget to recycle, and some of us own fossil fuel companies whose relentless exploitation of the world’s oil, gas and coal reserves can be directly linked to more than one-third of all greenh
— dr jodie collins (@jodcoll) August 9, 2021
Check out these quick tips to conserve energy and fight climate change 😎✨🌱 pic.twitter.com/CJRO0Tv5Hz
— Alex Engelberg (@alex_engelberg) August 10, 2021
Climate justice, rightfully, was at the top of the agenda for global report release day. And no, the UK doesn’t get a pass simply for not being one of the biggest emitters today:
China, India, Brazil all need to do their fairshare to meet 1.5c target – but stop with these articles pointing the finger at others whilst ignoring that the UK is 6th most responsible polluter historically that has made it the 5th richest country globally https://t.co/GkiSj4KMn8
— asad rehman (@chilledasad100) August 9, 2021
There was no shortage of ideas and inspiration for how to act on the news
Scientists, academic and journalists gave us many, many inspiring ideas for what to read or do next – the best antidote to the feeling of hopelessness that bad climate news can bring.
First, a handy reminder that big climate report weeks are never easy, but in the immortal words of Mary Annaïse Heglar, “home is always worth it”:
This is going to be a difficult week. We’ll learn new truths about the climate emergency that will be terrifying in a way we haven’t yet felt.
But like my favorite climate essayist @MaryHeglar wrote, Home is Always Worth It.https://t.co/RzZwvgM9MO
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) August 9, 2021
Again, activists and academics were bursting with ideas on what people could do if they felt disheartened (but these are all threads of multiple tweets, because, happily – there’s loads that can be done):
Hey friends!
So, you want to do something about climate change but have no idea where to start?
You’ve come to the right place! The climate movement needs you and in this thread 🧵 I’m aiming to help you get started.
— Jessica loves trees and human rights (@jes4climate) August 9, 2021
OK, Twitter, look – it's time to have a talk. I've been seeing a lot of climate despair on here lately, and I understand it's cathartic to voice your deepest fears, but at this point in time, that despair is also a self-fulfilling prophecy. I work for an environmental charity- 1/
— Jessica Law (@JessicaTheLaw) August 9, 2021
And finally, the report came out on Indigenous Peoples’ Day – and many saw how fitting this was
By some magic of coincidence, the day of the report’s release was also Indigenous Peoples’ Day. And more than one account pointed out how important the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples is in tackling climate change:
Today is #IndigenousPeoplesDay & with the #IPCC report coming out, it's important for us to remember that in our solutions and fight towards climate justice, Indigenous Peoples must be prioritized and listened to. They have been protecting and fighting for our planet for decades
— Mitzi Jonelle Tan #EndClimateImperialism (@mitzijonelle) August 9, 2021
my take on the #IPCC report: respect Indigenous people's rights. we need to keep more carbon stored. the more lands they can steward, the less trees (and carbon) we lose.
things aren't looking great—and that's in large part due to whom we put in charge. https://t.co/ODVw6FitSz
— yessenia funes (@yessfun) August 9, 2021
In this piece, we’ve chosen some of the reactions we think readers will find useful, funny or thought-provoking, but views quoted here aren’t necessarily those of Greenpeace.