In this conversation, Professor Hugh Montgomery names climate change for what it is:

A survival crisis driven by “radiation gain” and accelerating feedback loops. He cuts through denial, delay and mixed messaging with five simple moves anyone can make now - switch your power, move your money, change your food, shift your travel, and talk about it - then shows how asking seven others can cascade into mass action.

We touch on real zero vs net zero, why money we can do now, and how unity across politics beats division.

Here are the essentials:

1. Hugh reframes climate change as “radiation gain,” explaining that greenhouse gases trap longwave heat and create positive feedback loops driving escalating warming.
2. Humanity is emitting over 54 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually, and a fifth of what’s emitted today will still be heating the planet in 33,000 years.
3. Natural systems like oceans and forests can no longer absorb enough carbon; atmospheric CO₂ now rises about four parts per million per year, reaching around 430.5 ppm.
4. Feedback loops include methane release from permafrost (83 times more potent than CO₂), forests becoming net emitters, and loss of reflective ice - 9 trillion tonnes gone - accelerating heating.
5. Hugh warns that the real threat is not only to health but to human survival within the next one or two decades, not centuries.
6. He compares Earth’s situation to a patient long ignoring symptoms - what could have been minor surgery now needs radical, painful treatment to survive.
7. Inaction stems from circular blame between individuals, business, and politicians - each claiming it’s someone else’s responsibility.
8. Many in government and business remain ignorant of climate science or see it as a political issue; some even believe warming will benefit economies through resource access or growth from destruction.
9. Human psychology also plays a role: people avoid short-term loss or pleasure deprivation even when long-term risk is high - similar to health behaviors like smoking or drinking.
10. Fear-based climate messaging fails when it offers no agency; effective communication must link truth with action, empowering people to act immediately.

Hugh outlines five tangible actions anyone can take:

1. Switch to 100% renewable electricity
2. Move personal banking away from fossil-fuel funders
3. Shift to a largely plant-based diet (less meat, smaller portions)
4. Reduce air and car travel where possible
5. Talk about climate concerns openly to normalise action

Shownotes:

https://theoutdoorteacher.com/podcasts/episode-83-climate-change-health-and-survival-with-professor-hugh-montgomery/

Music by Geoff Robb: www.geoffrobb.com

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Mentioned in this episode:

How to Teach Climate Change

https://theoutdoorteacher.com/climate