In his garden in the Norfolk Broads, philosopher, author and climate activist Rupert Read talks to me about climate movements and action. 

We hear of the formation of Extinction Rebellion, thrutopian ideas and transformative adaptation. And how too the declaration of climate emergencies moved thinking and local policies. We hear about the need to focus on a climate majority: the middle 60-70% of the population who know something bad is going on, but don’t know quite what to do. Thrutopia implies going through, a leaning in, the taking of good from bad. 

Rupert’s heroines are Joanna Macy and Greta Thunberg (“small people can change the whole world”, he says).

His books include “This Civilisation is Finished”; Why Climate Breakdown Matters; The Climate Majority Project”; “Transformative Adaptation”.

Rupert recommended action: believe this: most of us are capable of far more than we dare to imagine.

See Rupert’s website: https://rupertread.net/ 

Climate Majority Project: https://www.climatemajorityproject.com/ 

My new book will be supporting this podcast, and will be published in March 2027. It is called "Bamboo and Butterfly: Transformative Stories for Climate and Nature Recovery."