Science Friday The heaviness and (not) hope of climate change
4 snips
Mar 18, 2026 Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker staff writer and environmental author, reflects on insect declines, the tilt of worldview after witnessing the Great Barrier Reef, and community climate action like Samso’s carbon-neutral transition. She discusses the emotional toll of reporting on climate, debates around hope versus urgency, and the challenges of restoring reefs and scaling solutions.
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Caterpillar Beating Sheet Fieldwork
- Elizabeth Kolbert learned caterpillar surveying uses a 'beating sheet' to collect insects by whacking bushes with a pole.
- She joined entomologist Dave Wagner in Texas and described sifting finds like a treasure hunt, keeping only scientifically interesting specimens.
Insect Declines Threaten Planetary Functions
- Insect declines are globally widespread and alarming because insects constitute the majority of species and underpin ecosystems through pollination, decomposition, and as food for other animals.
- Kolbert emphasizes that losing insects amounts to 'doing something very serious to the planet' and that declines are found 'just about everywhere that people look.'
Samso Island Went Carbon Neutral
- Kolbert profiled Samso, a Danish island where ordinary farmers and residents turned the community carbon neutral through local wind projects and policies.
- She climbed an onshore turbine and noted farmers installed turbines on their land plus significant offshore wind to make the plan economically viable.
