Elena Crescia
TED Circles is an open platform of small groups that engage in conversations about ideas.
Hosted by volunteers, Circles watch and discuss a TED Talk and then share takeaways online to consider each other’s perspectives and create a global conversation. That conversation needs everyone so we hope you'll join as a host (registration below) and/or guest (monthly sign-ups below).
Circles can take place 100% virtually so they are helping communities stay connected, especially now. And in addition to monthly themes, there is special programming each month about what’s going on in the world so Circles’ discussions are as meaningful and relevant as possible.
The biggest obstacle to dealing with climate disruptions lies between your ears, says psychologist and economist Per Espen Stokes. He's spent years studying the defenses we use to avoid thinking about the demise of our planet -- and figuring out a new way of talking about global warming that keeps us from shutting down. Step away from the doomsday narratives and learn how to make caring for the earth feel personable, do-able and empowering with this fun, informative talk.
When it comes to big life problems, we often stand at a crossroads: either believe we're powerless against great change, or we rise to meet the challenge. In an urgent call to action, political strategist Tom Rivett-Carnac makes the case for adopting a mindset of "stubborn optimism" to confront climate change -- or whatever crisis may come our way -- and sustain the action needed to build a regenerative future. As he puts it: "Stubborn optimism can fill our lives with meaning and purpose."
For the poor and vulnerable, the health impacts of climate change are already here, says physician Cheryl Holder. Unseasonably hot temperatures, disease-carrying mosquitoes and climate gentrification threaten those with existing health conditions, while wealthier people move to higher ground. In an impassioned talk, Holder proposes impactful ways clinicians can protect their patients from climate-related health challenges -- and calls on doctors, politicians and others to build a care system that incorporates economic and social justice.
Water is essential to life. Yet in the eyes of the law, it remains largely unprotected -- leaving many communities without access to safe drinking water, says legal scholar Kelsey Leonard. In this powerful talk, she shows why granting lakes and rivers legal "personhood" -- giving them the same legal rights as humans -- is the first step to protecting our bodies of water and fundamentally transforming how we value this vital resource.
What’s your superpower? Angela Francis believes that hers might be being a mixed race economist who grew up in Derby - something that gives her a unique perspective when it comes to tackling climate change. A passionate environmentalist, Angela sees that the key to overcoming the climate challenges we face is proving to the public that transitioning to a green economy can change their lives for the better right now. Rather than trying to edge the environment to the top of a priority list already overloaded with Brexit, healthcare, crime and the economy, Angela argues that we must focus on how policy for the environment has the power to deliver real solutions to the problems people are already dealing with. Only by engaging with broader conversations about the kind of country we want to be will the environmental sector be able to design policies that a farmer in Cumbria or a factory worker in Derby will get behind.
