Finding the antidote to climate anxiety in stories about taking action

(Inside Climate News, 10 Dec 2022) Launched in 2021, Pique Action is a media startup committed to telling stories about climate solutions.

The video opens the way many TikToks do: an unsteady close-up of someone talking, with the contours of a bright living room visible behind her. “Extremely good news,” she says. “We are going to prevent between a half and a whole degree of warming.” 

In the 55-second clip, which features emojis, sound effects, “Spongebob Squarepants” memes, and a lot of exclamation points, turquoise-haired Hazel Thayer explains the Kigali Amendment and the difference between chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons. 

If all you know about TikTok are dance challenges and lip-syncing to Lizzo, this content might seem surprising. But what’s more surprising are the comments on the video–and their optimistic tone. “are…are we gonna be okay?” one user wrote in response. “DO I NEED TO PLAN FOR RETIREMENT NOW?!” 

Thayer is a host for Pique Action, a climate media startup that bills itself as “the opposite of doomscrolling.” In her videos for the company, Thayer talks about everything from sustainable investing to public transportation initiatives and uses titles like “Unf*cking the planet” and “Is the COP26 methane pledge bullsh*t?” 

External link

Inside Climate News, 10 Dec 2022: Finding the antidote to climate anxiety in stories about taking action