🍋 Climate change has a PR problem. Here’s how we can fix it.

^{VITAMIN C is a newsletter exploring topics in food, climate and everything in between.}

Read time: 3 minutes 50 seconds

Hi friend👋,

February 2nd marked the debut of our journey together. It was my first newsletter article.

One of you replied to me: “I like the content, but it creates anxiety”.

Point taken.

I did something many people do when they talk about the climate crisis.

I had included 5 key statistics which I thought would be useful for you to have at hand for your next food-climate related conversation.

But all of those statistics were negative:

• GHG emissions

• Fresh water draining

• Biodiversity loss

• Deforestation

• Food waste

I can see why this makes someone anxious.

So going forward, I’ll add more positive statistics. And focus on solutions and stories instead of mostly problems.

Let’s dive into today’s issue:

1. [Insight]: 🗣️Why storytelling is our secret sauce in climate action

2. Fast Snacks:

   [Food Good News]: 🇰🇷 South Korea opens application for cultivated meat

   [Climate Good News]: 🌍 9/10 people worldwide demand political climate action

   [Fun]: 😊 Conquering cringe mountain

3. [Community Asks]: 🙌 New community section - this could be your headline

1. [Insight] Why storytelling is our secret sauce in climate action

In 1972 the Club of Rome published their first book “Limits of growth”. Ever since, we know that the way we treat our planet is unsustainable and urgently needs to change. 

Yet 50 years later, global CO2 emissions are still at an all-time high. 

We have enough scientific evidence. 

What we urgently need is more action - on a political level but also in society. 

We need to script a new narrative, and that's where the magic of storytelling comes in.

Why? Emotions are the currency of change, and stories are the wallets we carry them in. Stories connect, they resonate, and they inspire action in ways that facts and data simple can’t. 

Science approves:  

Hollywood is leveraging storytelling for climate action on TikTok

Recently I had the chance to talk to a real master of storytelling: Kip Pastor.

Kip is a Hollywood producer and environmentalist.

In his previous life, Kip worked in consulting on his way to politics. But then one day he said: "Screw this, I'm making movies."

He got accepted into the prestigious American Film Institute and straight out of university started his own production company.

Ever since, his journey has taken off: He produced commercials for big brands like Gillette, Red Bull and impact documentaries about organic food, sustainability, and child education. He worked with big names like Leo Messi and Roger Federer.

With his production company Pique Action, he now focuses all his skills on telling human-centered stories solving the climate crisis. And he is doing so with unconventional formats and channels.

If you haven’t yet, check out his show “Unf***** the planet”, which is making waves on TikTok.

If you are more of a long-form person, you can watch the 15-minute videos on Youtube. Here is the trailer:

My friend Art Lapinsch (who writes a fantastic newsletter about energy x climate) has a great analogy:

The blockbuster movie “Top Gun” (1987), starring the young Tom Cruise, is about the adventures of the Navy pilot Maverick. The film was a huge success in movie theatres, but more impressively: The US Navy reported, that their recruitment rate rose by a massive 500% after the movie was released.

So, Art keeps asking: “What is Top Gun for Climate Action?”

We do have some inspiring documentaries like "An Inconvenient Truth", “2040” or “The Biggest Little Farm”.

But big budget blockbuster movies that give you the feeling of what the world could look like if we do get it right?

There aren’t any. Yet!

I’m confident, though: If someone is going to produce those movies, it will be Kip.

So, if you already want to secure your front-row seat at the movie premier, check out Kip’s company Pique Action and follow him on LinkedIn.

2. Today’s fast snacks

• [Food Good News] 🇰🇷 Following Singapore and the US, South Korea becomes the third country to embrace cultivated meat, initiating the regulatory approval process for companies in this pioneering industry. Read more here.

• [Climate Good News]: 🌍 A new global survey, conducted by University of Bonn, shows that 89% of global population demand intensified political action on climate. That’s a clear signal. When you've got nearly the entire planet on the same page, saying it's time to make serious moves on climate change, that's a mandate.

• [Fun]: 😊 Preparing posts on LinkedIn or writing this newsletter fells scary sometimes. I keep thinking: “What if people think it’s BS?”

  What has helped me overcome those feelings of doubt is to “focus on the message and not the messenger”.

  It’s not about me (the messenger), it’s about food and climate innovation and inspiring others to take action (the message). 

  This illustration below visualises that mindset perfectly: Sometimes you have to conquer cringe mountain to generate impact.  

  

3. [Community Asks]: 🙌

Are you working on something cool in food & climate and want to share it with 620+ food & climate nerds? 

Are you hiring or looking to join a team? 

Maybe you've got something big to announce or what to do a shoutout?

Hit reply and tell me details. I’ll feature you in the next newsletter. For free of course. 

Let's make some noise.

Cheers

-Lia

PS: 🍋 Some of you have asked why this newsletter is called VITAMIN C? Let me explain.

I’m not selling vitamin C pills (even though I had a supplement company in the past).

To me, VITAMIN C is symbolic for positive impact. The nutrient vitamin C is associated with health and vitality, and my aim with this newsletter is to inform and inspire others about the connection of food and planetary health.

And the letter "C" in VITAMIN C can stand for: community, changemakers, climate, catalyst or circular – all the core elements we need to thrive.

—> If you found this newsletter interesting, consider sharing it with a food and climate-curious friend 🙌