Matthew Bird
For 10 days, we are focusing on the pressing issue of climate change, something that can have major impacts on the way our world, and our lives will function. Matthew Bird shares his top three climate YouTubers to learn more about this subject from.
The fact that the world is in the midst of climate emergency is common knowledge. What this means for how our lifestyles will be forced to change is difficult to grasp. The solutions to the emergency are not always as straightforward as using more wind power or driving electric cars.
We don’t always have the time to commit…
There are hundreds of books, articles, and documentaries which grapple with the big questions facing humanity. However, we don’t always have the time to commit to reading a book on a single topic or to watch a 90-minute documentary. This is where the world of Climate YouTubers come in.
Almost all climate-related YouTube videos are on a single topic, so you won’t be overwhelmed by an information overload. On the whole, the YouTubers I’m presenting here have relevant qualifications to reassure you that the information you are receiving is accurate. And where their qualifications aren’t in the specific area, they all cite their sources so you can fact-check them if you felt so inclined.
Here is my list of climate YouTubers to watch. At the end of each is one of their videos I would recommend starting with.
Simon Clark
Many of his videos are of the form, ‘how does X impact climate change?’
Simon Clark has a degree in physics from the University of Oxford and a PhD in atmospheric physics from the University of Exeter so is well-versed in climate models and simulations. He has videos on a wide range of topics. Many of his videos are of the form, ‘how does X impact climate change?’. He also delves into the world of popular culture with videos about films, Warhammer, and TV and book series. Often these have a climate angle to them, but not always.
All of the videos I’ve watched of his have been excellent. Yet, some of his best videos are about the life of being an undergrad student, PhD student, and researcher as he has progressed through his education. He has videos where he opens up about his mental health, which I highly recommend watching if you are thinking about pursuing a PhD.
In addition to his YouTube channel, he also has a Twitch channel. Unusually for a Twitch streamer, he streams himself coding climate models, working on Warhammer models, as well as playing Dungeons and Dragons and various video games.
ClimateAdam
Adam Levy has a doctorate in atmospheric physics from the University of Oxford. Adam’s videos, as their channel name would suggest, are all about the climate. To make dealing with such a heavy topic more enjoyable, Adam often adds little skits and elements of humour into their videos.
I found Adam’s channel through their collaboration with Simon Clark about clouds and water vapour. These videos clarified some misconceptions I had about the role water vapour has on climate change, so I highly recommend giving them a watch.
Any of their videos would be a good place to start as they are mostly around the 10-minute mark or less, so you can get a good feel for Adam’s style pretty quickly. But if you need help picking, then the video below covers all you need to know about climate change!
zentouro
Miriam’s videos are almost all under 10 minutes
Miriam Nielsen is a PhD student at Columbia University and makes videos about a wide range of climate and environmental topics. Her research is, in part, connected to the Earth Institute which is an organization looking into solutions leading to sustainable development.
Miriam’s videos are almost all under 10 minutes, with many under 5 minutes. This makes zentouro the perfect channel for dipping into when you need a boost to your climate knowledge. Her delivery is impassioned and highly watchable for it.
Like many climate YouTubers, Miriam collaborates with other YouTube channels. For example, The Psych Show joins in on a video all about climate anxiety which is an important topic to discuss lest those doing the most to learn about and prevent climate change become overwhelmed.
These are my three favourite climate YouTubers, but there are more out there. Kurtis Baute, who also makes videos about climate change, put together a playlist of 18 channels. So, once you’ve watched all the videos on the channels I’ve discussed above, go to the playlist to find even more!
This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.
Matthew Bird
Featured Image courtesy of Markus Spiske via Unsplash . Image license found here. No changes made to this image.
In article trailers courtesy of Simon Clark, Adam Levy, and Miriam Nielsen via Youtube.
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