Jeff Goodell on rapid warming: „The issue is saving ourselves“

„A new study underscores the wild temperature swings in Earth’s history. It also underscores why the issue with our rapid warming today is not «saving the planet». The planet has been through far hotter eras and will be fine. The issue is saving ourselves“, says The New York Times journalist Jeff Goodell about a new study on how the climate changes affect us.

The dozens and hundreds of headlines announcing record temperatures around the world and their consequences are only a Google search away. For example, in Arad alone, four people have died this year due to the heat, and September started with a heat wave after a summer full of red-code days and temperatures above 35 degrees. This is the new reality of living with climate changes. A reality where heat is becoming an increasingly dangerous and ever-present enemy. That’s what journalist and writer Jeff Goodell’s book, The Heat Will Kill You First, published this scorching summer by ZYX Books, is about.

With the keen reporter’s passionate sense of observation, a thriller author’s talent, and a science journalist’s rigor, Jeff Goodell denounces heat as a silent, highly dangerous predator that is already striking with lightning speed all around us. “We don’t understand heat. I didn’t understand it either until I started to dig deeper into the problem and its consequences,” Goodell says in the book.  Thirty million people live in extreme heat, with an estimated 489,000 deaths each year; technology, geography and other historical advantages cannot protect us; our livelihoods and those of animals will be affected and areas such as sport will suffer. 

„I am critical of the language we use to talk about climate change or the climate crisis. I prefer the expression «climate crisis», because it gives a certain sense of urgency. Others have used the expression «climate emergency». Neither of these expressions, however, captures the scale and scope of the risks we face from the extreme heat and rapid warming of our world”, said Goodell in an interview for ZYX Books with Horia Ghibuțiu, the one who translated the book in Romanian.

In the past decade, scientists who study the movement of animals have found that of the four thousand species that they’d tracked, between 40 and 70 percent had altered their distribution. „On average, terrestrial creatures are moving nearly twenty kilometers every decade. Marine creatures, who are largely free of barriers to seeking cooler waters, are moving four times faster than land- based animals. Some animals are making spectacular leaps. (…) Even the most seemingly immobile wild creatures are on the move. In Japan, several species of coral polyps, which form the branching thickets of coral reefs, were found by scientists to be traveling about two miles north every year. Plants are on the move too“, writes Goodell in The Heat Will Kill You First. This is a book about Andrea Dutton, MacArthur Fellow and professor of geology at University of Wisconsin–Madison said: „Once you read this book, you may never see a hot summer day the same way again. Jeff Goodell gives heat names, faces, stories, and emotions that you will find hard to forget.”

How do we summon the courage not to give up despite the bleak odds? How do we focus on solutions and on what each of us can do to make a difference? „I cannot answer these questions. (…) But for me, the big surprise in writing this book,” said Goodell, „was to discover not only how easily and quickly heat can kill you, but also how poignantly it reminds us how deeply connected we are to each other and to all living things. No matter where we are headed, we are, all of us, on this journey together.” With the lucky bat hunting at night in the cool breeze, the armadillo who might wish to escape the heavy, oppressive scales on a hot summer’s day, the pecan tree stressed by these times, the polar bear and her cubs facing the disappearing ice, or the coral reefs coping with heat waves.

You can buy Romanian version of The Heat Will Kill You First (Căldura te va ucide prima) from (https://zyxbooks.ro/product/caldura-te-va-ucide-prima-jeff-goodell-zyx-books/).

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CEE Climate Connect Agenda

09:30 – 10:00

Welcome Coffee

An informal opportunity for participants to meet and greet each other over coffee before the session begins.

10:00 – 10:15

Welcome Remarks

Ciprian Stănescu, President, Social Innovation Solutions
Ramona Chiriac, Head of the European Commission Representation in Romania
Ana-Maria Pălăduș, Vice President, REPER21, National Coordinator for the EU Climate Pact in Romania

10:15 – 10:45

Participant Introductions

In this session, each participant will have the opportunity to introduce themselves briefly, sharing their role, the organization they represent, and their key areas of focus related to climate action and sustainability. This session is designed to give attendees a better understanding of who is present and to start identifying potential points of collaboration. 

10:45 – 12:00

Facilitated Networking Activities

This interactive segment will guide participants through structured networking exercises, encouraging meaningful exchanges and collaboration opportunities. Activities will include:

  • Speed Networking: A fast-paced series of short, one-on-one conversations where participants can quickly introduce themselves and discuss mutual interests.
  • Group Discussions: Participants will be divided into small groups based on shared topics of interest (such as energy, agriculture, or urban sustainability) to explore ideas and possible synergies.
  • Collaboration Mapping: Using a visual tool, participants will highlight potential collaborations within the group, allowing them to identify common goals and resources that can be shared for future projects.

These activities are designed to help attendees make impactful connections in a short amount of time and foster potential long-term partnerships.

12:00 – 12:30

Lunch

A relaxed networking lunch where participants can continue their conversations and deepen connections made during the morning sessions.

ESG Leaders Forum Agenda

09:00 - 10:00

Registration and Welcome Coffee

10:00 - 10:15

Introduction and Welcome Address

Ciprian Stănescu, President, Social Innovation Solutions
Philippe Gabulon, CEO Societe Generale Global Solution Centre
Alexandru Mihai Ghigiu, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office

10:15 - 10:45

Panel 1: Legislation

Elena Cargnello, Chair of the ESG Committee, Cogenio
Florin Spătaru, State Counselor in the Prime Minister’s Office

10:45 - 11:15

Panel 2: Sustainable Finance & Investment

Andrei Gurin, Team Lead, Sustainable Finance Unit, DG FISMA, European Commission
Aleksandra Palinska, Executive Director, Eurosif
Theresa Spandel, Senior Analyst, CLIMATE & COMPANY
Rep. BRD

11:15 - 11:45

Panel 3: ESG Measurement and Reporting

Alexander Stevens, CEO, Greenomy
Fenya Sourla, Co-founder and COO, Dataphoria
Kaisa Karjalainen, Director, Mission Zero Academy

11:45 - 12.30

Panel: Examples of Good Practice in Business

Ioana Botezatu, Head of CSR, Romania & India, Societe Generale Global Solution Centre
Raluca Mocanu, Sustainability Leader, IKEA România
Boualem Saidi, Country Group Head (Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova), Bayer
Corina Dospinoiu, Sustainability Director, Auchan România

12:30 - 13.00

Coffee Break

13.00 - 14.00

Breakout Sessions (3 simultaneous topics)

Room 1: Legislation
Room 2: How to make Sustainable Financing work (workshop led by Theresa Spandel, on implementation of the CSRD)
Room 3: ESG Measurement and Reporting in Practice (session led by Alexander Stevens)

14.00 - 15.00

Networking Lunch

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