Cli-Fi Blog

Climate Change is a Foundational and Intersectional Issue of Life or Death

In a way, climate change is really the ONLY issue. Because if we don’t get this one right and, at minimum, hold global heating to the 1.5 degrees C agreed on in in the non-binding Paris Accords, none of the other issues that progressives—or anyone else—care about are going to matter.

Climate Change Fiction on American TV: “Madam Secretary” and…That’s About It

As Hurricane Dorian slams into the Bahamas as a category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph and gusts of 220 mph, I remember the opening scenes of an episode of Madam Secretary. When I tuned in, I was initially confused. We’re in the cockpit of a NASA plane flying into the violent eye … Continue reading Climate Change Fiction on American TV: “Madam Secretary” and…That’s About It

Solarpunk and Cli-fi, Oh My! The Case for Optimism

Cli-fi, fiction about the climate crisis, is still hardly a household word—or even a known genre among booksellers—years after Dan Bloom coined the term in 2007. I still get blank stares most of the time when I introduce Weather Menders to a bookseller, or talk about the genre with people who are not deeply involved … Continue reading Solarpunk and Cli-fi, Oh My! The Case for Optimism

Weather Menders Author Debra Denker Video on Her Cli-fi Novel, Climate Change, and Climate Hope

My cat Samadhi Timewalker, Sammy for short, standing in for Georgie the time-traveling cat. He'd like you to read Weather Menders, and to watch this video of his human, author Debra Denker, reading chapters from Weather Menders. I also discuss climate change, positive and possible solutions moving in the right direction such as the Green … Continue reading Weather Menders Author Debra Denker Video on Her Cli-fi Novel, Climate Change, and Climate Hope

Santa Fe’s Very Woke Teens and Children: Youth Climate Strike

Yesterday I joined several hundred very woke teens and children in the first Santa Fe Youth Climate Strike. Supported by parents, adults, and elders, these young leaders amplified the passionate call for immediate climate action first voiced by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish high school student and now activist and Nobel Prize nominee. I can … Continue reading Santa Fe’s Very Woke Teens and Children: Youth Climate Strike

Message from the North

For a few days in early November, and again in early December, Santa Fe was colder than Anchorage, Alaska. As humans and the remaining straggling birds shivered, as the last of the marigolds in my garden froze solid, friends in Alaska resignedly told me that the snow that had cheered (most of) them up had melted.

Imagine a World Without Elephants—or Lions, or Tigers, or Polar Bears

“A world without elephants is like a world without oxygen.” —Turkana member of Kenya Wildlife Service, in the film Walking Thunder. I don’t want to live in a world without elephants, lions, tigers, rhinos, or polar bears. Or mosquitos, for that matter. It’s not just about the large mammals known in conservation circles as “charismatic … Continue reading Imagine a World Without Elephants—or Lions, or Tigers, or Polar Bears