A creative approach to community climate action
When he learned of the threat that rising sea levels posed to his coastal hometown of Miami, Florida, eco-artist Xavier Cortada founded a movement around beautifully designed elevation markers highlighting the risk of flood damage. The collaborative art project quickly mobilized action — and excited some controversy. Watch as Cortada offers a creative vision of community organizing inspired by art that engages, educates and empowers.
Lessons from the past on adapting to climate change
Laprisha Berry Daniels’ grandparents left the Southern United States and migrated north to Detroit in the 1950s - a move that could be considered a big “climate change.” Now, as a public health social worker, Berry Daniels mines the survival strategies of her grandparents to think about how we can all learn from the past to better prepare for current and future environmental climate change.
The unexpected way spirituality connects to climate change
Environmental activist Gopal D. Patel thinks the climate movement could learn a lot from one of the longest-standing social initiatives in human history: religion. Exploring three areas where frameworks from faith traditions could benefit the climate movement, Patel offers a playbook for discovering your big idea to build momentum towards powerful social change.
Why lakes and rivers should have the same rights as humans
Water is essential to life. Yet in the eyes of the law, it remains largely unprotected — leaving many communities without access to safe drinking water, says legal scholar Kelsey Leonard. In this powerful talk, she shows why granting lakes and rivers legal “personhood” — giving them the same legal rights as humans — is the first step to protecting our bodies of water and fundamentally transforming how we value this vital resource.
Three ideas for communicating across the political divide
How does language shape our politics? Journalist Isaac Saul explores how subtle word choices can inhibit productive dialogue about significant issues - and shows how small (but important) changes can help us all have better conversations with people who think differently than us.
How to disagree with respect - not hate
Spencer J. Cox, Republican governor of the state of Utah in the United States, says that even in these deeply polarized times, it’s still possible to disagree without hate or contempt. He shows how this idea sparked a viral campaign ad he co-created with his Democratic political opponent back in 2020 - and shares four practical things every one of us can do to heal the divides in our nations and neighborhoods.
https://www.ted.com/talks/tessza_udvarhelyi_how_to_build_democracy_in_an_authoritarian_country
How to build democracy - in an authoritarian country
“Today, Hungary is in the gray zone between a dictatorship and a democracy,” says activist Tessza Udvarhelyi. “This did not happen overnight.” In a rousing talk, she reminds us just how close any country can come to authoritarianism - and offers on-the-ground lessons for how to keep democracy alive through focus, determination and imagination.
Democracy requires disagreement. Here’s how to do it better
As authoritarian leaders challenge democratic institutions around the world, some people are questioning whether democracy is even the best political system. In a wide-ranging conversation, writer Bret Stephens and social entrepreneur Yordanos Eyoel discuss why democracy is still our best hope - and offer ways we can learn to disagree more effectively in order to strengthen our societies.
https://www.ted.com/talks/manish_bhardwaj_a_moral_blueprint_for_reimagining_capitalism?subtitle=en
A moral blueprint for reimagining capitalism
We know capitalism exacerbates injustice and inequality worldwide. So how can we fix it? Professor and social entrepreneur Manish Bhardwaj thinks we need to integrate “moral clarity” — which he defines as “doing the right thing because it is right, and not from fear of sanction or in expectation of reward” — into society at a foundational level. In this practical talk, he explains how to use the language of moral clarity as a compass for organizations, communities and our personal lives — and how it could help create a more just world.
https://www.ted.com/talks/alex_amouyel_can_salad_dressing_transform_capitalism
Can salad dressing transform capitalism?
What if businesses were designed to maximize impact
- not just profits? Alex Amouyel, president and CEO of Newman’s Own Foundation, details the organization’s commitment to donate all of the profits from the food company it owns - and shows what the “100% for purpose” movement can teach us about doing business, philanthropy and capitalism differently.
https://www.ted.com/talks/aaron_perzanowski_why_don_t_companies_want_you_to_repair_your_stuff
Why don’t companies want you to repair your stuff?
Today, some companies are working hard to prevent consumers from repairing products on their own. In many cases, repair can only be done by the original manufacturer, if at all. With limited repair options available, we end up buying new and throwing more items out. So, how exactly do companies prevent repair? And what can consumers do about it? Aaron Perzanowski investigates.
https://www.ted.com/talks/joon_silverstein_luxury_not_landfill_the_waste_free_future_of_fashion
Luxury, not landfill - the waste-free future of fashion
Fashion is a huge part of the world’s waste problem, but it doesn’t have to be. Coachtopia founder Joon Silverstein shows how her company creates new designs from the waste products of another, a circular process that cuts the need for new raw materials - and rethinks what qualifies as “luxury.” (Made in partnership with Coachtopia)
https://www.ted.com/talks/pattie_gonia_why_joy_is_a_serious_way_to_take_action
Why joy is a serious way to take action
While doom and gloom may wake people up, joy keeps them in the fight, says drag queen and environmentalist Pattie Gonia. With humor, creativity and a dress made of thrifted shower curtains and upcycled pink flamingo pool floaties, Pattie shows why embracing fun might be the key to building a stronger, more inclusive climate movement,
https://www.ted.com/talks/roman_krznaric_lessons_from_history_for_a_better_future?subtitle=en
Lessons from history for a better future
How can the lessons of the past help us navigate the turbulence of the present and future? Social philosopher Roman Krznaric explores why history isn’t just a record of what’s gone wrong - it’s also full of solutions, resilience and radical hope. From Edo Japan’s circular economy to the peaceful coexistence of cultures in medieval Spain, he reveals why looking backward can actually help us move forward,