Rupert Read: podcast appearances and interviews

Rupert Read, born in 1966, is an environmental philosopher and public intellectual known for his work on climate change and philosophy. He is the founder and current director of the Climate Majority Project. Read has authored several books, including Why Climate Breakdown Matters, Deep Adaptation: Navigating the Realities of Climate Chaos, and Do You Want to Know the Truth. His academic career included a position as a reader in philosophy at the University of East Anglia, where he secured funding for research projects on natural capital and contributed significantly to discussions on the precautionary principle. His work has intersected with topics such as genetic modification, climate change, environmental policy, and technological risks. Read has been an active spokesperson for climate activism, including his role with Extinction Rebellion, where he participated in public demonstrations and engaged with policymakers. Notably, he challenged BBC policies by refusing to debate climate change deniers, influencing the broadcaster’s approach to scientific consensus. In 2018, he publicly supported Extinction Rebellion, which led to the UK Parliament declaring a climate change emergency. He also contributed regularly to the Eastern Daily Press, addressing issues of sustainable transport, green economics, and social justice. Read left the University of East Anglia in 2023, citing frustrations with academia’s approaches to climate crisis and emphasizing the importance of arts and humanities. His current work focuses on Transformative Adaptation, a strategy emphasizing societal transformation to build resilience against climate breakdown. He has co-authored a book on this subject, advocating for a shift from solely decarbonisation efforts to more comprehensive societal change.