#10: Climate Activist Responds to Episode 7: Climate Change Denial is an Existential Threat - Neeshad Shafi

Neeshad Shafi is a climate activist considered one of the 'World 100 Most Influential People in Climate Policy' by Apolitical. He's also the Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Arab Youth Climate Movement, the first registered non-profit association focusing on climate change in Qatar. This conversation is a response to the claims made by Mikhail Tretyak on episode #7, and Neeshad came prepared with an impressive list of counter-arguments. We begin with excessive carbon in the atmosphere and the link between abnormal weather events and the increasing rate of natural disasters. Then, we move on to the truth about afforestation efforts and Mikhail citing NASA satellite images to claim the world is getting greener. We unpack what it means for Qatar to host the first carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup in 2022. Can the climate fund help less developed countries transition to renewable energy? What is carbon capture, and is it a viable solution? What about the carbon credit system? And will millions of people die if we go net-zero? I asked Neeshad about his experience attending the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) when the historic Paris agreement was signed and Trump pulling the United States out of the agreement. He also touches on Mikhail's comments on Greta Thunberg and details when an African climate activist, Vanessa Nakate, was cropped out of an Associated Press picture. Neeshad urges more youth in the region to get involved and perhaps attend (COP 27), which will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, and (COP 28) in the United Arab Emirates. Finally, we end with the notion of individual shaming, suitability lifestyle as a trend, and how beach clean-ups send the wrong message. The views of my guests are not always reflective of my own. The podcast is a space for open dialogue and a variety of perspectives. If you want to support the podcast, please consider sharing it! Don’t forget to subscribe for more free content. Contact:  Email: [email protected]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekhaledsoltan/  Relevant Links:  https://neeshad.com https://www.aycmqatar.org The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. - https://www.ipcc.ch/ Climate Change: How Do We Know? https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ Global Climate change, Vital Signs https://climate.nasa.gov/ Tracing Big Oil’s PR war to delay action on climate change https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/09/oil-companies-discourage-climate-action-study-says/ United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change https://unfccc.int/ Net Zero by 2050, A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-2050 Qatar targets 25% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 under climate plan https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/qatar-targets-25-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-2030-climate-change-plan-2021-10-28/