The John Batchelor Show

GEOENGINEERING, ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION, AND DECOUPLING GROWTH FROM DESTRUCTION Colleague Gaia Vince. Vince outlines technological solutions for restoring the planet, such as ocean fertilization, which adds iron to oceans to boost algae growth and sequester carbon, mimicking natural cycles previously aided by whales. She also describes enhanced weathering, where specific rocks are distributed on land to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Addressing the economy, Vince argues against "negative growth," proposing instead that we must decouple economic growth from environmental destruction. Batchelor adds that nature is already adapting to climate change, noting that plants like the mimosa are migrating northward in response to warming temperatures. NUMBER 4 1874 DEPARTING QUEENSTOWN

A UNITED NATIONS AGENCY FOR MIGRATION AND THE FUTURE OF FOOD Colleague Gaia Vince. Batchelor and Vince discuss a vision for managed migration where a new United Nations agency allocates migrants to specific cities and industries based on labor needs. Vince suggests that migrants could initially work in essential sectors, such as green energy or care work, to foster social inclusion and economic contribution. The conversation shifts to food security, where Vince argues that the current food system cannot support the projected population of 10 billion. She advocates for a transition to plant-based diets and alternative proteins like insects, noting that meat production is inefficient and harmful to biodiversity. NUMBER 3 1874 DEPARTING QUEENSTOWN

RETHINKING BORDERS AND THE ECONOMIC NECESSITY OF HUMAN MOBILITY Colleague Gaia Vince. Vince argues that while humans have migrated for hundreds of thousands of years, modern borders currently restrict the world's most valuable economic resource: human labor. She suggests that removing these barriers could significantly boost global GDP, noting that current restrictions are ill-suited for a world facing climate catastrophe. As the Global North faces a demographic crisis with aging populations, Vince asserts these nations need immigrants to sustain their economies. She advocates for managing migration through "social investment" and inclusivity rather than brutality, ensuring that new arrivals are viewed as assets rather than threats. NUMBER 2 1846 FAMINE RIOTS IN IRELAND

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE ANTHROPOCENE AND THE INEVITABILITY OF CLIMATE MIGRATION Colleague Gaia Vince. John Batchelor and Gaia Vince discuss her book, Nomad Century, which argues that climate migration is already underway and inevitable. Vince illustrates this reality through Abel Cruz, a Peruvian farmer forced to migrate to a slum in Lima after drought destroyed his livelihood. She describes the forces driving this movement as the "four horsemen of the Anthropocene": fire, heat, flood, and drought. As the tropics become increasingly dangerous, Vince explains that populations from the Global South will necessarily move toward the Global North, where land is more abundant and nations are wealthier and better able to adapt. NUMBER 1 1857 IRISH ARRIVING BOSTON

CLIMATE CHANGE, FIRE MANAGEMENT, AND THE FUTURE OF ADAPTATION Colleague Danielle Clode. Looking toward the future, Clode warns that climate change and El Niño patterns are increasing the frequency and severity of fire seasons, threatening both wildlife and expanding urban populations in bushland interfaces. She contrasts fire management philosophies, noting that Australia utilizes preventative burning to reduce fuel loads—a lesson partially adapted from indigenous practices—whereas historical American policies of total suppression can worsen long-term risks. Clode concludes that because fire is an omnipresent force in the Australian landscape, residents must focus on adaptation and preparedness rather than assuming total safety. NUMBER 4