-By Jacqui Wilmot
From the icy expanse of the North Pole to the sacred halls of the Vatican to the humid Amazon rainforest, climate journalist Andrew Revkin has traveled the world for more than three decades to document climate change.
Through it all, he has been guided by one question: How can humanity navigate this century with the fewest regrets?
Speaking to a packed audience at the Jay Heritage Center on Nov. 17, Revkin shared how his approach to climate reporting has evolved with the changing political and social landscape.
While early climate reporting focused on the science and data, he said, he came to recognize the need to go beyond the numbers and engage communities in dialogue. He seeks out conversations that transcend political divides, looking to find common ground and practical ways forward on climate change. In the process, he has won a slew of journalism awards.
“What people believe about global warming doesn’t reflect just what they know — it expresses who they are,” Revkin said. “Understanding the social climate and what drives people’s behaviors, values, and beliefs opens up real opportunities to address the pressing climate challenges we face.”
Revkin lives in Maine and runs an independent webcast and newsletter called “Sustain What.” He previously was at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, as director of the Initiative on Communication Innovation & Impact.
But Revkin spent most of his career at the New York Times, pioneering ways to make climate science accessible and engaging. In 2007, he launched a blog for The Times called Dot Earth, which encouraged readers to share perspectives and ideas. The blog created a rare space for dialogue on climate solutions. Revkin also was an early adopter of multimedia, incorporating videos, photos, and interactive maps to help readers see the real-world impact of climate change.
“How do you manage a complexity monster like climate change?” Revkin asked. “You break it into parts. Shouting ‘climate emergency’ is vague for most people, unless you can break it down into actionable steps. Moving beyond traditional storytelling means encouraging productive conversations and empowering communities to act, adapt, and build resilience together.”
Revkin highlighted the importance of local initiatives like Rye’s chapter of CURE 100 (Communities United to Reduce Emissions by 100%), a Westchester-based nonprofit working to reach net-zero emissions by 2040 through education, advocacy, and local campaigns to address climate risks like flooding.
With Donald Trump’s new term as president beginning in January 2025, Revkin underscored the importance of focusing on accuracy, community engagement, and promoting actionable solutions.
“There are aspects of the oversight and regulations that are problematic and our current energy system is broken,” he said. “It is conceivable that the next administration may speed up reform — for example the permitting process for new energy plants and allowing rapid expansion of the grid. However, there’s a balance and you can’t have climate progress with recklessness.”
Revkin acknowledged that the Trump administration could bring challenges to climate policy, but he emphasized that there are still federal funds available for communities to improve their climate resilience.
“Imagine if every community had an advocate who could do the homework, find these resources, and bring them to town councils or school districts,” he said. “We could drive real change.”
Revkin pointed out that every community faces climate-related vulnerabilities, from flooding to wildfire risks. But communities don’t need a unified view of the causes of climate change to take protective action.
“For example, no one should have to die in a heatwave,” he said. “By mapping where elderly residents without air conditioning live or where disabled individuals need assistance during a flood, communities can come together to address risks and save lives.”
For Revkin, climate change isn’t so much about science or politics; it’s about listening to people’s stories, understanding what drives their thinking and behaviors, and bridging divides.
“If we move away from polarized and oversimplified reporting on the issue of climate change — from a mindset of ‘stop this’ to ‘start this’ — we can find community-driven climate solutions that really make a difference,” he said.