Venture:
Climate Town
Founders:
Rollie Williams '21CS
Industry:
Media and climate communications
Venture Type:
Hybrid
What is the social or environmental issue being addressed?
The climate crisis is real and it’s happening now. The science is settled, the need for action is clear, and yet we still struggle as a movement to communicate that urgency effectively. That’s partly because climate change is hard to talk about. It’s a complex, overwhelming topic, and conversations surrounding it are often rooted in gloom and hopelessness. Understandably, many people just opt out entirely. That’s a serious problem — the climate crisis isn’t going away, and if we’re going to have any shot of solving it, we’ll need an informed, engaged society demanding action and change.
Innovation:
Climate Town is unique in approaching climate communications through a comedic lens, which has been shown to improve comprehension and memory recall. We produce rigorously researched comedy videos to break through the fog of climate anxiety and confusion. Since launching in August 2020, we’ve developed some compelling support for our theory that comedy is a powerful climate communications tool. Our episodes have been viewed more than 23,000,000 times, and we’ve gotten our audience to watch more than 3,200,000 total hours of content about climate change, because it’s funny.
Read More:
- Climate Change Is No Laughing Matter. Or Is It?
The New York Times
February 9, 2024 - Climate One: Is This a Joke? Comedy and Climate Communication
Climate One Podcast
September 15, 2023 - Grist 50 Fixers: Rollie Williams
Grist
2022