I go to a lot of talks for work and for my local green group. Church basements. Big hotel ballrooms. School gyms with squeaky floors. I’ve stood in the back with a cold coffee, and I’ve taken messy notes on my phone. Some talks made me hopeful. A few made me tired. Here’s what stuck. (I later expanded on these reflections in a longer write-up, which you can read here.)
The night Katharine Hayhoe made the science feel like a neighbor chat
I heard Dr. Katharine Hayhoe in a packed church hall. If you’d like to dig deeper into her research and outreach, you can read more about her work here. The chairs were too close, and the air smelled like old wood and lemon cleaner. She spoke plain. No fuss. She tied climate to faith and everyday life. She said, “Talk to your uncle. Start there.” It felt kind. It felt doable. If you’d like more examples of faith communities stepping up on climate, visit Our Voices and see how congregations worldwide are taking action.
- What I loved: She used simple charts and real stories. She answered hard questions with calm facts.
- What I didn’t: The Q&A went long, and a few folks with mics liked to talk. I wished for more small group time.
If your crowd is mixed—teachers, parents, folks who farm—she lands well.
Policy and punch: Leah Stokes and Michael Mann brought the receipts
At a university lecture, Dr. Leah Stokes was fast and sharp. She broke down bills, grids, and votes like puzzle pieces. She even explained how a heat pump works without putting the back row to sleep. Dr. Michael Mann, in another hall, laid out the patterns in the data. Clear heat maps. No fluff.
- Good stuff: You leave smarter. You can say what a wedge is, and why a fraction of a degree matters.
- Tough stuff: It can feel heavy. If your group is new to this, you may want a warm-up speaker first.
Great for city staff, engineers, and students who love charts.
Ocean joy, not just doom: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson made me care about kelp
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson told ocean stories that tasted like salt and sun. Fishers. Reefs. Jobs. She shared a Venn diagram for your climate role—what you love, what you’re good at, what needs to be done. You can sketch your own climate Venn diagram using her template here. I wrote mine on a napkin. Yes, I still have it.
- High points: Colorful slides. Clear actions. A voice that smiles.
- Low points: She moves fast. If you blink, you’ll miss a gem.
This fits creative teams, coastal towns, and school nights with parents and teens.
The big stage energy: Bill McKibben filled the room with grit and heart
Bill McKibben is steady. He told stories of small wins in small towns. He talked about money, risk, and the power of a campus letter. The crowd nodded a lot. I did too. He left time for organizing right there in the lobby.
- Pros: You feel part of something bigger. You leave with a job to do.
- Cons: Slides can be text-heavy. Some folks want more nuts-and-bolts on tech.
Perfect for community halls and alumni events where action is the goal.
Youth spark: Xiye Bastida’s voice cut through the rain
I heard Xiye Bastida at a youth summit on a wet Saturday. My socks were damp. Her words were clear and warm. She linked Indigenous wisdom to climate plans. She asked us to think seven generations ahead. A high school kid next to me held a hand-painted sign. He whispered, “I can do this.” So could I.
- Good: Hope that feels real, not plastic.
- Less good: If your board wants line-by-line policy, bring a second speaker to pair with her.
Great for schools, libraries, and city days of service.
Younger audiences are already fluent in interactive streaming culture, using platforms that range from gaming to unexpectedly candid discussions about sexuality. A fresh analysis of that trend digs into why millennials are embracing “sex streams”—and it’s packed with insights on building trust, fostering real-time dialogue, and keeping viewers engaged, lessons any climate communicator can adapt.
The corporate room: Christiana Figueres kept it crisp
In a cold ballroom with too much air-con, Christiana Figueres talked to a crowd in suits. She was firm but upbeat. Clear targets. Clear timelines. No finger pointing. She said, “Radical is patient and persistent.” People wrote that down.
- What worked: Measured tone. Practical steps for finance and supply chains.
- What didn’t: Pricey, and Q&A was tight. I wanted more time for workers to speak.
Best for leadership retreats, big vendors, and investor days.
One that fell flat (no names)
I sat through a talk with too much jargon and too many acronyms. Slide after slide of tiny font. Folks checked their phones. The speaker knew a lot. We just couldn’t follow. It happens. A good moderator could’ve helped.
Who fits where? My quick matches
- Schools and families: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Xiye Bastida, Katharine Hayhoe
- City halls and utilities: Leah Stokes, Michael Mann
- Community organizing: Bill McKibben, Katharine Hayhoe
- Corporate and finance: Christiana Figueres
Real talk: what I learned about hosting
Here’s the thing—great speakers need simple things done well.
- Ask for slides a week ahead, and check the fonts on the real screen.
- Put a mic in the aisle for Q&A. Keep questions short and kind.
- Set the room warm enough. Cold hands shut down note-taking.
- Offer local action tables in the lobby: heat pump rebates, tree planting, transit passes.
- Add live captions if you can. It helps more people than you think.
- Give the speaker local data—a flood map, a heat record. That grounds the talk.
- Spread the word early: If you’re in a smaller market—say, a border town like Del Rio—hyper-local classifieds can help you fill seats. Posting on platforms such as Doublelist Del Rio will walk you through the free community and events sections and show you how to write a clear, safety-minded listing that reaches locals who might not see your social feeds.
Little moments that stayed with me
- The smell of wildfire smoke outside a summer talk. We passed out N95s at the door.
- A farmer in dusty boots thanking a scientist for saying “I don’t know” once, then “Here’s what we do know” next.
- A kid asking, “Can worms help?” and the speaker saying, “Yes—compost is power.” We all laughed, and we all believed it a little.
My short list, if you just want names
- Katharine Hayhoe — bridges faith, family, and facts
- Leah Stokes — policy, power, and real-world fixes
- Ayana Elizabeth Johnson — ocean joy and clear action
- Bill McKibben — movement building with heart
- Christiana Figueres — targets and timelines for leaders
Final word from a tired, hopeful note-taker
Not every talk will change you. But you know what? The good ones do something simple: they name the problem, they show the path, and they hand you a small tool. After these talks, I called my city about a heat pump rebate. I started a ride-share list for council meetings. Small steps, sure. But they stack.
If your room needs a spark, pick the voice that matches your crowd. Then set the chairs close, warm up the mics, and save time for questions. People don’t just want a speech. They want a way in.