Books, movies and films influence public opinion on many issues, including climate change and the environment. But can pop culture help save the planet?
For Florida Climate Week 2025, The Invading Sea is hosting an online panel discussion exploring how real-life environmental issues are featured in fictional storylines. Entitled “Plot Twists for the Planet: How Pop Culture Inspires Environmental Views,” video of the event will be released Monday, Oct. 6, at 9 a.m. to kick off the events of climate week. To register for free for the panel discussion and other climate week events, visit floridaclimateweek.org.
Nathan Crabbe, editor of The Invading Sea, is moderating the discussion, which features:
- Stacey Balkan, an associate professor of environmental humanities at Florida Atlantic University who taught a recent PhD seminar in which students wrote essays that reimagined South Florida’s infrastructure and environmental future
- Taylor Hagood, a professor of American literature at Florida Atlantic who is the author of “Theodore Pratt: A Florida Writer’s Life,” a biography of the writer known as the “Literary Laureate of Florida”
- Bruno Olmedo Quiroga, VP of narrative research and strategy at Good Energy, a non-profit organization that works to get Hollywood to weave climate change into movie and TV storylines
Organized by VoLo Foundation, Florida Climate Week runs from Oct. 6-12. More than 75 nonprofits, businesses and educational institutions are hosting free virtual and in-person events aimed at raising awareness about climate-related challenges and solutions.
Crabbe will also be moderating another panel discussion for Florida Climate Week, entitled “Effectively Communicating Climate Change in the Era of Extreme Weather and Political Polarization.” The conservative climate group republicEn.org is hosting the virtual event.
The event looks at how climate journalists and opinion writers effectively convey the risks posed by climate change amid deep polarization on the adoption of climate solutions. Video of the discussion will be released Tuesday, Oct. 7, at 12 p.m. The panelists include:
- Bob Inglis, executive director of republicEn.org and former U.S. congressman
- Mary Anna Mancuso, Miami Herald opinion writer and editorial board member
- Max Chesnes, environment and climate reporter for the Tampa Bay Times
- Chelsea Henderson, director of editorial content for republic.En.org
Now in its fifth year, Florida Climate Week includes in-person events from Jacksonville to Miami along with virtual events that can be viewed through the Whova online event platform. The initiative is meant “to raise awareness, share knowledge and drive practical solutions for a sustainable and resilient future for Florida,” according to VoLo Foundation.
“Florida Climate Week is a statewide call to action where communities come together to confront their own climate challenges,” said Thais Lopez Vogel, trustee and cofounder of VoLo Foundation, in a news release. “Conversations about climate vulnerabilities such as sea level rise, hurricanes, flooding and drought can open the door to meaningful solutions.”
Editor’s note: VoLo Foundation is a financial supporter of The Invading Sea. Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here. To support The Invading Sea, click here to make a donation. If you are interested in submitting an opinion piece to The Invading Sea, email Editor Nathan Crabbe at nc*****@*au.edu.
