Donate Now
In an interview with Rebecca Boyle of Nieman Storyboard, Pulitzer Center grantee Nathaniel Rich discussed the writing process behind 'Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change.'
“I wrote the piece to try to understand this problem more deeply," Rich said in the interview, "to try to understand the human story of this period, and the courageous efforts of these folks to advance the issue and change the way the world was structured... I feel there is a morality in that effort.”
Rich cited the uncertainty that characterized politicians and scientists alike as a key antagonist throughout the decade. "That’s not to discount any of the industry or politics or Republican denialism," he said. "But I think there is this huge blind spot when it comes to this larger human question: Why is it so hard for us to act?
"Until we address that deeper question, you’re not going to have any possibility of addressing the problem in a meaningful way."