The Rise And Fall of Climate Alarmism

In a recent memo ahead of the annual Climate Summit, Bill Gates considerably toned down the narrative of climate change alarmism, saying the main focus shouldn't solely be on the climate, but instead on improving people's lives. In this episode of The Deep, Erika discusses the rise and fall of climate alarmism. She dives into the history of the "global warming" apocalypse narrative, and turns to John Paul II to gain a proper human-centered approach to environmentalism. Timestamps:0:00 - A shift in tone: Bill Gates walks back on climate change 5:07 - A brief history: the rise of climate alarmism8:02 - An apocalyptic narrative11:01 - A house built on sand: the lies of climate change14:22 - The collapse of alarmism16:23 - The right approach to environmentalism 21:00 - Climate alarmism is dying? Now what?Sources:Shellenberger, Michael. “Scientists Deliberately Misled Public On Fires, Ice, Food, Floods, Heat, Islands, Coral, Sea Level, And Hurricanes.” Public.News, October 26, 2025. Accessed November 17 2025. https://www.public.news/p/scientists-deliberately-misled-public. public.newsVoortman, Hessel G., and Rob De Vos. “A Global Perspective on Local Sea Level Changes.” Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 13, no. 9 (2025): 1641. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13091641. MDPI“Highest coral cover in central, northern Reef in 36 years.” Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Media Release, August 4, 2022. Accessed November 17 2025. https://www.aims.gov.au/information-centre/news-and-stories/highest-coral-cover-central-northern-reef-36-years#:~:text=Highest%20coral%20cover%20in%20central%2C%20northern%20Reef%20in%2036%20years%20|%20AIMS. aims.gov.auBill Gates. “Three Tough Truths About Climate.” GatesNotes. Accessed November 17 2025. https://www.gatesnotes.com/home/home-page-topic/reader/three-tough-truths-about-climate. Gates Notes+2Gates Notes+2“Earth Day ’70 — What It Meant.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Archive. Accessed November 17 2025. https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/earth-day-70-what-it-meant.htmlInskeep, Steve. “Bill Gates Is Going Nuclear: How His Latest Project Could Power U.S. Homes and AI.” NPR, June 14 2024. Accessed November 17 2025. https://www.npr.org/2024/06/14/nx-s1-5002007/bill-gates-nuclear-power-artificial-intelligence#:~:text=Bill%20Gates:%20Well%2C%20absolutely.Multiple authors. “The Impact of Smartphone Addiction on Cognitive Function and Attention Span.” Lone Star Neurology. Accessed November 17 2025. https://lonestarneurology.net/others/the-impact-of-smartphone-addiction-on-cognitive-function-and-attention-span/.Roger Pielke, Jr. “What Is a Worst-Case Climate Scenario?” Substack. Accessed November 17 2025. https://rogerpielkejr.substack.com/p/what-is-a-worst-case-climate-scenarioPolar Bears International. Accessed November 17 2025. https://polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bears-changing-arctic/polar-bear-facts/status/