Can We Cool The Planet, And Should We Try? | Ep251: Ricken Patel

Why It Matters

Without democratic control and rigorous public research, geoengineering risks becoming a profit‑driven shortcut that could exacerbate climate harms, making activist mobilization and policy oversight essential for sustainable climate solutions.

Key Takeaways

• Geoengineering can be profit‑driven, bypassing environmental safeguards for corporations.
• Loss of atmospheric aerosols removes a natural “parasol,” accelerating warming.
• Avaaz mobilized 70 million members, turning online petitions into tangible actions.
• Digital activism battles credibility issues from bots, AI‑generated content, and clicktivism skepticism.
• Public research and democratic oversight are vital for responsible geoengineering deployment.

Summary

The episode centers on Ricken Patel’s conversation about climate‑stabilisation technologies—often labeled geoengineering—and the broader political and activist landscape shaping their development. Patel critiques a system where private profit can dictate atmospheric interventions, while highlighting the UK actuaries’ “Parasol Lost” report that warns the loss of cooling aerosols is hastening global warming.

Key insights include the dual paradox of climate mitigation: stripping away pollutants that once reflected sunlight removes a natural “parasol,” and the rapid rise of corporate‑driven geoengineering proposals that lack democratic oversight. Patel also recounts his journey from on‑the‑ground activism in war zones to founding Avaaz, a digital platform that grew to 70 million members and translated online petitions into massive climate marches, phone‑banking drives, and fundraising campaigns.

Memorable moments feature Patel’s mantra that “90 % of politics is who shows up,” underscoring the power of grassroots mobilization. He cites raising half a billion dollars online and confronting bot networks that threaten the credibility of click‑tivism, while emphasizing that real‑world impact still stems from organized, member‑driven campaigns.

The discussion signals that responsible deployment of climate‑stabilisation tools will require transparent public research, robust democratic participation, and vigilant oversight to prevent profit‑first geoengineering from undermining environmental safety and social equity.

Original Description

What happens if we’re underestimating the speed and scale of climate risk? This week on Cleaning Up, Bryony Worthington sits down with Ricken Patel, Principal at Climate Hub & Founder of activist network Avaaz, to explore how to build successful climate movements, and the case for research into geoengineering.

Ricken argues that companies have been accidentally geoengineering since the turn of the Industrial Revolution, as a byproduct of their pollution, and says ‘it’s crazy’ that research into deliberate forms of geoengineering isn’t being allowed.

Ricken has a long history as a campaigner and activist working in the climate and democracy spaces. He founded Avaaz, an online activism platform, and led successful campaigns around the Paris Agreement and beyond. He was voted "Ultimate Gamechanger in Politics" by the Huffington Post, listed among the world's top 100 thinkers by Foreign Policy, and named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Patel studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford, graduating first in his class, and holds a Master's from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He went on to live and work on conflict resolution and civilian protection in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan, and Afghanistan for organizations including the International Crisis Group.

Together, Bryony and Ricken dive into:

• Why climate risks may be far greater than current models suggest

• The cooling effects we’re losing as we clamp down on pollution

• The case for researching geoengineering

• How democracy, truth, and climate are deeply intertwined

• And how to build a successful movement around climate change.

Leadership Circle:

Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live

Links and more:

• Ricken’s website: https://www.rickenpatel.net/

• The Climate Hub: https://www.cc-hub.org

• The State of the Climate 2026 | Ep242: Zeke Hausfather https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzySrSD8vz8

• Parasol Lost: https://actuaries.org.uk/news-and-media-releases/news-articles/2026/jan/14-jan-26-parasol-lost-recovery-plan-needed/

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

04:30 - Early Activism

07:45 - Building Avaaz

10:00 - Clicktivism vs Activism

18:00 - Largest Climate March In History

23:00 - The Paris Breakthrough

27:00 - Fighting for Democracy

31:30 - Politics of Climate

34:30 - Social Media Disinformation

39:15 - Backlash & Bunker Mentality

44:00 - AMOC & Climate Risk

48:00 - Radiative Forcing

50:52 - Accidental Geoengineering

57:00 - The Moral Case

01:03:00 - Positive Cascades

01:06:07 - Outro