It was Sundance time… and one of the winners (World Cinema Grand Jury prize) is Utama, a love story of an elderly Quechua couple in the Bolivian Highlands coping with climate change. A documentary that sounds more engaging than many fictional films.

More Sundance: The Territory draws attention to the criminal(ly insane) logging of the Amazon (seriously, why would want cut out our own lungs?). Shot with critical involvement of the indigenous people most affected - watch out for this on Nat Geo TV.

Cool - and creepy: an entertainment studio in space. Cool because, well, space. Creepy because it’s also intended for ’influencer’ use. Especially when you think of the doomsday scientists saying disinformation is the biggest threat to humanity. How can you make a story out of that?

Need arguments to rebut the idea that nuclear and gas should be ‘green’ under the new EU sustainable energy taxonomy? Go here. And then steal some for your WIP eco warrior protagonist’s dialogue.

Finally, if you missed it, check out my blog post on why our stories should integrate the idea of communal living: Back to the Future. Erm, Commune

My top pick: US scientists help Afghan colleagues to escape the Taliban, a thrilling and heart-warming story of not giving up. An hour totally worth your time. Not strictly a climate story, but it has all you need to rewrite it into one.

The 2022 Doomsday Clock is set, yet again, at 100 seconds to midnight. In their video announcement, all speakers identified MISINFORMATION as the biggest danger. Watch it here - not for the doom but for info and for @Hank Green’s power speech. #TurnBackTheClock

To balance the doom, check out this competition for positive, solution-oriented short stories. Deadline 21 Feb. Aim: go beyond preaching to the converted.

In case you missed it - new blog post on why we need to speed up the climate crisis. In our stories, at least.

Finally, a reminder about the free NRDC / Sundance event on ‘Rewriting the Future’ this coming Thursday. Do sign up, it’ll be worth it.

THIS. Ben Okri on creative existentialism and re-dreaming society. Not exactly cheerful, but urgent, beautiful and wise - something to re-read over and over. PLEASE SHARE.

This, on the other hand, IS cheerful and brilliant: bees reduce human-elephant conflict. BTW an entertainment giant is involved.

Another THIS: the second session of NRDC’s Rewrite the Future initiative at the Sundance Film Festival, 27 January. It's free - what’re you waiting for?

Finally for this week, I discovered another great podcast: Hot Talks (Amy Westervelt is part of the team, if that name rings a bell). I recommend starting with this ep from Feb 21 about ’both-side-ism’.