I Want A Better Catastrophe with Andrew Boyd and Stephen Reid

Join Andrew Boyd, author of I Want a Better Catastrophe: Navigating the Climate Crisis with Grief, Hope, and Gallows Humor, and Stephen Reid, creator of Dandelion and founder of the Psychedelic Society, for an evening contemplating the end of the world (as we know it), and what comes after.

Described as "an existential manual for tragic optimists, can-do pessimists, and compassionate doomers", Andrew's book has been described as “a profound meditation on how to live in a world on the brink of collapse”.

We highly recommend playing with the excellent interactive flowchart that accompanies the book before this session (try clicking ‘Listen to narration’).

Schedule:

• 7pm: Andrew presents the key ideas from the book
• 7.30pm: Q&A with Stephen
• 8pm: Q&A with the audience

More on the book:

With global heating projected to rocket past the 1.5°C limit, Andrew Boyd, a lifelong activist, is thrown into a crisis of hope, and off on a quest to learn how to live with the impossible news of our climate doom.

He searches out eight of today's leading climate thinkers--from activist Tim DeChristopher to collapse-psychologist Jamey Hecht, grassroots strategist adrienne maree brown, eco-philosopher Joana Macy, and Indigenous botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer--asking them: Is it really the end of the world, and if so, now what?

With gallows humour and a broken heart, Boyd steers readers through their climate angst as he walks his own. Boyd's journey takes him from storm-battered coastlines to pipeline blockades and hopelessness workshops. Along the way, he maps out our existential options and tackles some familiar dilemmas: Should I bring kids into such a world? Can I lose hope when others can't afford to? Why the fuck am I recycling?

He finds answers that surprise, inspire, and maybe even entertain. Drawing on wisdom traditions Eastern, Western, and Indigenous, Boyd crafts an insightful and irreverent guide for achieving a better catastrophe. This is vital reading for everyone navigating climate anxiety and grief as our world hurtles towards an unthinkable crisis.

Andrew Boyd

Andrew Boyd is an author, humorist, and climate activist. His new book, I Want a Better Catastrophe: Navigating the Climate Crisis with Grief, Hope and Gallows Humor came out from New Society Press in February 2023. He is currently CEO (Chief Existential Officer) of the Climate Clock, a global campaign he co-founded that melds art, science, technology, and grassroots organizing to get the world to #ActInTime. Boyd also co-created the grief-storytelling ritual the Climate Ribbon, co-founded the progressive netroots powerhouse Other98%, and led the 2000s-era satirical campaign “Billionaires for Bush.” His previous books include Beautiful Trouble (OR Books, 2012); Daily Afflictions (WW Norton, 2002), and Life’s Little Deconstruction Book (WW Norton, 1998). Unable to come up with his own lifelong ambition, he’s been cribbing from Milan Kundera: “to unite the utmost seriousness of question with the utmost lightness of form.” You can also find him at andrewboyd.com.

Stephen Reid

Stephen Reid is a transdisciplinary technologist  devoted to the flourishing of Life on Earth who has trained in the fields of AI/ML, complexity science, physics, transformative coaching, meditation and plant medicine. Current projects include hosting the Futurecraft Residency, and leading the development of the Dandelion platform for regenerative events and co-created gatherings as part of not-for-profit worker co-op Symbiota.

Previously, he founded The Psychedelic Society, taught the Introduction to AI, Introduction to web3, How to DAO, Tools for the Regenerative Renaissance, The Promise of Decentralisation & Life as Practice courses, served as the youngest ever board member of Greenpeace UK, and consulted for organisations including Supermodular, the New Economics Foundation, and 350.org. Stephen has an MPhys in Physics from the University of Oxford, where he specialised in quantum field theory, an MRes in Complexity Science from the University of Bristol, and a Professional Certificate in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence from UC Berkeley.

REFUNDS POLICY: Please note, we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. When possible we encourage reselling on Ticketswap.

ACCESS:  We do our best to include everyone in our events, regardless of health circumstances. If you have access requirements please email the event organiser directly to discuss. Many facilitators are able to offer reduced ticket prices for those truly unable to afford the ticket price. If this applies to you, do please get in touch with the event organiser.

For PSYCHEDELIC KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES please check out the Psychedelic Society website. 

Our facilitators have agreed to our code of conduct. Learn about our procedure for raising concerns

MEMBERS of the Psychedelic Society get a discount off almost all of our events.
Join from £5 a month and become part of this amazing community with invites to special events and more.