From Antarctica Dreams to Climate Journalism

Leonie’s career began almost by accident. Inspired by her father’s stories from his time with the British Antarctic Survey, she grew up fascinated with the mythic landscapes of Antarctica. As a master’s student in science journalism, she had the chance to board a South African research vessel traveling halfway to Antarctica, stopping at the Prince Edward Islands. This voyage became the spark for her first book, Scorched: South Africa’s Changing Climate, which explored how rising CO₂ levels and shifting temperatures impact ecosystems from elephants to maize fields.

That experience cemented her path. Over the years, Leonie has come to see climate change not as a series of separate problems, but as one overarching system of pollution—from carbon in the air, to plastics in our rivers, to processed foods in our bodies. At the center of it all lies corporate power: large companies that manipulate systems for profit while leaving communities and ecosystems to bear the cost.

The Power of Storytelling in Climate Communication

Leonie believes that storytelling is central to shifting public understanding. Humans respond more deeply to narratives than to raw data. Long-form journalism, she says, allows her to combine the rigor of science with the emotional power of narrative, creating stories that land in both the head and the heart.

“Storytelling is how societies have agreed or disagreed, rallied around ideas, and cooperated. It’s how we make sense of the world.”

By weaving together descriptive imagery, scientific facts, and lived experiences, Leonie brings climate realities to life in ways that statistics alone cannot. This philosophy underpins her current project, Story Arc, which blends reporting, activism, and community voices to highlight both the destruction and resilience found across South Africa.

A Van, a Cat, and a Mission

In 2019, as global scientific consensus warned that humanity had only a decade to prevent catastrophic warming, Leonie faced both professional and personal upheaval. Journalism as an industry was collapsing, major outlets were cutting staff, and she found herself struggling to make a living as a freelancer.

Instead of giving up, she made a radical decision: sell her home, store her belongings, and set off across South Africa in a small van with her cat, Mouse. With some support from funders, she began traveling to communities on the frontlines of climate change, documenting stories of collapse, resilience, and hope.

This journey has taken her into fragile desert ecosystems hammered by drought, into grasslands that serve as vital carbon sinks and water factories, and into small towns where plastic waste undermines livestock and livelihoods. What emerges is a mosaic of stories that show how global climate disruption manifests in local, everyday ways.

Stories from the Frontlines

1. Desertification and the Dust Bowl Effect

In South Africa’s west coast desert regions, Leonie joined scientists surveying quiver trees—towering succulents that are now dying as temperatures climb and drought intensifies. Mining activity and land degradation are amplifying the crisis, creating dust bowl conditions reminiscent of John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. The parallels are striking: economic forces, environmental stress, and human displacement converging to unravel fragile ecosystems.

2. Grasslands: Custodians of Climate and Water

On the other side of the country, Leonie explored South Africa’s high-altitude grasslands, which not only support local livestock economies but also act as critical carbon sinks and water sources. Farmers—both Indigenous and settler-descendant—play a crucial role in managing these landscapes. Yet they remain vulnerable to market forces, climate shocks, and corporate dominance. Supporting sustainable grazing practices here is not just about local food security—it’s about regional water security and global climate stability.

3. The Nappy Problem: Pollution Meets Poverty

One of the most powerful stories Leonie uncovered involves disposable nappies (diapers) in rural communities. With no waste collection systems, families discard nappies in open fields, where livestock consume them, leading to fatal blockages and perpetuating disease cycles. Local NGOs, in partnership with communities, introduced affordable, washable nappies as a solution—reducing plastic waste, protecting livestock health, and saving families significant money over time. It’s a small but transformative example of grassroots innovation addressing systemic challenges.

Naming, Shaming, and Accountability

Leonie does not shy away from calling out corporate negligence. When she contacted major retailers and nappy manufacturers about their responsibility under South Africa’s constitutional right to a healthy environment, almost none replied. For her, this silence underscores the urgent need for naming and shaming polluters, and for demanding policies that force corporations to account for the hidden costs of pollution.

She uses a simple metaphor: “If a tap is flooding the kitchen, do you keep mopping the floor—or do you turn off the tap?” True climate justice requires turning off the tap of pollution at its source.

The Human Side of Climate Justice

Throughout the episode, Leonie emphasizes the importance of active listening and respecting the dignity of people in marginalized communities. As a white South African journalist, she acknowledges the deep historical inequalities that shape land use and power dynamics. Ethical storytelling, she insists, requires humility: not overpromising, not framing people solely as victims, but amplifying their voices with honesty and respect.

Local to Global: Scaling Climate Action

Leonie also reflects on the tension between local activism and global policy. Grassroots organizations often succeed in mobilizing communities and influencing municipal governments, but face enormous challenges when confronting global corporate power or negotiating at international forums like the UN climate summits. Still, she argues that local solutions matter—and that not every initiative needs to scale globally to be meaningful. Sometimes, helping a community manage its grasslands or reduce plastic waste is as impactful as global campaigns.

Consumerism as a Drug

One of Leonie’s most sobering observations comes from a trip to a shopping mall after months in rural communities. Confronted with the blinding consumerism of mall culture, she described it as a kind of drug: addictive, numbing, and difficult to quit. In her view, consumerism is one of the greatest obstacles to climate action, offering people a false sense of purpose while distracting them from ecological collapse.

Lessons and Takeaways

1. ➤ Pollution is systemic. Carbon, plastic, and processed food are all connected through corporate power structures.
2. ➤ Stories inspire action. Data matters, but narratives move people.
3. ➤ Grassroots solutions work. Communities innovate in powerful, practical ways.
4. ➤ Corporations must be held accountable. Without regulation, polluters will not change.
5. ➤ Consumerism is a barrier. Escapism through shopping blinds us to climate realities.

Active listening is essential. Ethical storytelling respects dignity and avoids overpromising.