A panel discussion hosted by The Invading Sea explored how real-life environmental issues are featured in fictional storylines.

Entitled “Plot Twists for the Planet: How Pop Culture Inspires Environmental Views,” the discussion was held for Florida Climate Week 2025. Nathan Crabbe, editor of The Invading Sea, moderated the panel, which featured:

• Stacey Balkan, an associate professor of environmental humanities at Florida Atlantic University who taught a recent PhD seminar in which students wrote essays that reimagined South Florida’s infrastructure and environmental future
• Taylor Hagood, a professor of American literature at Florida Atlantic who is the author of “Theodore Pratt: A Florida Writer’s Life,” a biography of the writer known as the “Literary Laureate of Florida” 
• Bruno Olmedo Quiroga, VP of narrative research and strategy at Good Energy, a nonprofit organization that works to get Hollywood to weave climate change into movie and TV storylines

Organized by VoLo Foundation, Florida Climate Week ran from Oct. 6-12. More than 1,800 people took part in 83 free events, including both in-person gatherings and virtual sessions.

“Florida Climate Week was a huge success, a powerful reminder that collaboration, innovation and hope are driving real climate action across our state,” said Thais Lopez Vogel, co-founder and trustee of VoLo Foundation, in a news release. “We are moving from information to action, and that is the best news of all.”  

A total of 32 virtual sessions were watched by more than 600 online viewers, while 51 in-person events drew over 1,200 attendees statewide. Programming covered issues such as extreme heat and stronger storms, coastal restoration, transportation and biodiversity.  

The city of Jacksonville held a public kickoff and a weeklong slate of community events. Other municipalities across Florida also joined as official partners and 18 proclamations were issued by mayors and local authorities, declaring Oct. 6-12 as Florida Climate Week 2025 across their jurisdictions.  

“This week was about solutions and collaboration, because the decisions we make today will define the quality of life for future generations,” said Lopez Vogel, who invited participants to also take part in VoLo Foundation’s flagship event, the Climate Correction conference, which will be held March 10 and 11 in Orlando. 

Editor’s note: VoLo Foundation is a financial supporter of The Invading Sea. Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here. To support The Invading Sea, click here to make a donation. If you are interested in submitting an opinion piece to The Invading Sea, email Editor Nathan Crabbe at ncrabbe@fau.edu. Banner photo: A screenshot from The Invading Sea’s panel discussion.

Tags: Bruno Olmedo Quirogaclimate communicationFlorida Atlantic UniversityFlorida Climate Weekpop culturepublic opinionStacey BalkanTaylor HagoodVoLo Foundation