Climate journalist and polar explorer Bernice Notenboom sees the earth as a shared expedition. From the front lines of climate change, she shares compelling stories. With a call for mental resilience and collective action, she inspires us to act now — before we tip into an irreversible climate.
By Esther Derks
When Bernice Notenboom speaks, you immediately feel the force of her experience. She is not only a climate journalist, but also an explorer who has literally stood on the front lines of climate change. Her expeditions take her to places where the earth is changing — rapidly, profoundly, and sometimes irrevocably. From those places, she brings us stories that inspire, warn, and spur us into action.
“Exploring the world through adventurous expeditions began at a young age, born from my love of nature and pushing my physical and mental limits,” she says. “By challenging myself, I discovered and developed my physical and mental strength. I learnt perseverance and self-trust. And I revelled in the endless beauty of mountains, plains, and lakes.”
A tipping point on the ice
In 2007, her life changed for good. During an expedition to the North Pole, her team could barely land because part of the sea ice had melted. On the spot, Bernice was told that the Arctic sea ice was declining at an alarming rate and that the warming of polar ocean waters was occurring faster than anywhere else on earth.
We are all on an expedition together, but a large part of the group doesn’t realise we’re in survival mode.
“It affected me deeply,” she says. “Since then, my expeditions have been not just personal, but societal. I feel compelled to share my findings with the world, because this concerns us all. We can still do something about it now. We are all on an expedition together, but a large part of the group doesn’t realise we’re in survival mode.”
According to Bernice, survival demands mental strength: vitality, flexibility, and resilience. “It isn’t always easy — I experience that myself too — but dare to change things. Reduce your CO₂ emissions, eat less meat, buy fewer new things, and invest in sustainable energy.”
Stories with impact
Bernice deliberately visits places where climate change is visible and palpable — not just to observe, but to bear witness. “I tell first-hand what I’ve seen: glaciers retreating, ecosystems disappearing. I work with scientists and translate their findings into an accessible story. That’s my strength: making complex information digestible so the urgency comes across.”
People know that the ice is melting or that the rainforest is disappearing, but they forget everything is connected.
She notes that many people now know the climate is in trouble, yet the sheer volume of information can be paralysing. “People know the ice is melting or that the rainforest is disappearing, but they forget everything is connected. Melting ice in the Arctic is linked to flooding in Texas, drought in Africa, and wildfires in Southern Europe.”
The ocean as a warning
According to Bernice, the oceans are a particular concern. “The changes there are immense, but much still needs to be researched because the oceans are so vast and deep. Scientists fear a ‘runaway climate’ — a situation in which the system amplifies itself and becomes irreversible. Tipping points are drawing nearer. In 2012, people thought it would occur at 5 degrees of warming; now it appears to be at 3 degrees. At that point, we can no longer intervene.”
The impact of climate change on biodiversity
Climate change is altering living conditions for plants and animals, causing biodiversity to decline. Bernice emphasises that this loss is not always immediately visible. “If you visit a place for the first time, you don’t know what it used to look like, or which animals and plants lived there. That’s precisely why it’s important to listen to local residents and scientists who have monitored an area for years. They see species occurring less often or disappearing, and plants that can no longer survive due to climate change.”
Without nature, we cannot survive. Nature provides oxygen, cooling, water, food, and shelter for humans and animals.
At the North Pole, she heard a poignant story: “Because the ice has melted, not only the habitat of seals and polar bears is changing, but also the dynamics of plankton in the sea. This can lead to fewer fish, meaning seals catch fewer fish. As a result, fewer seals survive and there is less food for polar bears, which eat seals. An entire chain is affected by climate change.”
Bernice has also observed clear changes herself. “I have seen with my own eyes that in places I’ve visited before there is less snow and glaciers are retreating.”
For her, it is essential that people realise nature is indispensable: “Without nature, we cannot survive. Nature provides oxygen, cooling, water, food, and shelter for humans and animals. If we don’t embrace and protect that, the earth will become uninhabitable for us too.”
Three pillars for behavioural change
For Bernice, the solution centres on behavioural change. She distinguishes three pillars: Inform concretely: “Keep explaining what is happening now and what the consequences are. Repetition is crucial.” Accelerate the transition: “More renewable energy, less meat, circular consumption, and making it easier for citizens.”Move together: “Individual action is valuable, but when everyone acts at once, that’s when it becomes truly powerful.”
Still, she acknowledges the difficulty of aligning everyone. “Some people are feeling the effects of climate change more than others right now. That makes collective action hard.”
A call to leaders
Bernice is clear towards policymakers: “Take the Paris Agreement seriously. Keep warming below 2 degrees. Otherwise we face climate disasters, flows of refugees, and conflicts. The costs will be unaffordable.”
She sees that companies often only move when government and market send a signal together. “Political action is needed to achieve scale. If Europe enacts laws to truly adhere to the Paris Agreement, a great deal can happen.”
Hope from unexpected corners
Amid the concerns, Bernice also sees bright spots. “Companies like Patagonia show that you don’t have to put profit above the planet. Their founder transferred the company to a trust and a non-profit so that profits go to environmental projects. They see the planet as their shareholder.”
B Corps — companies that value social and ecological impact alongside profit — also give her hope. “More and more consumers are consciously choosing sustainable products. It’s a silent revolution.”
She calls for a redefinition of wealth. “I haven’t bought new clothes for years. If I acquire something, I sell something else. Halving everything — that’s not hard. We need to shed our drive to achieve and our hunger for stuff.”
More and more consumers are consciously choosing sustainable products. It’s a silent revolution.
The power of young people
Bernice highlights the role of young people. “They have the energy to apply pressure. My podcast Final Call about flying is widely listened to and shared by them. Social media is an enormously powerful tool to make sustainable messages go viral.” Her advice: “Do you feel powerless? Join the Young Climate Movement. Together you can put pressure on politics and business. I try to set an example myself by sharing my findings through books, films, articles, and lectures. Although I sometimes also need a break.”
Back to basics: Survival Mind
She found that respite while writing her latest book, Survival Mind. The book brought her back to her roots: travelling and challenging herself. In Survival Mind, she explores how people survive extreme situations. Bernice Notenboom weaves thrilling stories with science about the brain, instinct, and resilience, showing how we can grow stronger in crises and in everyday life. Her book will be published in October 2025.
Continuing to inspire
Why does she keep going? “Because I still reach people. Emails from listeners or readers who take action because of my work give me energy. Those are the pearls. Just as I myself was inspired by writer Suzanne Simard, Jane Goodall, and writer Arita Baaijens. The Canadian ecologist Suzanne Simard describes in her book Finding the Mother Tree: Discoveries from a Life in the Forest how trees communicate and form a social network. She has shown that trees do much more than store CO₂ and produce oxygen. I listen with love to her TED Talk.
My good friend Arita Baaijens writes in her book In gesprek met de Noordzee (Conversations with the North Sea) about how we can move towards a future in which all forms of life are respected.”
For Bernice, it ultimately comes down to strengthening our mental resilience, both individually and collectively. “The earth is our home. Every step counts. And remember: we’re all on an expedition together. It’s time we realised we’re in survival mode — and that we must do this together.”
Climate action festival
Would you like to see Bernice speak live? At the Climate Action Festival on 25 September at TU Delft, she will deliver the keynote, “From Crisis to Hope: Collaborating for a Sustainable Future”. Drawing on her expeditions, Bernice explains what climate change is doing to our planet and how, with greater awareness and collaboration, we can make a difference.
Would you like to explore collaborations around biodiversity? Then join Suzanne van den Bosch and Annelot Broerze for the session “Climate & Biodiversity: Let’s team up for a greener future and untangle interdependent challenges”. Suzanne is Programme Coordinator, Climate and Biodiversity, at LDE and, together with TU Delft researcher Annelot, will discuss the role of biodiversity in the climate transition and how we can find new solutions together.
Do you have questions, suggestions, or would you like to participate in the LDE Climate & Biodiversity Programme? Send an email to Suzanne van den Bosch at s.j.m.van.den.bosch@cml.leidenuniv.nl.