Alle afleveringen van The Climate Question – pagina 6 van 7

Can we rely on insurance to help rebuild after extreme weather?

21 maart 2022 · 28 min

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Scientists say extreme weather is intensifying and becoming more frequent because of climate change and the impacts are causing huge losses. Lees meer

People living in Brisbane and other parts of eastern Australia dealt with those impacts recently, when heavy rain fell for days - destroying thousands of homes and at least 22 people are known to have died.

Authorities declared it a once in a-100-year-event, making it the second disaster of its kind in the same area in just 11 years. While insurers face losses trying to cover it all, reinsurers say climate change is now a number one risk.

We talk to residents in Brisbane as they clean up after the floods and ask if insurance can be the world’s safety net as the impacts of climate change intensify?

Presenters Jordan Dunbar and Kate Lamble are joined by:

Ernst Rauch, chief geo and climate scientist, Munich Re
Robin McConchie, reporter based in Brisbane.
Ekerete Olawoye Gam-Ikon, insurance strategy consultant
Maryam Golnaraghi, director, climate change and environment, the Geneva Association

Producer: Darin Graham
Reporter: Robin McConchie
Researchers: Lizzie Frisby, Frances Read, Natasha Fernandes, Perisha Kudhail
Series producer: Alex Lewis
Editor: Nicola Addyman
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Can animals evolve to deal with climate change?

14 maart 2022 · 27 min

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As climate change brings rising temperatures, droughts and shifting patterns of rainfall, animals are adapting to keep pace. Bird’s bodies are growing smaller, their wingspan longer, lizards are growing larger thumb pads to help them grip more tightly in hurricane strength winds, beak size is changing. Lees meer

We visit the Galapagos, where evolution was first discovered by Charles Darwin, and investigate the many ways animals are adapting their behaviour and physiology to survive the impact of climate change. Changes to climate are also influencing animals’ genetics, meaning that we are seeing species evolve within our own lifetime.

However, most animals won’t be able to adapt quickly enough to cope with the speed they need to in order to survive in a warming world.

Presenters Jordan Dunbar and Kate Lamble look at what role evolution plays in helping animals adapt to climate change.

Contributors:
Kiyoko Gotanda, Assistant Professor at Brock University
Ramiro Tomala, Expedition leader, Metropolitan Touring in the Galapagos
Thor Hanson, conservationist and author of Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid
Anne Charmantier, Director of Research at Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Montpellier

With thanks to research carried out by Colin Donihue of Institute at Brown for Environment and Society.

Producer: Dearbhail Starr
Reporter: Mark Stratton
Series Producer: Alex Lewis
Editor: Nicola Addyman
Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed
Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

The 'unequivocal' consequences of climate change

7 maart 2022 · 27 min

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"A brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity” is how a new major climate change report from the UN described the effect of rising emissions. Already 40% of the world's population is "highly vulnerable" to the impacts, according to the latest report from the International Panel on Climate Change. And it’s all happening much more quickly than previously thought. Lees meer

Sophie Eastaugh and Jordan Dunbar discuss the findings with a panel of experts. How much more serious do things need to get before action is taken?

Produced for the BBC World Service by Darin Graham.

How quickly is battery technology advancing?

28 februari 2022 · 27 min

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The need to be able to store electricity as part of our low carbon future, has increased dramatically as the use of renewable energy has expanded. Both solar and wind energy rely on sunlight and weather, only providing intermittent power. Electric cars need to be able to travel greater distances on one charge and cost less to have mass market appeal. It’s clear batteries are a key - but evolving - technology. Improvements still need to be made to their safety, power and cost. Lees meer

Megawatt batteries are being built in many countries, in a step toward creating a renewable energy back-up for the grid. But these batteries are made using Lithium, which is limited because of their size, the length of their lifespan, and their track record in causing fires.

We look at the limitations of the batteries that exist right now, and what new technology in the field is expected to bring in the coming 10 to 15 years. We also visit a hydro-pump powered energy storage system in Israel, where the company, Augwind, is developing an interesting alternative to electric batteries.

Presenters Kate Lamble and Jordan Dunbar are joined by:

Susan Babinec is Program Lead in Energy Storage at the Argonne National Laboratory
Sandra Chavez is Director Partnerships at Powerhouse
Gary Yang is Founder of UniEnergy Technologies
Eshhar Chetsrony is the VP Business Development at Augwind

Producer: Dearbhail Starr
Reporter: Roni Dori
Researchers: Lizzie Frisby
Series Producer: Alex Lewis and Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound Engineer: Andrew Garratt

What will happen if the world's glaciers melt?

21 februari 2022 · 27 min

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We hear a lot about how melting glaciers are contributing to sea-level rise but not so much about the impact inland. In places like Tajikistan, glaciers feed rivers and are a significant water source. Lees meer

As they melt climatologists expect water flows to increase, contributing to a rise in mudslides and floods. But in the long term, the melting ice will lead to water shortages.

We look at mountain communities living near glaciers and try to understand what impact this is having now and what might happen in the future.

What can we do to prepare for the consequences of glacier melt?

Presenters Kate Lamble and Jordan Dunbar are joined by:

Edson Ramírez Rodriguez. glaciologist, University of San Andrés
Jemma Wadham, professor of glaciology, University of Bristol
Natalya Idrisova, project coordinator, The Little Earth

Reporter: Navruz Karimov
Producers: Darin Graham and Tatyana Movshevich
Series Producer: Alex Lewis
Researcher: Matilda Welin
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Is our obsession with GDP killing the climate?

14 februari 2022 · 27 min

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For nearly a century, governments around the world have measured the health of their economies by a single metric: GDP, or Gross Domestic Product. It measures a country’s economic growth, and over the years has become a shorthand for national progress; a rising GDP is generally understood to mean more people in work, more companies in business, living standards on the rise.
Yet, as experts have argued for decades, there is a lot that GDP leaves out. While it measures the value of all goods and services produced and consumed in an economy, it doesn’t account for nature, wellbeing, or planetary health. To GDP, a 100-year-old carbon capturing tree is worthless until its chopped down and sold as timber. Cleaning up after disasters, such as extreme weather events, improve GDP due to the increase in spending - even as people and planet suffer the consequences.
In an age of climate breakdown, many economists are arguing that our obsession with GDP is damaging the planet. So is it time to ditch GDP as a measure of progress and come up with a new metric that puts sustainability at its core?
Presenters Jordan Dunbar and Tanya Beckett are joined by the economists: Lees meer

Professor Kate Raworth, Senior Associate at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute
Professor Tim Jackson, Director of Centre for Understanding Sustainable Prosperity
Professor Jayati Ghosh, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Dr Celestin Monga, visiting professor of public policy at Harvard University

Can we believe companies’ promises on climate?

7 februari 2022 · 28 min

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Ahead of COP 26, a rush of businesses declared their commitment to “net zero” emissions targets. But concerns were raised about how credible these targets were. Critics pointed out that many companies’ plans did not require them to change behaviour any time soon, or be held accountable for realising them - and that some of their promises just weren’t good enough. In this edition of The Climate Question, Kate Lamble and Jordan Dunbar ask how much can we believe in companies’ promises on climate? Lees meer

How committed is China to climate change?

31 januari 2022 · 27 min

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At the UN climate summit in Glasgow last year, China and the United States announced they will work together on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Lees meer

Experts say this is a significant move because China and the United States are the two largest economies and polluters.

China emits the most greenhouse gasses, around 27% of global emissions, but it is walking a narrow path between its energy crisis and its commitment to climate work.

There are reports of plans to build up to 80 new coal power plants.

Without China acting, attempts to keep global temperatures down will not work.

How committed is China to climate change?

Presenters Kate Lamble and Jordan Dunbar are joined by:

Changhua Wu, executive director of the Professional Association for China’s Environment
Todd Stern, former climate envoy, United States
Bernice Lee, research director, Chatham House

Producer: Darin Graham
Reporter: Sophia Yan
Researchers: Tatyana Movshevich and Matilda Welin
Series Producer: Alex Lewis
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

Are we too reliant on tech that’s not invented yet?

24 januari 2022 · 27 min

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Written into many of the promises made by countries about how they intend to achieve their UN climate pledges to reduce emissions is an assumption that technology will help them make this happen. But this technology either does not currently exist or is in its infancy. Lees meer

This includes schemes to take carbon out of the air via carbon capture and storage or direct air capture and to replace our dependency on fossil fuels with green hydrogen. We visit the world’s largest direct air capture plant in Iceland and speak to the person in charge of Namibia’s grand plans to become the green hydrogen production hub of the world - can both really be scaled up in order to meet our current needs?

Presenters Kate Lamble and Jordan Dunbar are joined by:

Zeke Hausfather, Director of Climate and Energy at the Breakthrough Institute,
Victoria Gill, BBC’s Science Correspondent,
Christoph Beuttler, Head of Climate Policy at Climeworks, and
Jane Olwoch, Executive Director of South African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL)

Producer: Dearbhail Starr
Researcher: Tatyana Movshevich and Zoe Gelber
Reporter: Magnús Geir Eyjólfsson
Series Producer: Alex Lewis
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Can putting a price on nature help us care about it more?

17 januari 2022 · 27 min

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Everyone who steps outside can appreciate the value that the natural world brings to our lives. Lees meer

To some people, the idea of placing a monetary value on trees and mangrove forests is wrong because nature and its gifts are priceless. But others say the love of nature has not stopped it from being polluted or destroyed.

The natural world plays a major role in capturing the carbon from our atmosphere. A marketplace now exists where countries and big business can pay others to protect their forests, swamps and bogs in return for offsetting their emissions.

Could giving nature a dollar value make us care about it more and help us fight against climate change?

Presenters Kate Lamble and Jordan Dunbar are joined by:

Kevin Conrad, founder, Coalition for Rainforests
Tina Stege, climate envoy, Marshall Islands
Pavan Sukhdev, chief executive officer, GIST

Producer: Darin Graham
Researcher: Natasha Fernandez
Reporter: Gloria Bivigou
Series Producer: Alex Lewis
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Graham Puddifoot

Are we putting too much faith into electric vehicles?

10 januari 2022 · 28 min

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Billions of dollars are being invested in electric vehicles in the name of fighting climate change. World leaders are backing them as the green fix for our burgeoning road transport emissions. But when you factor in the carbon emissions that come from manufacturing EVs, how well do they stack up against their petrol and diesel counterparts? If all the cars on the road switched to EVs, could we meet our climate targets? Lees meer

This week The Climate Question looks under the bonnet of electric vehicles – and whether there is an altogether better solution.

Presenters Neal Razzell and Kate Lamble are joined by:

Heather Maclean, Professor of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto
Quentin Willson, Motoring journalist and EV campaigner
Clarisse Cunha Linke, Brazil Director of the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy
Estelle Honnerat, reporter in Paris
Dr Emma Smith, Research Fellow in Antarctic Seismology, University of Leeds

Producer: Sophie Eastaugh
Researcher: Natasha Fernandes
Series Producer: Alex Lewis
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Is science fiction holding back climate action?

3 januari 2022 · 28 min

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For centuries, we’ve been reading, watching and listening to science fiction. And all too often, it’s pretty pessimistic about our future, especially when it touches on the topic of climate change.
This is leading some to ask whether these doom and gloom stories are doing the climate fight more harm than good - causing us to feel so anxious and powerless that we don’t take action.
So for this week's climate question, Graihagh Jackson is asking: Is sci-fi holding us back? Lees meer

First broadcast on 5th April 2021.

Graihagh Jackson is joined by:
Amy Brady, editor-in-chief of the Chicago Review of Books, where she writes a monthly column called Burning Worlds. In it she explores how fiction addresses climate change.

Cheryl Slean is a playwright, filmmaker and educator working with the National Resource Defense Council’s Re-write the Future campaign to increase accurate climate stories in film and television.

Ken Liu is a futurist and author of speculative fiction. He has won the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards. His debut novel, The Grace of Kings, is the first volume in a silkpunk epic fantasy series.

Producer: Jordan Dunbar
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound Engineer: Andy Garratt and Tom Brignell

Does climate change have an ‘image problem’?

27 december 2021 · 27 min

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Images are a key part of communicating climate change, and shape how we understand the crisis unfolding around us. But while lots of research has been done into the language we use to talk about climate, images are often left out of the conversation. Lees meer

As a result, over time, a limited set of images have come to dominate how we think of climate change – like polar bears and melting glaciers - which haven’t kept up with the changing conversation about the crisis. All too often, these images tend to be abstract, removed from our daily lives and typically don’t feature people - when we know that climate change is happening all around us, all the time, and is very much a story with people and communities at its core.

So how can we develop a new, and more effective visual language for climate change? What kind of images ‘work’ to both convey the urgency of the crisis as well as inspire behavioural change? And what are some of the ways in which photographers are seeking to represent the crisis in a way that transforms apathy into action?

Guests:
Cristina Mittermeier, photographer and conservationist
Arati Kumar-Rao, National Geographic Explorer and photographer
Toby Smith, Programme Lead at Climate Visuals
Saffron O’Neill, University of Exeter

Presenter: Neal Razzell
Producer: Zoe Gelber
Researcher: Lizzie Frisby
Series Producer: Alex Lewis

Why do we find it so hard to take action on climate change?

20 december 2021 · 27 min

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For decades scientists have warned us about the risks of climate change. Yet humans are badly psychologically designed to face up to the challenge of changing our behaviour. Research shows that constant threats of impending doom make us hit the snooze button rather than waking us up. And our evolutionary shortcomings mean we respond to the threat of immediate danger rather than what might happen in the future.
So what can actually work to help us change our status quo?
Presenters Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell are joined by:
George Marshall, Founder of Climate Outreach and author of Don’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change
Elke Weber, Professor of Psychology at Princeton University
Per Espen Stoknes, Psychologist, Economist and author of What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming. Lees meer

Producer: Sophie Eastaugh
Reporter: Frank Walter
Researcher: Natasha Fernandes
Series Producer: Alex Lewis
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound Engineer: Graham Puddifoot

What role is overpopulation playing in the climate crisis?

13 december 2021 · 28 min

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If there were fewer of us, would the amount of greenhouse gasses we emit reduce? It’s a question that often creeps up in discussions about climate change. Lees meer

Studies show that the global population will decline eventually and populations in many rich nations are already declining.

However, 11,000 scientists signed a paper warning of “untold suffering due to the climate crisis” unless society transforms, including the reversal of population growth.

But an analysis by the United Nations found that affluence has a greater impact on the climate than population.

When we talk about overpopulation, what are we really saying and where does the conversation go from here?

Presenters Neal Razzell and Kate Lamble are joined by:

Nyovani Madise, head of the Malawi office of the African Institute for Development Policy.

Anu Ramaswami, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton.

Arvind Ravikumar, professor in energy transition and climate policy at the University of Texas.

Producer: Darin Graham
Reporter: Rajesh Joshi
Series producer: Alex Lewis
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Counting the cost of fashion

6 december 2021 · 28 min

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The journey from catwalk, to wardrobe, to landfill is getting shorter and shorter.
Our demands for fast fashion mean around 100 billion garments are produced every year. We’re buying more, then wearing them less often. Many will end up in the trash. Not only that, there’s been a big growth in clothes being made out of synthetic materials originating from crude oil.
In this edition we ask can fashion cost less to the climate?
Speaking to Kate Lamble and Sophie Eastaugh are-
• Vanessa Friedman New York Times Fashion Editor
• Lily Cole Fashion model, actress and podcast host- ‘Who Cares Wins’
• Phillip Meister - Quantis Sustainability Consulting
• Claire Bergkamp – Textile Exchange
Producer: Jordan Dunbar
Researcher: Natasha Fernandez
Series Producer: Alex Lewis
Editor: Emma Rippon Lees meer

What can we learn from the fight to fix the ozone hole?

29 november 2021 · 28 min

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In 1985 British scientist Jonathan Shanklin and colleagues published a study that shocked the world. The study revealed a hole in the Earth’s atmosphere right over Antarctica. It had been caused over time by chemicals known as CFCs, used in things like fridges, air conditioning units and aerosol cans. These were destroying the layer of ozone in the stratosphere which protects us from most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation - without it, cases of skin cancer would soar. Less than two years after the discovery, world leaders signed an agreement called the Montreal Protocol, committing to phase out CFCs. It has been described as the most successful international treaty of all time - every UN country has signed up, and ozone is expected to return to its previous levels around the middle of the century. Lees meer

So what can we learn from how we tackled the ozone hole in how we address climate change?

Presenters Neal Razzell and Kate Lamble are joined by: Jonathan Shanklin, Meterologist at the British Antarctic Survey, Dr Paul Newman, chief scientist for Earth Science at the Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center, Tina Birmpili, former executive secretary of the Ozone Secretariat, Dr Anita Ganesan, associate professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Bristol.

Producer: Sophie Eastaugh
Researcher: Natasha Fernandes

Could giving nature rights help fight climate change?

22 november 2021 · 27 min

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Around the world a growing number of rivers, mountains, nature reserves, even marshes have all been given legal rights. It’s an idea that’s being tested in courtrooms around the world. But to what extent might this help reduce the worst impacts of climate change and help us adapt to a warmer and wetter world?
Presenters Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell are joined by:
Natalia Greene , Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature
John DX Lapid, reporter in the Philippines
Liza Osorio, lawyer
Jacinta Ruru, Professor of Law at the University of Otago, Aotearoa/New Zealand
Jan Darpo, Professor of Environmental Law, Uppsala University, Sweden Lees meer

Producer: Darin Graham
Researcher: Natasha Fernandes
Series producer: Ros Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: James Beard

What did we learn at COP26?

15 november 2021 · 27 min

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The lights have come on in Glasgow, the bar is closed and it's time to head home.
Now the 26th Conference of Parties is over we ask what's really been decided and where do we go from here? Lees meer

In discussion with our presenters Neal Razzell and Kate Lamble are;
Jeffrey Sachs - Director Earth Institute, Columbia University
Dr Rose Mutiso - Research Director, Energy For Growth Hub Kenya
Helen Mountford - Vice President, Climate & Economics, World Resources Institute

How’s it going at COP26?

8 november 2021 · 27 min

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Climate negotiators from all over the world are gathered in Glasgow for the global summit to discuss how we can curb the worst effects of global warming.
The Conference of Parties (or COP26) has now reached its half-way point. Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell take the temperature on what has been discussed so far. Lees meer

What do young activists want from COP?

1 november 2021 · 27 min

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This week will bring around 25,000 world leaders, business people, policy shapers and campaigners together in Glasgow for COP26, a global climate summit that’s seen as a crucial moment in the fight to curb global warming. Lees meer

Among them will be young activists who in the last few years have made global headlines with the School Strike for Climate movement. Beginning with Greta Thunberg in Sweden in 2018, millions of young people have taken to the streets to try to get their voices heard.

We hear from three young people devoted to climate activism. In the Philippines, Mitzi Jonelle Tan grew up amid severe typhoons that would flood her bedroom. In India, Disha Ravi saw her grandparents struggle to get enough water for their farm. And in the United States, 19-year-old Jerome Foster has been invited to join President Biden’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council.

Do these young activists feel their voices are being heard? What action do they most want to see from world leaders at COP – and how realistic are their demands?

Presenters Kate Lamble and Jordan Dunbar talk to Disha Ravi, Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Jerome Foster and the BBC’s Environment Correspondent, Matt McGrath.

Producer: Sophie Eastaugh
Researcher: Natasha Fernandes
Series producer: Alex Lewis
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Neil Churchill

What will it take for countries to keep their climate promises?

25 oktober 2021 · 27 min

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World leaders are gathering in Glasgow for a global climate summit to agree on how to further limit the threat of global warming.
Experts say the conference, known as COP26, could be the last chance for governments to agree on a way to cut global emissions in half by 2030.
It’s also an opportunity to assess how well they have been doing with previous targets to prevent average global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, agreed at a big climate meeting in Paris in 2015.
According to the Climate Action Tracker, The Gambia is thought to be one of the only countries with plans in line with 1.5 degrees.
What further commitments will leaders from the rest of the world arrive with at COP26 and what will it take for countries to keep those climate promises?
Presenters Kate Lamble and Katie Prescott are joined by:
Sandra Guzman, consultant, Climate Policy Initiative.
Jennifer Morgan, executive director, Greenpeace International.
Niklas Höhne, founding partner, New Climate Institute Lees meer

Producer: Darin Graham
Researcher: Natasha Fernandes
Reporter: Thomas Naadi
Series producers: Alex Lewis and Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Neil Churchill

Putin and the planet

18 oktober 2021 · 27 min

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Russia is the world’s fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gasses. Any talk of changing that needs to focus on President Vladimir Putin. Under his leadership, Russia has become a fossil fuel powerhouse. Since he took office in 2000, Russian oil production has risen by 70%. Today, the state is dependent on its revenues. Four in every ten dollars Moscow spends comes from fossil fuels. So the idea that Russia needs to shift away from fossil fuels to prevent the worst effects of climate change strikes at the very heart of Mr Putin’s power. Lees meer

But Russia is already suffering more than most from the effects of climate change. Arctic temperatures are rising faster than the global average, forests the size of countries are going up in smoke. Two thirds of the country’s permafrost - permanently frozen ground - has roads, homes, schools, oil and pipelines and even nuclear reactors are built on it. And the permafrost is starting to melt.
Putin’s latest national security document for the first time mentions climate change as a risk. But can he do what is necessary to prevent things from getting worse?

Contributors -
Angelina Davydova - Environmental Journalist
Chris Miller - Director of the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program
Vladimir Chuprov - Director of the Energy Program, Greenpeace Russia

Presenters: Neal Razzell and Kate Lamble
Reporter - Olga Dobrovidova
Producer: Jordan Dunbar

Why can't we stop gas flaring?

11 oktober 2021 · 28 min

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There are thought to be over 10,000 gas flares around the world that contribute to global warming by emitting tonnes of carbon dioxide and methane. Lees meer

Flared gas is a by-product of oil extraction and is frequently used as a method of eliminating unwanted gasses in countries such as Albania, Algeria, Libya, Iraq, Russia and Nigeria.

Yet, year after year deadlines set to stop the practice are missed.

The oil industry says better infrastructure is needed to stop flaring and some of the world’s largest producers of oil have committed to ending flaring by 2030. What will it take for that to happen?

Presenters Neal Razzell and Kate Lamble are joined by:

Bjørn Otto Sverdrup, chair, Oil and Gas Climate Initiative
Mark Davis, CEO of Capterio.
Sharon Wilson, senior field advocate, Earthworks

Producer: Darin Graham
Reporter: Fyneface Dumnamene
Series producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

What made us doubt climate change?

4 oktober 2021 · 27 min

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Recent research has shown that oil companies knew about the threat of climate change decades ago. Yet over forty years, it has been revealed that they contributed millions of dollars to think tanks and campaigns to spread doubt and misinformation about climate change – its existence, the extent of the problem, and its cause. Lees meer

Across the US, these revelations have sparked a wave of lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry, demanding accountability for climate change – and now a US congressional committee has started to investigate. Executives from the world’s biggest oil companies and trade groups have been called to testify before US lawmakers in October this year, in an inquiry modelled on the tobacco hearings of the 1990s, which paved the way for far tougher nicotine regulations.

This week, The Climate Question looks over the evidence behind these allegations – and asks whether Big Oil might finally be facing a reckoning for its role in the climate crisis.

Presenters: Neal Razzell and Phoebe Keane
Producer: Zoe Gelber
Series Editor: Ros Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon

What homes to build in a climate-changed world?

27 september 2021 · 27 min

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Heatwaves and floods are becoming more frequent around the world. But are the homes being built today taking that into account? Lees meer

The Climate Question considers the impact that living in a building threatened by rising water or constructed so that you bake in the heat has. And it asks why planners and developers in many countries have been so reluctant to adapt. Where are lessons being learnt and will other places follow their lead?

What role has the media played in the climate crisis?

20 september 2021 · 28 min

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For decades, around the world, climate change coverage has been thin. Guests discuss why the media in petrol states, in particular, have struggled to tell that story. Science illiteracy in newsrooms has led to a mixture of climate silence and false balance in print and on air. But, even when the science has not been contested, the way the crisis has been reported may have caused audiences to turn away. Can climate coverage learn lessons from how that other hugely consequential science story of our time – the pandemic - has been told?
Contributors :
Mark Herstsgaard, co-founder Covering Climate Now
Marianna Poberezhskaya, associate professor Nottingham Trent University
Kris De Meyer, neuroscientist Kings College London
Wolfgang Blau, The Reuters Institute Lees meer

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson
Producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon

When will countries stop exploring for oil?

13 september 2021 · 27 min

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If we are to ensure that there’s no more than a 1.5 degrees centigrade increase in global warming, the International Energy Agency recently stated that oil exploration must stop. A few countries have heeded that warning but the vast majority have not. The Climate Question hears from two nations – one already rich from oil, the other poor and yet to benefit from recent oil finds – about why they are continuing to explore. But, even for those who are following the IEA’s advice, will stopping be straightforward or might hurdles still lie in wait? Lees meer

Contributors:
Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency
Bård Lahn, Research Fellow at the Center for International Climate Research, Norway
Catherine Higham, Climate Change Laws of the World Coordinator, London School of Economics

Presenters: Jordan Dunbar & Gaia Vince
Reporter: Kiana Wilburg
Producers: Darin Graham & Soila Apparicio
Series producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon

Should rich countries help pay for climate change impacts in poorer ones?

6 september 2021 · 27 min

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As extreme weather events become more frequent and intense, the developing world says urgent action is needed to avert catastrophe. Lees meer

Some in the developing world say that as richer countries caused the bulk of global emissions, they should compensate them for the losses and damages caused by the climate crisis.

But will delegates, negotiators and politicians gathering at the international climate conference, COP26, in Glasgow in November take notice?

In previous years rich countries have been reluctant to agree to compensate poorer countries. If that happens again, what will the impact be on reaching a global commitment to reduce emissions?

Joining presenters Graihagh Jackson and Gaia Vince:

Dr Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development.
Rémy Rioux, chief executive of the French Development Agency.
S.I Ohumu, Lagos reporter
Linnea Nordlander, postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for International Law and Governance, University of Copenhagen.

Producer : Darin Graham
Series Producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

Can we be ‘nudged’ to act on climate change?

23 augustus 2021 · 27 min

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Another chance to listen to an episode that asks whether we can change our ways. Drastic change is needed to limit the increase in global temperature caused by climate change. More than two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide result from how we live our lives. But the behaviours that drive these emissions tend to be deeply habitual and hard to shift - the way we heat our homes, what we eat and how we travel to work. And our behavioural good intentions all too often fail to translate into action. So our climate question this week is how we can be nudged, or even shoved, to change? Lees meer

First broadcast on 1st March 2021

Guests:
Elisabeth Costa, senior director, Behavioural Insights Team
Erik Thulin, behavioural science lead at the Centre for Behaviour and the Environment at Rare
Professor Martine Visser, behavioural economist at the University of Cape Town
Mo Allie, BBC reporter in Cape Town

Presented by Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell
Produced by Alex Lewis
Researched by Zoe Gelber
Edited by Emma Rippon

“Code red for humanity”

16 augustus 2021 · 27 min

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A diplomatic deadline looms as new science urges faster action. Can nations respond? So far, the answer has been ‘no.’ Three decades of international talks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has left them higher than ever and set to rise further. We provide a brief history of climate talks, with an eye on what can be learned ahead of the next round, called COP26, in Glasgow. Lees meer

Contributors:
Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science, University College London and author of How to Save Our Planet.
Navin Singh Khadka, Environment Correspondent, BBC World Service
Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation
Ambassador Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, lead climate negotiator for the Democratic Republic of Congo

Presenters: Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell
Producer: Josephine Casserly
Series producer: Ros Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon

Is green hydrogen the fuel of the future?

9 augustus 2021 · 27 min

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Hydrogen gas has long been recognised as a potentially valuable tool for tackling climate change. The most abundant element in the universe, it is also a clean-burning gas and – in theory – could be used to power almost anything, from our cars and homes, to planes and ships, to agriculture and heavy industry. Lees meer

We already produce millions of tons of hydrogen each year for use in the chemicals industry, by extracting it from natural gas - a process which emits CO2. But hydrogen can also be made by splitting water molecules with electricity – and when that electricity is powered by renewables it comes without a carbon price tag.

It is this so-called ‘green hydrogen’ that is currently generating hype around the world as the ‘fuel of the future’ and the missing piece of the decarbonisation puzzle. Across the world, governments are announcing far-reaching hydrogen strategies. Fossil fuel companies, too, are investing big, hoping to cash in on the ‘hydrogen boom’.

But for all the talk of green hydrogen as a miracle fuel, it has a long list of drawbacks too. It is expensive, difficult to store, inefficient and explosive. Previous hype cycles around hydrogen have ended in failure for a combination of these reasons. So while experts agree that hydrogen does have a role to play in decarbonisation, the question is – how big should it be? And are we about to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on a white elephant?

Contributors:
Mike Strizski, founder of the Hydrogen House Project
Michael Leibreich, founder of Bloomberg NEF
Sonja van Renssen, Managing Editor of Energy Monitor
Nawal Al-Hosany, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Presenters: Graihagh Jackson and Marnie Chesterton
Producer: Zoe Gelber
Editor: Ros Jones

What do we tell the kids?

2 augustus 2021 · 27 min

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Climate change is going to shape young people’s lives, and yet many students feel their schools are not equipping them with the knowledge and skills to face this future. Teachers aren’t always confident broaching climate change in the classroom. And governments have been slow to get comprehensive and compulsory climate change education onto national curriculums. Lees meer

But how do you teach young children about something so big and scary? And how should adults deal with the hopelessness that some young people feel when faced with a crisis they feel powerless to change? This week, we’re going to Ghana, the US, China, the UK and Europe to find answers.

Contributors:
Christina Kwauk, Kwauk & Associates, Brookings Institution
Lily Henderson, Teach the Future
Koen Timmers, Climate Action Project
Dr Emmanuel Tachie-Obeng, Ghana Environmental Protection Agency

Presenters: Neal Razzell and Katie Prescott
Reporter: Thomas Naadi
Producer: Josephine Casserly
Series producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Can shipping fix its climate problem?

26 juli 2021 · 27 min

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It's estimated that 9 out of 10 items sold in our shops are shipped halfway around the world on ships. The resulting emissions amount to around 3% of the global total, more than many countries, but we rarely hear about the role shipping plays in the climate crisis. Lees meer

Partly this is because most of shipping's pollution occurs far out at sea, out of the sights and minds of many consumers - and largely out of the reach of regulation. Like aviation, ships travel across borders, so their emissions are not attributable to any one country.

There's no simple fix to shipping's climate problem. Currently most ships use one of the dirtiest forms of fossil fuels, known as 'bunker fuel' - because it's plentiful and cheap. And they use a lot of it - 300 million tonnes per year. But there are alternatives out there. Hydrogen, sustainable bio-fuels - even wind power - are all possible, so why aren't they already being used? What will it take to turn the shipping industry around?

Contributors:
Alan McKinnon, Professor of Logistics at Kuehne Logistics University, Hamburg
Camille Bourgeon, International Maritime Organisation
Diane Gilpin, CEO of Smart Green Shipping
Faig Abbasov, Shipping Programme Director at Transport and Environment

Presenters: Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson
Reporter: Lotte von Gaalen
Producer: Zoe Gelber
Series producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon

The North American heatwave

19 juli 2021 · 27 min

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The heatwave that hit parts of the west coast of North America shattered records by several degrees. It affected parts of the United States and Canada that were unused to extreme heat. Hundreds of people died and emergency teams were pushed to their limits. In Lytton, Canada, temperatures reached 49.6 degrees celsius. Days later, the entire village burnt down. Lees meer

Scientists say that climate change had made this heatwave 150 times more likely. They also warn that, if global warming continues, about one-third of the world’s population will become threatened by extreme heat.

So does our attitude to extreme heat need to change?

Joining presenters Neal Razzell and Manuela Saragosa:

Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Dr Lipika Nanda, vice president, multisectoral planning in public health, Public Health Foundation of India
Dr Christienne Alexander, president of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians
Daniel Stevens, director, Vancouver Emergency Management Agency
Dallas Gonsalves, centre manager for Gathering Place Community Centre
Martin Paulson, operations chief of the Vancouver Fire Department.

Producer: Darin Graham
Series producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Will football tackle the climate crisis?

12 juli 2021 · 27 min

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You don’t often hear climate change and football mentioned in the same sentence, but rising temperatures are set to disrupt every area of our lives, the ‘beautiful game’ included. Heat and other extreme weather have already been affecting training and matches, which experts say we can expect a lot more of in coming years. Lees meer

But not only is the sport at risk from the climate crisis, it’s also a significant contributor to it. The operation of multi-thousand capacity stadiums, spectator travel and merchandise, not to mention the fossil fuel sponsorship that props up professional tournaments, mean that football is currently part of the climate problem.

Yet football also has an audience of billions – all potentially affected by climate change – who could be part of the solution. Featuring footballers and fans, we ask if football can tackle its carbon problem and be a force for good in the fight against climate change.

Guests
Morten Thorsby, Norwegian midfielder
Sofie Junge Pedersen, Danish midfielder
David Goldblatt, football historian and writer
Manuel Gaber, founder of Unser Fussball campaign
Federico Addiechi, Head of Sustainability and Environment at FIFA

Reporter
Uli Knapp

Presenters: Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson
Producer: Zoe Gelber
Series producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon

Could climate change cause more water conflicts?

5 juli 2021 · 26 min

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Freshwater sources around the world are becoming more irregular, and disputes between countries are common, with fears that access to water could eventually lead to conflict. Lees meer

There’s a high-profile case going on right now in northeast Africa, where talks about a huge new dam on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia have stalled. Ethiopia says it needs the hydroelectric dam to help solve some of its power supply problems. However, the Blue Nile is the largest source for the river Nile, which runs through Egypt, and there are concerns there that the dam will have huge consequences for people living further downstream.

According to the United Nations, around two-thirds of rivers shared by two countries or more lack formal agreements on how to manage the water.

So how can we help countries reach agreements over equal access to water, and ensure they stick to them in the future?

Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell are joined by:

Samuel Marunga, editor, BBC Monitoring
Lenka Thamae, executive secretary of the Orange-Senqu River Commission
Ashok Swain, professor of peace and conflict research at Uppsala University
Susanne Schmeier, associate professor of water law and diplomacy at IHE Delft

Producer: Darin Graham
Series producers: Richard Fenton-Smith and Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Why is Australia so slow to act on climate change?

28 juni 2021 · 27 min

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Australia is one of the world's biggest per-capita greenhouse gas emitters, and a Climate Question listener wants to know why the world isn't demanding her country do more. Lees meer

Jodie lives in tropical Queensland, which she says is 'paradise', but it's also a place affected by bushfires, drought, and cyclones.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says 'Australia can always be relied upon' to deliver action on climate change, but critics at home and abroad point to a record of over-promising and under-delivering.

Observers also blame the country's powerful and profitable fossil fuel industries as a reason why the Australian government has been slow to make progress.

But is it time, as listener Jodie asks, to give her country a 'a kick up the bum'?

Contributors:
Dr Niklas Hohne, The New Climate Institute, Cologne
Greg Bourne, The Climate Council Australia

Presenters - Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson
Reporter - Issy Phillips, FBi Radio, Sydney

Producer – Jordan Dunbar
Editor – Emma Rippon

Why are we failing to protect the Amazon rainforest?

21 juni 2021 · 27 min

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The Brazilian legislature is currently considering a bill that would legalise the private occupation of some public land in the Amazon region - a move that would most likely lead to further deforestation. Lees meer

But could renewed international pressure from foreign governments and corporations demanding protection of the Amazon convince the Brazilian government to rethink its policies, or will they simply go ignored, as it favours short-term economic gain over long-term environmental protection?

Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell are joined by:

Diane Jeantet, freelance reporter
Manuela Andreoni, rainforest investigations fellow at the Pulitzer Centre
Marcello Britto, president of the Brazilian Agribusiness Association
Oliver Stuenkel, professor of international relations at FGV in São Paulo
Virgilio Viana, fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development

Producer: Darin Graham
Researcher: Zoe Gelber
Series producers: Rosamund Jones and Richard Fenton Smith
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Carbon capture and storage

14 juni 2021 · 28 min

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It’s likely that there will be no successful green transition without an element of carbon capture, storage and re-use. The oil industry has been burying CO2 underground since the 1970s, so the infrastructure and technology is already available, but removing CO2 from the air at scale is new, and the companies doing it are small. We head to an experimental ‘direct air capture’ plant in Canada to hear how they are making fuel out of air, and explore what changes will be required to ensure that their industry becomes a significant one in the years to come. But if we think that a technology fix is out there, might we limit other efforts? Lees meer

Presenters: Neal Razzell and Manuela Saragosa

Contributors:
Steve Oldham, CEO, Carbon Engineering
Dr Jennifer Wilcox, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management at the US Department of Energy
Prof Stuart Haszeldine, professor of carbon storage and capture at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Dr Simon Evans, policy editor, Carbon Brief

Producer: Jordan Dunbar
Series producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon

What will it take for cities to go carbon neutral?

7 juni 2021 · 27 min

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Cities emit around three-quarters of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations, and over half of the world’s population now live in one. Many have set ambitious targets to slash and offset their emissions, in the hope of neutralising their impact on the environment and slowing climate change. Lees meer

Some are aiming to do this very soon. Copenhagen’s goal is 2025. More than 700 others have committed to targets over the following decades. But how does a city, choked with traffic and packed full of buildings that require huge amounts of energy, actually go about achieving carbon neutral goals?

Joining presenters Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell:

Nick Garnett, BBC reporter
Dr Seppo Junnila, professor of real estate business at Aalto University, Finland
Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone
Mark Watts, executive director, C40 Cities

Producer: Darin Graham
Series producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Should we ‘dim the sun’ to save the planet?

31 mei 2021 · 27 min

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Scientists agree that cutting carbon emissions as soon as possible is key to tackling global warming. But as emissions continue to rise, some are now calling for more research into measures that could be used alongside decarbonisation, including – controversially – what’s known as ‘solar geoengineering’ technologies. Lees meer

One idea being considered is spraying light-reflecting particles into the atmosphere to temporarily cool down the earth. It may sound far-fetched, but the idea is based on naturally observed effects following volcanic eruptions. Scientists are now asking whether we could mimic those effects to avoid the worst climate impacts.

But research into this technology is not without opposition. A recent solar geoengineering experiment in Sweden got cancelled following a fierce backlash from indigenous and environmental groups. Many say tampering with the climate in this way is too risky to ever try in the real world.

So how does solar geoengineering work? What are the risks? And will we ever have to use it?

Contributors:
Elizabeth Kolbert, staff writer at the New Yorker and author of Under a White Sky
Asa Larrson-Blind, Vice-President of the Saami Council
Raymond Pierrehumbert, Halley Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford
David Keith, Professor of Applied Physics and Public Policy at Harvard University

Presenters: Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson
Producers: Zoe Gelber and Jordan Dunbar
Series producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon

Is bottom trawling for fish bad for the climate?

24 mei 2021 · 28 min

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More than two thirds of our planet is covered by the oceans, but there’s still much to be uncovered about the role that these watery worlds play in climate change. Lees meer

But recent scientific research claims that bottom trawling, a method of fishing that involves dragging heavy nets across the seafloor, emits about the same amount of carbon annually as aviation. Seabed sediments, which act as huge carbon sinks, are churned up, resulting in carbon dioxide emissions. So should trawling – commonplace around the globe because of its effectiveness – be reduced? And has the climate change impact of bottom trawling been exaggerated?

Presenters Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson are joined by:

Dr Enric Sala, explorer in residence, National Geographic
Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations
Minna Epps, director, Global Marine and Polar Programme
Domitilla Senni, senior campaigner, MedReAct

Producer: Darin Graham
Series producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon

Is South Korea a climate villain?

17 mei 2021 · 28 min

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South Korea’s economic development has been the envy of many nations: from war, famine and poverty to one of the richest countries on Earth, all within just a couple of generations. In 1955, gross domestic product was just $64 per capita. Last year, it was $31,000. But this growth was turbocharged by fossil fuels, and has come at a high environmental price. Seventy percent of the power generated in the country comes from fossil fuels and, compared to many rich nations, its commitment to renewables is small. Is South Korea a hero of economic growth or a climate villain? And should developing nations still look to the country as a model to follow? Lees meer

Joining Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson:
Jeffrey Sachs, former UN adviser, and professor at Columbia University
Zeeshan Abedin, economist at the International Growth Centre
Julie Yoon, World Service Language Reporter, Seoul

Producer: Jordan Dunbar
Series producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Emma Rippon

Can indigenous knowledge help us fight climate change?

10 mei 2021 · 28 min

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Indigenous people represent only about six percent of the world’s population, but they inhabit around a quarter of the world’s land surface. And they share these regions with a hugely disproportionate array of plant and animal life. According to the UN and the World Bank, about 80 percent of our planet’s biodiversity is on land where indigenous people live. Lees meer

Global climate policy has however been slow to recognise that indigenous knowledge - built up over centuries - is worth listening to. This is despite the fact that sometimes in very remote areas, where scientific and meteorological data is lacking, this knowledge may be all there is. Indigenous knowledge can provide valuable insight into what adaptations have worked in the past, and so provide an important guide to the future.

What are the barriers to bringing indigenous knowledge out from the margins of climate research and policy, and can they be overcome?

Guests:
Nancy Kacungira, journalist, BBC Africa
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, environmental activist and member of Chad’s pastoralist Mbororo people and Earthshot Prize Council
Nigel Crawhall, chief of section, local and indigenous knowledge systems, UNESCO
Aida Sanchez, assistant professor at Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Presenters: Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson
Producer: Darin Graham
Researcher: Zoe Gelber
Editor: Emma Rippon

Why can't we crack our food waste problem?

3 mei 2021 · 26 min

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From fruit rotting in fields, to retailers turning down funny shaped vegetables, and consumers scraping leftovers into the bin, food waste is everywhere. It’s estimated that around a third of all our food ends up not being eaten. If we could sort this, total greenhouse gas emissions would reduce by around eight percent. To put that in context, the only countries that are responsible for emissions of that size are China and the US. Lees meer

So, what can be done? Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar discuss fixes - big and small - and hear from a farmer in Morocco turning apples that would otherwise rot into vinegar. The first thing that needs to happen for change to start is for governments to properly count the climate cost of food waste. And that, it seems, is a long way off.

Guests:
Dr Tammara Soma - Research director of the Food Systems Lab at Simon Fraser University
Dr Liz Goodwin - Senior fellow and director in food loss and waste at the World Resources Institute
Mahacine Mokdad – journalist

Presenters: Jordan Dunbar & Graihagh Jackson
Producer: Olivia Noon
Editor: Emma Rippon

Is carbon the new calorie?

26 april 2021 · 29 min

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More companies are rolling out carbon dioxide emission labels on products to help us make greener choices. Unilever, the global consumer goods giant, recently announced it is committing to put carbon footprint information on 70,000 products, while multi-national companies Oatly and Quorn have already started adding labels like this to their packaging. Lees meer

But this is not the first time companies have tried this. In the 2000s, for example, an international supermarket put carbon labels on hundreds of products, but cancelled the project after a few years.

Why are carbon labels coming back now, and what does this information really tell us? How do you measure the carbon footprint of a product? And will this drive behaviour change and help the environment?

Presenters: Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson
Producer: Darin Graham
Researchers: Zoe Gelber and Olivia Noon

What does the world want from the US?

21 april 2021 · 27 min

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President Biden has invited the world’s major polluters to a summit on Earth Day (April 22nd). It may be the biggest climate summit ever organised by an American leader. On the campaign trail last year, Mr Biden said climate change was his “number one issue.” Now, the pressure is on for him to make a big announcement. Lees meer

But while the US has rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement, it has no official plan to hit the Paris targets. Frantic work is underway in the US to come up with something that satisfies the President’s lofty campaign rhetoric but can actually get through America’s polarised, gridlocked political system.

Ahead of the summit, The Climate Question is reaching out to climate diplomats and experts from China, Bangladesh, the EU and beyond, to hear what the world expects from the US on climate change.

Presenters: Neal Razzell & Graihagh Jackson
Producer: Jordan Dunbar

Is it time to ditch the plough?

12 april 2021 · 27 min

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Cities, money, roads, beef burgers and telephones, in fact pretty much all of human civilisation as we know it, would probably not exist were it not for one simple invention. The plough.
This humble yet revolutionary tool enabled us to cultivate vastly greater amounts of food than our hunter gatherer forefathers giving rise to villages, cities and empires.
But it has come at a cost. Nearly 10,000 years of cultivated agriculture have released billions of tonnes of carbon from the soil into the atmosphere. Just within the EU, it’s estimated 5% of current greenhouse gas emissions come from agricultural soils. That’s more than aviation and shipping combined.
Around the world an increasing number of farmers are adopting new methods without the plough to restore soil health and lock more carbon into the ground.
But some scientists are questioning whether the potential for carbon sequestration into the soil is being over hyped.
What’s more, for millennia the plough has been a crucial ally in boosting yields and in the coming decades we are going have to produce lots more food to feed the growing global population
So the Climate Question is; Is it time for us to ditch the plough? Lees meer

Is science fiction holding back climate action?

5 april 2021 · 27 min

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For centuries, we’ve been reading, watching and listening to science fiction. And all too often, it’s pretty pessimistic about our future, especially when it touches on the topic of climate change. Lees meer

This is leading some to ask whether these doom and gloom stories are doing the climate fight more harm than good - causing us to feel so anxious and powerless that we don’t take action.

So for this week's climate question, we’re asking: Is sci-fi holding us back?

Graihagh Jackson is joined by:

Amy Brady, editor-in-chief of the Chicago Review of Books, where she writes a monthly column called Burning Worlds. In it she explores how fiction addresses climate change.

Cheryl Slean is a playwright, filmmaker and educator working with the National Resource Defense Council’s Re-write the Future campaign to increase accurate climate stories in film and television.

Ken Liu is a futurist and author of speculative fiction. He has won the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards. His debut novel, The Grace of Kings, is the first volume in a silkpunk epic fantasy series.