Stories on why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.
Can we save the world's coral?
Corals protect humans and sustain 25% of all marine life. But reefs are under threat from climate change, and mass bleaching events mean that some scientists estimate they could disappear by 2100. In this episode, Graihagh Jackson is joined by BBC CrowdScience presenter, Caroline Steel. We go to Puerto Rico to see how self-duplicating, carnivorous coral could be the solution. We also speak to the scientist who helped discover what was causing coral bleaching in the first place - back when climate change was commonly denied. Guests: Dr Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Professor of Marine Studies at the University of Queensland in Brisbane Dr Stacey Williams, Executive Director at the Institute for Socio Ecological Research Presenters: Graihagh Jackson and Caroline Steel Producer: Octavia Woodward Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Simon Watts Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Got a climate question you’d like answered? E-mail the team: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Can fertilisers go green?
Ammonia has revolutionised the way we produce our food, helping us to grow much, much more... But it’s also helping to grow global greenhouse gas emissions too. Synthetic fertilisers are actually responsible for around 5% of the planet-warming gases going into the air - that’s more than deforestation.In this episode, Graihagh Jackson examines this challenge that modern agriculture poses to the climate, and finds out whether it’s possible to cut emissions from fertiliser use without cutting food production at the same time. She’ll also be joined by local reporters in Kenya to hear about innovative projects aiming to tackle this problem and turn farming green. Do you have a climate question you’d like answered? E-mail us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Reporters in Kenya: Michael Kaloki and James Gitaka Producer: Ben Cooper Researcher: Octavia Woodward Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Editors: Simon Watts and Sophie Eastaugh
Why are electric two-wheelers booming?
Delhi’s roads are being taken over by electric mopeds, scooters and rickshaws. More than fifty per cent of two- and three-wheelers are already electric, and the market is expected to continue growing. It’s good news for the fight against climate change. Why has the transition to green vehicles been so swift in India and what can the rest of the world learn from it? Graihagh Jackson speaks to reporter Sushmita Pathak, who’s been chatting to those who’ve made the switch to electric as well as those who haven’t. Akshima Ghate from the RMI Foundation and Louise Ribet of C40 cities explain why these small vehicles are so popular and what countries like India and others gain from encouraging electric uptake. From better air quality and healthier children to energy security and manufacturing expertise, there are many benefits beyond mitigating climate change. Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Producer: Ben Cooper Researcher: Octavia Woodward Editors: Sophie Eastaugh and Simon Watts Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Co-Ordinator: Brenda Brown Got a question you’d like us to answer? Send an email to: TheClimateQuestion@bbc.com
How is climate change affecting animal migration?
Global warming is forcing wildebeest and sharks to move their feeding grounds - with devastating effects on the rest of the food chain and on carbon storage. Sophie Eastaugh reports.
How does extreme heat affect pregnant women?
The BBC’s Global Health Correspondent Tulip Mazumdar investigates how extreme heat fuelled by climate change is affecting pregnant women in India. New research shared with the BBC suggests that pregnant informal workers in Tamil Nadu who were exposed to high temperatures saw double the risk of stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight and miscarriage. Discussing her reporting from India with The Climate Question host and fellow mum Graihagh Jackson, Tulip hears the heart-breaking stories of women affected and explores simple solutions that would make their work in scorching agricultural fields safer. Email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Produced by Sophie Eastaugh, Graihagh Jackson and Camilla Horrox Editor: Sophie Eastaugh Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Your questions answered: reversing climate change, eating avocados, electric vehicles and more
You asked, we answered. This week our expert panel dive into your questions. Can climate change cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions? How bad are avocados for the environment? Is climate change reversible? Send your questions to: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Plus, a look at biofuels and vertical farming, China’s electric vehicle boom, and the apparent contradiction between more renewable energy and the continuing rise in planet-warming gases Join Graihagh Jackson and our expert panel: - Dr Akshat Rathi, Senior Reporter for Climate, Bloomberg - Justin Rowlatt, Climate Editor, BBC News - Prof. Tamsin Edwards, Climate scientist, Kings College London
What's it like living a "sustainable" life?
As governments and industry find ways of reducing emissions to keep climate change under control, some people are taking responsibility for their own carbon footprints. In this episode, Graihagh Jackson explores some different ways of living a green life – from setting up an eco-friendly commune in Denmark, to making small adjustments to our lifestyles in cities such as London. Graihagh also talks to one of the UN's top experts on the social aspects of fighting climate change: what's the right balance between action by individuals and action by governments?Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Producers: Ben Cooper and Sophie Eastaugh Researcher: Octavia Woodward Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Simon Watts Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Got a climate question you’d like answered? E-mail the team: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
What's it like being a "Chief Heat Officer"?
As climate change makes the world hotter, some cities have appointed "Chief Heat Officers" to try to improve their response to record-breaking temperatures. The Climate Question's Graihagh Jackson speaks to two women who've been doing the job in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Monterrey, Mexico. What does their role involve? What solutions are out there? And do they get enough funding?Plus, Umaru Fofana reports from Freetown on the extreme heat gripping the city. Umaru talks to locals forced to sleep outside because of the temperature, despite risks to their health and safety. And he also investigates a new piece of building design that might help people living in informal settlements. Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Reporter in Sierra Leone: Umaru Fofana Producer: Osman Iqbal Researcher: Octavia Woodward Editor: Simon Watts Sound Engineers: James Beard and Tom Brignell
Could solar farms in space power Earth?
It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but the idea of assembling giant solar farms in space and then beaming the renewable energy back down to Earth is gaining real life traction. Some advocates have claimed it could supply all the world’s energy needs by 2050.But how would these solar farms be assembled, how much fuel and money would it take to blast them into space in the first place, and how would we safely beam their energy back to Earth?In 2023, Sophie Eastaugh and Luke Jones spoke to Sanjay Vijendran, in charge of space-based solar at the European Space Agency, learn about the history of the idea from Rick Tumlinson, founder of SpaceFund, and hear words of caution from Dr Jovana Radulovic, head of mechanical and design engineering at Portsmouth University in the UK. Plus, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet describes life on the International Space Station and how it’s powered.Thanks to the Space Studies Institute for extracts of their interview with Gerard O’Neill.Let us know what you think about the show – email theclimatequestion@bbc.comProducer: Simon Tulett Researchers: Matt Toulson and Graihagh Jackson Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinator - Siobhan Reed
Do we need a 'Category 6' for hurricanes?
Graihagh chats to the BBC World Service's Global Story podcast about a plan for a super-category for storms. Is climate change making them so powerful that we need a new grade?
Why is nuclear power back in fashion?
At the big COP climate summit last December, more than 20 countries pledged to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050 to help cut carbon emissions. The signatories included familiar nuclear names such as the US, France and Japan...but also newcomers, like Ghana. Although Ghana doesn’t currently have any nuclear power plants, president Nana Akufo-Addo says he wants to build one or two by 2030. So why is this African nation turning to nuclear? How will it pay for the multi-billion-dollar power plants? And will this help fight climate change?Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by: on-the-ground reporter Thomas Naadi; Dr Michael Bluck, Director of the Centre for Nuclear Engineering at Imperial College London; and Dr Kacper Szulecki, research professor at the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs. Production team: Octavia Woodward, Ben Cooper, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts, Matt Willis. Sound design by Tom Brignell.
Are wetlands our secret weapon for fighting climate change?
The world's wetlands store carbon and can help us tackle some of global warming's impacts. Are we overlooking their importance? And what can we do to protect them more?Graihagh Jackson travels to wetlands near her home in East Anglia while Qasa Alom reports from the Bay of Bengal. And The Climate Question catches up with an old friend of the show, Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary-General of the Convention on Wetlands.Production team: Osman Iqbal, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts, Matt Willis Sound design by Tom Brignell.Send your questions to: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Why is climate change fuelling tension in the Arctic?
Global temperatures have already increased by around 1.3C above pre-industrial levels, but this warming is not spread evenly across the planet. The Arctic, despite being one of the coldest regions on Earth, has become a hotspot for global warming. Local temperatures there are rising as much as four-times faster than in other parts of the world. This rapid warming is unsettling the delicate environmental balance, causing significant ice loss – with implications for both the region and the wider world. In a previous episode on the Arctic region, Graihagh Jackson explored the impact that climate change was having on the people – and ice sheet – of Greenland. In the second part of The Climate Question's focus on the High North, she explores the implications of an increasingly ice-free region on global politics, military relations, and trade. Guests: Mathieu Boulègue, consulting fellow at Chatham House and global fellow at the Polar Institute of the Wilson Centre Julie Brigham-Grette, professor of Earth Sciences in the Department of Earth, Geographic and Climate Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Malte Humpert, senior fellow at the Arctic Institute and journalist at High North News Amund Trellevik, on-the-ground reporter in Norway Producer: Ben Cooper Series Producers: Simon Watts and Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford, Sophie Hill and Jacqui Johnson
Is Climate Change on the ballot paper in 2024?
2024 will see billions of voters head to the polls in a record-breaking year for elections. It follows 2023 – another record-breaking year for the climate... so could global warming impact the way people vote? Or will it be eclipsed by the other big issues that dominate news headlines, like inflation and the cost of living, healthcare, education, and jobs. In this episode, presenter Graihagh Jackson hears from voters all over the world, and dives into research examining their priorities and what motivates them when they’re at the ballot box. She also finds out how climate change policies affected the outcome of recent elections in the Netherlands and Australia. Guests: Jessica Long, Head of Environmental, Social and Governance Consulting at IPSOS UK Anna Holligan, BBC correspondent in the Netherlands Noora Firaq, Deputy CEO of Climate Outreach Phil Mercer, BBC correspondent in Australia Got a Climate Question for us? Email: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Production team: Ben Cooper, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts, Matt Willis Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell
Your climate questions: The impact of war; "green" rooftops; carbon cost of pets
You asked, we answered. In this episode, a panel of experts dive into your questions. How does war impact climate change? What are the carbon footprints of pets? Can so-called "green" or "living roofs" increase the resilience of cities? Send your questions to: theclimatequestion@bbc.comJoin Presenter Graihagh Jackson and her guests: Dr Akshat Rathi, Senior Reporter for Climate, Bloomberg Esme Stallard, Climate and science reporter, BBC News Prof Tamsin Edwards, Climate scientist, Kings College LondonProduction Team: Osman Iqbal, Octavia Woodward, Simon Watts, Matt Willis Sound Mix: Rod Farquhar, Tom Brignell