Stories on why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.
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The Climate Question meets People Fixing The World
In this special programme, the Climate Question team join forces with our World Service colleagues from People Fixing The World to share some of our favourite ways of fighting the impacts of climate change.Jordan Dunbar and Myra Anubi discuss solutions big and small - from tidal power in Northern Ireland to floating solar panels in Albania. Plus, we hear about pioneering community initiatives to protect forests in Borneo and ColombiaProduction team: Osman Iqbal, Zoe Gelber, Craig Langran, Tom Colls, Jon Bithrey and Simon Watts Sound mix: Neil Churchill, Hal Haines, Gareth Jones and Tom BrignellGot a question for The Climate Question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com or Whatsapp +44 8000 321 721, starting your message with "climate"
Can Science Fiction help us fight climate change?
The acclaimed US sci-fi author Kim Stanley Robinson is also a star in the world of climate activism because his work often features climate change - on Earth and beyond. Robinson has been a guest speaker at the COP climate summit, and novels such as The Ministry For The Future and The Mars Trilogy are admired by everyone from Barack Obama to former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres. Robinson's books are not just imaginative but scientifically accurate, and some of their ideas have even inspired new thinking about climate-proofing technology. Kim Stanley Robinson has been talking to the Climate Question team.Presenters: Jordan Dunbar and Graihagh Jackson Producer: Ben Cooper Editor: Simon Watts Sound Mix: Tom BrignellGot a question for The Climate Question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
What do this year's election results mean for our warming world?
Some of the world's biggest carbon emitters - including the EU, India and Indonesia - have just had elections. Will the results change their climate policies?Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar are joined by Anna Holligan, BBC correspondent in the Netherlands; Carl Nasman, BBC climate journalist based in Washington; and BBC climate reporter Esme Stallard.Producers: Ben Cooper and Graihagh Jackson Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Simon Watts Sound mix: Tom Brignell
Can technology fight flooding in cities?
With more and more people moving to cities, informal settlements are expected to grow. When floods hit these unplanned places, it can be disastrous, as we often don’t know much about them. Crucial questions often remain difficult to answer, like how many people live there, what are the buildings made of, and could they withstand a flood? In the township of Alexandra in Johannesburg, the BBC’s Nomsa Mseko visits a project using drones and artificial intelligence to shed some light on the situation, helping authorities prevent the worst impacts of flooding. And in Porto Alegre in the south of Brazil, we hear how an innovative digital map helped the emergency response – and will soon be available to all for free across the world. Featuring: Rodrigo Rocha, Founder and Director of the Responsive Cities Institute Dr Caroline Gevaert, Associate Professor at the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente Nomsa Mseko, the BBC’s South Africa Correspondent Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Presenter: Jordan Dunbar Producer: Osman Iqbal Researcher: Octavia Woodward Editors: Sophie Eastaugh and Simon Watts Sound designer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
What can we do to reduce black carbon?
This little-known pollutant is making us sick and driving the climate crisis. It commonly comes from burning coal, diesel or wood and has a habit of getting stuck in people’s lungs as well as causing glaciers to melt. In Nepal, home to some of the world’s most beautiful glaciers, we meet journalist Tulsi Rauniyar, who tells us all about the impact black carbon is having on women and children. She meets Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa, a glacier expert who maps the ice losses in the Himalayas. Zerin Osho from the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development helps us understand why black carbon is so important - but often forgotten - in the fight against climate change, and how we can change that. Got a question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Producer: Ben Cooper Researcher: Octavia Woodward Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Simon Watts Sound Designer: Tom Brignell
How are athletes adapting to extreme heat?
The Paris Olympics are less than a month away. The last games in Tokyo were one of the hottest on record, with more than a hundred athletes suffering heat-related illnesses. And France, the host of this year’s Olympiad, is no stranger to heatwaves – the country has seen 23 since 2010. So how are top athletes training their bodies to not only perform at their best in high temperatures, but also to protect their health? Presenter Qasa Alom heads inside a sweltering, state of the art heat chamber at Leeds Beckett University to find out how one of the fastest marathon runners in Britain, Phil Sesemann, is maximising his chances of success in his Olympic debut. Other athletes are more used to these conditions. We join India’s top triathlete, Pragnya Mohan, for a training run and hear what it’s like to compete when the thermometer climbs above 45 degrees Celsius. More and more athletes are adopting heat training strategies in a warming world - but do they affect men and women the same? Dr Jessica Mee, Research Fellow at the University of Worcester tells us about her pioneering research into the impacts of heat on women’s bodies. Featuring: Dan Snapes, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Sports and Excercise Physiology at Leeds Beckett University Phil Sesemann, Team GB Olympic marathon runner Pragnya Mohan, Indian National Champion and South Asian Champion triathlete Email us at: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Producer: Sophie Eastaugh Editor: Simon Watts Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
How do you negotiate a good climate deal?
As a new play depicts the landmark global climate change agreement, the Kyoto protocol, Jordan Dunbar has a front row seat. He heads to the historic English town of Stratford-Upon-Avon to watch the opening night of the play, Kyoto, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. He hears why the writers, Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson decided to dramatize the seemingly slow and tedious action of a global climate change conference. And the duo explain their goal to highlight Kyoto as a ‘parable of agreement’ in a world full of disagreement.The programme also hears from two veterans of many real world climate change negotiations, including the Kyoto Protocol, the first global agreement to set legally binding targets. Christiana Figueres was responsible for leading climate negotiations as the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Farhana Yamin provided legal and strategy advice to the leaders of AOSIS, the Alliance of Small Island States at Kyoto and nearly every UN climate summit since.Got a question, comment or experience you’d like to share? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.comPresenter: Jordan Dunbar Producers: Phoebe Keane and Octavia Woodward Editor: Simon Watts Sound mix: Tom Brignell
Why is defending forests so deadly?
Someone dies every other day protecting the environment, according to data gathered by the campaign group, Global Witness. Even higher numbers of people are attacked or threatened. To understand why this is happening, the BBC’s East and Central Europe Correspondent, Nick Thorpe travels to the foothills of the Carpathians in Romania, to show us how important the forests there are in fighting climate change, why they’re subject to high levels of illegal logging and consequently, clashes with environmentalists. One activist, Gabriel Păun of Agent Green, describes the numerous and brutal attacks he’s experiences whilst out documenting illegal logging. We also hear from a mother, whose son was murdered when he confronted a ‘wood thief’ in 2019. Laura Furones from Global Witness tells host Graihagh Jackson why this is happening around the world and what we can do about it. Got a question, comment or experience you’d like to share? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com Produced and presented by Graihagh Jackson. Additional production by Osman Iqbal. Editor: Simon Watts Mixing: Tom Brignell
Are we spending enough on renewable energy?
There’s been a lot happening in our warming world and so The Climate Question is taking a break from its usual analysis to catch you up with the latest news. From worsening turbulence and plummeting planes to new rocket launches with satellites on board that hope to unlock one of the Earth’s big mysteries: clouds... and how they might impact, and be impacted, by global heating. Plus, a look at the latest trends in clean, green energy technology. Are we investing enough in renewables to put the brakes on climate change?Hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar are joined by Tim Gould from the International Energy Agency to find out about their new World Energy Investment Report and by BBC Climate Journalist Esme Stallard to discuss worsening air turbulence and what we can do about it.Do you have any questions or comments? Email: TheClimateQuestion@bbc.comShow Notes: Check out Jordan’s YouTube videos, covering the climate basics here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQYTEotCJw8&t=5s BBC Bitesize website for kids can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z2np6g8Production Team: Octavia Woodward, Ben Cooper, Brenda Brown Sound Engineers: Neil Churchill and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts
Is lab-grown meat better for the planet?
Billions of dollars have been pumped into the promise of a climate-friendly way of producing meat, but is growing a steak in a lab any better for the planet than rearing a cow on a farm? Supporters of the idea say it will dramatically reduce the impact of livestock, which is responsible for about 15% of the world’s planet-warming gases, as well as returning huge amounts of land to nature. But studies suggest cultivating meat in a lab might actually be worse for the planet, at least in the long-run – we put both claims to the test. Graihagh Jackson presents an update of a programme first broadcast in 2023.Guests: Tasneem Karodia, co-founder of Mzansi Meat, in South Africa; John Lynch, postdoctoral research associate at the University of Oxford, in the UK; Nick Marsh, the BBC’s Asia business correspondent, in SingaporeProducer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Matt Toulson Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill
Your questions answered: climate change for kids; solar power; music for plants
Graihagh Jackson is joined by her regular panel to answer climate-related questions from listeners. BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt, Professor Tamsin Edwards and Dr Akshat Rathi discuss telling children about climate change; solar panels; nuclear fusion and more. Plus, Graihagh finds out if playing music really helps plants to grow.If you've got a climate question, email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.comGuests: BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt Professor Tamsin Edwards, King's College London Dr Akshat Rathi, Senior Climate Reporter, Bloomberg NewsProduction Team: Osman Iqbal, Octavia Woodward, Neil Churchill, Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts
What does China's green tech revolution mean for the world?
China is scouring the globe for the raw materials of the future. How will we be affected? Graihagh Jackson investigates.
Can we build better cities for mental health and the climate?
Today, more than half the world’s population live in cities – and as our numbers swell, so will our cities, especially those around the Pacific Rim, where it’s predicted our largest megacities of 10 million plus will be situated. And herein lies an opportunity: 60% of the buildings needed for 2050 are not yet built. Could we shape our cities into places that are good for the climate and also good for our mental health? Can we design buildings and infrastructure that make green decisions easier and also help us deal with stress or depression?Jordan Dunbar hears about examples in the Netherlands and Egypt. Are there win-win options out there that can help the world deal with two of its biggest challenges? Contributors: Houssam Elokda -Urban Planner, with Happy Cities, Vancouver Sally Nabil - BBC Arabic Egypt Correspondent, Cairo Anna Holligan - BBC Correspondent, The Hague, Netherlands Production Team: Graihagh Jackson, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts Sound Design: Tom Brignellemail theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Can we save money and save the planet?
Experts say we need to be 40 per cent more energy efficient to meet our climate goals. Is that doable? And might it save us money too?It's a solution that's been called the main route to net zero: energy efficiency - or using less energy to get the same or better results. But there’s an issue – it's got an image problem as many people think it’s boring. And it is hard to get excited about the idea of better lightbulbs!But energy efficiency could save us money on our bills too - especially in a warming world, where many countries will need air conditioning just to function. So does this crucial area in the fight against climate change need a rebrand. And could it even become sexy? Presenter Jordan Dunbar talks to: Dr Rose Mutiso - Research Director Energy for Growth Hub Prima Madan – Director, Cooling & Energy Efficiency, International Natural Resources Defence Council, India Kofi Agyarka – Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Ghana Energy Commission Thomas Naadi – BBC Correspondent GhanaProduction Team: Ben Cooper, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts Sound Design: Tom Brignellemail: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
How do we know what's caused by climate change?
In this episode, Graihagh Jackson explores the new field of climate attribution science with leading climatologist Dr Friederike Otto. Dr Otto's team of experts can now rapidly assess to what extent extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts or floods have - or have not - been caused by man-made climate change.Graihagh finds out how this information is becoming crucial for disaster planning and response. She's also joined by BBC World Service disinformation reporter Jacqui Wakefield to discuss how Dr Otto's data can help fight a growing tendency by politicians and journalists to overstate the role of climate change.Presenters: Graihagh Jackson and Jacqui Wakefield Producer: Osman Iqbal Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound design: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts