Stories on why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.
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Q&A: Beavers, solar panels in the Sahara and nuclear waste
The Climate Question panel answer your queries. Do beavers protect the planet? Should we put solar panels in deserts? And why does the world need to upgrade its electricity grids?Host Graihagh Jackson puts your head-scratchers to Justin Rowlatt, BBC climate editor; Akshat Rathi, senior climate reporter for Bloomberg News and host of Bloomberg's Zero podcast; and Caroline Steel, presenter of BBC CrowdScience. Got a question for the next listeners' show? You can email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at + 44 8000 321 721 Production team: Diane Richardson and Grace Braddock Sound Mix: Tom Brignell and Johnny Hall Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Simon WattsPicture Credit: A beaver. Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
What's the climate cost of war?
War leaves a visibile trail of destruction: lives and families devastated, homes and communities reduced to rubble. But there is also a climate cost of armed conflict, and it’s an issue that Climate Question listeners have been asking about. So in this show, Host Graihagh Jackson chats to two leading experts about the carbon footprint of battle itself - the jets, the bombs, the supply lines - and the impact of maintaining armies and bases during peacetime. They discuss Gaza and Ukraine, as well as the current US-Israel war with Iran.Graihagh also finds out if there any ways for the military to reduce their emissions and whether they see climate change as a strategic threat.GUESTS: Neta Crawford, Professor of International Relations, University of St Andrews. Dr. Benjamin Neimark, Associate Professor at Queen Mary, University of London Got a question or comment? email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Producers: Diane Richardson, Grace Braddock Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell and Philip Bull Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Simon Watts
Is cutting methane the quick way to cool the planet?
Methane is much more powerful than carbon dioxide and emissions are still rising. So what can we do to tackle the human-made sources of this greenhouse gas? And could this buy us time to get to grips with climate change?It's a topic which many Climate Question listeners have been contacting us about. So in this episode Hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar put some of your questions and comments to Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Sciences at University College London.What makes methane so powerful? Is meat production to blame? And what about leaks and gas-flaring in the fossil fuel industry?Got a question or comment, email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Production team: Simon Watts, Diane Richardson, Grace Braddock Sound Engineers: Tom Brignell and James Piper Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Simon Watts
China's green energy revolution
China is installing solar panels and wind turbines so fast that its greenhouse gases emissions may now have peaked. If this trend is confirmed, it would be a major milestone in the fight against climate change because China is the world's largest polluter.The BBC’s Beijing Correspondent Laura Bicker has travelled across China to see the country’s clean energy revolution first hand. She’s visited solar farms in the deserts of Inner Mongolia and in the tea plantations of Yunnan. Laura even discovered a huge lake with panels floating on the surface! But she also saw how China’s addiction to coal is continuing – with new power plants still being built and many poorer Chinese needing to burn coal to get through the winter. In this edition of The Climate Question, Laura chats about her reporting with hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar. They discuss whether the world’s biggest polluter is moving fast enough to meet its green energy targets, and what that means for China and the rest of the world. Got a question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.comPresenters: Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar Guest: Laura Bicker, BBC China Correspondent Producer in China: Joyce Liu Production Team in London: Simon Watts and Grace Braddock Sound Mix: Philip Bull and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts
What can we do to reduce black carbon?
First broadcast in 2024. Graihagh Jackson finds out about the little know pollutant 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 PHOTO CREDIT: SAIF DAHLAH/AFP via Getty Images
Can winter sports survive a warming world?
Winter sport depends on one thing that is becoming less reliable each year: snow. As temperatures rise, glaciers are retreating, seasons are shifting, and lower-elevation resorts are struggling to guarantee consistent conditions.Hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar explore the ways climate change is reshaping winter sport, from elite competition to local economies. Former alpine ski racer and BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott describes how competitors have to deal with shorter training seasons, cancelled races and increasing injury risks.They also speak to Daniel Scott, a leading researcher on climate change and winter tourism at the University of Waterloo in Canada, about which cities may still be able to host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics by the 2050s. And Professor Scott tells The Climate Question how organisers are adapting through snowmaking, snow storage and changes to competition schedules.Guests: Chemmy Alcott – former British Winter Olympian and BBC Ski Sunday presenter Professor Daniel Scott – University of Waterloo, CanadaIf you have a question for the team, email: theclimatequestion@bbc.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721Presenters: Jordan Dunbar and Graihagh Jackson Production team: Grace Braddock, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle Sound engineers: Tom Brignell and Philip Bull Editor: Simon WattsImage: Reuters
What is climate anxiety and how can you cope with it?
Fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, dread and powerlessness are some of the many emotions associated with what’s called climate anxiety. A global survey of 10,000 young people aged between 16–25 years, found that 60% were very worried about climate change, and nearly half said that their anxiety negatively effects their daily life. Psychologists say these are rational responses to our changing climate, experienced in many different ways around the world. Graihagh Jackson asks how people can manage these difficult emotions and whether climate anxiety itself can be motivational. Graihagh chats to: Svetlana Chigozie Onye who leads the Eco-anxiety in Africa Project, which looks at the mental health impact of climate change and solutions across Africa. Dr Daniella Watson, Chartered Health Psychologist and a Research Associate at the The Climate Cares Centre, Imperial College London. Got a question you’d like us to answer? Send an email to: TheClimateQuestion@bbc.com or whatsapp us on +44 8000 321 721 Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Production Team: Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle, Maria Ogundele Sound Engineers: Jonny Hall and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts Image Credit: Dried up dam. Mike Hutchings, Reuters.
How hot could the planet get?
We know the planet is getting hotter because of human-induced climate change. But just how hot could it get?In this show, Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar chat to NASA scientist, Kate Marvel, about the world of climate modelling. Kate has spent decades trying to work out what will happen to the Earth as emissions of carbon dioxide increase. Although the basic facts of climate change are settled, climate modellers are trying to understand how photosynthesis by plants will change in a warmer world. And they’re also puzzling over the crucial role played by clouds! Recently, Kate has written Human Nature, a book about how climate change affects our emotions - from grief and anger to hope and love. She says the wide range of feelings prompted by global warming are compatible with getting the science right.Hosts: Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar Guest: Kate Marvel, Climate scientist and author Production Team: Nik Sindle, Diane Richardson, Brenda Brown Sound Mix: Phil Bull and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon WattsIf you have a question for the team, email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721Image credit: Wildfires in California, Reuters
Could ancient rice seeds help fight climate change?
How farmers and scientists in eastern India are using ancient rice seeds to fight the growing impact of flooding, soil salinity and drought.The BBC’s William Kremer tells Graihagh Jackson about his visit to the Sundarbans in West Bengal, where cyclones and rising sea levels have devastated crops. William meets the rice growers drawing on the skills of their forefathers to feed their families. Graihagh also gets a global overview from Dr Rafal Gutaker, rice expert at Kew Gardens, London. This programme was first broadcast in 2025.Reporter in India: William Kremer Production Team: Diane Richardson, Graihagh Jackson, Octavia Woodward Sound Mix: Neil Churchill and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon WattsIf you have a question for the team, email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721 Image credit: Reuters
Are SUVs becoming a climate problem?
Across the world, cars are getting taller, wider and heavier. Sports Utility Vehicles, or SUVs, now dominate global car sales, and the trend has continued into the electric age with many new EVs larger than ever.In this episode of The Climate Question, Jordan Dunbar examines why bigger cars have become so popular with drivers and so profitable for manufacturers. From comfort and safety to status and aspiration, SUVs are reshaping roads across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.Size matters. Heavier vehicles use more energy, require bigger batteries, and create challenges for cities, from congestion and parking to road damage and safety. Jordan speaks to Theo Leggett, the BBC’s International Business Correspondent, and Anjani Trivedi, Global Business Correspondent at The Economist, about car-spreading, emissions, electrification, and whether governments and consumers could reverse the trend.Guests: Theo Leggett, BBC International Business Correspondent Anjani Trivedi, Global Business Correspondent, The EconomistPresenter: Jordan Dunbar Production team: Ben Andrews, Grace Braddock, Tom Brignell, Gareth Jones, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle Editor: Simon WattsImage: CJ Gunther / EPA-EFE / REX / ShutterstockGot a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Are there any quick fixes to the climate crisis?
People often ask whether there are any quick fixes to the climate crisis — easy wins that could cut emissions without waiting decades. This week, The Climate Question does something a little different.Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar stage an imaginary cabinet meeting, with three “ministers” competing to deliver the biggest climate impact in just five years. Climate scientist and YouTuber Adam Levy pitches methane cuts in food and farming. Radhika Khosla, an urban climatologist and adviser to national governments, argues building smarter and reducing air conditioning are the fastest levers. And Jordan steps into the role of Transport Minister to make the case for buses, bikes and less traffic.Together, they explore whether these quick fixes are enough — and why, if they’re so effective, they aren’t already happening.Guests: Radhika Khosla – Associate Professor, University of Oxford Adam Levy – Climate Scientist and creator of ClimateAdamHosts: Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar Production Team: Grace Braddock, Tom Brignell, Dafydd Evans, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle Editor: Simon WattsGot a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
What can whales tell us about climate change?
Whales are among the largest animals to have ever lived – and scientists are discovering they also play a big role in the climate system. From the food they eat to where their waste and bodies end up, whales help move carbon from the atmosphere to the deep ocean, where it can be locked away for centuries.This week, Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar explore what whales can tell us about climate change – and how warming seas may be affecting them in return. They speak to Victoria Gill, BBC Science Correspondent, about new research analysing Antarctic seabed samples to trace how whale populations influence long-term carbon storage.They also hear from Helen Czerski, physicist, oceanographer and author of Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World, about one of the most surprising scientific records of all: whale earwax – and how it reveals stress levels in the changing oceans.Guests: Victoria Gill, BBC Science Correspondent Helen Czerski, Professor of the Environment and Society, University College LondonHosts: Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar Production Team: Grace Braddock, Tom Brignell, James Piper, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle Editor: Simon WattsGot a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Your Questions: The jobs of the future, nitrous oxide, ice cores
We answer YOUR climate questions – on everything from “green” careers to ice cores to the world’s electricity challenge! In this edition of The Climate Question, Host Graihagh Jackson explores your climate-related headscratchers. Her panel chat about the new jobs that will open up as the world economy moves away from fossil fuels – and the skills that will be needed. They also discuss the dangers of nitrous oxide – a planet-warming gas, but also crucial for the fertilisers that help feed us. And have you ever wondered how scientists actually date the ice cores they dig out of glaciers. Some of them are 100,000s of years old! Plus: the controversial scientists who’ve won the Nobel Prize, and is there anywhere on Earth that’s untouched by humans? Host: Graihagh Jackson Guests: BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt, BBC CrowdScience Presenter Caroline Steel, and Akshat Rathi, Bloomberg Senior Climate Reporter and Host of the Bloomberg Green podcast.Production Team: Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle, Graihagh Jackson, Grace Braddock Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon WattsGot a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
What made the floods in South East Asia so deadly?
Storms, cyclones and flooding in South East Asia have killed close to 2000 people, devastating communities across Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Scientists warn climate change is reshaping weather patterns, increasing the risk of heavier rainfall and more destructive floods in the future.With many densely populated cities sinking and built on flood-prone land, the region is particularly vulnerable. But experts say there are bold ideas and solutions that could help reduce the risks and save lives.In this special collaboration between The Climate Question and the new BBC World Service podcast Asia Specific, Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar join host Mariko Oi to explore what made the floods so deadly — and what can be done in the future.Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Editors: Bill Birtles and Simon WattsGot a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
What does the ocean do for us and the planet?
What do you think of when you think about our oceans? Maybe you see a picture of our planet with a big patch of blue? Maybe you think about storms or dramatic ocean voyages? Maybe fish or coral reefs? In this edition of The Climate Question, Hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar explore how our oceans are even more important than you might imagine. They help put the brakes on climate change and regulate our weather - even in faraway deserts. They provide food, and even influence the rise of great civilisations, like Ancient Egypt. Graihagh and Jordan are joined by oceanographer and physicist Helen Czerski, author of Blue Machine, How the Ocean Shapes Our World. Helen also chats about the challenges of trying to collect data at sea during huge storms. Hosts: Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar Production team: Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle, Grace Braddock Sound mix: Ben Andrews and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon WattsGot a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com