Stories on why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.
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What do warmer waters mean for life below the waves?
The Ocean, it covers more than 70% of the surface if our planet, it provides us with food, medicine and even influences the weather. For years its also helped to mitigate the effects of climate change. Since the 1970’s over 90% of atmospheric warming caused by green house gas emissions has been absorbed by our Oceans. But this comes at a cost. Overtime their temperatures have risen and this has had disastrous impact on some of our most important ecosystems. Join us on a dive into the world of warming waters to discover what this means for life below the waves. Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell spoke to: Dr Juli Berwald, Science writer and author of ‘Life on the Rocks’ Dr Jahson Alemu I. Marine Ecologist, Northeastern University College of Science Dr Emma Camp, Coral Biologist, Future Reefs, University of Technology, Sydney The team this week: Reporter: Janhavee Moole from BBC Marathi service reporting in Mumbai. Researcher: Imogen Serwotka Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Jordan Dunbar Production Coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross & Siobhan Reed Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Wizard: Tom Brignell.
Is Influencer culture bad for the planet?
Shopping online is nothing new but with the rise of influencer culture, livestreaming, and social commerce buying stuff has never been easier. Research suggests that the production and use of household goods and services is responsible for about 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions. So is influencer culture making us buy more - contributing to climate change? Or is it more complicated than that? In this programme we hear from Nigerian influencer Noble Igwe and eco-influencer Rosie Okotcha. As well as finding out about the growing popularity of influencers in India and the potential of Chinese live-streamers to become environmental icons. Presenters Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson speak with the following contributors: Noble Igwe, Nigerian influencer Rosie Okotcha, Eco-influencer Professor Shirley Yu, Senior Practitioner Fellow with the Ash Center of Harvard Kennedy School Junofy Anto Rozina founder of India Behavioural Economics Network JB MacKinnon author of ‘The Day The World Stops Shopping’ The team this week: Producer: Claire Bowes Researcher: Imogen Serwotka Series Producer: Alex Lewis Production Coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross, Siobhan Reed Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Magician: Tom Brignell
Are there any 'easy fixes' to climate change?
We know from The Climate Question back catalogue, solving climate change is a knotty problem which does not lend itself to quick fixes. But in this programme a panel of experts discuss whether there could be any easy wins on climate change such as putting solar panels across the Earth’s deserts and changing what we eat. Presenter Neal Razzell is joined by: Rebekah Shirley - Director of Research, Data & Innovation at World Resources Institute (WRI) Africa, Peggy Liu - Director at Project Drawdown, Chair of JUCCCE Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy (JUCCCE) Zeke Hausfather – Climate Scientist and author for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Producer: Serena Tarling Production support: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross Sound mix: James Beard Series producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton Smith
Can flying ever be climate friendly?
Since the 1990s, air flight has made the world a smaller place. In one 24-hour period you can fly to the other end of the globe. In an hour you might be able to skip the traffic and fly to the other end of your country. But this convenience comes at a cost….to the climate. Aviation accounts for somewhere between 2 to 5% of the world’s emissions. And as the world’s desire to travel proves insatiable, the number of planes in the sky each day is only increasing. The aviation industry has aspirational plans to decarbonise using sustainable and/or synthetic aviation fuels. But these are currently some way off. In the meantime, airlines are offering carbon offsets. Offsets are controversial products and only 1% of passengers pay for them. So, this week on The Climate Question we are asking, can flying ever be climate friendly? Presenters Neal Razzell and Merlyn Thomas speak with the following contributors: Jo Dardenne, Aviation Director at Transport & Environment Souparna Lahiri, Climate Policy Advisor with The Global Forest Coalition Simon Berrow, Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group Joana Setzer, Assistant Professor at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change & the Environment, LSE Special thanks to Helen Coffey, author of Zero Altitude: How I learned to fly less and travel more Sebastian Mikosz of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) The team this week: Reporters: Peter O’Connell in Kilrush on the west coast of Ireland Researcher: Louise Parry & Immy Rhodes Producer: Dearbhail Starr Series Producer: Alex Lewis Production Coordinators: Iona Hammond & Siobhan Reed Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Magician: Tom Brignell
Can we feed the world without using chemical fertilisers?
The development of agriculture some 12,000 years ago changed the way humans live. As technologies have developed we’ve become more and more efficient at producing large amounts of food and feeding an ever growing population, often with the help of synthetically produced nitrogen fertiliser. These fertilisers can damage ecosystems. They also produce a potent greenhouse gas called Nitrous Oxide which is 265 times more warming than carbon dioxide. It’s estimated that the manufacturing and use of this fertiliser contributes 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But is it feasible to ban synthetic nitrogen fertilisers or would that risk plunging the world into mass food insecurity? Join presenters Qasa Alom and Graihagh Jackson as they journey from an urban garden in Sri Lanka, where a radical fertiliser ban caused chaos, to eastern Africa where Kenyan farmers are mixing tradition with new technology to try and save the world’s climate, and its soils. With thanks to: Dr Rona Thompson, Senior Scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Air research, Norway Professor Manish Raizada, dept. of Plant Agriculture, at the University of Guelph, Canada Dr David Lelei, research associate at CIFOR-ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya Elijah Musenya, farmer, western Kenya. And Phelystus Wayeta, for travelling to Western Kenya to report on farmers and farming practices. Producer: Lizzy McNeill Reporter: Aanya Wipulasena, Colombo, Sri Lanka Researchers: Imogen Serwotka Production co-ordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross , Siobhan Reed. Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Mix: Tom Brignell
How can we get more people on their bikes?
Cycling is healthy, cheap - and as modes of transport go, they don’t come much greener. Worldwide, transport is responsible for nearly a quarter of all carbon emissions, with road transport alone accounting for 75% of that. But so far, most discussions on greening the transport sector have focussed on electrifying our cars, trucks and buses – overlooking the vital role that bicycles could play in the climate transition. In fact, experts say that we’re unlikely to meet our short-term climate goals without more people getting on their bikes. So what needs to change to make that happen? We look at what’s been done on streets of Bogota, New York and Kampala to get more people cycling across the world. Presenters Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell are joined by: Janette Sadik-Khan, former Transport Commissioner of New York City Henk Swarttouw, President of the European Cyclists Federation and World Cycling Alliance Amanda Ngabirano, Lecturer in Urban Mobility at Makerere University, Kampala Jaime Ortiz Mariño, architect and organiser of the first ciclovía event in Bogotá Producer: Zoe Gelber Reporter: Laura Ubate in Bogotá Researchers: Immie Rhodes and Louise Parry Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Mix: Tom Brignell
Where have all the mangroves gone?
Along almost every tropical coastline you can find the tangled roots of mangrove trees, a natural barrier against extreme weather. They are also one of the most powerful weapons we have for fighting climate change. Mangrove forests are six times better at capturing carbon than tropical forests. But in the last 40 years up to a third of mangrove forests worldwide have disappeared. Joining presenters Kate Razzell and Qasa Alom to discuss where our mangroves have gone are: Leah Glass, Technical Advisor for Blue Carbon at Blue Ventures Andre Aquino Senior Natural Resources Management Specialist, World Bank, Indonesia Producer: Dearbhail Starr Researchers: Immy Rhodes and Louise Parry Reporter: Fyneface Dumnamene in Nigeria Series producer: Alex Lewis Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Production Co-ordinators: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
How can we save the world’s tropical peatland?
Scientists estimate that peatlands around the world hold about 350 billion tonnes of carbon. The tropical peatland of the Congo Basin – known as Cuvette Centrale - are thought to store the equivalent of 20 years of US fossil fuels emissions. BBC Africa Correspondent Andrew Harding has been up to his neck in it, witnessing the work being done by scientists to protect it and what might threaten its future. He also hears a warning from Environment Minister, Arlette Soudan-Nonault, about the choices the Republic of Congo faces between preserving the peatlands and making use of its resources to provide a living for its population. We find out how one simple lesson learned in Indonesia is being shared with countries in Africa and South America to help keep a global promise to protect tropical peatlands. It’s not just about promises though – financial experts explain why persuading richer countries to pay cash for “wasteland” could be good for all of us. Presenters Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell are joined by: Dr Daniel Murdiyarso, Principal Scientist with the Centre for International Forestry Research, Indonesia Prof Kevin Chika Urama, Chief Economist, African Development Bank Sara Jane Ahmed, finance advisor to the V20 Group of climate vulnerable countries. Reporter: Andrew Harding, BBC Africa Correspondent in Cuvette Centrale, Republic of Congo Producer: Alex Murray Researchers: Natasha Fernandes, Mai Kanaaneh, Kirsteen Knight Series Producer: Alex Lewis Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill, Siobhan Reed Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Does recycling help fight climate change?
Reduce, reuse, recycle is a familiar mantra the world over. Recycling has been described as ‘one of the easier climate-friendly acts” that individuals can do. A recent poll found that, globally, most of us believe that recycling is the single best thing we can do to tackle the climate crisis. But there isn’t much mention of “reduce” and “reuse”. This week, presenters Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell explore how successful the world’s recycling system really is, visiting Port Klang in Malaysia where huge swaths of the globe’s recycling gets sent only to end up... well, listen and you’ll find out! Kate and Neal will also learn how climate friendly recycling really is and whether there are other more important actions we can take to improve how we manage our waste. Thank you to contributors: Ke Wang, Lead of the PACE Program at the World Resources Institute (Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy) Costas Velis, Lecturer in Resource Efficiency Systems at the University of Leeds, UK Jenny van Doorn, Professor of Marketing Services at the University of Groningen, Netherlands Farhan Nasa, Project Coordinator at Break Free from Plastic, Malaysia Our team: Reporter: Chen Yih Wen, Environmental Reporter in Tanjung Harapan, Klang, Malaysia Researchers: Immie Rhodes, Natasha Fernandes, Marcia Veiga Producer: Dearbhail Starr Series Producer: Alex Lewis Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill, Siobhan Reed Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
How is climate change affecting our mental health?
We often talk about the physical costs of climate change; the economic fallout, the effect on livelihoods and damage to the earth. But all of the changes to our world caused by global warming will have an effect on our minds, our mental health too. Earlier this year the mental health challenges caused by rising temperatures and extreme weather events were spotlighted in a report by the UN’s climate science body, the IPCC. Anxiety, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even suicide, are all predicted to increase as the world heats up. Jordan Dunbar looks at what this means for people living on the front line of climate change, including examples from Nigeria, India and the Philippines. Joining Jordan to discuss the mental health challenges facing a warming world are: Dr Brandon Gray – Clinical Psychologist, World Health Organisation Dr Gesche Heubner Senior Researcher University College London, Department of Energy Dr Paolo Cianconi Psychiatrist Catholic University of Rome, Department of Neurosciences Presenter: Jordan Dunbar Reporter: Rajesh Joshi Producer: Jordan Dunbar and Sarah Wild Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill, Siobhan Reed Series Producer: Alex Lewis Sound Engineer: James Beard Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Is destroying the planet a vote winner?
Long term climate policy has long been at odds with short-term politics. As numerous countries head to the polls this year, we visit Brazil, Australia and the United States and see how climate policy is being used as a political tool to divide voters. During recent the elections in Australia – a country with some of the world’s highest emissions per capita – experts believe that experiencing the effects of climate change first hand brought the need for action up the agenda, leading to the unseating of the climate sceptic Liberal National Coalition. We hear from a follower of Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who believes that the country’s own deforestation figures are fake. Meanwhile, in the US, we look at how the Republican party’s position changed from the 2008 presidential elections from proposing climate policies to denying that man-made climate change is real. Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell are joined by: Kate Walton, political journalist based in Canberra, Australia Kathy Hochstetler, Professor of International Development at the London School of Economics, UK Anthony Leiserowitz, Director of the Program for Climate Change Communication at Yale University, USA Reporter: Roberta Fortuna Researcher: Immie Rhodes Producer: Dearbhail Starr Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Mixer: Tom Brignell
What can we do to stop rising levels of Methane?
Recent research shows that levels of Methane gas in the atmosphere are rising rapidly. It is over 80 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide so poses a major threat to the world’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 C. At COP26, over 100 countries signed a Global Methane Pledge to reduce man-made emissions by 2030 – experts say cutting methane emissions is ‘the most powerful lever we have for reducing warming... over the next 30 years’. So what can be done to stop the levels rising further? We hear how farmers in Bangladesh, along with other parts of Asia, are using wetting and drying techniques in rice paddies to reduce emissions; how cows are being fed special dietary supplements with a surprising ingredient: seaweed, but why naturally occurring wetlands are a cause for concern. Presenters Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell are joined by: Xin Lan, Greenhouse Gas Scientist with NOAA and University of Colorado Drew Shindell, Special Representative on Methane Action for the Climate and Clean Air Coalition Ermias Kebreab, Professor at the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis, Humnath Bhandari, Bangladesh country representative, International Rice Research Institute, Producers: Alex Murray and Serena Tarling Researcher: Immy Rhodes Reporter: Akbar Hossain, BBC Bengali Series Producer: Alex Lewis Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Editor: Richard Vadon
How can oceans help us capture carbon?
The ocean covers over 70% of the Earth’s surface and can hold more than 150 times the amount of carbon dioxide as air. From phytoplankton to whales to seagrass meadows we explore how this happens. Jordan Dunbar and Kate Lamble are joined by: Rita Steyn, Contributing Editor at The Marine Diaries and lecturer at University of Tampa, Florida Michael Yap, Marine Biologist and Founder of Seagrass Guardians, Malaysia Dr. Haimanti Biswas, Principal Scientist of Biological Oceanography at CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, India Dr. Annette Scheffer, Marine Biologist and Lecturer, speaking with us from Antarctica John Kirkwood, Marine Biologist and Expedition Leader speaking with us from Antarctica Researcher: Immie Rhodes Reporter: Mark Stratton Producer: Dearbhail Starr Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell
Why is Asia embracing nuclear power?
China currently has 53 nuclear power plants with plans to scale up significantly in the next decade, while India is planning to build ten new power plants over the next three years. South Korea’s new government has committed to restarting its civil nuclear programme and even Japan’s Prime Minister has pledged to resume nuclear power in a country that has long been resistant. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, energy security has now become more of a priority with countries looking for alternatives to Russian gas. And as countries transition to renewable power in an effort to reach net zero by 2050, governments are looking for a stable, green power supply which is lower cost. In the latest IPCC report, all pathways recommended nuclear in some form to mitigate against climate change. After nuclear disasters such as Fukushima in Japan, safety has become an even more pressing issue, both in the region and globally, in the face of a resistant public and to safeguard communities around any power plants. We gained access to the Hinkley Point power plant in the UK which has adapted the design of the reactors to make them safer after what happened in Japan; but the pace of building has been slow and costs have been high. In China, a commitment to build more has led to a coordinated approach in terms of training, the supply chain and funding. But there are challenges ahead. Presenters Kate Lamble and Jordan Dunbar are joined by: Changhua Wu - a policy analyst specialising in China's environment, energy, climate change and sustainable development Diane Cameron - Head of the Nuclear Technology Development and Economics Division at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Edwin Lyman - expert on nuclear safety and proliferation and Director of Nuclear Power Safety at the Union of Concerned scientists in Washington. Producers: Serena Tarling and Alex Murray Researcher: Immy Rhodes Series Producer: Alex Lewis Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Is the world ready for an electric vehicle revolution?
There are over 10 million electric cars on the road globally after a decade of rapid growth, representing around 1% of the world’s car stock. But there are questions about whether there is the infrastructure to match. In many countries there are not enough chargers being installed to cope with the number of electric cars being sold. There are also doubts about whether existing electricity grids have the ability to store enough capacity to cope with charging demand and whether the amount of energy required can be fulfilled by green electricity alone. This week we look at Norway, an early adopter to electric vehicles, or EVs, and have been through a quick adaption period in which they improved their electricity grid to support night time charging, as well as improving the network of fast chargers around the country to enable EVs to take their drivers long distances. We then look at Vancouver in Canada has been looking at ways in which they can improve their EV infrastructure, to encourage the public to make the switch away from internal combustion engines. But do they have enough public chargers to serve those without access to their own private driveway? And finally we take a look at how Sub-Sahara Africa is electrifying motorbikes and minibuses. Many rural communities remain off-grid because demand for electricity is so low that it is not financially viable for them to build the infrastructure. For these rural areas, electric vehicles will bring a solid demand for electricity, bringing the potential for companies to make a profit from introducing solar mini-grids to those communities that don’t yet have electricity. Mora Morrison and Jordan Dunbar are joined by: Christina Bu, Secretary General of Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association Remeredzai Joseph Kuhudzai, Founder of Electric Drive Africa Ian Neville, Senior Sustainability Specialist for the City of Vancouver With special thanks to Katherine Collett from the Energy and Power Group at the University of Oxford. Producer: Dearbhail Starr Researchers: Immie Rhodes and Lauren Stanley Reporter in Vancouver: Max Collins Series Producer: Alex Lewis Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith