PODCAST · science
The Climate Question
by BBC World Service
Why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.
Episodes
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Mining: Can we learn lessons from the past?
Lithium and copper are at the heart of the green energy transition, but what's the environmental cost of extraction? From the lithium mines of Salar de Atacama in Chile to the historic copper mines of Butte Montana, author James Crawford has visited the extraordinary landscapes and mining...
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Are we ready for a super El Niño?
When a powerful El Niño strikes, it can devastate harvests, flood communities and kill thousands of people. Scientists have been warning for months that this one could become the strongest on record. The question is: are we ready? In this episode of The Climate Question, hosts Graihagh Jackson…
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The battery revolution
From Mongolia to Texas, record numbers of lithium-ion batteries are being added to the world's electricity grids - helping to provide more reliable power and speeding up the transition to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. China is installing over half of these new batteries, often…
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Climate overshoot: The world beyond 1.5°C
The United Nations says the world will pass its most important climate target within a few years. So can we bring the planet's temperature back down quickly? Or will the damage be irreversible? In 2015, world leaders agreed in Paris to try to keep the global temperature below 1.5 degrees above...
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The solar power boom in Pakistan and the Philippines
The Philippines and Pakistan are now the world's top solar panel importers. We find out why, and what other countries can learn from the boom! Cheap solar panels, mainly imported from China, are transforming lives and slashing electricity bills across Asia. In the last year, Filipinos have put up...
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Can China build its way out of climate change?
Huge construction projects are transforming China - think enormous dams, giant solar power farms and a vast high-speed rail network. Will Beijing's "engineering mindset" help it deal with climate change? China's senior leadership is dominated by engineers, starting with President Xi, who trained…
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How will melting glaciers change Nepal?
As shown by the recent flash floods, Nepali mountain communities are on the front line of climate change. Can they adapt? Host Jordan Dunbar talks to two Sherpas who have become climate researchers. They are glaciologist Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa, and Pasang Yangjee Sherpa, who researches how global...
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Can we cope with droughts?
Europe is reeling from a record-breaking drought which has closed nuclear power stations, stopped river traffic and sent food prices soaring. And there may now be more intense droughts in some parts of the world because of climate change. Our host Graihagh Jackson explores solutions from water...
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How do we save Africa's forests?
African forests are vital for food and economic development, as well as for supporting millions of species of animals and plants. We find out how to protect them better with one of Africa’s top environmentalists! From the giant Congo rainforest to the Kenyan highlands and the mangroves of...
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Is air conditioning the answer to extreme heat?
Experts say we may now need to spend more on cooling our homes than heating them because of climate change. In fact, the International Energy Agency thinks the equivalent of 10 new air conditioners every second will be installed for the next 30 years! This surge in air con will put strain on the...
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Is this a new era of wildfires?
Huge wildfires have been sweeping across Southern Europe and North America. Is climate change increasing the risk? And what can we do? Weather experts say the world is starting to see new types of wildfire – including enormous Pyrocumulonimbus fire clouds that spit lightning and black hail. These...
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How is climate change affecting motherhood?
Graihagh Jackson talks to mothers from India, Kenya and the UK about how climate change is affecting women's decisions about whether to have children and how to raise them. Her guests are Bhavreen Kandhari, a clean air campaigner from Delhi; Dr Susan Chomba, a Kenyan forest scientist and...
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Do climate protests ever work?
Climate activists have blocked highways, scaled oil rigs and even thrown soup at master artworks. But have protests ever made a difference? The modern green movement started in the 1970s when Greenpeace sailed a fishing boat towards a nuclear test site in Alaska. It now encompasses everything…
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Could climate change fuel an epidemic?
Scientists are warning that climate change and deforestation increase the risk of outbreaks of deadly diseases. How big is the danger? And what action can we take? Dr Neil Vora is a so-called “disease doctor” - an epidemiologist who has travelled the world to help trace the sources of outbreaks…
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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…
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How to build a climate friendly city
More than seven billion of us are expected to be living in urban areas by 2050. So what are the world’s great cities doing about climate change? Humans are now city creatures – with more than half the world’s population already living in urban environments, and huge growth expected in cities in...
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"Super" El Niños and climate change
Scientists say the El Niño weather pattern has started and this one is potentially so strong that it could have devastating effects in many parts of the world. So how does El Niño work exactly? And what’s the connection with climate change? El Niño starts when water temperatures rise near the...
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Is climate change ruining our sleep?
Parts of India have been facing extreme heat - with temperatures soaring past 46 degrees Celsius. But a less familiar story unfolds after dark. When temperatures stay high after sunset, an essential human need is threatened: sleep. Scientific research suggests that hot nights are leading many of…
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How will climate change affect insects?
Insects play a crucial role in food production and the spread of disease, as well as being keystone species in many ecosystems. What does a warmer world mean for them? Climate Question hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar talk to zoologist Dr Tim Cockerill, Senior Lecturer at Falmouth...
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Can the World Cup cope with extreme heat?
Scorching temperatures are expected at this year’s World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. How will players and fans cope? And how will it affect the action on the pitch? Scientists are concerned about the impact of extreme heat on the biggest sporting event in history. The organisers, FIFA, is...
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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...
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Should we mine the deep ocean?
In the global race for critical minerals - could the seabed provide solutions? Or should we leave these metal-rich environments undisturbed? Governments and mining companies around the world are on the hunt for the critical minerals we need for the green tech transition. And there’s growing...
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The electric car boom in South East Asia
Electric vehicle sales are soaring in Thailand and Vietnam. What’s behind the boom? And will it help the climate? Thais and Vietnamese are switching to electric cars in huge numbers – attracted by government subsidies and a more exciting range of EVs. Jobs in the car industry are also up in both...
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Q+A: The carbon footprint of your tech and AI
What’s the carbon footprint of streaming your favourite shows or doing an AI search? How vulnerable are river estuaries to climate change? Plus, are you a climate optimist or pessimist? Graihagh Jackson and her panel answer your questions. The panel are Justin Rowlatt, BBC climate editor; Akshat...
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Is this climate change or just crazy weather?
It’s one of the most commonly debated questions in the climate world: Is this weather we’re experiencing natural, or is it linked to man-made climate change? In this episode of The Climate Question, Hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar are joined by BBC Lead Weather Presenter, Matt Taylor....
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Chernobyl at 40: Is nuclear power back in fashion?
In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear accident devastated the Soviet Union and shocked the world. But, 40 years on, are we now seeing a nuclear renaissance? And what does that mean for the climate? Climate Question host Jordan Dunbar has just visited the most contaminated place in the world for a BBC...
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Can technology help us 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...
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Earthquakes and climate change
Earthquakes are caused by a sudden release of stress along faults in the earth's crust, not by climate change, but some new studies suggest that melting glaciers and permafrost may influence when, where and how often seismic activity occurs. In this episode, hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan…
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Why are some cities banning fossil fuel ads?
How much does advertising influence what we buy and how we think? A growing number of cities are restricting adverts for fossil fuel products, from flights and petrol cars to gas heating. From May, Amsterdam is set to become the first capital city to do so. In 2024, the UN Secretary-General…
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What's it like being a chief heat officer?
As climate change makes the world hotter, some cities have appointed so-called Chief Heat Officers to try to improve their response to record-breaking temperatures. In 2024, Graihagh Jackson spoke to two women who have done the job in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Monterrey, Mexico. What does their...
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Can better buses fix city pollution?
Transport is one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and in cities around the world it is also one of the biggest daily frustrations. Congestion, pollution and long journeys to work affect millions of people every day. In this episode of The Climate Question, Jordan Dunbar...
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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...
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What's the climate cost of war?
War leaves a visible 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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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…
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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...
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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”...
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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...
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Q&A: 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...
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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...
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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…
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Who wins in the electric vehicles transition?
Across the world vehicle manufacturers are racing to make zero emission cars in the move away from fossil-fuel powered vehicles. It’s a huge market which could reach 9 trillion dollars worldwide by 2030. One small country which is grabbing this opportunity is Hungary. Located in the heart of…
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How can the world speed up climate action?
How can the world speed up its efforts to fight climate change? It’s been a dramatic fortnight at the COP climate summit in the Amazonian city of Belem, with torrential rains and floods, protests and even a fire. A deal has finally been done but it’s divisive and has left many wondering whether...
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The oil lobbyist who tried to sink the first big climate deal
The American lawyer, oil lobbyist and master strategist Don Pearlman is said to have chain-smoked his way through almost every UN climate gathering from the early 1990s until his death in 2005. Some of those who saw Pearlman operate in Kyoto, where the first legally binding international…
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How does carbon dioxide shape our world?
Carbon dioxide is a molecule so important it has shaped life on Earth for billions of years. Without it, there would be no plants, no oceans, no people. But now, after centuries of burning coal, oil and gas, it's in the atmosphere at levels that alarm scientists. In this episode of The Climate...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.
HOSTED BY
BBC World Service
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The Climate Question currently has 318 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
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Why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.
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The Climate Question publishes regularly with 318 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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