The Climate Question

Latest Episodes:

Will football tackle the climate crisis? Jul 11, 2021

Show notes

You don’t often hear climate change and football mentioned in the same sentence, but rising temperatures are set to disrupt every area of our lives, the ‘beautiful game’ included. Heat and other extreme weather have already been affecting training and matches, which experts say we can expect a lot more of in coming years. But not only is the sport at risk from the climate crisis, it’s also a significant contributor to it. The operation of multi-thousand capacity stadiums, spectator travel and merchandise, not to mention the fossil fuel sponsorship that props up professional tournaments, mean that football is currently part of the climate problem. Yet football also has an audience of billions – all potentially affected by climate change – who could be part of the solution. Featuring footballers and fans, we ask if football can tackle its carbon problem and be a force for good in the fight against climate change. Guests Morten Thorsby, Norwegian midfielder Sofie Junge Pedersen, Danish midfielder David Goldblatt, football historian and writer Manuel Gaber, founder of Unser Fussball campaign Federico Addiechi, Head of Sustainability and Environment at FIFA

Reporter Uli Knapp Presenters: Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson Producer: Zoe Gelber Series producer: Rosamund Jones Editor: Emma Rippon

Could climate change cause more water conflicts? Jul 04, 2021

Show notes

Freshwater sources around the world are becoming more irregular, and disputes between countries are common, with fears that access to water could eventually lead to conflict.

There’s a high-profile case going on right now in northeast Africa, where talks about a huge new dam on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia have stalled. Ethiopia says it needs the hydroelectric dam to help solve some of its power supply problems. However, the Blue Nile is the largest source for the river Nile, which runs through Egypt, and there are concerns there that the dam will have huge consequences for people living further downstream.

According to the United Nations, around two-thirds of rivers shared by two countries or more lack formal agreements on how to manage the water.

So how can we help countries reach agreements over equal access to water, and ensure they stick to them in the future?

Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell are joined by:

Samuel Marunga, editor, BBC Monitoring Lenka Thamae, executive secretary of the Orange-Senqu River Commission Ashok Swain, professor of peace and conflict research at Uppsala University Susanne Schmeier, associate professor of water law and diplomacy at IHE Delft

Producer: Darin Graham Series producers: Richard Fenton-Smith and Rosamund Jones Editor: Emma Rippon Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Why is Australia so slow to act on climate change? Jun 27, 2021

Show notes

Australia is one of the world's biggest per-capita greenhouse gas emitters, and a Climate Question listener wants to know why the world isn't demanding her country do more.

Jodie lives in tropical Queensland, which she says is 'paradise', but it's also a place affected by bushfires, drought, and cyclones.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says 'Australia can always be relied upon' to deliver action on climate change, but critics at home and abroad point to a record of over-promising and under-delivering.

Observers also blame the country's powerful and profitable fossil fuel industries as a reason why the Australian government has been slow to make progress.

But is it time, as listener Jodie asks, to give her country a 'a kick up the bum'?

Contributors: Dr Niklas Hohne, The New Climate Institute, Cologne Greg Bourne, The Climate Council Australia

Presenters - Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson Reporter - Issy Phillips, FBi Radio, Sydney

Producer – Jordan Dunbar Editor – Emma Rippon

Why are we failing to protect the Amazon rainforest? Jun 20, 2021

Show notes

The Brazilian legislature is currently considering a bill that would legalise the private occupation of some public land in the Amazon region - a move that would most likely lead to further deforestation. But could renewed international pressure from foreign governments and corporations demanding protection of the Amazon convince the Brazilian government to rethink its policies, or will they simply go ignored, as it favours short-term economic gain over long-term environmental protection? Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell are joined by: Diane Jeantet, freelance reporter Manuela Andreoni, rainforest investigations fellow at the Pulitzer Centre Marcello Britto, president of the Brazilian Agribusiness Association Oliver Stuenkel, professor of international relations at FGV in São Paulo Virgilio Viana, fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development Producer: Darin Graham Researcher: Zoe Gelber Series producers: Rosamund Jones and Richard Fenton Smith Editor: Emma Rippon Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Carbon capture and storage Jun 13, 2021

Show notes

It’s likely that there will be no successful green transition without an element of carbon capture, storage and re-use. The oil industry has been burying CO2 underground since the 1970s, so the infrastructure and technology is already available, but removing CO2 from the air at scale is new, and the companies doing it are small. We head to an experimental ‘direct air capture’ plant in Canada to hear how they are making fuel out of air, and explore what changes will be required to ensure that their industry becomes a significant one in the years to come. But if we think that a technology fix is out there, might we limit other efforts?

Presenters: Neal Razzell and Manuela Saragosa

Contributors: Steve Oldham, CEO, Carbon Engineering Dr Jennifer Wilcox, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management at the US Department of Energy Prof Stuart Haszeldine, professor of carbon storage and capture at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland Dr Simon Evans, policy editor, Carbon Brief Producer: Jordan Dunbar Series producer: Rosamund Jones Editor: Emma Rippon

What will it take for cities to go carbon neutral? Jun 06, 2021

Show notes

Cities emit around three-quarters of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations, and over half of the world’s population now live in one. Many have set ambitious targets to slash and offset their emissions, in the hope of neutralising their impact on the environment and slowing climate change. Some are aiming to do this very soon. Copenhagen’s goal is 2025. More than 700 others have committed to targets over the following decades. But how does a city, choked with traffic and packed full of buildings that require huge amounts of energy, actually go about achieving carbon neutral goals? Joining presenters Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell: Nick Garnett, BBC reporter Dr Seppo Junnila, professor of real estate business at Aalto University, Finland Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone Mark Watts, executive director, C40 Cities Producer: Darin Graham Series producer: Rosamund Jones Editor: Emma Rippon Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Should we ‘dim the sun’ to save the planet? May 30, 2021

Show notes

Scientists agree that cutting carbon emissions as soon as possible is key to tackling global warming. But as emissions continue to rise, some are now calling for more research into measures that could be used alongside decarbonisation, including – controversially – what’s known as ‘solar geoengineering’ technologies. One idea being considered is spraying light-reflecting particles into the atmosphere to temporarily cool down the earth. It may sound far-fetched, but the idea is based on naturally observed effects following volcanic eruptions. Scientists are now asking whether we could mimic those effects to avoid the worst climate impacts. But research into this technology is not without opposition. A recent solar geoengineering experiment in Sweden got cancelled following a fierce backlash from indigenous and environmental groups. Many say tampering with the climate in this way is too risky to ever try in the real world. So how does solar geoengineering work? What are the risks? And will we ever have to use it? Contributors: Elizabeth Kolbert, staff writer at the New Yorker and author of Under a White Sky Asa Larrson-Blind, Vice-President of the Saami Council Raymond Pierrehumbert, Halley Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford David Keith, Professor of Applied Physics and Public Policy at Harvard University

Presenters: Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson Producers: Zoe Gelber and Jordan Dunbar Series producer: Rosamund Jones Editor: Emma Rippon

Is bottom trawling for fish bad for the climate? May 23, 2021

Show notes

More than two thirds of our planet is covered by the oceans, but there’s still much to be uncovered about the role that these watery worlds play in climate change. But recent scientific research claims that bottom trawling, a method of fishing that involves dragging heavy nets across the seafloor, emits about the same amount of carbon annually as aviation. Seabed sediments, which act as huge carbon sinks, are churned up, resulting in carbon dioxide emissions. So should trawling – commonplace around the globe because of its effectiveness – be reduced? And has the climate change impact of bottom trawling been exaggerated? Presenters Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson are joined by: Dr Enric Sala, explorer in residence, National Geographic Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations Minna Epps, director, Global Marine and Polar Programme Domitilla Senni, senior campaigner, MedReAct Producer: Darin Graham Series producer: Rosamund Jones Editor: Emma Rippon

Is South Korea a climate villain? May 16, 2021

Show notes

South Korea’s economic development has been the envy of many nations: from war, famine and poverty to one of the richest countries on Earth, all within just a couple of generations. In 1955, gross domestic product was just $64 per capita. Last year, it was $31,000. But this growth was turbocharged by fossil fuels, and has come at a high environmental price. Seventy percent of the power generated in the country comes from fossil fuels and, compared to many rich nations, its commitment to renewables is small. Is South Korea a hero of economic growth or a climate villain? And should developing nations still look to the country as a model to follow?

Joining Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson: Jeffrey Sachs, former UN adviser, and professor at Columbia University Zeeshan Abedin, economist at the International Growth Centre Julie Yoon, World Service Language Reporter, Seoul

Producer: Jordan Dunbar Series producer: Rosamund Jones Editor: Emma Rippon

Can indigenous knowledge help us fight climate change? May 09, 2021

Show notes

Indigenous people represent only about six percent of the world’s population, but they inhabit around a quarter of the world’s land surface. And they share these regions with a hugely disproportionate array of plant and animal life. According to the UN and the World Bank, about 80 percent of our planet’s biodiversity is on land where indigenous people live.

Global climate policy has however been slow to recognise that indigenous knowledge - built up over centuries - is worth listening to. This is despite the fact that sometimes in very remote areas, where scientific and meteorological data is lacking, this knowledge may be all there is. Indigenous knowledge can provide valuable insight into what adaptations have worked in the past, and so provide an important guide to the future.

What are the barriers to bringing indigenous knowledge out from the margins of climate research and policy, and can they be overcome?

Guests: Nancy Kacungira, journalist, BBC Africa Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, environmental activist and member of Chad’s pastoralist Mbororo people and Earthshot Prize Council Nigel Crawhall, chief of section, local and indigenous knowledge systems, UNESCO Aida Sanchez, assistant professor at Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Presenters: Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson Producer: Darin Graham Researcher: Zoe Gelber Editor: Emma Rippon

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