From climate sceptic to climate campaigner, Sarah Ott grew up in the US surrounded by doubters, listening to out-right deniers. This is the story of what changed her mind. We also hear people’s questions about climate change from Kenya where th

Why are 15-minute cities so unpopular?

May 7th, 2023 31m 56s

The idea of cities where everything you need on a daily basis can be reached within a quarter of an hour by foot or bike has grown in popularity in recent years, as local authorities adopt more sustainable approaches to urban planning. In theor

Tidal power: What’s holding it back?

1 Jan 14th, 2024 27m 2s

Lake Sihwa in South Korea is home to the world’s largest operating tidal power station, using the tides to generate enough power for a city of half a million people. This regular rise and fall of the seas is more predictable than sunny or windy

Can climate change ever be funny?

1 Dec 24th, 2023 30m 47s

Budding comedian (and Climate Question presenter) Jordan Dunbar sets out to discover if humour can help us understand - and cope with - global warming. Jordan gets advice from comics and academics from around the world, and then performs his ow

Climate review of the year

1 Dec 22nd, 2023 52m 36s

2023 was the hottest year on record. How did the planet cope? And what has the world actually done to tackle climate change? The BBC’s Graihagh Jackson is joined by a panel of journalists and experts for an annual stocktake of the climate crisi

Why are climate scientists receiving abuse?

1 Nov 12th, 2023 27m 51s

As the world faces up to the increasingly apparent effects of climate change, access to accurate information that helps us to understand what’s going on, why, and what we can do about it, is vital. But in its efforts to do this, the science

Why does it matter that Greenland is melting?

Nov 5th, 2023 30m 3s

Greenland is an island covered in a sheet of ice that is over 3km thick in places, containing 7.4 metres of average global sea level rise. Due to climate change, it’s melting at an astonishing rate. We meet some of the people being f

Why did Ecuador vote to stop drilling for oil?

1 Oct 28th, 2023 28m 53s

The Yasuni National Park in Ecuador forms part of the Amazon rainforest and is one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet. It also produces 60,000 barrels of oil per day. In a recent referendum, held as part of Ecuador’s Presidenti

Are disabled people forgotten in climate disaster plans?

Oct 1st, 2023 27m 45s

About 16 percent of the world’s population is thought to be disabled, but they are still 2 to 4 times more likely to be injured or killed in a natural disaster than those who are not disabled. Emma Tracey, from the BBC’s Access All podcast,

Can tourism ever be good for the climate?

Sep 24th, 2023 28m 34s

This week, we’re off to Costa Rica, an eco-tourism hotspot in collaboration with BBC’s The Travel Show.Eco-tourism is big business - it’s forecasted to generate $103 billion annually by 2027. But how well do its green claims actually stack up w

Can we have a climate-friendly death?

1 Jul 30th, 2023 28m 32s

Funeral rites are steeped in culture, tradition and faith, with most of the world opting for cremation or burial. However, with new research now revealing the carbon impact of established funeral choices, more people are questioning their cost

Climate Change and El Nino: Can we handle both?

Jul 16th, 2023 28m 36s

Scientists say an El Nino weather event has started. Its effects will be felt everywhere in the form of heavier rainfall in some parts of the world and deeper droughts in others. What's the link with Climate Change? And is it making it harder f

Is lab-grown meat better for the planet?

1 May 21st, 2023 28m 21s

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 th

Could solar farms in space power Earth?

1 Apr 14th, 2023 28m 22s

It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but the idea of assembling giant solar farms in space and then beaming the renewable energy back down to Earth is gaining real life traction. Some advocates have claimed it could supply all the wo

Can investors change an oil company from within?

1 Mar 13th, 2023 27m 57s

Some oil and gas giants are being pushed by shareholders to adopt more climate friendly strategies. An environmental law charity is suing the directors of a global oil company, arguing their climate strategy is not adequate to meet current targ

How can we prevent the spread of disease in a warming world?

1 Mar 5th, 2023 27m 48s

Our warming world is changing the geographical distribution of several animal species. Mosquitoes have been able to colonise new regions, places where they haven’t been found before including Afghanistan and countries in Europe. According to th

Can the ski industry survive climate change?

1 Feb 26th, 2023 27m 49s

Record-breaking temperatures in the Alps in Europe have led to a disappointing ski season so far. Some slopes have been more brown than white, while others have been forced to close all together. Many worry this is a bad omen for the whole indu

Can natural gas ever be green?

1 Feb 20th, 2023 28m 26s

Natural gas is often seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to coal, yet it’s a fossil fuel and gives off climate warming emissions when burned. On the internet there are many adverts suggesting that natural gas is a clean and green wa

Why are we still subsidising fossil fuels?

1 Jan 29th, 2023 27m 17s

In 2009, the G20 countries pledged to phase out 'inefficient' fossil fuel subsidies, which have long been seen as an obstacle to fighting climate change. But today, subsidies for oil and gas producers are at record levels -- $64 billion in 2021

Why isn’t the world heating equally?

1 Jan 22nd, 2023 27m 55s

The Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average temperature. Ice caps are melting, forcing the indigenous Inuit community living around the Northwest passage to change their way of life. Polar bears and wildlife are losing their

How do we stay cool in a warming world?

Jan 15th, 2023 27m 17s

Heatwaves are already the most deadly of climate risks. If we don’t keep climate change in check, we’ll experience more of them, reaching even higher temperatures.Already we need cooling to keep our homes, hospitals and workplaces comfortable,

Can renewables be used for heating?

Jan 8th, 2023 29m 11s

Half of all the energy we use globally goes on heating and cooling. We need heating for all sorts of things; from keeping our homes warm to industry which needs super high temperatures. At the moment, the heat we use is mostly powered by pollu

Was the 2022 World Cup as green as it seemed?

Dec 18th, 2022 27m 19s

Back in 2010, FIFA announced that the tiny country of Qatar would host the 2022 World Cup. It would be the first Middle Eastern country to do so. The tournament has seen thousands of fans travel to see it, with millions tuning in around the wor

How much does biodiversity matter to climate change?

1 Dec 11th, 2022 27m 51s

The ecosystems of the land and ocean absorb around half our planet warming emissions. But these are being destroyed by human activity. At the same time, climate change is a primary driver of the destruction of these habitats and biodiversity l

Are meat substitutes as green as we think?

1 Dec 4th, 2022 27m 32s

What we eat has a massive impact on global warming. Meat and dairy are among the biggest drivers of the climate crisis - creating more planet-warming emissions than all the cars in the world. As we all try to reduce our carbon footprints, it’