The Climate Question

BBC World Service

4,5 (42)
SCIENCES
TOUTES LES 2 SEMAINES

Why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.

-3 J

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 made of, and could they withstand a flood? In the township of Alexandra in Johannesburg, the BBC’s Nomsa Maseko visits a project using drones and artificial intelligence to help authorities prevent the worst impacts of flooding. And in Porto Alegre in the south of Brazil, we hear how an innovative digital map helped the emergency response – and will soon be available to all for free across the world. This programme was first broadcast in 2024. You can email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Guests: Rodrigo Rocha, Partner at the Responsive Cities Institute, Porto Alegre Dr Caroline Gevaert, Associate Professor at the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente Nomsa Maseko, the BBC’s South Africa Correspondent Presenter: Jordan Dunbar Producer: Osman Iqbal Researcher: Octavia Woodward Sound mix: Tom Brignell Editors: Sophie Eastaugh and Simon Watts Image: Reuters

26 min
12 AVR.

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 Dunbar chat to seismologist Dr. Verena Simon from the Swiss Seismology Service and Associate Professor of Geosciences at Colorado State University, Sean Gallen. Got a question or comment? email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Production team: Diane Richardson, Grace Braddock Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell and Philip Bull Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown. Editor: Simon Watts. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)

26 min
5 AVR.

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 António Guterres called on countries to introduce similar bans worldwide. In this episode of The Climate Question, Jordan Dunbar asks whether banning fossil fuel adverts is a good idea and whether it makes any difference when it comes to fighting climate change. He speaks to Marco Silva from BBC Verify about the role advertising plays in shaping public attitudes, and Anna Holligan, the BBC's correspondent in The Hague, explains how the restrictions in The Netherlands actually work. Guests: Anna Holligan – BBC correspondent in The Hague Marco Silva – Senior journalist, BBC Verify Got a question or comment? email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Production team: Grace Braddock, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle, Melanie Stewart-Smith Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell and James Piper Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Simon Watts Picture: Getty Images

23 min
29 MARS

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 role involve? What solutions are out there? And do they get enough funding? Plus, Umaru Fofana reports from Freetown on what happens when extreme heat grips the city. Umaru talks to locals forced to sleep outside because of the temperature, despite risks to their health and safety. And he also investigates a new piece of building design that might help people living in informal settlements. Got a question or comment? email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Producer: Osman Iqbal Sound engineer: James Beard and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

26 min
22 MARS

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 explores how cities can move large numbers of people more quickly, cheaply and with fewer emissions. With most urban journeys still dominated by private cars, the challenge is how to shift people towards more efficient forms of transport. He speaks to Dario Hidalgo, a transport expert based in Bogotá, where a system known as Bus Rapid Transit has helped transform how millions of people travel. By giving buses dedicated lanes, larger vehicles and faster boarding systems, cities can move more people using fewer vehicles, cutting both congestion and emissions. Variations of the model are now being used in cities around the world. Jordan also hears from Sarah Kaufman, Director of the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation in New York, about why similar systems can be harder to implement in dense cities, and how measures like congestion charging are helping to reduce traffic and fund improvements to public transport. While electric cars are often seen as part of the solution, both experts say reducing the number of cars on the road altogether is key. From buses to bikes, they explore how cities might redesign transport systems to be cleaner, faster and more efficient. Guests: Dario Hidalgo – Professor of Transport and Logistics, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá Sarah Kaufman – Director, NYU Rudin Center for Transportation, New York Got a question or comment? email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Production team: Grace Braddock, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell and Mike Regaard Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Melanie Stewart-Smith Image: Guillermo Legaria/AFP via Getty Images

26 min
15 MARS

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 Watts Picture Credit: A beaver. Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

26 min
8 MARS

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 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

24 min
1 MARS

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

25 min

Tout afficher (293)

Neal Razzell

Animateur
Graihagh Jackson

Animateur

4,5

sur 5

42 notes

The best environmental podcast out there

2022-06-10

Arran in Merville

I love that this podcast offers information and hope. The hosts are incredibly engaging and it’s a joy to listen to even when the subject is tough.
Heck yes!

2021-06-22

coolbeans2341

I’m passionate and love learning about climate change and anything to do with that topic. This podcast is amazing because they address so many different questions and when the hosts discuss them, I feel like I’m in the room with them as they speak:).