The Climate Question

There’s been a lot happening in our warming world and so The Climate Question is taking a break from its usual analysis to catch you up with the latest news. From worsening turbulence and plummeting planes to new rocket launches with satellites on board that hope to unlock one of the Earth’s big mysteries: clouds... and how they might impact, and be impacted, by global heating. Plus, a look at the...

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 the impact of livestock, which is responsible for about 15% of the world’s planet-warming gases, as well as returning huge amounts of land to nature. But stud...

Graihagh Jackson is joined by her regular panel to answer climate-related questions from listeners. BBC climate editor Justin Rowlatt, Prof Tamsin Edwards of King's College London, and Dr Akshat Rathi, senior climate reporter for Bloomberg News, discuss telling children about climate change, solar panels, nuclear fusion and more. Plus, Graihagh finds out if playing music really helps plants to gro...

China is scouring the globe for the raw materials of the future. How will we be affected? Graihagh Jackson investigates.

Today, more than half the world’s population live in cities – and as our numbers swell, so will our cities, especially those around the Pacific Rim, where it’s predicted our largest megacities of 10 million plus will be situated. And herein lies an opportunity: 60% of the buildings needed for 2050 are not yet built. Could we shape our cities into places that are good for the climate and also good...

Experts say we need to be 40 per cent more energy efficient to meet our climate goals. Is that doable? And might it save us money too? It's a solution that's been called the main route to net zero: energy efficiency - or using less energy to get the same or better results. But there’s an issue – it's got an image problem as many people think it’s boring. And it is hard to get excited about the ide...

In this episode, Graihagh Jackson explores the new field of climate attribution science with leading climatologist Dr Friederike Otto. Dr Otto's team of experts can now rapidly assess to what extent extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts or floods have - or have not - been caused by man-made climate change. Graihagh finds out how this information is becoming crucial for disaster planni...

In this extra episode, Graihagh Jackson hears from our friends on BBC podcast The Global Story about a case that could change the history of climate activism. For nearly a decade, a group of elderly women argued that Switzerland’s weak climate policies violated their human rights. Their victory – the first of its kind in the European Court of Human Rights – sets a precedent 46 countries must now f...

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 Puerto Rico to see how self-duplicating, carnivorous coral could be the solution. We also speak to the...

Ammonia has revolutionised the way we produce our food, helping us to grow much, much more... But it’s also helping to grow global greenhouse gas emissions too. Synthetic fertilisers are actually responsible for around 5% of the planet-warming gases going into the air - that’s more than deforestation. In this episode, Graihagh Jackson examines this challenge that modern agriculture poses to the cl...

Delhi’s roads are being taken over by electric mopeds, scooters and rickshaws. More than fifty per cent of two- and three-wheelers are already electric, and the market is expected to continue growing. It’s good news for the fight against climate change. Why has the transition to green vehicles been so swift in India and what can the rest of the world learn from it? Graihagh Jackson speaks to repor...

Every year, the great migration sees hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, gazelles, zebras and antelopes migrate from the Serengeti plains in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in Kenya, in search of water and juicy grass. But rising temperatures and unpredictable weather are changing this epic animal journey dramatically. It’s the same for great white sharks, which are being spotted in areas where they’...

The BBC’s Global Health Correspondent Tulip Mazumdar investigates how extreme heat fuelled by climate change is affecting pregnant women in India. New research shared with the BBC suggests that pregnant informal workers in Tamil Nadu who were exposed to high temperatures saw double the risk of stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight and miscarriage. Discussing her reporting from India with T...

You asked, we answered. This week our expert panel dive into your questions. Can climate change cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions? How bad are avocados for the environment? Is climate change reversible? Send your questions to: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Plus, a look at biofuels and vertical farming, China’s electric vehicle boom, and the apparent contradiction between more renewable energy...

As governments and industry find ways of reducing emissions to keep climate change under control, some people are taking responsibility for their own carbon footprints. In this episode, Graihagh Jackson explores some different ways of living a green life – from setting up an eco-friendly commune in Denmark, to making small adjustments to our lifestyles in cities such as London. Graihagh also talks...

As climate change makes the world hotter, some cities have appointed "Chief Heat Officers" to try to improve their response to record-breaking temperatures. Graihagh Jackson speaks 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 o...

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 world’s energy needs by 2050. But how would these solar farms be assembled, how much fuel and money would it take to blast them into space in the first place,...

Graihagh chats to the BBC World Service's Global Story podcast about a plan for a super-category for storms. Is climate change making them so powerful that we need a new grade?

At the big COP climate summit last December, more than 20 countries pledged to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050 to help cut carbon emissions. The signatories included familiar nuclear names such as the US, France and Japan...but also newcomers, like Ghana. Although Ghana doesn’t currently have any nuclear power plants, president Nana Akufo-Addo says he wants to build one or two by 2030. So w...

The world's wetlands store carbon and can help us tackle some of the impacts of climate change. Are we overlooking their importance? And what can we do to protect them more? Graihagh Jackson travels to wetlands near her home in East Anglia while Qasa Alom reports from the Bay of Bengal. And The Climate Question catches up with an old friend of the show, Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary-General of the C...

Global temperatures have already increased by around 1.3C above pre-industrial levels, but this warming is not spread evenly across the planet. The Arctic, despite being one of the coldest regions on Earth, has become a hotspot for global warming. Local temperatures there are rising as much as four-times faster than in other parts of the world. This rapid warming is unsettling the delicate environ...

2024 will see billions of voters head to the polls in a record-breaking year for elections. It follows 2023 – another record-breaking year for the climate... so could global warming impact the way people vote? Or will it be eclipsed by the other big issues that dominate news headlines, like inflation and the cost of living, healthcare, education, and jobs. In this episode, presenter Graihagh Jacks...

You asked, we answered. In this episode, a panel of experts dive into your questions. How does war impact climate change? What are the carbon footprints of pets? Can so-called "green" or "living roofs" increase the resilience of cities? Send your questions to: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Join Presenter Graihagh Jackson and her guests: Dr Akshat Rathi, Senior Reporter for Climate, Bloomberg Esme Sta...

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 weather and can be forecast years in advance. Nine thousand miles away in Northern Ireland is Strangford Lough. A narrow inlet leading to the mighty Atlant...

The future of flying might depend on used cooking oil, plants and green electricity. Sustainable aviation fuels, known as SAF, are made from less carbon-intensive processes and renewable sources. Airlines are touting them as the key to decarbonising flying. The aviation industry has pledged to move from 2.5% of all global CO2 emissions to net zero by 2050 – with these alternative fuels being the c...