Climate Curious

Chemistry is the new frontier of conservation, says professor of medicinal chemistry, Tim Cernak, on Climate Curious. Unable to ignore sick sea turtles washed up on the beach, Tim turned to the laboratory to apply medicinal solutions to nature. From fungal frogs to seal pups with avian flu – Tim’s fascination has spawned a new approach to conservation through chemistry, transforming chemists...

Eco-anxious – rejoice! This week’s episode is a salve for the eco-shaken, (i.e. all of us!?). Katharine K. Wilkinson returns to share her new framework for navigating eco-anxiety with Climate Curious co-hosts Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha – and it starts by getting honest about the emotional weight of caring. We dig into why grief, fear, and exhaustion aren't obstacles to climate action, but par...

Stingless bees have been around since the dinosaurs, but until recently ignored by mainstream scientific studies From her lab in the heart of the Amazon, scientist Rosa Vásquez Espinoza has been busy proving that these insects are medicinal and agricultural superbugs that require respect – both socially and legally! In conversation with Climate Curious’ Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha, Rosa breaks down...

In Nigeria’s Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, a rare short-tailed roundleaf bat whose global population is less than 1500, is trying to survive – and their biggest threat is wildfire. Nigerian tropical ecologist, conservationist and 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize for Africa winner Iroro Tanshi joins Climate Curious to share how farmers are transforming into frontline fire brigades, what com...

The “Finch ruling” case started small – with £20 donations from people that cared – but the eventual wins were big. What’s less well known, is the legal rollercoaster Sarah Finch and the Weald Action Group faced. After a failed High Court case and a failed Court of Appeal case, Sarah faced a major crossroads: keep going or call it a day? Sarah joins Climate Curious’s Ben Hurst to share w...

What does it really take to challenge the UK government on climate – and win? Enter climate winner – Sarah Finch of the legendary UK “Finch ruling”. From Surrey oil well to the Supreme Court, Sarah Finch and the Weald Action Group took the government to task – forcing it to rewrite how it assesses the environmental impact of new oil and gas projects, forever! And now she’s sharing the st...

This conservation will be televised! “ Live streaming meant the animals could reach way more people without having to meet any of them,” says YouTube and Twitch conservationist streamer Maya Higa. Since her rise to over a million livestream followers, Maya has used her platform to fund the creation of the Alveus Sanctuary. A purpose built virtual conservation centre raising funds to fuel even more...

We’ve all heard the language: “fight,” “tackle,” “combat” the climate crisis, right? But what if the “warrior mindset” wasn’t just a battle cry, but actually part of the problem? According to OG environmentalist Paul Hawken, it is, because it “others” nature. Paul joins Climate Curious to share why it’s time to stop trying to “fix” the Earth, and remember instead that we are a part of it. Enjoyed...

“Grief is a blessing. It's a guide. It's a signal. It's us being our best self when we feel grief, because it's our heart,” says OG environmentalist Paul Hawken on the Climate Curious podcast. In conversation with co-hosts Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha, Paul invites us to reframe fear as grief,  take courage over hope (particularly in regards to the Iran war), and even has a poignant message for...

“[Stingless bees] pollinate more than 80% of Amazonian flora, from your coffee, chocolate, and the avocado on your toast,” says Peruvian scientist and conservationist Rosa Vásquez Espinoza. These harmless and often overlooked buzzy fluffers play a large and often forgotten role in the World’s richest ecosystem. From providing medicinal honey to communities, to empowering women to become stingless...

The world is not going to stop changing. So what do we do with that? Katharine K. Wilkinson, author, climate strategist, and two-decade veteran of the climate movement, tells Climate Curious that resilience isn't about having answers. It's about building the navigational muscles to keep moving when the answers don't exist yet. Tune in to explore the practice of climate wayfinding, learn how to loo...

“Grief is a blessing, a guide; it's us being our best self when we feel grief,” says climate OG Paul Hawken on Climate Curious. With the rise of global conflict, Climate Curious co-hosts Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha turn to environmental juggernaut Paul Hawken for a much needed pep talk. He shares tips for navigating the modern media landscape, how grief can help us tap into ideas and solutions, and...

“Nature is a deep form of technology,” says nature campaigner, Kalpana Arias, on Climate Curious. It sometimes feels like“big tech” is coming to get us, from its roots in military structures, and an overall drive to replace human connection with convenience, but what if we could “glitch” the system? From hacking Tamagotchi’s into garden sensors, to how guerilla gardening can reclaim our cities, an...

Embrace the “glitch” to unlock more sustainable, collective and joyful futures, says nature campaigner Kalpana Arias on the Climate Curious podcast. In conversation with Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha, Kalpana explores the surprising nature/tech overlap, and how “Glitch Feminism” can help us take back power in our digital spaces, and in turn, reclaim our relationship with tech as a key step in acceler...

“There are no better messengers than artists” says climate campaigner, advisor, and author, Tori Tsui, as she unpicks the relationship between music and climate on the Climate Curious podcast. In conversation with Climate Curious co-hosts Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha, Tori shares how some of the biggest artists like Massive Attack, Brain Eno, and Coldplay are using their platform for good, and how t...

From the civil rights movement to global stages stacked with the world’s biggest artists, campaigner, activist, and author Tori Tsui joins Climate Curious to connect the dots between music and climate. Tune in to explore the intentional overwhelm tactics used by Big Oil, how sponsorships help them gain a “social license” to pollute, and which pop stars are using their platform to do something abou...

"It sounds totally preposterous now – excluding the climate impact of burning oil," says Tessa Khan, environmental lawyer, campaigner, and founder of Uplift. Live on stage at Climate Curious Live in London, Tessa breaks down the legal strategy behind taking the previous UK government to court over its approval of the Rosebank oil field, and how they won! She unpacks the loopholes Big Oil has...

“I feel upbeat about what's possible," says Tessa Khan, environmental lawyer, campaigner, and founder of Uplift. In this live episode, Tessa joins co-hosts Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst for a stocktake of the UK's most epic climate victories: ending new oil and gas exploration, shutting down the last coal-fired power plant, and becoming the only major economy to cut greenhouse gas emissions by roughl...

“We should be as optimistic as they [Big Oil] are,” says economist, diplomat, key architect of the Paris Agreement, and climate heavy-hitter Laurence Tubiana. Having spent decades navigating the political domain of global climate policy, in this Climate Curious short she dives into why the current “down cycle” of climate action is reflective of fear in the fossil fuel industry and should be viewed...

“ Climate is a combat sport”, says French economist, diplomat, and climate heavy-hitter Laurence Tubiana, live on stage at Climate Curious Live Climate OGs event last week. As one of the key architects of the Paris Agreement, very few people have the experience and political perspective she does in the world of climate action. Laurence breaks down why the current “down cycle” in climate action sho...

From WWII radars to Tupperware, LEGO, and even heart transplants, plastic permeates every facet of our lives. But how much of this was Big Oil's "Plan B” strategy to triple production and keep profits high? Climate Curious gets the scoop on big plastic's secret and shocking history from environmental journalist and TEDxLondon speaker Beth Gardiner. As Beth tells us, "it's actually enraging rather...

“The judge said ExxonMobil’s liability is unlimited, so that could cost them billions,” says Melinda Janki, the lawyer leading the fight to protect Guyana from the oil curse on the latest Climate Curious. Tune in to hear Melinda speak about legal wins against big oil and understand how you yourself can help keep big oil accountable for its polluting actions. Recorded live in conversation with Clim...

Climate’s thousand pound gorilla in the room? China. Since 2016, China has been responsible for about 90% of global emissions growth. But as of 2025, China' s emissions have started to fall. So why is no-one talking about it? Climate Curious’ Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha spoke to Fix The News’ founder, solutions journalist and political economist, Angus Hervey to ask why this is a massive climate br...

The world’s poorest people are on the front lines of climate change – yet they’re often an afterthought in climate policy. Nobel Prize-winning economist Esther Duflo joins Climate Curious co-host Ben Hurst to unpack why climate resilience begins with those who have contributed least to climate change, and what a more effective approach looks like. Drawing on decades of research and her work at the...

“If you can target black carbon, you have a huge impact over a very short period of time,” says science communicator and YouTuber, Simon Clark. Black carbon is hundreds of times more polluting  than CO2, but what is it? Where does it come from? And how can it be used as an emergency brake to reduce global warming? From clean cooking devices and fuels, to the phasing out of diesel vehicles, we...