Climate Curious

Is the climate crisis as bleak as some of the headlines make it seem? Fix The News’ founder, solutions journalist and political economist, Angus Hervey, joins Climate Curious to talk “trendlines versus headlines”, and reveals the biggest climate story of 2025: China. In conversation with co-hosts Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst, we discuss whether renewables are adding to the energy system or actually...

Can ancient myths and folktales from the lost goddesses of Britain help us solve the climate crisis? Kim Willis thinks so. From stories of powerful female forces of nature, to legends of wild river creation, Climate Curious is reconnecting with waterways, rivers, and nature through the stories of Britain’s lost goddesses. Narrative strategist and author Kim Willis takes us deep into Britain’s myth...

“It’s not too late” for us to embrace and preserve the natural world, “it’s just a little step back… a choice to live without fear.” Growing up in Lakota Country, actor Mo Brings Plenty of hit show ‘Yellowstone’, shares with Climate Curious his perspective on the natural world and how despite humans being “the most vicious predators the world has come to know” there is a space for us to fit inside...

When a capital city is only breathing the equivalent of two days of clean air a year, who is responsible and how can we fix it? With pollution levels in Mongolia’s capital of Ulaanbaatar hitting as high as 144 times the WHO guidelines, organisations like Breathe Mongolia Clean Air Coalition are working to help spread knowledge and awareness both inside and outside of the country. “There are no res...

Climate Curious… wrapped? With the end of the year upon us, join us to take a beat and look back at 2025 to analyse the climate solutions you loved most from 2025. Climate Curious co-hosts Maryam and Ben reminisce on your most loved moments from the year, and draw out the topics and speakers you found magnetic. Tickets for Climate Curious LIVE, 11th February 2025, ‘Climate OGs: The history & f...

When extreme weather events strike, who picks up the cheque? With the more devastating effects of climate change disproportionately hitting the Global South, Climate Curious asks the question “What does climate justice look like, and how much will it cost?” Enter climate justice advocate, Harjeet Singh, and his work with The Loss and Damage Fund. A mechanism designed to redistribute money from pol...

Is the show ‘Landman’ just slick fossil fuel promotion? Climate Curious separates fact from fiction when it comes to the narratives pushed in Taylor Sheridan’s new drama. With help from senior principal in RMI’s Climate Intelligence Program, Debbie Gordon, as well as Executive Director of Climate Spring, Lucy Stone, we unpack the environmental impacts the show conveniently leaves out, from ignored...

Is the UK finally closing the door on new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea? According to Tessa Khan, Executive Director of Uplift, yes! A corner has been turned and now the UK government has announced a ban on new oil and gas exploration licensing. Khan unpacks the myths around how new drilling will lower energy bills, as well as securing our energy independence, and why even with this new...

What’s the reality of life in West Texas oil country? In response to Season 2 of Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Landman’ starring Billy Bob Thornton, we asked the head of RMI's Oil & Gas Solutions Initiative and a narrative change expert to help us sort fact from fiction. What’s accurate and what’s inaccurate in this oily, macho, TV drama series? Join Climate Curious co-host Maryam Pasha with guests Debbi...

What’s the real deal with carbon capture? Sucking carbon out of the air may sound like an enticing solution, but climate advocate and investor James Mwangi warns that the technology is too often used to justify polluting behaviour rather than prevent it. As he puts it, it’s the difference between endlessly cleaning up a messy room versus simply not making the mess in the first place. Furthermore,...

What really happened at COP30? Tune in to the Climate Curious COP30 wrap-up mixtape and hear expert hot takes to soothe your soul, raise your spirits, and understand what the hits and misses were at this year’s 2025 COP30. Featured contributors: Fenton Lutunatabua Raysa França Nonette Royo Kumi Naidoo Tzeporah Berman Harjeet Singh Nicole Rycroft  Join the Climate Curious conversation on socia...

“Poetry helps shift some of the really dominant ways we think about the environment, particularly in the west” says environmental scientist and poet Riley Faulds. With the practice of ‘life-writing’ Riley shares how he approaches the writing process, as well as how this can have an impact on the way we all appreciate and interact with the natural world, drawing from his studies of World Literature...

“If you want to stop the oil industry, you have to use power. Law is power,” says environmental lawyer and Climate Curious alumni, Melinda Janki. Taking time to chat with Climate Curious co-host Ben Hurst right before her talk at TED Countdown 2025, Melinda shares how to use litigation to beat the polluters; detailing her wins against Big Oil, and imparting some sage but important advice to aspiri...

“ Climate change is going to exacerbate an already vulnerable population, especially in conflict zones,” says Dr. Omnia El Omrani, an Egyptian physician and the first official Youth Envoy for the UN Climate Summit. Omnia shares how the NHS has been pushing towards an even wider definition of “do no harm” with its push for net zero emissions, as well as sharing examples of how the people living in...

Kimiko Hirata shares her vision of a carbon-free Japan, and how shifting from “no” to “yes” is the key to mobilising people and government towards positive change. In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan had the opportunity to keep its commitments to renewable energy, says Goldman Environmental Prize winner and environmental activist Kimiko. Instead Japan closed its nuclear sites and...

Straight from the Big Brother House to the Climate Curious Live stage, recorded live at Ladbroke Hall, we caught up with Daze Aghaji on the evolution of activism, and how culture with both a “big C” and a “small c” is upstream of social cohesion, and crucial for driving change. Daze shares how rumination can limit our vision of a positive future, as well as recounting her experience on Big Brother...

When floods, storms, and droughts strike, who helps communities pick up the pieces? According to climate justice leader Harjeet Singh, the world still doesn’t have a fair answer. Currently, the countries least responsible for climate change are paying the highest price. When disaster strikes, typically countries must cover around 80% of the costs themselves. As one of the architects of the Loss an...

From an eco-spy to a human rights lawyer and even a sea captain; meet the capable guardians fighting green crime. Criminal psychologist Dr. Julia Shaw joins Climate Curious co-hosts Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha to reveal how the heroes behind environmental protection do it – and how you can too – through stories of advocacy, perseverance, and smarts. Tune in to explore criminological frame...

“Elephants are some of the last megafauna we have left. And without them we are kind of screwed,” says Dr. Julia Shaw on the latest ‘Climate Curious on Crime’. Tune in with Julia and co-hosts Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha as they discuss the role of megafauna in engineering ecosystems, what charismatic megafauna bias is, and how international ivory poaching bans have helped elephant populations bounc...

Perceived benevolence, organised crime, undercover operations, the psychology of poaching: tune in to hear the story behind one of world’s most successful wildlife trafficking takedowns cases – The Shuidong Syndicate. Criminal psychologist Dr. Julia Shaw joins Climate Curious co-hosts Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha to explore why ivory kingpins Xie, Ou, and Wong perpetrated these wildlife crimes,...

“If you just give people legal ownership without psychological ownership, they'll trash it,” says Dr. Julia Shaw on the latest ‘Climate Curious on Crime’. Tune in with Julia and co-hosts Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha as they discuss the psychology of ownership, resource guarding, and Indigenous rights. If you enjoyed this short, you can listen to the full episode 2/4 of ‘Climate Curious on Crime: Ep....

Rationalisation, conformity, impunity, ownership: tune in to hear the story of two remarkable environmental defenders Maria and Zé Cláudio – through the lens of criminal psychology. In conversation with Climate Curious co-hosts Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha, join criminal psychologist Dr. Julia Shaw to ask, why are land defenders getting killed in climate conflict zones such as The Amazon Rainfo...

When climate criminals are caught – what does justice look like? Criminal psychologist Dr. Julia Shaw joins Climate Curious co-hosts Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha to explore the psychology of impunity, weigh up punishment versus rehabilitation, and the effectiveness of high penalties. Listen to episode 1/4 of ‘Climate Curious on Crime: Ep.1 Dieselgate and the psychology of corporate green con me...

Epistemic malevolence, eco-anger, whistleblowing, greenwashing: tune in to hear the story of Volkswagen’s emissions scandal ‘Dieselgate’ like you’ve never heard it before – through the lens of criminal psychology. In conversation with Climate Curious co-hosts Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha, join criminal psychologist Dr. Julia Shaw to delve inside the minds of the executives and engineers perpetr...

What is the role of psychology in fighting environmental crime? Criminal psychologist Dr. Julia Shaw joins Climate Curious co-hosts Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha to explain what a green crime is, and why she spent three years writing a book on the topic. This conversation kicks off our new four-part mini-series ‘Climate Curious on Crime’ launching October 6th 2025, exclusively on the ‘Climate Curious...