Saving the World From Bad Ideas

In this season-ending episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, host Mark Lynas is joined by environmental journalist and author George Monbiot to explore a new framework for understanding environmentalism. George argues that what is often treated as a single movement actually contains three distinct and frequently conflicting philosophies: Green Liberationism, Green Pragmatism, and Green Social...

In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas speaks with Anni Pokela of Operaatio Arktis about why “Hands off Mother Earth” is no longer a serious response to the climate crisis. The conversation explores how humans are already deeply entangled with planetary systems, whether through emissions, land use, or atmospheric pollution, and why the real question is no longer whether we...

In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas speaks with global ecologist Tom Crowther about a seductive but dangerous assumption: just leave it to the market. While part of the conversation focuses directly on capitalism, inequality, poverty, and wealth redistribution, the discussion is much broader than economics alone. Drawing on Tom’s new book Nature’s Echo, they explore how...

In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas speaks with science writer Rowan Hooper about one of the deepest misconceptions in biology: that life is only about competition. Drawing on Hooper’s new book Togetherness, they explore how symbiosis and cooperation run through life at every scale, from lichens and corals to ants, orchids, the human microbiome, and even the origin of co...

In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas speaks with journalist and author Nicholas Niarchos about the dirty, dangerous, and politically fraught supply chains behind lithium-ion batteries. Using cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a central case study, they explore how a technology essential to electrification and decarbonisation became tied to child labour,...

In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas speaks with Stanford historian David Holloway about one of the most dangerous assumptions of the nuclear age: history shows nuclear war will never happen. Drawing on Holloway’s new book Nuclear Weapons and International History, they trace the development of the bomb from the Manhattan Project to the thermonuclear age, the Cuban Missil...

“Attenborough’s films ignore human impacts.” In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas , Mark Lynas speaks with filmmaker and environmental storyteller Colin Butfield, co-founder of Open Planet Studios and a long-time collaborator of David Attenborough. They discuss how Attenborough’s work has evolved from classic nature spectacle toward a much more explicit confrontation with ecological...

Antarctica is the least disturbed continent on Earth — and for some of the world's most powerful fishing nations, that's not a reason to protect it. It's a reason to go there next. Claire Christian, Executive Director of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, joins Mark Lynas to make the case that the bad idea is to look at the antarctica regian as a pantry, plenty of krill in the...

Clean energy won't work in the global south... right? At a moment when the fossil fueled economy is cracking under geopolitical pressure, Daan Walter of EMBER brings the data that reframes everything: clean energy is moving ahead, in developing countries — it's already winning. Walter unpacks EMBER's latest electricity review findings: for the first time, wind and solar absorbed nearly...

“We can stop worrying about the climate.” In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas speaks with climate scientist Zeke Hausfather about a dangerously complacent idea: we can stop worrying about the climate. As recent years have broken temperature records and warming appears to be accelerating, they explore why that conclusion is badly mistaken. The conversation unpacks the hid...

Are vaccines overrated? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas , Mark Lynas speaks with Dr Seth Berkley, infectious disease epidemiologist, former CEO of Gavi, and co-founder of COVAX, about what the world got right and wrong during COVID-19.  They discuss vaccine equity, pandemic preparedness, the politicisation of public health, and why the world remains dangerously vulnerable to fut...

Geothermal energy isn't niche—it's everywhere.  In this conversation, Mark Lynas speaks with Terra Rogers—program director for Superhot Rock Geothermal at Clean Air Task Force—about how next-generation geothermal technology could deliver 24/7 carbon-free baseload power anywhere on Earth. For a century, geothermal meant hunting for rare pockets where heat, water, and permeable rock aligned...

Conspiracy theories are psychologically reassuring closed systems that are corroding democracy. In this conversation, Mark Lynas speaks with Calum Matheson—associate professor and chair of Communication at the University of Pittsburgh—about why conspiracy thinking is more dangerous than ever. The appeal is simple: know the conspiracy, and everything makes sense. You're exceptional because you...

At 90 years old, Sylvia Earle has witnessed more ocean change than perhaps anyone alive. In this conversation, the legendary oceanographer delivers an urgent message: we're destroying the very systems that keep us alive, and we're running out of time to stop. Earle dismantles the illusion that wild-caught seafood is sustainable. Since the 1950s, we've removed roughly half the ocean&#39...

Are ultra-processed foods really the enemy?  In this conversation, Mark Lynas sits down with Nesli Sözer, research professor at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and founder of NAPKIN (Nordic Alternative Protein Knowledge and Innovation Network—yes, the best food acronym ever). Sözer dismantles the myth that processing itself makes food unhealthy, revealing why the NOVA classification syste...

Should we be fishing for krill in the Antarctic?  In this extraordinary episode, Mark Lynas connects via satellite with three researchers aboard a Sea Shepherd vessel in the Southern Ocean near the South Orkney Islands—one of the most remote and important whale feeding grounds on Earth. Matt Savoca (Stanford/California Marine Sanctuary Foundation), Ted Cheeseman (UC Santa Cruz/Happy Whale), and Lu...

Is there really not enough land for renewables?  In this conversation, Mark Lynas sits down with Tom Heap—BBC Countryfile presenter, Radio 4's Rare Earth co-host, and author of Land Smart: How to Give People and Nature the Space to Thrive —to tackle one of the most important yet least discussed environmental issues: land use. Heap makes the case that there's plenty of space for solar (and...

Is nature really as fragile as we've been led to believe?  In this conversation, Mark Lynas sits down with veteran environmental journalist Fred Pearce, author of Despite It All: A Handbook for Environmental Hopefuls , to challenge one of environmentalism's core assumptions. Pearce argues that nature isn't fragile—it's resilient, adaptive, and constantly evolving. The evidence show...

Is industrial food actually the villain — or one of humanity's greatest achievements? In this provocative episode, Mark Lynas sits down with Jan Dutkiewicz, assistant professor at the Pratt Institute and contributing editor at the New Republic, co-author of Feed the People: Why Industrial Food is Good and How to Make it Even Better . Dutkiewicz challenges the consensus that "the food syst...

Can technology save us from environmental collapse — or is it just another false promise?  In this epic conversation, Mark Lynas sits down with Adam Dorr, Director of Research at RethinkX and author of The Degrowth Delusion , to explore four simultaneous technological revolutions reshaping our world: energy (solar, wind, batteries), transportation (EVs and autonomous vehicles), food (precision fer...

Can we really solve climate change just by fixing energy — and ignore food?  In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas , Mark Lynas sits down with Bruce Friedrich , founder and President of the Good Food Institute , to tackle Bad Idea #37: “Solving energy is enough for solving climate.” Bruce argues that focusing exclusively on decarbonising energy while ignoring food systems is one of th...

Is the 1.5°C temperature target helping or hindering climate action? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas sits down with his co-authors Kwesi Quagraine (climate scientist at NCAR) and Erle Ellis (professor at University of Maryland Baltimore County) to discuss their groundbreaking new paper published in Nature that proposes a complete rethinking of how we measure climate...

Is “degrowth” a noble environmental solution — or one of history’s truly terrible ideas? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas , Mark Lynas sits down with Adam Dorr, Director of Research at RethinkX and author of The Degrowth Delusion: Dispelling One of History’s Truly Terrible Ideas . Dorr argues that degrowth — the increasingly popular environmental movement calling for economic con...

Welcome to season three of Saving The World From BAD IDEAS Bad Idea #35: ‘THIS is the Future’ Why Forecasts Fail – with David Wallace-Wells In the season three opener of Saving the World from Bad Ideas , Mark Lynas sits down with David Wallace-Wells , New York Times columnist and author of The Uninhabitable Earth , to tackle a deceptively simple bad idea: the belief that we can predict the future...

Is nuclear power too slow, too expensive, or too essential to ignore? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas , Mark Lynas sits down with Baroness Bryony Worthington — crossbench peer, climate policy architect, and co-host of the Cleaning Up podcast — to take on Bad Idea #34: “Nuclear? No Thanks.” 🧠 Topics Discussed: ● ⚛️ Why nuclear costs haven’t fallen — and why China may change that...