Climate Change for Beginners

Join Dr. Ciarán O’Carroll on 'Climate Change for Beginners' for an eye-opening episode titled 'Why is Chocolate so Expensive?' Explore the intriguing world of chocolate production, uncovering the deep impact of climate change on cocoa prices, shrinkflation, and the livelihoods of West African farmers. Learn about the broader implications of our changing climate on global food suppl...

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The Story of Just Stop Oil - In this episode, we delve into the disruptive tactics of the climate activist group, Just Stop Oil. From blocking petrol stations in Central London to scaling the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, and even spray-painting the exterior of Harrods, the group's bold actions have led to hundreds of arrests but have also sparked important conversations about the climate crisis....

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Five years ago, the United Nations Paris climate agreement set a ceiling for global warming at well below 2 °C, ideally 1.5 °C relative to pre-industrial levels. To achieve this everyone from the United States, China, the European Union, to the technology firm Microsoft and even an alliance of European airports are saying they will achieve “net-zero” greenhouse gas emissions this century. But what...

While the growth of global emissions has slowed in recent years, there is a large and growing gap between current commitments and what would be needed to avoid exceeding these global temperature limits. Carbon Brief has provided an analysis of when the world is expected to pass these limits in the absence of large future emissions reductions. Their analysis shows that: The world will likely exceed...

On today’s podcast we will answer the question  is climate change getting better? While this year will be memorable for many reasons, it is now more likely than not that 2020 will also be the warmest year for the Earth since reliable records began in the mid-1800s. The first nine months of the year saw record concentrations of major greenhouse gases – CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide – in the...

Around 2.4% of global CO2 emissions come from aviation. Together with other gases and the water vapour trails produced by aircraft, the industry is responsible for around 5% of global warming. On today’s podcast we will answer the question ‘’How bad is flying for the environment?’ Please subscribe to ‘Climate Change for Beginners’ and you can contact me on Twitter @ClimateCiaran.

On today's podcast we answer the question: "What is the impact of Covid-19 on the environment?" Follow the podcast on Twitter @ClimateCiaran

In 2019 a high-level report commissioned by the United Nations concluded that a huge reduction in meat-eating is ‘essential’ to avoid climate breakdown and keep global heating under 2C. According to the report the average world citizen needs to eat 75% less beef, 90% less pork and half the number of eggs, while tripling consumption of beans and pulses and quadrupling nuts and seeds. So why is meat...

Is global warming is real? There is so much evidence that at least 97% of climate scientists agree that humans are causing global warming. It’s as settled as the link between smoking and cancer. So why do so many people still think it's a hoax?

On today’s podcast we will answer the question ‘What is the Green New Deal’? If you’ve heard a lot recently about the Green New Deal but still aren’t quite sure what it is, you are not alone. It has been trumpeted by its supporters as the way to avoid planetary destruction, and vilified by opponents as a socialist plot to take away your ice cream. So it’s bound to be somewhat confusing.  We e...

Extinction Rebellion have glued themselves to trains, blockaded major bridges, and chained themselves to government buildings. So who are Extinction Rebellion and what do they want?

On this special 2020 New Years Day podcast I will be discussing 3 facts everyone must know about climate change going into the new decade. Fact 1: 18 of the 19 warmest years have occurred since 2001. Fact 2: Carbon Dioxide Emissions Hit a Record High in 2019 Fact 3: Natural gas has become the biggest driver of emissions growth As we enter this new decade it’s clear: we need to shift decisively awa...

On today’s podcast we will answer the question Which gas causes global warming? Please subscribe to ‘Climate Change for Beginners’ and if you would like to submit a question for a future podcast  please visit climatechangeforbeginners.com.

Scientists predict we’re currently on track for a heating of somewhere between 3C and 4C for 2100 Four degrees may not sound like much – after all, it is less than a typical temperature change between night and day. It might even sound pleasant. However, if the entire globe heats by 4C it would render the planet unrecognisable from anything humans have ever experienced. So, what will happen if the...

The melting of the ice caps is one of the best known of climate change’s many effects on planet earth. This year Arctic sea ice dropped to its second ever recorded level So why is the Arctic melting? Subscribe to ‘Climate Change for Beginners’ and if you would like to submit a question for a future podcast please visit climatechangeforbeginners.com

The world is in the midst of an unprecedented oil and gas drilling rush—brought on by a controversial technology called fracking. But along with rush have come reports of poisoned drinking water, polluted air, mysterious animal deaths, industrial disasters and explosions. So what is fracking and what damage does it cause?

We are facing an unprecedented global emergency. Life on Earth is in crisis: scientists agree we have entered a period of abrupt climate breakdown, and we are in the midst of a mass extinction of our own making. This is leading people more and more people to ask What can I do to stop climate change? About the author: Dr Ciarán O’Carroll is scientist turned activist. He was awarded a PhD in chemist...

Greta Thunberg is known to millions as the lead figure of school strike for the climate (also known as Fridays for Future). She’s also become famous for her short and scathing speeches about world leaders failure to act on the climate crisis. So who is she and where did she come from?

This year we’ve already seen fires in Siberia, the Amazon and across Africa. Now, Australia is enduring a bushfire crisis that has left three people dead, destroyed more than 150 homes, and prompted warnings of "catastrophic" danger. So what is causing Australia's bushfires?

In this podcast we'll look at three of the main effects of Climate Change that many of us are experiencing already. In this brand new podcast series scientist and activist Dr. Ciarán O’Carroll explains the science and answers the most frequently asked questions about climate change in a series of bite size podcasts. This podcast will answer all these questions and more in an accessible and enterta...

Climate change is the biggest threat that humanity has ever faced. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most complex. In this brand new podcast series scientist and activist Dr. Ciarán O’Carroll explains the science and answers the most frequently asked questions about climate change in a series of bite size podcasts. This podcast will answer all these questions and more in an accessible and entert...