Climate Curious

“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...

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...