The Climate Question

We know from The Climate Question back catalogue, solving climate change is a knotty problem which does not lend itself to quick fixes. But in this programme a panel of experts discuss whether there could be any easy wins on climate change such as putting solar panels across the Earth’s deserts and changing what we eat.Presenter Neal Razzell is joined by:Rebekah Shirley - Director of Research, Data & Innovation at World Resources Institute (WRI) Africa, Peggy Liu - Director at Project Drawdown, Chair of JUCCCE Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy (JUCCCE) Zeke Hausfather – Climate Scientist and author for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)Producer: Serena Tarling Production support: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross Sound mix: James Beard Series producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton Smith

Since the 1990s, air flight has made the world a smaller place. In one 24-hour period you can fly to the other end of the globe. In an hour you might be able to skip the traffic and fly to the other end of your country. But this convenience comes at a cost….to the climate. Aviation accounts for somewhere between 2 to 5% of the world’s emissions. And as the world’s desire to travel proves insatiable, the number of planes in the sky each day is only increasing. The aviation industry has aspirational plans to decarbonise using sustainable and/or synthetic aviation fuels. But these are currently some way off. In the meantime, airlines are offering carbon offsets. Offsets are controversial products and only 1% of passengers pay for them. So, this week on The Climate Question we are asking, can flying ever be climate friendly? Presenters Neal Razzell and Merlyn Thomas speak with the following contributors: Jo Dardenne, Aviation Director at Transport & Environment Souparna Lahiri, Climate Policy Advisor with The Global Forest Coalition Simon Berrow, Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group Joana Setzer, Assistant Professor at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change & the Environment, LSE Special thanks to Helen Coffey, author of Zero Altitude: How I learned to fly less and travel more Sebastian Mikosz of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) The team this week: Reporters: Peter O’Connell in Kilrush on the west coast of Ireland Researcher: Louise Parry & Immy Rhodes Producer: Dearbhail Starr Series Producer: Alex Lewis Production Coordinators: Iona Hammond & Siobhan Reed Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Magician: Tom Brignell

The development of agriculture some 12,000 years ago changed the way humans live. As technologies have developed we’ve become more and more efficient at producing large amounts of food and feeding an ever growing population, often with the help of synthetically produced nitrogen fertiliser. These fertilisers can damage ecosystems. They also produce a potent greenhouse gas called Nitrous Oxide which is 265 times more warming than carbon dioxide. It’s estimated that the manufacturing and use of this fertiliser contributes 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But is it feasible to ban synthetic nitrogen fertilisers or would that risk plunging the world into mass food insecurity? Join presenters Qasa Alom and Graihagh Jackson as they journey from an urban garden in Sri Lanka, where a radical fertiliser ban caused chaos, to eastern Africa where Kenyan farmers are mixing tradition with new technology to try and save the world’s climate, and its soils. With thanks to: Dr Rona Thompson, Senior Scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Air research, Norway Professor Manish Raizada, dept. of Plant Agriculture, at the University of Guelph, Canada Dr David Lelei, research associate at CIFOR-ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya Elijah Musenya, farmer, western Kenya.And Phelystus Wayeta, for travelling to Western Kenya to report on farmers and farming practices. Producer: Lizzy McNeill Reporter: Aanya Wipulasena, Colombo, Sri Lanka Researchers: Imogen Serwotka Production co-ordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross , Siobhan Reed. Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Mix: Tom Brignell

Cycling is healthy, cheap - and as modes of transport go, they don’t come much greener. Worldwide, transport is responsible for nearly a quarter of all carbon emissions, with road transport alone accounting for 75% of that. But so far, most discussions on greening the transport sector have focussed on electrifying our cars, trucks and buses – overlooking the vital role that bicycles could play in the climate transition. In fact, experts say that we’re unlikely to meet our short-term climate goals without more people getting on their bikes. So what needs to change to make that happen? We look at what’s been done on streets of Bogota, New York and Kampala to get more people cycling across the world. Presenters Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell are joined by: Janette Sadik-Khan, former Transport Commissioner of New York City Henk Swarttouw, President of the European Cyclists Federation and World Cycling Alliance Amanda Ngabirano, Lecturer in Urban Mobility at Makerere University, Kampala Jaime Ortiz Mariño, architect and organiser of the first ciclovía event in Bogotá Producer: Zoe Gelber Reporter: Laura Ubate in Bogotá Researchers: Immie Rhodes and Louise Parry Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Mix: Tom Brignell

Along almost every tropical coastline you can find the tangled roots of mangrove trees, a natural barrier against extreme weather. They are also one of the most powerful weapons we have for fighting climate change. Mangrove forests are six times better at capturing carbon than tropical forests. But in the last 40 years up to a third of mangrove forests worldwide have disappeared.Joining presenters Kate Razzell and Qasa Alom to discuss where our mangroves have gone are: Leah Glass, Technical Advisor for Blue Carbon at Blue Ventures Andre Aquino Senior Natural Resources Management Specialist, World Bank, Indonesia Producer: Dearbhail Starr Researchers: Immy Rhodes and Louise Parry Reporter: Fyneface Dumnamene Series producer: Alex Lewis Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Production Co-ordinators: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Scientists estimate that peatlands around the world hold about 350 billion tonnes of carbon. The tropical peatland of the Congo Basin – known as Cuvette Centrale - are thought to store the equivalent of 20 years of US fossil fuels emissions. BBC Africa Correspondent Andrew Harding has been up to his neck in it, witnessing the work being done by scientists to protect it and what might threaten its future. He also hears a warning from Environment Minister, Arlette Soudan-Nonault, about the choices the Republic of Congo faces between preserving the peatlands and making use of its resources to provide a living for its population.We find out how one simple lesson learned in Indonesia is being shared with countries in Africa and South America to help keep a global promise to protect tropical peatlands. It’s not just about promises though – financial experts explain why persuading richer countries to pay cash for “wasteland” could be good for all of us. Presenters Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell are joined by: Dr Daniel Murdiyarso, Principal Scientist with the Centre for International Forestry Research, Indonesia Prof Kevin Chika Urama, Chief Economist, African Development Bank Sara Jane Ahmed, finance advisor to the V20 Group of climate vulnerable countries. Reporter: Andrew Harding, BBC Africa Correspondent in Cuvette Centrale, Republic of Congo Producer: Alex Murray Researchers: Natasha Fernandes, Mai Kanaaneh, Kirsteen Knight Series Producer: Alex Lewis Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill, Siobhan Reed Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Reduce, reuse, recycle is a familiar mantra the world over. Recycling has been described as ‘one of the easier climate-friendly acts” that individuals can do. A recent poll found that, globally, most of us believe that recycling is the single best thing we can do to tackle the climate crisis. But there isn’t much mention of “reduce” and “reuse”. This week, presenters Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell explore how successful the world’s recycling system really is, visiting Port Klang in Malaysia where huge swaths of the globe’s recycling gets sent only to end up... well, listen and you’ll find out! Kate and Neal will also learn how climate friendly recycling really is and whether there are other more important actions we can take to improve how we manage our waste. Thank you to contributors: Ke Wang, Lead of the PACE Program at the World Resources Institute (Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy) Costas Velis, Lecturer in Resource Efficiency Systems at the University of Leeds, UK Jenny van Doorn, Professor of Marketing Services at the University of Groningen, Netherlands Farhan Nasa, Project Coordinator at Break Free from Plastic, Malaysia Our team: Reporter: Chen Yih Wen, Environmental Reporter in Tanjung Harapan, Klang, Malaysia Researchers: Immie Rhodes, Natasha Fernandes, Marcia Veiga, Sarah Wild. Producer: Dearbhail Starr Series Producer: Alex Lewis Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill, Siobhan Reed Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

We often talk about the physical costs of climate change; the economic fallout, the effect on livelihoods and damage to the earth. But all of the changes to our world caused by global warming will have an effect on our minds, our mental health too. Earlier this year the mental health challenges caused by rising temperatures and extreme weather events were spotlighted in a report by the UN’s climate science body, the IPCC. Anxiety, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even suicide, are all predicted to increase as the world heats up. Jordan Dunbar looks at what this means for people living on the front line of climate change, including examples from Nigeria, India and the Philippines. Joining Jordan to discuss the mental health challenges facing a warming world are: Dr Brandon Gray – Clinical Psychologist, World Health Organisation Dr Gesche Huebner Senior Researcher University College London, Energy Institute Dr Paolo Cianconi Psychiatrist Catholic University of Rome, Department of Neurosciences Presenter: Jordan Dunbar Reporter: Rajesh Joshi Producer: Jordan Dunbar and Sarah Wild Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill, Siobhan Reed Series Producer: Alex Lewis Sound Engineer: James Beard Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Long term climate policy has long been at odds with short-term politics. As numerous countries head to the polls this year, we visit Brazil, Australia and the United States and see how climate policy is being used as a political tool to divide voters. During recent the elections in Australia – a country with some of the world’s highest emissions per capita – experts believe that experiencing the effects of climate change first hand brought the need for action up the agenda, leading to the unseating of the climate sceptic Liberal National Coalition. We hear from a follower of Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who believes that the country’s own deforestation figures are fake. Meanwhile, in the US, we look at how the Republican party’s position changed from the 2008 presidential elections from proposing climate policies to denying that man-made climate change is real.Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell are joined by: Kate Walton, political journalist based in Canberra, Australia Kathy Hochstetler, Professor of International Development at the London School of Economics, UK Anthony Leiserowitz, Director of the Program for Climate Change Communication at Yale University, USAReporter: Roberta Fortuna Researcher: Immie Rhodes Producer: Dearbhail Starr Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Mixer: Tom Brignell

Recent research shows that levels of Methane gas in the atmosphere are rising rapidly. It is over 80 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide so poses a major threat to the world’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 C. At COP26, over 100 countries signed a Global Methane Pledge to reduce man-made emissions by 2030 – experts say cutting methane emissions is ‘the most powerful lever we have for reducing warming... over the next 30 years’. So what can be done to stop the levels rising further? We hear how farmers in Bangladesh, along with other parts of Asia, are using wetting and drying techniques in rice paddies to reduce emissions; how cows are being fed special dietary supplements with a surprising ingredient: seaweed, but why naturally occurring wetlands are a cause for concern. Presenters Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell are joined by: Xin Lan, Greenhouse Gas Scientist with NOAA and University of Colorado Drew Shindell, Special Representative on Methane Action for the Climate and Clean Air Coalition Ermias Kebreab, Professor at the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis, Humnath Bhandari, Bangladesh country representative, International Rice Research Institute, Producers: Alex Murray and Serena Tarling Researcher: Immy Rhodes Reporter: Akbar Hossain, BBC Bengali Series Producer: Alex Lewis Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Editor: Richard Vadon