Climate change podcast - Why Haven't We Solved It Yet?

Episodes

Listen on Spotify, iTunes and five other platforms

Episode 1 - with Prof Corinne Le Quéré

Aayushi speaks to Prof Corinne Le Quéré, Royal Society Research Professor of Climate Change Science at the University of East Anglia. They discuss the drop in carbon emissions as a result of lockdown at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the control individuals have over their own emissions, how to tackle climate change from a range of perspectives, and the importance of sending a message to politicians and organisations to make change. 

Episode 2 - Do we have the technology? with Dr Nem Vaughan

Do we have the technology to limit temperature rise? Aayushi meet’s Dr Nem Vaughan to find out. They discuss Dr Vaughan's journey to UEA and the Tyndall Centre, working with the International Panel on Climate Change, using hydrogen fuel cells in different modes of transport, electric-powered flights, the ups and downs of nuclear power, and a definitive answer on which end of a cow produces the most methane.

Episode 3 - Do we have the money? with Karan Mangotra

Aayushi speaks to Karan Mangotra, a Senior Climate Change Specialist at the World Bank, to find out how the world of carbon finance works. They discuss result-based financing, building resilience in the developing world, the power of the World Bank in bringing people together, the role of philanthropy and how we need somewhere between $1.5-3.5 trillion to limit temperature rise to 1.5-degrees.

Episode 4 - Do we have the political will? with Miles Perry

How do politics, economics and science work together to influence climate policy? This week Aayushi meets Miles Perry, an economist, researcher and policymaker at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, and a UEA alumni. They discuss the unique combination of politics, economics and science that contributes to the EU’s climate policies, the challenges of climate scepticism and fossil fuel dependency, and managing climate obligations to less developed states.

Episode 5 - Do we have individual responsibility? with Dr Esther Priyadharshini

Aayushi meets Dr Esther Priyadharshini, Associate Professor in UEA’s School of Education, to ask what part activism can play in solving climate change, and whether individuals really can make a difference in saving the planet. They discuss Dr Priyadharshini's research into the school strikes on climate, what impact peaceful protest and writing to MPs can have and how acting individually can accelerate the collective preventative effort.

Episode 6 - Is the path to net zero fair for all? with Prof Saleemul Huq

In episode six, Aayushi speaks to the Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development Prof Saleemul Huq – and he doesn’t hold back. In a wide-ranging conversation Aayushi asks if all countries are in the same boat, what does fair looks like when it comes to transition to net-zero. They discuss the role of fossil fuel companies, why we should invest in adapting to the changing climate, the challenges facing the most vulnerable countries, Bangladesh's leadership in facing the climate crisis head on, the realities of acting on the Paris Agreement, the media's tenuous role in talking about the climate crisis and, in Prof Huq’s opinion, which country shouldn’t be at COP26.

*Bonus episode* - What is COP26 and why should we care? with Asher Minns

After six episodes covering the science, technology, finance and politics behind the climate debate, Aayushi speaks to Asher Minns, Executive Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, about the event of the moment - COP26. Asher, who has attend COP for the past decade, explains what COP is, what will be discussed, what it means to the UK to host the conference, how we will know if it's a been a success, the similarities between the Kyoto Protocol and supporting a terrible football team, and how the future of humanity will rely on the effective communication of complex science.

*Bonus episode* - Understanding eco-anxiety - #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek special

What is eco-anxiety and how does it affect us? How can we learn to cope? And can we use mindfulness to effect positive social change? In this bonus episode for Mental Health Awareness Week, Aayushi speaks to UEA undergraduate student Stephen Kirk and Dr Kate Russell from the School of Education and Lifelong Learning to find out how eco-anxiety has affected them, playing our part in fighting climate change, the complicated decision of whether to start a family, 'decentering', and if we should give eco-anxiety a new name. The episode coincides with the launch of a one-of-a-kind partnership between UEA, the mental health charity Mind and the Climate Psychology Alliance delivering wellbeing activities to support students at UEA with eco-anxiety.