The Climate Question

Graihagh Jackson and BBC Climate Reporter Esme Stallard discuss the latest news from around the world - including a row at Britain's prestigious Royal Society about whether to expel Elon Musk, the latest numbers on the state of glaciers and a report from Germany on the future of the country's massive coal industry. Plus, Caroline Steel from the BBC's Crowdscience podcast has been finding out how Norwegians are protecting themselves from the growing number of encounters with polar bears. Hosts: Graihagh Jackson with Esme Stallard Reporters: Caroline Steel and Tim Mansel Sound Mix: James Beard, Neil Churchill and Tom Brignell Produced and Edited by Graihagh Jackson and Simon Watts If you have a question, email us at the climatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at +44 8000 321 721

Climate change is usually associated with hotter weather, but experts say that in Mongolia it's making the country's cold snaps even harsher. Can Mongolian nomads survive much longer in extreme winter conditions known as "dzuds"? Or will the loss of their livestock and livelihoods force herders to abandon a way of life that dates back millennia? Graihagh Jackson finds out more about the situation on the ground from Mongolian reporter Khaliun Bayartsogt, and explores possible solutions with Khulan Dashpuntsag from the UN-funded ADAPT project. Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Reporter in Mongolia: Khaliun Bayartsogt Producers: Tsogzolmaa Shofyor, Octavia Woodward, Caroline Bayley, Ellie House Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts If you have a question, email us at the climatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at +44 8000 321 721

How can we protect our mental health from climate change related trauma? Can family, friends and community help to boost recovery and resilience in places hit by extreme weather? Graihagh Jackson finds out about a local support network called "After The Fire", set up following the wildfires which swept through Northern California in 2017. And she hears how the Manobo tribe in the Philippines are protecting their community from flooding and typhoons. Plus, we hear some top tips about mental health first aid, and how to build psychological resilience, from Jyoti Mishra, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of California and Dr. John Jamir Benzon R. Aruta, Associate Professor at the de La Salle University in the Philippines. You can find out more about the story from the Philippines by following the link to an article by our friends at BBC Future Planet. Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Producer: Diane Richardson For BBC Future Planet: Gab Mejia, Ivan Torres, Jeremy Riggall and Isabelle Gerretsen Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts If you have a question, email us at the climatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at +44 8000 321 721

Across the world vehicle manufacturers are racing to make zero emission cars in the move away from fossil-fuel powered vehicles. It’s a huge market which could reach 9 trillion dollars worldwide by 2030. One small country which is grabbing this opportunity is Hungary. Located in the heart of Europe but with a population of under 10 million, it’s becoming one of the top battery producers globally for electric cars. This transition is bringing billions of euros of investment into the Hungarian economy and creating tens of thousands of jobs. One city in particular – Debrecen – the country’s second biggest, is becoming an epi-centre for battery production. The Climate Question’s Jordan Dunbar has been to Debrecen to find out who’s benefitting from the green gold rush. He speaks to local people and businesses about their hopes and fears as their city is transformed. Presenter: Jordan Dunbar Producers in Hungary: Ellie House and Balint Bardi Producer in London: Caroline Bayley Sound Designer: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts If you have a question, email us at the climatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at +44 8000 321 721

How can you have a successful relationship with someone if you believe passionately in climate action, but they don’t? The fate of our planet can be a divisive, emotive, even frightening issue. It’s something that’s tearing more and more couples and families apart, experts have told us. It’s not easy getting past those differences with the ones we love, but it is possible. We speak to a couple, as well as a mother and daughter, to find out how. And we ask whether the way we talk to our loved ones about climate change might offer important lessons on how we discuss the issue more broadly. Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by: Daze and Antonia Aghaji, from London Caroline Hickman, researcher at the University of Bath in the UK and psychotherapist Mohini and Sam Pollock, from Campbell, California Thanks to Jasmine Navarro, founder of Nava, for her help with this episode, which was first broadcast in 2023. Producer: Simon Tulett Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production co-ordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill If you have a question, email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at + 44 8000 321 721

The Musya family from rural Kenya have become the stars of two documentaries, inspiring audiences around the world with their efforts to fight the impact of climate change. The award-winning 'Thank You For The Rain' shows how Kisilu Musya manages to keep his family on their farm by planting trees, diversifying their crops and adapting to more extreme weather events. 'Grace And The Storm' tells the story from the perspective of his daughter Grace and was made by CBBC for children around the world. The Climate Question visits the Musya farm in Kenya and talks to the documentary-maker Julia Dahr. Dahr directed 'Thank You For the Rain' and co-directed 'Grace And The Storm' with Dina Mwende. UK viewers can watch 'Grace And The Storm' via the link. Presenter: Jordan Dunbar Reporter in Kenya: Michael Kaloki Producers: Ellie House and Graihagh Jackson Sound Design: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts If you have a question, email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at + 44 8000 321 721

Climate Question listeners take over the programme again, putting their queries to Graihagh Jackson and her panel: BBC climate editor Justin Rowlatt, Bloomberg News senior climate reporter Akshat Rathi and the presenter of BBC CrowdScience Caroline Steel. One listener asks why the climate appears to have changed so dramatically and fast in the last 50 years. Another wonders whether "space junk" plays a role in global warming. Plus, a question from a five-year old and - in a first for the programme - a listener's climate song! If you have a question, email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at + 44 8000 321 721 Producer: Michaela Graichen Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound mix: James Beard and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

How farmers and scientists in eastern India are using ancient rice seeds to fight flooding, increasing soil salinity and drought. The BBC’s William Kremer tells Graihagh Jackson about his visit to the Sundarbans in West Bengal, where cyclones and rising sea levels have devastated crops, and meets the rice growers drawing on the skills of their forefathers, to feed their families. Graihagh also gets a global overview from Dr Rafal Gutaker, rice expert at Kew Gardens, London. And if you'd like to hear more about rice, the BBC World Service's Food Chain programme has just made a show about the climate impacts of the crop. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5xp0 Reporter in India: William Kremer Production Team: Diane Richardson, Graihagh Jackson, Octavia Woodward Sound Mix: Neil Churchill and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts If you have a question for the team, email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721

In 2024, the global temperature was more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Graihagh Jackson and BBC Climate Report Esme Stallard consider the significance of this key climate target being breached. Plus, why farmers in Malawi are switching to banana wine and how global warming might be forcing humpback whales to migrate even further. With Zeke Hausfather, Climate Scientist at the University of California, Berkeley; and BBC Africa reporter Ashley Lime. Got a climate question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721 Production Team: Diane Richardson, Ellie House, Sophie Eastaugh Sound Mix: James Beard and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

Every year, the great migration sees hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, gazelles, zebras and antelopes migrate from the Serengeti plains in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in Kenya, in search of water and juicy grass. But rising temperatures and unpredictable weather are changing this epic animal journey dramatically. It’s the same for great white sharks, which are being spotted in areas where they’d never normally live. Tanzanian safari guide Neema Amos takes us into the Serengeti to explain why the wildebeest migration is so important. And shark expert Trisha Atwood reveals how these changes affect not just the animals, but our fight against climate change itself. Presenter Sophie Eastaugh is joined by: Neema Amos, Safari Guide in Tanzania Trisha Atwood, Associate Professor of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University Joseph Ogutu, Senior Statistician at University of Hohenheim Email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Producers: Sophie Eastaugh and Octavia Woodward Editors: Graihagh Jackson and Tom Bigwood Series Producer: Simon Watts Sound design and mixing: Tom Brignell Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Archive from the Sir David Attenborough programme, ‘Wildebeest: The Super Herd’, BBC Two, 2008 This programme was first broadcast in March 2024

From elections around the world to records in both temperatures and renewable energy, 2024 has been jam-packed with extreme weather and climate news. Graihagh Jackson, Jordan Dunbar and an expert panel reflect on the key climate stories of the year. Dr Rose Mutiso from the Energy for Growth Hub reveals a ‘silent solar revolution’ that has surged across rooftops in South Africa and beyond, helping the grid finally meet people’s electricity needs. We discuss the rise of electric vehicles – but also, deforestation. And the BBC’s Climate Reporter Esme Stallard explains why rising ocean temperatures are the red flag to which we should all be paying more attention. So, has 2024 been a good or bad year for the climate? Got a climate question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721 Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Reporter: Jordan Dunbar Guests: Dr Rose Mutiso, Research Director at the Energy for Growth Hub Esme Stallard, BBC Climate Reporter Producer: Sophie Eastaugh Production Co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Katie Morrison Sound Mix: Tom Brignell and James Beard Editor: Simon Watts

As 2024 draws to a close, join Graihagh Jackson as she hosts The Climate Question’s inaugural Quiz of the Year. Two teams battle it out – with questions, games, and challenges looking back at the past year in climate change. Can you beat them? Got a climate question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721 Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Competitors: Jordan Dunbar, Dr Rose Mutiso, Jacqui Wakefield, and Dr Akshat Rathi Producer: Ellie House Sound Mix: James Beard Editor: Simon Watts

Plastics are everywhere – for good reason – they're cheap, abundant and can go into a myriad of different products from food packaging to vital medical equipment. But plastic waste has a devastating effect on the environment and the manufacturing process is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The world is trying to agree on a treaty to reduce plastics pollution but a recent meeting in South Korea ended in failure. Graihagh Jackson talks to experts on the past and future of plastics, and she hears a report from Malaysia, where plastic waste dumps can be up to 15 metres high. Got a climate question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721 Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Reporter in Malaysia: Leana Hosea Guests: Susan Frankel, author of "Plastic: A Toxic Love Story", and Dr Cressida Bowyer, Associate Professor in Arts and Sustainability at the University of Portsmouth. Producer: Octavia Woodward Production Support: Ellie House Production co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Katie Morrison Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

Climate change is melting thousands of glaciers in the Himalayas and having a devastating impact on the people who live there. The BBC's Caroline Davies has just been to the Pakistani side of the world's highest mountain range: she tells Graihagh Jackson how villagers are coping, and how they are determined to stay put despite the risks of floods and the disruption to their traditional way of life. You can watch Caroline's reporting from Pakistan here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00246nx/from-above-melting-glaciers Got a climate question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721 Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Reporter in Pakistan: Caroline Davies Producers in Pakistan: Fakhir Munir, Usman Zahid, Kamil Dayan Khan Producers in London: Ellie House and Osman Iqbal Sound Mix: Rod Farquhar and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

For two weeks, nearly 200 countries have been in Azerbaijan trying to come to an agreement on climate change and how to finance the transition to clean and green economies in developing nations. At COP 29, there were walk-outs, there was drama, and then there was a deal - of sorts. Graihagh Jackson is joined by an all-star panel to re-cap what happened and ask what all of this means for our planet. Guests: Justin Rowlatt, BBC Climate Editor Adil Najam, Professor of International Relations and Environment at the Pardee School and President of WWF David Victor, Professor of Innovation and Public Policy at the University of California, San Diego Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the UN Convention on Wetlands Got a climate question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721 Presenters: Graihagh Jackson with Jordan Dunbar Producer: Octavia Woodward Production Co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Katie Morrison Editor: Simon Watts Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell and Giles Aspen

In his latest climate change 101, Jordan Dunbar looks at how climate change affects our everyday lives. He discusses the impact on our weather with BBC forecaster Louise Lear; while BBC Africa business journalist Clare Muthinji looks at what a warmer world means for the economy - from prices at the supermarket to where we go on holiday! Got a climate question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721 Presenter and Producer: Jordan Dunbar Researchers: Octavia Woodward, Osman Iqbal and Tsogzolmaa Shofyor Sound Design: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

When Cyclone Freddy swept through Malawi, it left 100s of thousands of people destitute. Now, survivors are among the first in the world to receive a new kind of climate compensation to relocate and rebuild their lives. This "loss and damage" funding is one of the key issues at the COP meeting in Baku. This year, the focus of the global climate summit is the help which more developed nations should give to countries in the Global South. Graihagh Jackson hears directly from Malawians who've received international climate aid, in their case from Scotland. And she asks Scottish First Minister, John Swinney: Is the money enough? Got a climate question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721 Presenter: Graihagh Jackson BBC Africa Reporter in Malawi: Ashley Lime Producers: Octavia Woodward and Anne Okumu Production co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Katie Morrison Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

In his latest climate change 101, Jordan Dunbar looks at the world's success stories. These include the rise of renewable energy, greener urban planning and deep - if insufficient - cuts in carbon emissions. His guest is Dr Caterina Brandmayr, Director of Policy and Translation, Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London. Presenter and Producer: Jordan Dunbar Researchers: Octavia Woodward and Tsogzolmaa Shofyor Sound Design: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

In a special programme, The Climate Question join forces with The Global News Podcast to tackle listeners' climate questions from around the world. How does war impact climate change? How can we protect small island nations? And what practical actions can we all take as individuals? Plus, what to look out for at COP 29, The UN's annual Climate Change conference, set to open in Azerbaijan. The Climate Question’s Graihagh Jackson, BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt, and Global News Podcast host Nick Miles, provide the answers to a whole range of fascinating questions. Producers: Anna Murphy and Osman Iqbal Sound Engineers: James Piper and Tom Brignell Editors: Karen Martin and Simon Watts Tell us what you think of the show or send us your own climate question. Email: TheClimateQuestion@bbc.com or Whatsapp: +44 8000 321 721

How will the US election result alter climate policy at home and abroad? Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar hear from BBC Environment Correspondent Matt McGrath, US Environment Correspondent Carl Nasman and Zerin Osho, Director of the India Programme at the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development in Washington DC. Producers: Octavia Woodward and Jordan Dunbar Sound Mix: Neil Churchill Editor: Simon Watts Tell us what you think of the show or send us your own climate question. Email: TheClimateQuestion@bbc.com or Whatsapp: +44 8000 321 721