logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
50m 39s

The hack that changed the world

Bbc World Service
About this episode

In 2009, someone broke into the Climatic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia in the UK and stole emails. The material was distributed online - mainly on blogs linked to climate change sceptics. It was used to make the case that scientists were surreptitiously twisting the facts to exaggerate climate change. That was not the case. But before that became clear, events would take on a life of their own, sparking a global media storm. BBC Security correspondent Gordon Corera goes on the trail of this ‘cyber cold case’ to try and discover who was behind ‘Climategate’.

Up next
Yesterday
Ark of the dry lands
Researchers in Morocco are developing dry-land agriculture at ICARDA (the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas). It is home to a gene bank, in which around 150,000 different seed-types are kept in perfectly calibrated cold vaults, and duplicated to prot ... Show More
26m 29s
Jul 9
Bonus. World of Secrets: The Killing Call
Sidhu Moose Wala explodes onto the Canadian music scene. His sound is a fusion of two worlds - hip-hop with the poetic language of rural Punjab, where he is from. After years of struggle he is making it. But with the spotlight comes a dark side. As his fame grows, so do the threa ... Show More
35m 54s
Jul 8
Re-homing France’s immigrant workers
France’s last foyers – housing for immigrant workers – are set for demolition. But some current residents are worried about what they’ll lose. Hundreds of “foyers” - housing units especially for immigrant workers – were built after World War II. The economy was booming and France ... Show More
27m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2021
The Hack That Changed the World: Ep 1 - The Cold Case
In 2009, someone broke into the Climatic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia and stole emails. The material was distributed online - mainly on blogs linked to climate change sceptics. It was used to make the case that scientists were surreptitiously twisting the facts ... Show More
14m 32s
Nov 2021
The Hack That Changed the World: Ep 4 - Dark Money
Who was behind the 2009 hack and leak of emails that fuelled climate change sceptics? Who benefited most from the ‘Climategate’ hack? Powerful corporate interests have been fighting an acceptance of climate change for years. Could they have been behind the hack?Presenter: Gordon ... Show More
15m 21s
Nov 2021
The Hack That Changed the World: Ep 2 - On the Trail
Who was behind the 2009 hack and leak of emails that fuelled climate change sceptics?Tracking down the police officer in charge of the original investigation into ‘Climategate’, Gordon Corera hears about the list of suspects and meets with Britain’s top cyber spy.Producer: Sally ... Show More
14m 38s
Nov 2021
4. From Covid conspiracy to climate change denial
Covid conspiracists are now shifting focus to climate change. An online movement infected with extreme pandemic conspiracies is looking for new territory as debates over lockdowns and vaccines subside in many richer countries. We hear from Matthew in New Zealand. His family is re ... Show More
18m 31s
Nov 2021
5. ‘We fight climate denial on Wikipedia’
At the grand old age of 20, Wikipedia remains one of the world’s most popular websites. The fact that anyone with internet access can edit its pages is a key part of its success. But the website’s openness to the public is also the reason why it has become an unlikely battlegroun ... Show More
19m 21s
Jun 2023
Hacking and cybercrime
Just how safe is the online world? Yale Professor of Law and Philosophy Scott Shapiro delves into cybersecurity in his book, Fancy Bear Goes Phishing. The book’s title derives from the exploits of ‘Fancy Bear’, an elite unit of the Russian military intelligence that hacked the US ... Show More
42m 1s
Dec 2019
Did Climate Cause the Collapse of the Maya?
After millennia of development, the Maya culture suddenly collapsed at its peak. Why is one of the biggest mysteries of history. One theory says catastrophic climate change was the cause. And it may have happened to other cultures too. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:// ... Show More
43m 45s
Jul 2023
The Anthropocene
As we confront the realities of a changing climate, a group of scientists says we're living in a world of our very own making - a world altered by the burning of fossil fuels, the explosion of nuclear weapons, plastic pollution and environmental degradation. The scientists call i ... Show More
9m 56s
Aug 2023
Defeating Doomerism: The Search For A New Climate Narrative
On the last Energy Gang we looked at the impact of record temperatures on the energy sector. This week, we discuss another impact of climate change: its effect on human psychology. We discuss how the way we talk about global warming affects how we respond to it.A recent study in ... Show More
57m 13s