In 2015, a vigorous response to climate change seemed possible: even fossil fuel companies talked about transitioning to cleaner energy. But exploration and exploitation of oil and gas reserves have continued unabated, and in 2024, annual temperatures surpassed the 1.5ºC limit set by the Paris Agreement. In a recent piece, Brett Christophers describes the gl ... Show More
Mar 4
Caravaggio’s Bodies
In the 1590s, Caravaggio was one of ‘the swaggering, violent young men who terrorised Romans’, Erin Maglaque wrote recently in the LRB, and he ‘made his name by painting this violent, chaotic world’. On this episode, Erin joins Thomas Jones to discuss the ways that Caravaggio rep ... Show More
43m 56s
Feb 25
On Politics: The Rearmament Consensus
‘We must build our hard power because that is the currency of the age,’ Keir Starmer declared to the Munich Security Conference earlier this month. It’s a sentiment shared across Europe, where leaders have cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the rise of Chinese power and US insta ... Show More
1h 5m
Jul 2025
162. Will We Solve the Climate Problem?
<p>Kate Marvel spends her days playing with climate models, which she says are “like a very expensive version of <i>The Sims</i>.” As a physicist she gets tired of being asked to weigh in on economics, geopolitics, and despair — but she still defends the right of scientists to ha ... Show More
57m 56s
May 2024
Going green: Can the global south develop without fossil fuel?
Climate anxieties—and global temperatures—are on the rise. According to the United Nations, if the planet warms by 1.5 degrees Celsius, we’ll be facing irreversible climate damage. To stop that increase, we need to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Reaching such an ambitious goal ... Show More
38m 29s
May 2021
Climate change will displace millions. Here's how we prepare | Colette Pichon Battle
Scientists predict climate change will displace more than 180 million people by 2100 -- a crisis of "climate migration" the world isn't ready for, says disaster recovery lawyer and Louisiana native Colette Pichon Battle. In this passionate, lyrical talk, she urges us to radically ... Show More
12m 58s
Jul 2021
154- The economics of climate change, the coming resource wars and what we can do about it.
Economists are dangerous, so says this week's guest iconoclastic economist,Professor Steve Keen and this is particularly the case if we think about climate change. What can we do to avoid a climate catastrophe? Carbon credits could be the answer, but we have to act quickly. ... Show More
34m 12s
May 2021
The Climate Crystal Ball feat. Zeke Hausfather
<p>Humanity has emitted over 1 trillion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere since the industrial revolution, raising atmospheric concentrations of CO2 from 280 to 417ppm. Every year, we add another 50 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent, meaning that in 20 years we will double our tot ... Show More
1h 2m
Apr 2024
Throwback/Encore Presentation: Dan Reicher's Rationally Optimistic Take on Progress and Potential in the Fight Against Climate Change
<p>One of our most popular episodes of 2023 is back, with this encore presentation, just in time for Earth Day! </p> <p>Dan Reicher's interest in and advocacy for environmental protection and clean energy began when he was a child and has continued throughout his life. In additi ... Show More
53m 39s
Nov 2024
The Feedback Loops Fuelling Global Warming
In this episode, we take a closer look at Schneider Electric’s Sustainability School and dive into the science behind climate change. You'll learn how human activities, like burning fossil fuels, have altered the Earth's atmosphere and contributed to global warming. The episode e ... Show More
5m 25s