Our favourite podcasts on climate change (and beyond)

Technical or easygoing, informative or inspiring, settled or still on air: the panorama of podcasts on climate change is wide and diverse. Maybe, even too much: to guide you in finding the most suitable one for you, we asked the CMCC scientists to suggest their favorite podcast series.

In some cases, the picks reflect one’s field of interest. In others, the opposite is true: listening to the reliable podcasts is considered a good way to inform about little-known topics.

Enjoy the selection of the most listened podcasts on climate change by CMCC scientists.

Climate change

The Climate Question was the most voted podcast by CMCC people; this weekly show is broadcasted by BBC and reflects the variety of takes on climate change, how best to understand it and the world’s attempts to avert it, temper it or adapt to it. The aim is not about questioning whether climate change is happening, it’s about finding the best ways to respond to it. Other mentioned podcast were: Zero: The Climate Race, a Bloomberg podcast that explores the policies, tactics taking us to a future of zero emissions with award-winning climate reporter Akshat Rathi; Climate Now. combines audio drama and journalism to go deep on key scientific ideas, technologies, and policies relevant to the global climate crisis; TED Climate unpacks the problems and solutions behind big systemic issues in bite-sized episodes; TILclimate is an award-winning MIT podcast that breaks down the science, technologies, and policies behind climate change to help people make informed decisions for the future; The Climate Pod is an informative and humorous podcast on the latest environmental issues and climate action with the journalists, activists, academics, and artists at the center of the story.

Ocean

World Ocean Radio is a five-minute weekly insights dive into ocean science, advocacy and education, broadcasted by the World Ocean Observatory. Episodes offer perspectives on global ocean issues, today’s challenges, marine science and policy, and exemplary solutions. Each episode of Seacreature podcast hosts a guest who has spent time and interacted with a different ocean animal. The six podcast episodes of the Future Ocean use marine scientists, economists, and leaders in Alaska’s clean energy transition to discuss the different policy options, how they work, what the terms mean, and what action is happening regionally and nationally. The NOAA Ocean Podcast connects with ocean experts and explores topics from corals to coastal science.

Polar science

In support of the MOSAiC 1-year ice drift, the WMO launched a podcast entitled The IcePod. In monthly episodes, MOSAiC participants talked about their field experience and personal impressions on board the largest-ever expedition to the Arctic. From Pole to Pole, the Antarctica Unfrozen podcast has 10 episodes covering a range of topics from climate change, wildlife and living at Scott Base. If you are looking for an unusual experience, the Voice of the Iceberg  may be the right choice: in this four-part audio adventure, a team of film-makers set out to record the unique character and sounds of icebergs in Antarctica. Other recommendations include the antarctic series Iceworld and the Antarctic Report as well as the arctic podcasts of the Arctic Institute of North America Podcast and the one of the SEARCH program.

Miscellaneous

The Infinite Monkey Cage is one of the most successfull and long running popular science series. Hosted by physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince, the show has currently reached its 27th season. The Independent described it as a “witty and irreverent look at the world according to science”. Planet Pod is an independent, not-for-profit podcast. Their series host guests from every walk of life and every sector who share their knowledge, expertise and ideas to help us all be better guardians of the planet. Looking back: a series focused on climate action offers a clear and yet rigorous narration of complex technical and regulatory matters regarding the energy transition. The Lloyd’s List Shipping Podcast gives a general overview about the situation of shipping decarbonisation from different perspectives.

Picture Credits CC from FreeFunArt on Pixabay.

Share

fukushima-renewable-energy
Article

Fukushima Aims for a Renewable Energy Future

On March 11, 2011, the Great Tōhoku Earthquake – the most powerful ever recorded in Japan – caused a tsunami that reached up to 10km …

Article

Bot or scientist? The controversial use of ChatGPT in science

For some, they are a threat. For others, an opportunity. Chatbots based on artificial intelligence hold centre stage in the international debate. In the meantime, top scientific journals announced new editorial policies that ban or curtail researchers from using them to write scientific papers.

Interview

COP28 | ELISA CALLIARI: The vulnerability issue at the heart of the loss and damage fund

With the agreement reached on the first day of the COP28 UN Summit on the loss and damage fund, decisions were adopted about the beneficiaries, the donors, and how the fund will be structured and governed. The CMCC and IIASA researcher Elisa Calliari, member of the Italian Delegation to the UNFCCC, sheds light on one of the hot topics of COP28 and points out the issues that still have to be defined in the negotiations around ‘loss and damage’.