Interviews

Resources Radio: bringing people closer to science

Leave behind technical terms, forget jargon and acronyms, minimize technical elements and keep the conversation fairly informal. The producer and one of the co-hosts of Resources Radio unveil the strategy behind Resources for the Future’s podcast. A podcast that aims “to draw people in, rather than push information out” while keeping the focus on rigorous scientific content about climate change, energy, ecosystems, and more.

Yes. You can feel one degree

The human body can perceive a one-degree difference in air temperature, although most of us not aware of this sensitivity. Experiments conducted in EURAC climatic chambers contributes sheding light on the reasons why climate change awareness is so hard to reach and how psychology can offer new strategies to moderate heat stress. Because “we cannot talk about problems involving humans without understanding how humans work”. An interview with psychologist Laura Battistel.

Brand activism vs greenwashing: The outdoor experience by Luca Albrisi

The beauty, freedom, and adventure of outdoor experiences are often leveraged by outdoor brands in their marketing strategies. But, how does this fit with a clean approach to the outdoors and how active are these brands when it comes to protecting nature. Luca Albrisi, athlete, writer and activist talks about his approach to the outdoors and how to look out for greenwashing and false narratives. 

Information saves lives

Accurate, timely, and reliable: the availability and management of information in an emergency are crucial to reduce damages and improve recovery efforts. With Chiara Menchise, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, we explore the world of information technologies applied to disaster risk reduction, including social media, remote sensing, satellite imageries and Artificial Intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence: the future of the science-policy interface is here

“When you are involved in making decisions on critical issues, such as managing a given climate emergency, operational value of forecasts guides you towards more impactful decisions.” Andrea Castelletti walks us through some of the most exciting developments in climate science and how Artificial Intelligence is opening a new frontier in the scientific process.

Future food is an ecosystem

Who’s afraid of lab-grown meat? From the cradle of one of the world’s most celebrated food cultures, Sara Roversi, entrepreneur and president of the Future Food Institute, talks about how tradition and innovation in the food sector interact to reveal “the profound interconnection between political, economic, human, environmental, social and cultural pillars.”

Business and policy: climate ambitions beyond greenwashing

It is the ambition loop. It involves science-based knowledge, business support and policy action. It is about raising “the bar higher and higher” towards climate targets and backing them with concrete commitments. Sophie Punte tells us all about the link between business action and policy advocacy by the We Mean Business Coalition.

Growing the new green commons

Urbanization has altered the way cities and the people that inhabit them interact with nature. In countries such as Japan, where high levels of urbanization and a rapidly aging population is leading to abandoned spaces in cities, there is a unique chance to reimagine the role of urban green spaces. “How we design green urban spaces is key for both human and planetary wellbeing,” says urban ecosystem development expert Juan Pastor Ivars.

Yes, it was a success: All the merits of the Kyoto Protocol

 It all started 20 years ago when the signing of the protocol laid the foundation for climate negotiations. Now we consider it outdated, and some criticise it harshly, but it was the starting point of a process that continues to change the world. Nada Maamoun tells us about her research and the positive outcomes of the Kyoto Protocol.

No, it wasn’t successful: Failures and lessons from the Kyoto Protocol’s ashes

From overarching great consensus treaties to smaller agreements between countries, the future of international climate agreements has to learn from the failures of the Kyoto Protocol and its inability to stem the flow of greenhouse gas emissions. Ralph Winkler, international environmental cooperation expert, on the contradictions and opportunities of the agreement signed in 1997.

Carrot and stick: The competitiveness of sustainability

How to find a balance between incentives and disincentives? Two different visions from either side of the Atlantic. With the USA launching its Inflation Reduction Act, Basile Chartier and Thorfinn Stainforth from the Institute for European Environmental Policy, walk us through some of the most important American and European environmental policy developments.