The Climate Question

In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear accident devastated the Soviet Union and shocked the world. But, 40 years on, are we now seeing a nuclear renaissance? And what does that mean for the climate?
Climate Question host Jordan Dunbar has just visited the most contaminated place in the world for a BBC World Service documentary. He tells co-host Graihagh Jackson about the ghostly atmosphere in the former Chernobyl control room and the huge dome that now covers the remains of the nuclear reactor that exploded.
Jordan and Graihagh also discuss how the disaster set back the nuclear power industry for decades. Now, however, nuclear is firmly back on the international agenda because of rising power demand and concerns about energy security.
With around 40 countries now aiming to build more nuclear power stations, what will this mean for the climate and the world’s goal of keeping global warming under control?
Got a question or a comment? Email us at [email protected]
Presenters: Jordan Dunbar and Graihagh Jackson
Producers: Simon Watts and Diane Richardson
Sound Mix: Tom Brignell
Editor: Simon Watts
Picture credit: Getty Images

With more and more people moving to cities, informal settlements are expected to grow. When floods hit these unplanned places, it can be disastrous, as we often don’t know much about them. Crucial questions often remain difficult to answer, like how many people live there, what are the buildings made of, and could they withstand a flood?
In the township of Alexandra in Johannesburg, the BBC’s Nomsa Maseko visits a project using drones and artificial intelligence to help authorities prevent the worst impacts of flooding. And in Porto Alegre in the south of Brazil, we hear how an innovative digital map helped the emergency response – and will soon be available to all for free across the world.
This programme was first broadcast in 2024. You can email us at [email protected]
Guests:
Rodrigo Rocha, Partner at the Responsive Cities Institute, Porto Alegre
Dr Caroline Gevaert, Associate Professor at the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente
Nomsa Maseko, the BBC’s South Africa Correspondent
Presenter: Jordan Dunbar
Producer: Osman Iqbal
Researcher: Octavia Woodward
Sound mix: Tom Brignell
Editors: Sophie Eastaugh and Simon Watts
Image: Reuters

Earthquakes are caused by a sudden release of stress along faults in the earth's crust, not by climate change, but some new studies suggest that melting glaciers and permafrost may influence when, where and how often seismic activity occurs.
In this episode, hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar chat to seismologist Dr. Verena Simon from the Swiss Seismology Service and Associate Professor of Geosciences at Colorado State University, Sean Gallen.
Got a question or comment? email us at [email protected]
Production team: Diane Richardson, Grace Braddock
Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell and Philip Bull
Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown.
Editor: Simon Watts.
(Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)

How much does advertising influence what we buy and how we think?
A growing number of cities are restricting adverts for fossil fuel products, from flights and petrol cars to gas heating. From May, Amsterdam is set to become the first capital city to do so. In 2024, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on countries to introduce similar bans worldwide.
In this episode of The Climate Question, Jordan Dunbar asks whether banning fossil fuel adverts is a good idea and whether it makes any difference when it comes to fighting climate change.
He speaks to Marco Silva from BBC Verify about the role advertising plays in shaping public attitudes, and Anna Holligan, the BBC's correspondent in The Hague, explains how the restrictions in The Netherlands actually work.
Guests:
Anna Holligan – BBC correspondent in The Hague
Marco Silva – Senior journalist, BBC Verify
Got a question or comment? email us at [email protected]
Production team: Grace Braddock, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle, Melanie Stewart-Smith
Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell and James Piper
Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Editor: Simon Watts
Picture: Getty Images

As climate change makes the world hotter, some cities have appointed so-called Chief Heat Officers to try to improve their response to record-breaking temperatures.
In 2024, Graihagh Jackson spoke to two women who have done the job in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Monterrey, Mexico. What does their role involve? What solutions are out there? And do they get enough funding?
Plus, Umaru Fofana reports from Freetown on what happens when extreme heat grips the city. Umaru talks to locals forced to sleep outside because of the temperature, despite risks to their health and safety. And he also investigates a new piece of building design that might help people living in informal settlements.
Got a question or comment? email us at [email protected]
Presenter: Graihagh Jackson
Producer: Osman Iqbal
Sound engineer: James Beard and Tom Brignell
Editor: Simon Watts