“I'm taking the government to court. This is bonkers.” In 2021, environmental engineer and the founder of Fighting Dirty, Georgia Elliott-Smith, did something almost no private citizen had done before: she took the UK government to the High Court over its Emissions Trading Scheme – and won. The landmark ruling established that near-term government policy must account for the Paris Agreement, a precedent described as the most significant regulatory intervention to the UK waste industry in a generation.

In episode one of Season Three, Climate Humans: The Policy Edition, Elliott-Smith speaks to host Mauricio Porras about the reality of citizen-led legal action, the unglamorous persistence it demands, and what her case might mean for environmental accountability elsewhere in the world.

Learn more about ⁠Fighting Dirty⁠.

Climate Humans is brought to you by HERO, the platform for people-powered climate solutions. Produced by Josie Colter. Edited by Ben Beheshty. Hosted by Mauricio Porras.

Timestamps

00:10 Welcome to Climate Humans Season Three: The Policy Edition + today’s guest

02:26 Quickfire warm-up: elevator pitch, comfort food & court theme song

05:56 Advice that fuels the work: “Don’t let lack of money stop you”

07:07 The 2019 wake-up call: when sustainability work stopped feeling enough

10:17 Meaningful change vs. “fiddling while Rome burns”

11:13 Greenwashing from the inside: how ESG language gets gamed

13:36 From consultant to activist: joining Extinction Rebellion & dropping the ego

15:47 The incinerator turning point: re-reading the science and changing sides

17:13 Go after the system: law, policy, finance – and the legal challenge begins

18:20 Crowdfunding courage: community support and the long-run win

19:21 How legal action forces change: disclosures, consultation, and rewriting the rules

21:05 ‘The Queen vs Me’: Seeing your name up against the government! 

22:13 Why Elliott-Smith founded Fighting Dirty (and the legal dream team behind it)

23:22 Carrot vs Stick: Why law beats voluntary corporate sustainability

27:25 Fundraising without burning out: community, kindness & chocolate

31:20 Case study: The UK waste tyre scandal and the ‘one-two punch’ strategy

36:54 What’s next: PFAS, waste & holding iIndividuals accountable

38:41 The Future Elliott-Smith is fighting for & final thanks

“Stepping up as a hero for me means collective redemption; this collective arc of solidarity and liberation,” says poet and activist Liba Ravindran on the Climate Humans podcast. In conversation with HERO’s Mauricio Porras, Liba shares how the 2004 boxing day tsunami in his homeland of Sri Lanka set him on his climate action path, how poetry helps him connect to his roots, and his experiences today living in a community project. 

References: 

Anti-Oppression Circle: https://linksta.cc/@antioppressioncircle

Firebrand Poets: https://linksta.cc/@firebrandpoets

Hempen: https://www.hempen.co.uk/

Writing site: https://aestheticfiction.com/

Ubuntu Village: https://linktr.ee/Nu.ubuntuvillage

Credits:

Climate Humans is brought to you by HERO, the first platform where you can directly fund people-powered climate solutions.

Produced by Josie Colter and edited by Ben Beheshty at Studio Goldstar.

Hosted by Mauricio Porras.

“Now is the time to really double down on tackling equity and justice as part of climate work, rather than shying away,” says the CEO of Impatience Earth, Yasmin Ahammad, on the Climate Humans podcast. In conversation with HERO’s Mauricio Porras, Yasmin shares a 101 explainer on climate philanthropy and its role in climate action, explores the challenges of climate funding today and routes forward, and why the biggest risk is doing nothing.

Climate Humans is brought to you by HERO, the first platform where you can directly fund people-powered climate solutions.

Produced by Studio Goldstar and Josie Colter.

Edited by Ben Beheshty.

Hosted by Mauricio Porras.

“If there’s no shared understanding of what is true, we’re going to have a hard time organizing for real change,” says Germany’s Fridays for Future leader, Luisa Neubauer, on the Climate Humans podcast. In conversation with HERO’s Mauricio Porras, Luisa warns how far-right movements are derailing democracy and climate action, why courage and discomfort go hand in hand as an activist, and insights on best-in-class group organizing.

Climate Humans is brought to you by HERO, the first platform where you can directly fund people-powered climate solutions.

Produced by Josie Colter.

Edited by Ben Beheshty.

Hosted by Mauricio Porras.

“If somebody's really empowered, it's from within.” Former Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado joins the Climate Humans podcast to share why true climate leadership isn’t about authority—it’s about building movements. In this conversation with HERO’s Mauricio Porras, Carlos explores the risks great leaders must take, the power of coalition building and allyship, and why real change comes from both the top and the bottom.

Climate Humans is brought to you by HERO, the first platform where you can directly fund people-powered climate solutions.

Produced by Josie Colter.

Edited by Ben Beheshty.

Hosted by Mauricio Porras.

“I think many parents are everyday heroes,” says Our Kids’ Climate co-director and Mothers Rise Up co-founder, Maya Mailer, on the Climate Humans podcast. In conversation with HERO’s Mauricio Porras, Maya shares how parent-led campaigning style is rooted in intergenerational love, duty, and care, how it is expanding around the world, and memorable moments demonstrating with her daughter.

Further resources

Open Letter to World Leaders - ourkidsclimate.org

Our Other Mother - ourkidsclimate.org

Mothers from around the world demand action on fossil fuels, The Guardian

India’s Warrior Moms demand right to clean air at Cop27, The Guardian

Our Kids’ Climate

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

Mothers Rise Up

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

Climate Humans is brought to you by HERO, the first platform where you can directly fund people-powered climate solutions.

Produced by Josie Colter.

Edited by Ben Beheshty.

Hosted by Mauricio Porras.

“If this work isn't valued now, what hope do we have as a humanity?” asks Lucy von Sturmer, the founder and director of Creatives for Climate, on the Climate Humans podcast. In conversation with HERO’s Mauricio Porras, Lucy shares how she’s mobilizing and upskilling the creative industry to drive solutions and not pollution, what it means to be an activist communicator, and why being a hero is all about “lifting while leading”.

Visit the Creatives for Climate hub.

00:27 Meet Lucy von Sturmer, the founder and director of Creatives for Climate

02:21 Quick fire questions

05:01 Lucy's climate success stories

08:36 Lucy's journey into climate advocacy

21:30 Building Creatives for Climate

25:40 Funding and philanthropy in climate 

26:23 The importance of stories and strategic narratives 

27:32 Lessons learned becoming a non profit 

30:02 Balancing idealism with practicality 

33:28 The importance of funding and support

41:47 Supporting creative activism and creating "pockets of possibility"

43:56 Final thoughts 

Climate Humans is brought to you by HERO, the first platform where you can directly fund people-powered climate solutions.

Produced and edited by Ben Beheshty.

Executive produced by Josie Colter.

Hosted by Mauricio Porras.

“I had that rebellious understanding that nobody was going to come and solve this for us,” shares Lauren MacDonald, on the Climate Humans podcast. In conversation with HERO’s Mauricio Porras, Lauren shares their experiences as part of the #StopRosebank and #StopCambo campaigns to stop new oil projects in the UK, why it’s important for activists to take rest, and processing the reality of growing up as a young climate activist in the media. 

Introduction and welcome (1m)

Quickfire questions (2m)

Lauren's personal journey into climate activism (5m)

Early lessons and burnout (2m)

Daily routines and avoiding burnout (2m)

Professional achievements and campaigns (1m)

The Stop Rosebank campaign (14m)

Behind the scenes of activism (10m)

The importance of funding climate activism (8m)

Final thoughts (5m)

Climate Humans is brought to you by HERO, the first platform where you can directly fund people-powered climate solutions.

Produced and edited by Ben Beheshty.

Executive produced by Josie Colter.

Hosted by Mauricio Porras.

“No one is going to hold your hand through the process. So you need to figure out things for yourself,” shares Juanita Silva Mir, a Chilean sociologist and climate storyteller, on the Climate Humans podcast. In conversation with HERO’s Mauricio Porras, Juanita shares how she was thrown into the deep end of climate action at COP25 and the career insights she learnt along the way, why we must expand our understanding of climate activists as value creators, and how to reduce the divides in the climate movement.

Climate Humans is brought to you by HERO, the first platform where you can directly fund people-powered climate solutions.

Edited, mixed and mastered by Ben Beheshty.

Produced by Josie Colter.

Hosted by Mauricio Porras.

“Activism quite literally changed my life,” says Futerra chief solutionist and co-founder Solitaire Townsend, on the Climate Humans podcast. In conversation with HERO’s Mauricio Porras, Solitaire shares her story of climate mobilization, from getting started protesting nuclear waste being dumped in her neighborhood, to transitioning her climate activism skills from the frontlines to the boardroom of global businesses, and why accessibility is key to improving the success of the movement.  

Climate Humans is brought to you by HERO, the first platform where you can directly fund people-powered climate solutions.

Edited, mixed and mastered by Ben Beheshty.

Produced by Josie Colter.

Hosted by Mauricio Porras.