Join the Dots

Hear about how a scientist manages to have so many patents to her name and still stays interested and fresh in her thinking.

Dr Denise Manker speaks to us about how to use science and technology to solve our problems. But even as a scientist, she says facts don’t change people’s minds, emotions do – making evidence relevant but also revealing the emotions and passion of the scientist who talks about the evidence. The scientist as a human. Expertise demystified.  

Listen to her and let us know what you think of her approach to using science. 

Season's Greetings come with a tipple or two...

We talked about the festive / holiday season last year, in season 1. Not being able to meet up with family due to COVID made us focus more on the true gifts of spending time, showing love and support rather than spending money, buying the next toy, indulging in festive spending perhaps even beyond our means.

All that is still valid this year - including COVID (omicron) postponing in-person reunions. 

But wherever we are, at least in the UK, there is an increase in alcohol consumption during this time of the year.  They do say ‘don’t drink to drown your sorrows, they know how to swim’ and the same applies to considering (if not worrying) about our environmental impacts. 

As usual, we are not interested in telling anyone to drink or not, or what to drink. We want to explore how to become more discerning customers - what to look for when trying to buy alcoholic drinks? Is it better to buy local, if their production is dirtier? How about packaging? How about certification? 

Again as usual, let's use the power of our enquiry and money - what information should we demand from producers and retailers? 

And about much more - all about wine, and whisky, but with lessons for all other tipples too, we spoke to Dagmar Droogsma

Been there, done that, got the mask

The work continues. Listen to Sabine unpicking the COP experience for Jill and Ece and what it means for our future episodes. 

A 12 day conference with diplomatic negotiations, a blue zone (for 'parties' and 'party overflows') and a green zone (for the general public) and many side events all over the city; attended by around 30,000 people. 

A lot of work goes into preparing for a COP - not just the physical structures but also ideas, conversations and agreements. And the work continues after. 

It is important to establish "the mood music" as Jill puts it, so all the work before, during and after, delivers what we need. 

Ece and Jill are up in Glasgow for COP26. They will do daily summaries - supported by Sabine, Neil and Anna back at the HQ. If they manage to find each other in the chaos they may even upload a chat. Listen out for their summaries in the evening.

See below for follow up references and background information we mention in the updates.

A 12 day conference with diplomatic negotiations, a blue zone (for 'parties' and 'party overflows') and a green zone (for the general public) and many side events all over the city; attended by around 30,000 people. 

A lot of work goes into preparing for a COP - not just the physical structures but also ideas, conversations and agreements. And the work continues after. 

It is important to establish "the mood music" as Jill puts it, so all the work before, during and after, delivers what we need. 

Ece and Jill are up in Glasgow for COP26. They will do daily summaries - supported by Sabine, Neil and Anna back at the HQ. If they manage to find each other in the chaos they may even upload a chat. Listen out for their summaries in the evening.

See below for follow up references and background information we mention in the updates.

Energise Africa - explore impact investment from £50. This does not constitute investment advice. https://www.ethex.org.uk/?gclid=CjwKCAiAm7OMBhAQEiwArvGi3LEDajR0t6O7vNC_o1HbwAQJ3ifr8I_gM3ts5tUlfNAmW_NQOfyMrRoCiuEQAvD_BwE

The draft agreement in The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2021/nov/10/cop26-draft-text-annotated-what-it-says-and-what-it-means

Net Zero Banking Alliance - 

https://www.unepfi.org/net-zero-banking/members/

Net Zero Banking Alliance - commitment  https://www.unepfi.org/net-zero-banking/commitment/

Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero - https://www.gfanzero.com/about/

World Resources Institute - https://www.wri.org

Helen Mountford - https://www.wri.org/profile/helen-mountford

A 12 day conference with diplomatic negotiations, a blue zone (for 'parties' and 'party overflows') and a green zone (for the general public) and many side events all over the city; attended by around 30,000 people. 

A lot of work goes into preparing for a COP - not just the physical structures but also ideas, conversations and agreements. And the work continues after. 

It is important to establish "the mood music" as Jill puts it, so all the work before, during and after, delivers what we need. 

Ece and Jill are up in Glasgow for COP26. They will do daily summaries - supported by Sabine, Neil and Anna back at the HQ. If they manage to find each other in the chaos they may even upload a chat. Listen out for their summaries in the evening.

See below for follow up references and background information we mention in the updates. 

A 12 day conference with diplomatic negotiations, a blue zone (for ‘parties’ and ‘party overflows’) and a green zone (for the general public) and many side events all over the city; attended by around 30,000 people. 

A lot of work goes into preparing for a COP – not just the physical structures but also ideas, conversations and agreements. And the work continues after. 

It is important to establish “the mood music” as Jill puts it, so all the work before, during and after, delivers what we need. 

Ece and Jill are up in Glasgow for COP26. They will do daily summaries – supported by Sabine, Neil and Anna back at the HQ. If they manage to find each other in the chaos they may even upload a chat. Listen out for their summaries in the evening.

See below for follow up references and background information we mention in the updates. 

You can watch Ece interviewing Lord Deben, Chair of UK Climate Change Committee on the youtube channel of Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change - he speaks about optimism and apocalypse, the history of climate change policy in the UK and the remaining challenges for the UK and the world, including security and migration. 

For some research on droughts as trigger for migration - see this article and the Climate Change Risk Assessment for the UK (which includes international risks) by the UK Climate Change Committee.

For the research Ece mentioned about rainfall and migration in Turkey was published by Nathan Delacretaz at University Neuchatel. You can see his page and contact details here. 

A 12 day conference with diplomatic negotiations, a blue zone (for ‘parties’ and ‘party overflows’) and a green zone (for the general public) and many side events all over the city; attended by around 30,000 people. 

A lot of work goes into preparing for a COP – not just the physical structures but also ideas, conversations and agreements. And the work continues after. 

It is important to establish “the mood music” as Jill puts it, so all the work before, during and after, delivers what we need. 

Ece and Jill are up in Glasgow for COP26. They will do daily summaries – supported by Sabine, Neil and Anna back at the HQ. If they manage to find each other in the chaos they may even upload a chat. Listen out for their summaries in the evening.

See below for follow up references and background information we mention in the updates.

A 12 day conference with diplomatic negotiations, a blue zone (for ‘parties’ and ‘party overflows’) and a green zone (for the general public) and many side events all over the city; attended by around 30,000 people. 

A lot of work goes into preparing for a COP – not just the physical structures but also ideas, conversations and agreements. And the work continues after. 

It is important to establish “the mood music” as Jill puts it, so all the work before, during and after, delivers what we need. 

Ece and Jill are up in Glasgow for COP26. They will do daily summaries – supported by Sabine, Neil and Anna back at the HQ. If they manage to find each other in the chaos they may even upload a chat. Listen out for their summaries in the evening.

See below for follow up references and background information we mention in the updates.

Survival International 

Minga Indigena

A 12 day conference with diplomatic negotiations, a blue zone (for ‘parties’ and ‘party overflows’) and a green zone (for the general public) and many side events all over the city; attended by around 30,000 people. 

A lot of work goes into preparing for a COP – not just the physical structures but also ideas, conversations and agreements. And the work continues after. 

It is important to establish “the mood music” as Jill puts it, so all the work before, during and after, delivers what we need. 

Ece and Jill are up in Glasgow for COP26. They will do daily summaries – supported by Sabine, Neil and Anna back at the HQ. If they manage to find each other in the chaos they may even upload a chat. Listen out for their summaries in the evening.

See below for follow up references and background information we mention in the updates.

Hackney Social Radio – Older Voices – An Intergenerational Conversation about the Climate Change with Younger and Older Voices in Hackney

First Minister’s Environment Council – press release today and Flickr account of the Scottish government that shows a photo of the Council (the top of Ece’s head is just about visible – but really who has Flickr account these days?!)