In 2013, William D. Nordhaus, Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, published his acclaimed book The Climate Casino. In the book, Professor Nordhaus argued that the world had entered the climate casino and was rolling the global warming dice in the absence of effective policies to tackle climate change. A decade on from the book’s release, and following his important recent research on the 'climate club' and the release of his 2021 book, The Spirit of Green, Professor Nordhaus considers whether the world still has an opportunity to exit the climate casino and implement policies that will reverse the tide of global warming.

This lecture forms part of the Environmental Resilience lecture series, which is co-organised by the IIEA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

About the Speaker:

William Nordhaus is Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. His major work focuses on the economics of climate change, developing models that integrated the science, economics, and policies necessary to slow warming. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2018 "for integrating climate change into long-run macroeconomic analysis." From 1977 to 1979, Professor Nordhaus served as a Member of President Carter's Council of Economic Advisers. From 1986 to 1988, he served as the Provost of Yale University and was President of the American Economic Association from 2015 to 2016. Professor Nordhaus completed his undergraduate work at Yale University in 1963 and received his Ph.D. in Economics in 1967 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Can the World Still Exit the Climate Casino?

Introducing episode 3 of season four! Our hosts Mark and Simon continue this series with a discussion on the fallout from COP28 for the UK, and what needs to be done on a national, governmental and local level.

Joining them are our guests Ian Townsend (ONS Divisional Director of Environment), Robbie Macpherson, (APPG lead at Uplift), Annabel Rice (Political Advisor at Green Alliance) and Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy at Greater London Authority, Shirley Rodrigues, to talk national feeling and climate policy.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-change/podcasts-videos/generation-one-climate-podcast 
Sign up to our climate newsletter here: https://r1.dotdigital-pages.com/p/6T06-7DL/subscribe-to-ucl-climate-hubs-newsletters 

References
ONS release calendar: https://www.ons.gov.uk/releasecalendar/
Key ONS environmental releases: 
Important issues facing the UK (5.1-5.13), http://bit.ly/ONSimpactCOL
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts
Public opinions and social trends, Great Britain Statistical bulletins:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/bulletins/publicopinionsandsocialtrendsgreatbritain/previousReleases
Business insights and impact on the economy bulletins: https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/bulletins/businessinsightsandimpactontheukeconomy/previousReleases

Date of episode recording: 14th and 23rd February 2024  
Duration: 27 mins, 14 secs  
Language of episode: English 
Presenter: Mark Maslin and Simon Chin-Yee 
Guests: 
Ian Townsend, ONS, Divisional Director of Environment 
Annabel Rice, Political Adviser at Green Alliance and UCL alum (Environment, Politics and Society 2021)
Robbie MacPherson, Political and Climate Change APPG Lead, Uplift
Shirley Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor, Environment and Energy at Greater London Authority 
Producer: Adam Batstone

Season 4 - Post COP28: Where does national climate action go from here?

In this episode, we’re moving beyond the UK to explore global climate policy in the wake of COP28. Hosts Mark and Simon are joined by Pierre Cannet, the Global Head of Public Affairs and Policy at Client Earth, to discuss how the law can be used to create change.  

More about Client Earth: https://www.clientearth.org/

For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-change/podcasts-videos/generation-one-climate-podcast  

Sign up to our climate newsletter here: https://r1.dotdigital-pages.com/p/6T06-7DL/subscribe-to-ucl-climate-hubs-newsletters  

Date of episode recording: 16th February 2024 
Duration: 27.12 minutes  
Language of episode: English  
Presenter: Mark Maslin and Simon Chin-Yee  
Guests: Pierre Cannet, Global Head of Public Affairs and Policy at Client Earth 
Producer: Adam Batstone

Tackling climate change in the courts with Pierre Cannet of Client Earth

Season 4 - Post COP28: Global climate action

What are individuals doing to fight climate change and how important is the role of local activism? This episode will be focusing on individual climate action, with our guests chatting to our hosts about the role of activism in initiating change. Featuring Louise Harris (songwriter and Just Stop Oil activist), Versha Jones, (Climate Reality Project - Volunteer National Coordinator, UK) Annabel Rice (Political Advisor at the Green Alliance) and Kris de Meyer (Senior Research Fellow in Climate Communications University College London, Dept of Earth Sciences).  

‘We Tried’ song by Louise Harris https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2XV20G85Tg 

The Climate Reality Project https://www.climaterealityproject.org/ 

For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-change/podcasts-videos/generation-one-climate-podcast  

Sign up to our climate newsletter here: https://r1.dotdigital-pages.com/p/6T06-7DL/subscribe-to-ucl-climate-hubs-newsletters  

Date of episode recording: 14th February and 8th March 
Duration: 39.20 minutes  
Language of episode: English  
Presenter: Mark Maslin and Simon Chin-Yee  
Guests:  
Louise Harris, Just Stop Oil  
Versha Jones, The Climate Reality Project  
Annabel Rice, Green Alliance 
Kris de Meyer, Department of Earth Sciences, UCL 
Producer: Adam Batstone

Season 4 - Where does individual climate action go from here?

Happy Earth Day! This episode’s focus is on entrepreneurial climate action: what are businesses – particularly the AI sector – doing to combat the climate crisis and help reach net zero?  

Helping our hosts Mark and Simon answer these questions are Sims Witherspoon (current UCL student studying for MSC in climate change and Climate and Sustainability Lead at Google DeepMind), Buffy Price (COO and Co-Founder of Carbon Re, an AI startup which aims to accelerate decarbonisation), and Zoe Cokeliss Barsley (Director of Sustainability at Oxford University Press) and UCL alumna (MSc Conservation 2003)  

Carbon Re https://carbonre.com/ 
Oxford University Press Responsible Publishing report https://oup.foleon.com/responsible-publishing-report-2022-23/2022-23/ 

For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-change/podcasts-videos/generation-one-climate-podcast  

Sign up to our climate newsletter here: https://r1.dotdigital-pages.com/p/6T06-7DL/subscribe-to-ucl-climate-hubs-newsletters  

Date of episode recording: 14th February, 23rd February and 1st March 2024 
Duration: 32.15 minutes 
Language of episode: English  
Presenter: Mark Maslin and Simon Chin-Yee  
Guests:  
Sims Witherspoon, Google DeepMind 
Buffy Price, Carbon Re 
Zoe Cokeliss Barsley, Oxford University Press 
Producer: Adam Batstone

Season 4 - AI and the business of climate action

NASA's PACE satellite offers clearer picture of oceans and atmosphere

In this special episode, we look back at the year through some of our favourite moments from Series 4. 

Our hosts Mark Maslin and Simon Chin-Yee explored climate action in a multitude of forms: from groundbreaking climate science and AI, to innovative policy solutions and inspiring stories of individual activism. With fantastic guests spanning multiple disciplines and industries.  

Reflect with us on what’s been done, and what there is still to do, with our Series 4 highlights.  

Transcript link: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-change/podcasts-videos/generation-one-climate-podcast

Date of episode recording: 28th May 2024 
Duration: 27.16 minutes 
Language of episode: English  
Presenter: Mark Maslin and Simon Chin-Yee  
Guests:   
Ian Townsend, ONS 
Pierre Cannet, Client Earth  
Sims Witherspoon, Google Deep Mind 
Buffy Price, Carbon Re 
Louise Harris, Just Stop Oil 
Annabel Rice, Green Alliance 
Versha Jones, The Climate Reality Project 
Kris de Meyer, Department of Earth Sciences, UCL 
Shirley Rodrigues, previous Deputy Mayor, Environment and Energy at Greater London Authority   
Mark Watts, C40 Cities 
Producer: Adam Batstone

Season 4 - The Highlights

Welcome to Series 5! In this first episode, following the recent Labour party conference, our hosts Professor Mark Maslin and Dr Simon Chin-Yee discuss the UK government’s plan to create ‘Great British energy’.   

The (not so?) ambitious programme aims to make Britain a clean energy superpower to bolster energy security and achieve its net zero carbon emissions target by 2050. But how impactful actually are these policies?   

With UCL’s Professor of Energy Policy Jim Watson, Emma Fletcher from Octopus Energy, and Dave Powell from Climate Outreach, we assess whether this is a genuine step towards green energy or just political rhetoric. Our experts also look more broadly at green initiatives, and whether they really can lower your bills.  

Date of episode recording: Monday 16th and 17th September 2024 
Duration: 49.55 minutes 
Language of episode: English  
Presenter: Professor Mark Maslin and Dr Simon Chin-Yee  
Guests:  
Emma Fletcher (Low Carbon Homes Director of Octopus Energy)
Dave Powell (Senior Advocacy Manager at Climate Outreach)  
Jim Watson (Professor of Energy Policy and Director of UCL Institute of Sustainable Resources within the Faculty of the Built Environment) 
Producer: Adam Batstone

Dave Powell, Emma Fletcher and Jim Watson

Welcome to Season 5, Ep 1 - Great British Energy: Real green policies or just hot air?

This is Generation One, the climate podcast from University College London – turning climate science and ideas into action. 

Hosted by Dr Simon Chin-Yee from the School of Public Policy, and Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth Systems Science at UCL.

We’re going to be tackling climate action in all its forms, from innovative business and tech solutions, to inspiring stories from the frontlines of collective activism. With fantastic guests and top UCL experts.

Look out for Series 5, coming soon on your favourite podcast platform.  

Learn more about UCL’s Generation One campaign and access the transcripts here https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-change/podcasts-videos/ucl-generation-one-climate-podcast. Or find us on X using #UCLGenerationOne.

Presenters: Prof. Mark Maslin and Dr. Simon Chin-Yee
Producers: Adam Batstone, Caitlin Mullin, Jane Yelloly

Welcome to Generation One - Trailer

What do vultures in India and beavers in West London have to do with protecting our ecosystems? What’s the link between biodiversity loss and human-driven climate change?  Why does Simon love beavers so much? And what exactly is “COP16”? 

This episode explores some of the key issues at play – focusing on global ecosystems and local conservation efforts, and coincides with the Sixteenth Convention on Biological Diversity in Cali, Columbia.  

Hosts Mark and Simon are joined in the studio by Elliot Newton of The Ealing Beaver Project: a collaboration between the Ealing Wildlife Group, Citizen Zoo, The Friends of Horsenden & Ealing Council. And UCL expert Dr Alex Pigot, whose work on evolutionary biodiversity helps predict how ecosystems are responding to climate change. 

While at the conference in Cali, Simon also catches up with freshwater systems expert: UCL’s Dr Izzy Bishop, to discuss the work she took to COP16.     

Citizen Zoo: https://www.citizenzoo.org/ 
The Ealing Beaver Project https://theealingbeaverproject.com/ 
UCL Faculty of Life Sciences biodiversity campaign https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lifesciences-faculty/biodiversity-ucl-priority 
Find out more about UCL at COP16 https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-change/ucl-cop/ucl-and-cop16 
Access the transcript: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-change/podcasts-videos/ucl-generation-one-climate-podcast
 
Date of episode recording: Friday 18th October 2024 
Duration: 45 mins 
Language of episode: English  
Presenter: Professor Mark Maslin and Dr Simon Chin-Yee  
Guests: 
Elliot Newton, Head of Conservation at Citizen Zoo and Creative Director at A Focus On Nature 
Dr Alex Pigot, Professorial Research Fellow in the UCL Division of Biosciences 
Dr Izzy Bishop, Lecturer in Ecology, UCL’s People and Nature Lab 
Producers:  
Adam Batstone 
Caitlin Mullin 
Jane Yelloly 

Season 5, Ep 2 – Biodiversity: Can local conservation efforts grow into global impact?

Techstination is a daily report on consumer tech produced by Fred Fishkin.  Listen to full interviews and daily reports here and find more at www.techstination.com

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UCL is London's leading multidisciplinary university, with more than 13,000 staff and 43,000 students from 150 different countries. Founded in 1826 in the heart of London, UCL was the first university in England to welcome students of any religion and the first to welcome women on equal terms with men.

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New tracks tagged #climate science