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Available for over a year How can the world speed up its efforts to fight climate change? It’s been a dramatic fortnight at the COP climate summit in the Amazonian city of Belem, with torrential rains and floods, protests and even a fire. A deal has finally been done but it’s divisive and has left many wondering whether we'll really avoid the worst effects of a warming world. Join Jordan Dunbar and Graihagh Jackson as they take a deep dive into the results of the negotiations and find out what they mean. The BBC’s Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt joins us from Brazil. Plus, our panel of experts discuss the future of climate action. Guests: Adil Najam, Professor of International Relations and Environment at the Pardee School, USA David Victor, Professor of Innovation and Public Policy at the University of California, USA Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands Production Team: Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle, Jordan Dunbar, Grace Braddock, Melanie Stewart-Smith, Steven Bailey Editor: Simon Watts Got a question or a comment? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc. com Programme Website

Scientists reveal what triggered Santorini 'earthquake swarm' 21 November 2025 Share Save Victoria Gill Science correspondent Share Save getty The "swarm" of tens of thousands of earthquakes near the Greek island of Santorini earlier this year was triggered by molten rock pumping through an underground channel over three months, scientists have discovered. They used physics and artificial intelligence to work out exactly what caused the more than 25,000 earthquakes, which travelled about 20km (12 miles) horizontally through the Earth's crust. They used each of the tremors as virtual sensors, then used artificial intelligence to analyse patterns associated with them. One of the lead researchers, Dr Stephen Hicks from UCL, said combining physics and machine learning in this way could help forecast volcanic eruptions. What happened in Santorini? The seismic activity started to stir beneath the Greek islands of Santorini, Amorgos, and Anafi in January 2025. The islands experienced tens of thousands of earthquakes - many of which were over magnitude 5. Many tourists fled, and locals feared that the nearby underwater volcano, Kolumbo, might be about to erupt - or that this was a seismic prelude to a larger earthquake, like the devastating, magnitude 7. 7 quake that struck the same region in 1956. The scientists, who published their findings in the journal Science, created a 3D map of the Earth around Santorini. They then mapped the evolving patterns of seismic activity of each tremor and the movement and stress in the crust. This resulted in a detailed model of exactly what drove this months-long seismic swarm. The team found that the event was driven by the horizontal movement of magma - from beneath Santorini and the Kolumbo volcano - through a 30km channel that is more than 10km beneath the seafloor. The researchers estimated that the volume of magma that moved through the crust could have filled 200,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. These "magma intrusions", as they are known, smashed through layers of rock, triggering thousands of tremors. Lead author on the study, Anthony Lomax, a research geophysicist who develops scientific software to analyse seismic activity, explained: "The tremors act as if we had instruments deep in the Earth, and they're telling us something. "[When we analyse] the pattern those earthquakes make in our 3D model of the Earth, it matches very, very well what we expect for magma moving horizontally. " Does this mean the Santorini unrest is over?

I have high levels of forever chemicals in my blood - what can I do about it? 2 days ago Share Save Catrin Nye BBC Panorama Share Save "That is so much higher than I expected" - watch the moment Catrin Nye is told about her forever chemical levels As I walked into the medical clinic for my blood test, all I could think about was how to avoid looking like a wimp on camera. I didn't really contemplate what the test would reveal. I am not great with needles - but as part of a BBC Panorama investigation into so-called forever chemicals, I was being tested to see what level of them I had in my blood. As a mum with two small children, I also wanted to know whether they may be having an impact on my family. Forever chemicals, or PFAS (per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances), are a group of about 10,000 chemicals. They have been used for decades, in anything from waterproof clothes, to cookware, electronics and medical equipment. They are persistent pollutants, meaning they don't degrade easily and instead build up in the environment. They exist in our homes, our water and in our food. Scientists have linked a small number of them to serious harms, such as infertility and cancer. Any level of PFAS above 2ng (nanograms) per millilitre of blood is considered to bring health risks, according to Dr Sabine Donnai, a specialist in preventative healthcare. She has never met anyone without at least some PFAS in their bloodstream. Dr Donnai delivered the news very gently - but it still hit me hard. The forever chemicals in my blood would "most likely" have an impact on my health, she told me. I also learned that, sadly, my body would have rid itself of some of these chemicals during pregnancy, by passing it on to my babies. That was the moment this investigation stopped being just work and felt very personal. "They [PFAS levels] would have been even higher before your pregnancies," Dr Donnai told me. "You will have passed on to your children for sure. " I was worried, but I also felt angry about how this could have happened without me having any knowledge, and very little control. I wanted to know more about these substances and the health issues they have been linked to. PFAS chemicals "don't break down", said Stephanie Metzger from the Royal Society of Chemistry. "Once they get into our bodies, they stick around and build up little-by-little until they start to interfere with our systems. "Some PFAS have been linked to thyroid problems, some to kidney and liver cancer, and some have been shown to affect fertility. " Stephanie Metzger: PFAS chemicals "don't break down" As for me, it is "unlikely" I will be able to bring my levels to zero, said Dr Donnai. "But you can reduce it over the next two or three years with a strategy. " She suggested I increase my fibre intake - either by eating more oats, barley, beans, nuts and seeds, or by taking supplements of gel-forming fibre. Increased fibre in our diet is "the strongest evidence to date that might help", she said. If I did these things, menstruation would also help reduce my current PFAS levels over time, she added. She also told me to identify the biggest sources of exposure in my home - replace my non-stick cookware with ceramic, stainless steel or cast iron alternatives, use a water filter and switch to eco-friendly cleaning products which are transparent about being PFAS-free. Look for PFAS-free make-up and hair products and avoid ingredients with "fluoro" or "PTFE" in the name, she added. Similar advice was given to mum-to-be Pam Kavanagh, who we visited at home in Berkshire with Dr Federica Amati of Imperial College London. Pam was eager to know how to reduce the possible household risks of PFAS to her baby - and Dr Amati has studied how babies and children can be affected by forever chemicals. "When we drink tap water, we are, depending on where you live, at varying levels of exposure to PFAS," Dr Amati said. Just buying a water filter can help to reduce exposure, she said - whether that is a jug with a filter in it, or a filter installed into the actual sink. Any non-stick frying pans with scratches on them should be thrown out, Dr Amati advised. Stainless steel or ceramic pans "are far safer", she said. Carpets can be treated with PFAS to make them more stain resistant, she added, suggesting that people vacuum their carpets every day. "Making sure you ventilate the room by opening the windows every single day is a good idea [because] it really collects as house dust," she added Dr Federica Amati advises mum-to-be Pam Kavanagh about the possible risks posed by PFAS chemicals in the home Dr Amati then turned to children's clothing. Pam was left "speechless" to discover that waterproof or stain-resistant clothing can contain PFAS. Manufacturers are under no obligation to disclose this information. Some children's products are not PFAS-free, despite claiming to be, the BBC learned. We found PFAS in a children's coat we bought from the Mountain Warehouse website a few months ago, even though the site says that none of its children's products are made with forever chemicals. The jacket we tested came from a small batch of old stock, made more than three years ago, Mountain Warehouse told the BBC. Although the coat "meets UK safety standards", it added, the product has now been withdrawn from sale. The company said it was working "to eliminate PFAS from all products as soon as possible" and that "children's clothing manufactured since 2023 is PFAS-free". If fabrics containing PFAS come into "prolonged contact with human skin" there's the potential the chemicals can be absorbed across the skin, explained Prof Stuart Harrad at the University of Birmingham, who tested the coat for us. To reduce the risk, opt for untreated fabrics and avoid "waterproof" or "stain-repellent" labels unless they have a PFAS-free certification, said Dr Donnai. Our greatest exposure to forever chemicals comes from food - particularly fish, meat, eggs, fruit and fruit products, according to the European Food Safety Authority. An innocent-looking strawberry could have PFAS exposure, I learned, because the chemicals can be added to pesticides "to help them stick better to the fruit, so when it rains it doesn't wash off", explained Prof David Megson of Manchester Metropolitan University. Of the assortment of picnic items we laid out, a bottle of wine could carry the greatest PFAS risk, Prof Megson told me. "We concentrate hundreds of grapes into each bottle. As the wider pesticide breaks down, the PFAS bit is left behind," he said. Fruits such as grapes may have been exposed to PFAS chemicals PFAS chemicals are so embedded in modern life that none of us can fully escape them. They have made our lives convenient and our products durable - but at a potential cost we are only now beginning to count. The European Commission is consulting on an outright ban on about 10,000 PFAS chemicals. The UK government says it is looking to ban or restrict some chemicals but has not committed to a blanket ban. It told us that it is "working at pace with regulators to assess levels of PFAS in the environment, their sources and potential risks" to inform its approach to "policy and regulation". PFAS chemicals have many essential uses, and safer substitutes are not yet available, argues the Chemical Industries Association. It says "regulators and industry need to work together in setting transition periods" to bring alternatives to market. When I first had the blood tests, I thought it would provide an interesting scene for our documentary. But once you know these chemicals are inside you, you can't unknow it. Having a plan to reduce my exposure is a small comfort. But I'll be honest, it is also another thing to worry about

'Birdgirl' marks decade of making nature accessible 23 hours ago Share Save Dawn Limbu Bristol Share Save Oliver Edwards Photography Dr Mya-Rose Craig says Black2Nature has helped hundreds of children over the past decade An environmental campaigner who founded a charity to help children from ethnic minorities access nature says the cultural landscape has "shifted" since she began her work a decade ago. Dr Mya-Rose Craig, 23, nicknamed 'Birdgirl', set up Black2Nature at the age of 13 to connect more children from Visible Minority Ethnic (VME) communities with the outdoors. Reflecting on the charity's 10th anniversary, she said the current environment feels "very different"; although there is still "a lot of progress to be made". "It's amazing to look back over the past decade of all the hundreds of kids that we've worked with," she said. "All the different activities, the lives we've changed. " Dr Craig said that when she first began speaking about the lack of diversity in nature spaces, the reaction was markedly different. "I remember when I first started having these conversations, people didn't want to have them with me," she said. "It made them very uncomfortable. I think they didn't want to acknowledge that there was exclusion and racism. So much has shifted in the past decade. "For me, that is really exciting, because I think that is how you build a more sustainable environment, by getting everyone on board. " Oliver Edwards Photography Dr Craig says she has noticed a shift in the cultural landscape over the past decade Black2Nature runs camps, day trips and outdoor adventures designed to increase access for VME children, young people and families. The organisation also campaigns for greater racial diversity in the environmental sector and for equal access to green spaces. Dr Craig, who is from the Chew Valley in Somerset, said the idea to set up the charity came from a "very deep love of nature and the environment. " "I strongly felt that nature was a very important resource for other kids to have access to in terms of mental and physical health," she said. "A lot of these kids have never been to the countryside, so it's about breaking down those assumptions. "For a lot of kids that we work with, they feel like the countryside is not a space for them. " Research from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) shows that people from ethnic minorities have an average of 11 times less access to green space than others in society. For parents such as Kumar Sultana, 42, from Bristol, Black2Nature has provided opportunities her family would have otherwise missed. "I'm a low-income parent and I can't afford things like camping," she explained. She added the activities have helped her children connect with the natural world and learn about sustainability. Black2Nature Black2Nature runs camps and adventure trips for children Ms Sultana, who has a Pakistani background, said she did not have those experiences growing up. "We don't have camping in our culture and money is also a barrier to accessing it," she said. "Some of the places we've been, I couldn't afford to take my kids. " Black2Nature The charity campaigns for equal access to green spaces To mark its 10th anniversary, the charity will host a conference at the University of the West of England (UWE) on Wednesday, focusing on race equity, education and career pathways in the environmental sector. Looking ahead, Dr Craig said she hopes to see environmental organisations engage more meaningfully with diverse communities and for young people to be made aware of career prospects in that sector. She also wants wider access to nature across the UK. "I'd love to see better quality of green spaces in cities. There's very often a class divide in terms of green spaces, where nicer neighbourhoods have nicer parks. " Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630

Everyone’s going crazy over wind and solar, but what they don’t tell you is how often those things fail. I read about a blackout in Texas and someone said it was because wind turbines froze. So obviously renewables are unreliable and we can’t depend on them. We’ve had fossil fuels for over a century — they’ve always worked, so why change now? These so-called “green” solutions are just another excuse to raise taxes and kill jobs. Ever notice how these climate fanatics want to shut down coal plants, but never talk about how many families depend on them for work? It's clear they care more about trees than people. This whole movement is driven by emotion, not logic. And don’t get me started on electric cars. Lithium mining destroys the environment, but nobody wants to talk about that. Plus, most EVs still charge from coal-based electricity — so where’s the climate benefit? The only reason anyone buys one is to virtue signal on Instagram or get government handouts. If the climate crisis were really that urgent, why aren’t the billionaires panicking? You think Bill Gates is giving up his private jet or beachfront mansion? They clearly know something we don’t. This whole thing feels like a hoax to make the rich richer while the rest of us pay the price.

Organic food is healthier because it's natural. Studies show organic produce has fewer pesticide residues. The organic industry has grown 300% since 2000, proving consumers understand its benefits. However, a 2012 Stanford meta-analysis found no strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious than conventional ones. Big Agriculture lobbies spend millions to suppress this kind of research, which is why mainstream media rarely reports it.

Bird flu virus spreading in UK could be worst yet, expert warns farmers 18 hours ago Share Save Malcolm Prior BBC News rural affairs producer Share Save PA Media Bird flu outbreaks across UK farms has led to a mandatory housing order being brought in The bird flu virus infecting farm flocks across the UK could be the most infectious yet, the government's former top expert in avian virology has warned. The Pirbright Institute's Professor Ian Brown, formerly director of science at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), said farmers should be "prepared for the worst". With a national mandatory housing order brought into force in England on Thursday, one free-range egg producer in Wiltshire told the BBC she felt "terrible" bringing her 32,000 hens inside but an outbreak would be "disastrous". The government said the mandatory housing order would "bring the rates of infection down from the high we are currently experiencing". The Pirbright Institute Professor Ian Brown warned that the virus could mutate so needs to be closely monitored So far this season - which began in October - there have been 26 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 on farms across the UK, with 22 in England alone. Whole flocks have to be culled when an outbreak occurs. Professor Brown told the BBC that the current virus was "as super-infectious as any high pathogenicity avian influenza we've ever seen". He added that farmers should now "prepare for the worst, I'm afraid". "We had a very, very serious epidemic between 2021 and 2023 - in excess of 350 outbreaks in the UK. That's off the scale," he explained. "Now, it's really, really difficult to state what the final size of this outbreak would be, but the early signals are not great. " He added that the threat level meant the poultry industry needed to "batten the hatches down, review their biosecurity and redouble their efforts". Sarah Godwin Despite bringing 32,000 free-range hens inside, farmer Sarah Godwin remains "very nervous" Sarah Godwin runs a mixed egg, arable and dairy family farm near North Wraxall, in Wiltshire, with her husband and brother-in-law. Her 32,000-laying hens would normally be outdoors for most of the day. They now have to be kept in their barns around the clock. We would love to see them out but it is just a necessary evil because the risk of them catching avian influenza is so high and the consequences are so disastrous for a producer, and for the hens as well," she explained. But despite bringing the hens inside and putting in place strict biosecurity measures, Mrs Godwin remains "very nervous". She said: "It only takes a tiny, tiny bit of contaminated muck from a wild bird or something that's been brought into the shed on somebody's boots. "It's literally grammes that can infect the whole flock. And at that point, the whole flock has to be culled

Trump U-turns to renominate billionaire for Nasa chief 15 hours ago Share Save Tiffany Wertheimer Share Save Reuters Jared Isaacman is reportedly friends with Elon Musk and has spent millions of dollars on SpaceX missions Donald Trump has renominated billionaire investor Jared Isaacman to run Nasa, five months after withdrawing his first nomination. The 42-year-old entrepreneur, who has ties to SpaceX founder Elon Musk, had looked set to lead the space agency when Trump abruptly pulled his nomination in late May, following what the president said was a "thorough review of prior associations. " While the White House did not specify what those associations were, it was during Trump's high-profile feud with Musk. Isaacman, who is worth an estimated $1. 46bn), is an amateur jet pilot and also became the first non-professional astronaut to walk in space last year, on a mission with SpaceX that he bankrolled. Why Trump has suddenly changed his mind is unclear, and the president made no mention of the past when he wrote on his Truth Social platform that he was "pleased to nominate" Isaacman for the role. "Jared's passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era," the president wrote. The Nasa administrator role will be Isaacman's first job in politics, representing a departure from the last two men appointed to the job. It requires confirmation by the Senate, where the Republican Party holds a 53-47 majority. Even though the US government has been shut down since early October, the Senate is still able to confirm presidential nominees. Thanking the president, Isaacman wrote on X that "it will be an honor" to serve in the role. "The support from the space-loving community has been overwhelming," he wrote in a long post, that also acknowledged Nasa scientists and innovators. "I am not sure how I earned the trust of so many, but I will do everything I can to live up to those expectations. " Sean Duffy, the head of the transport department, has been interim Nasa chief since July

Stone tool discovery suggests very first humans were inventors 20 hours ago Share Save Pallab Ghosh Science Correspondent Share Save David Braun They look like simple stones, but they were state of the art tools millions of years ago, made with great skill and precison The very first humans millions of years ago may have been inventors, according to a discovery in northwest Kenya. Researchers have found that the primitive humans who lived 2. 75 million years ago at an archaeological site called Namorotukunan used stone tools continuously for 300,000 years. Evidence previously suggested that early human tool use was sporadic: randomly developed and quickly forgotten. The Namorotukunan find is the first to show that the technology was passed down through thousands of generations. According to Prof David Braun, of George Washington University, in Washington DC, who led the research, this find, published in the journal Nature Communications, provides incredibly strong evidence for a radical shake-up in our understanding of human evolution. "We thought that tool use could have been a flash in the pan and then disappeared. When we see 300,000 years of the same thing, that's just not possible," he said. "This is a long continuity of behaviour. That tool use in (humans and human ancestors) is probably much earlier and more continuous than we thought it was. " David Braun The stone tools were so sharp that the researchers could cut their fingers on some of them Archaeologists spent ten years at Namorotukunan uncovering 1,300 sharp flakes, hammerstones, and stone cores, each made by carefully striking rocks gathered from riverbeds. These are made using a technology known as Oldowan and is the first widespread stone tool-making method. The same kinds of tools appear in three distinct layers. The deeper the layer the further back the snapshot in time. Many of the stones were specially chosen for their quality, suggesting that the makers were skilled and knew exactly what they were looking for, according to the senior geoscientist on the research team, Dr Dan Palcu Rolier of the University of São Paulo in Brazil. "What we see here in the site is an incredible level of sophistication," he told BBC News. "These guys were extremely astute geologists. They knew how to find the best raw materials and these stone tools are exceptional. Basically, we can cut our fingers with some of them. " Geological evidence suggests that tool use probably helped these people survive dramatic changes in climate. The landscape shifted from lush wetlands to dry, fire-swept grasslands and semideserts," said Rahab N. Kinyanjui, senior scientist at the National Museums of Kenya. These sharp environmental changes would normally force animal populations to adapt through evolution or move away. But the toolmakers in the region managed to thrive by using technology rather than biological adaptation, according to Dr Palcu Rolier. "Technology enabled these early inhabitants of East Turkana to survive in a rapidly changing landscape - not by adapting themselves, but adapting their ways of finding food. " The evidence of stone tools at different layers shows that for a long and continuous period, these primitive people flew in the face of biological evolution, finding a way of controlling the world around them, rather than letting the world control them. And this happened at the very beginning of the emergence of humanity, according to Dr Palcu Rolier. "Tool use meant that they did not have to evolve by modifying their bodies to adapt to these changes. Instead, they developed the technology they needed to get access to the food: tools for ripping open animal carcasses and digging up plants. " David Braun The Namorotukunan site, located in Kenya's Turkana Basin, lies close to the ancient course of a long dried up major river which once attracted settlements of early humans and their ancestors There is evidence for this at the site: of animal bones being broken, being cut with these stone tools, which means that through these changes, they were consistently able to use meat as a way of sustenance. "The technology gives these early inhabitants an advantage, says Dr Palcu Rolier. "They are able to access different types of foods as environments change, their source of sustenance is changing, but because they have this technology, they can bypass these challenges and access new food. " David Braun Archaeologists excavate a 2. 58 million year old site in northern Kenya at the site of Namorotukunan