Fossil vs Future Podcast By James Cameron and Daisy Nicholls cover art

Fossil vs Future

Fossil vs Future

By: James Cameron and Daisy Nicholls
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 This is Fossil vs Future, a warm conversation between generations on climate change. - Each podcast episode will be focusing on a different climate-related challenge, as godfather and goddaughter, James and Daisy, share their individual experiences and perspectives, with the hope of fostering understanding between generations. - James is at the later stage of his working life dedicated to dealing with climate change, through law, finance, and social entrepreneurship, and Daisy is at an earlier stage of her career, equally focused on the climate and how to drive systemic change through her experience in the finance, business, and non-profit sectors. - We want to use intergenerational dialogue as a tool to learn, inspire, and get stuff done! - LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/fossil-vs-future Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/fossil_vs_future TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@fossil_vs_future© 2025 James Cameron and Daisy Nicholls Biological Sciences Earth Sciences Science
Episodes
  • WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE? An industry under pressure or the key to a more resilient future?

    WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE? An industry under pressure or the key to a more resilient future?
    May 20 2025
    Climate change is increasing the risk of damage from unexpected events such as extreme weather and natural disasters. While steps can be taken to reduce the risk, they can’t eliminate it entirely – that’s where insurance comes in. It allows people to transfer financial risk and protect themselves from financial losses. In this episode, James and Daisy discuss insurance. How is insurance changing with our changing climate? Will certain areas become uninsurable? Can the insurance industry help build a more resilient future? SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: Allianz SE (2025) – Allianz board member, Günther Thallinger, warns that the global financial system is at risk and that escalating extreme weather events could soon make some risks uninsurable. Howden & BCG (2024) – This report highlights insurance as critical to mobilising $10 trillion of committed climate transition investment.David Howden is CEO of Howden and has written extensively about the problem of the insurance protection gap. OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:AXA (2024) – In the 2024 AXA Future Risks Report, climate change is identified as the top risk for both experts and the general public in all international regions surveyed. This marks the third consecutive year that climate change has been ranked as the top global risk by AXA.World Economic Forum (2024) – “Unlike traditional insurance, parametric policies focus on the magnitude of a specific type of an event, with a simple, straightforward payout process.”Environmental Finance (2025) – An innovative wildfire insurance product offers lower premiums and deductibles as incentives for sustainable forest management. AccuWeather (2025) – Estimates total damage and economic loss from LA wildfires of between $250 billion and $275 billion. News Statesman (2025) – “California created an insurer of last resort in 1968, the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) plan, following a spate of brush fires and riots in the state over the decade. (An insurer of last resort is an insurance company or government entity which provides insurance for entities which are considered high risk or uninsurable).”The Loss and Damage Fund – At COP27, it was agreed to create a fund that will help low-income developing countries offset the damage from natural disasters caused by climate change.Carbon Brief (2023) – An interview with Robert Van Lierop reflecting on the three-decade journey to a loss-and-damage fund. Countries negotiated the world’s first climate change treaty in 1991, which featured the word “insurance”. Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokYou can also now watch us on YouTube.Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3Producer: Podshop StudiosHuge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.
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    37 mins
  • WHAT ABOUT POPULISM? PART TWO!

    WHAT ABOUT POPULISM? PART TWO!
    May 20 2025

    Shortly after we recorded our episode on populism, two major developments in the UK prompted us to do this follow-up. First, former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair called for a major rethink of the UK’s net zero policy. Then, the right-wing populist party Reform UK made significant gains in the English local elections.


    In this episode, James and Daisy talk about these events and reflect on what they might mean for climate action in the UK. Was Blair’s report a missed opportunity to make a meaningful contribution? What did he get right – and where did he go wrong? And could this shift pose a threat to climate action?


    THE REPORT:

    • The Climate Paradox: Why We Need to Reset Action on Climate Change (2025) – The report published by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change on 29th April 2025.


    SOME RESPONSES TO THE REPORT:

    • LSE
    • techUK
    • Energy Transitions Commission
    • Michael Liebreich
    • Outrage + Optimism


    ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

    • Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener – This strategy sets out the policies and proposals for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy to meet its net zero target by 2050.
    • IEA (2025) – As the Chinese economy and domestic transport sector undergo significant transformations, demand for the most widely consumed oil-based fuels – including gasoline, jet fuel and diesel – declined marginally in 2024. EVs currently account for about half of car sales in China.
    • BBC (2025) – “Nigel Farage's Reform UK has made big gains in English local elections, cementing it as a prime challenger to Britain's traditional main parties. It won 677 of around 1,600 seats contested on Thursday across a clutch of mainly Tory-held councils last contested in 2021.”


    Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation:

    LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok


    You can also now watch us on YouTube.


    Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3


    Producer: Podshop Studios


    Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.


    Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.
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    22 mins
  • WHAT ABOUT POPULISM? A reason to stall climate action or a chance to reframe the narrative?

    WHAT ABOUT POPULISM? A reason to stall climate action or a chance to reframe the narrative?
    May 6 2025
    Populism is a political approach that claims to speak for “ordinary people” – those who feel ignored or left behind established elite groups. Around the world, populist movements frequently frame environmental action as elitist, out of touch with the priorities of “real people.” In this episode, James and Daisy discuss the rise of populism. What exactly is populism? How is it shaping public attitudes towards climate action? How must the climate movement adapt? SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: · The New Statesman (2025) – “It’s time for climate populism” – an interesting article by Caroline Lucas and Rupert Ready. Caroline Lucas, the former MP and Green Party leader, has warned that the rise of populism and the acceleration of the nature and climate emergences are becoming increasingly interlinked. · Yale Program on Climate Communication conducts scientific research on public climate change knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour, and the underlying factors that influence them. OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:· Greg Jackson – The founder of Octopus Energy has said "British people support net zero, but not if bills rise. We need to reform the market urgently to maintain public backing for cutting emissions. Clean energy can be cheaper to generate, but our outdated market means consumers don’t benefit. Billpayers are forking out billions to switch off wind farms on windy days while households and industry struggle with high bills - instead of enjoying cheaper energy. A modern market could save tens of billions over the next 15 years."· The Guardian (2025) – A Channel 4 study, Gen Z: Trends, Truth and Trust, found 52% of Gen Zers thought “the UK would be a better place if a strong leader was in charge who does not have to bother with parliament and elections”. 33% of those aged 13-27 agreed that the UK would be better off “if the army was in charge”, and 47% agreed that “the entire way our society is organised must be radically changed through revolution”.· The Order of the Day – A book by Éric Vuillard telling the story of the pivotal meetings which took place in Germany in the run-up to World War Two. · The MIT Press Reader (2021) – “Populism is on the rise. From 1990 to 2018, the number of countries with populist leaders increased from four to 20.”· Sky News (February 2025) – A YouGov poll showed Reform UK leading for the first time, topping the poll at 25%, ahead of Labour at 24% and the Conservatives at 21%. · E3G (2024) – This article provides a clear overview of the politics of populism and climate action. · Sabin Center for Climate Change Law – This Climate Backtracker identifies steps taken by the Trump-Vance administration to scale back or wholly eliminate federal climate mitigation and adaptation measures. Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok You can also now watch us on YouTube. Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3 Producer: Podshop Studios Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon. Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.
    Show more Show less
    37 mins
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