Fossil vs Future

By: James Cameron and Daisy Nicholls
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  • Summary

  • 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
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Biological Sciences Earth Sciences Science
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Episodes
  • WHAT ABOUT WATER? A boundless resource or a crisis in the making?

    WHAT ABOUT WATER? A boundless resource or a crisis in the making?
    Mar 25 2025
    Water is essential for all life on Earth, yet climate change is disrupting the natural water cycle, altering where, when, and how much water is available. In many ways, climate change expresses itself through water. In this episode, James and Daisy talk about the vital role of water. What is the water cycle? How will water security will be impacted by the changing climate? What can we do about it? SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane – At the heart of this book is a single, transformative idea: that rivers are not mere matter for human use but living beings – who should be recognized as such in both imagination and law.Mina Guli is a renowned water advocate and ultrarunner who has dedicated her life to solving one of the world’s most urgent issues - the global water crisis. Following a successful 15-year career in law, finance and climate change, Mina founded Thirst - a non-profit focused on changing how we think about water. In March 2022, for the #RunBlue campaign, Mina set out to run 200 marathons in just one year, finishing the race at the first global UN water conference on World Water Day, 22 March 2023. This World Water Day on Saturday, March 22 2025, runners from around the world united for the #WorldWaterRelay - the largest global relay for water.OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:CDP – a global non-profit that runs the world’s only independent environmental disclosure system. Over 24,800 companies, representing two thirds of global market capitalization reported through CDP on climate change, forests and water security.Stuart Orr has been with WWF since 2006 and works with the private sector on a range of water related activities, from water footprint to public policy engagement. WWF estimate freshwater ecosystems have an economic use value of $58 trillion, or roughly 60% of global GDP. Water.org – a global nonprofit organization working to bring water and sanitation to the world, founded by Matt Damon and Gary White. Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) is launching its first biodiversity-focused bond fund, offering fixed-income investors a way to support nature conservation.NASA (2023) – There are more than 326 million trillion gallons of water on Earth. Natural History Museum – The ocean has an average depth of approximately 3.7 kilometres (or 2.3 miles).USGS (2019) – About 71% of the Earth's surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5% of all Earth's water. Only 2.5% of Earth's water is freshwater - the amount needed for life to survive.World Bank (2017) – Globally, 70% of freshwater is used for agriculture. World Bank (2023) – 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress. WaterAid – Diarrhoea caused by dirty water and poor toilets kills one child under the age of five nearly every two minutes. WaterAid – A staggering 90% of all natural disasters are water-related.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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    38 mins
  • WHAT ABOUT AVIATION? A remarkably valuable system for society or a carbon-intensive luxury?

    WHAT ABOUT AVIATION? A remarkably valuable system for society or a carbon-intensive luxury?
    Mar 11 2025
    Flying is one of the most carbon-intensive activities. In fact, if you fly, it is probably the most polluting thing that you do. Yet, aviation remains one of the toughest sectors to decarbonise, as battery technology and alternative fuels still struggle to match the efficiency of jet fuel.In this episode, James and Daisy – who both love travelling – confront the challenging topic of aviation. What are the environmental impacts of aviation? Should we stop flying? What are the alternatives?SOME RECOMMENDATIONS:Mike Berners-Lee is a researcher and writer on carbon footprinting and has written articles on how cutting aeroplane contrails is an easy climate win. - https://www.ft.com/content/d0292413-5fcf-4ab9-b738-8da289fd4987Carbon Brief (2020) – This article calculates the true climate impact of aviation emissions and describes the impact of CO2 and non-CO2 effects. - https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-calculating-the-true-climate-impact-of-aviation-emissions/ OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:The Seventh Carbon Budget (2025) – Section 7.6 describes the UK’s aviation emissions and the Balanced Pathway for the aviation sector. - https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/The-Seventh-Carbon-Budget.pdfThe Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation was signed in 1944 and went into effect in 1947. It established the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and set the framework for global civil aviation.The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is a carbon offset and carbon reduction scheme to lower CO2 emissions for international flights and curb the aviation impact on climate change. CORSIA uses market-based environmental policy instruments to offset CO2 emissions: aircraft operators have to purchase carbon credits from the carbon market. - https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/CORSIA/Pages/default.aspxJack Sweeney shares information about the locations of private planes of the rich and powerful on his social media accounts, including Elon Musk and Taylor Swift. - https://x.com/Jxck_Sweeney?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorClimate Perks – The employee benefits scheme which gives staff the opportunity to take extra days off work if they choose low-carbon travel rather than flying when they go on holiday. - https://www.climateperks.com/ IPCC (1999) – There is a range of options to reduce the impact of aviation emissions, including changes in aircraft and engine technology, fuel, operational practices, and regulatory and economic measures. - https://www.ipcc.ch/report/aviation-and-the-global-atmosphere-2/ Our World in Data (2024) – “Aviation accounts for 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions. But it has contributed around 4% to global warming to date.” - https://ourworldindata.org/global-aviation-emissionsICAO (2019) – 65% of aviation’s CO2 emissions are in international airspace and, therefore, do not necessarily “belong” to individual nation states. - https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/Documents/EnvironmentalReports/2019/ENVReport2019_pg17-23.pdfCarbon Brief (2025) – “A forest twice the size of Greater London would need to be planted in the UK to cancel out the extra emissions from the expansion of Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports.” “…offsetting these emissions would require more than 300,000 hectares of trees to be planted within just a few years. This equates to all the trees planted in the UK since 2000.” - https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-would-need-forest-twice-size-of-london-to-offset-new-airport-expansion/ Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: 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 You can also now watch us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@fossil_vs_future 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 Studios - https://www.podshoponline.co.uk/ 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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    41 mins
  • WHAT ABOUT AI? A promising tool to find solutions or a waste of valuable energy?

    WHAT ABOUT AI? A promising tool to find solutions or a waste of valuable energy?
    Feb 25 2025
    Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our world, enabling computers to learn and solve problems in ways that can seem human. This powerful technology is already being used to benefit the environment – optimising efficiencies, predicting weather patterns, and mapping ecological impacts. However, the immense computing power required for AI comes at a cost, consuming vast amounts of energy and other critical resources.In this episode, James and Daisy talk about AI. What exactly is AI? What are its environmental impacts? And with AI now deeply embedded in our daily lives, how can we ensure it evolves responsibly to benefit all humanity? SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: Code Dependent: How AI is Changing Our Lives – This book by Madhumita Murgia explores the impact of a set of powerful, flawed, and often exploitative technologies on individuals, communities, and our wider society.Liebreich: Generative AI – The Power and the Glory (2024) – Michael Liebreich examines the transformative potential of generative AI, particularly in creative and industrial sectors.OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:Mo Gawdat – The Former Chief Business Officer at Google X published Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World, a roadmap detailing how humanity can ensure a symbiotic coexistence with AI when it inevitably becomes a billion times smarter than we are.Perplexity AI – A conversational search engine that uses large language models to answer queries with sourced citations. Verv is an AI-based smart home product that sits next to your electricity or smart meter and analyses your home energy data at its source.IBM (2024) – A clear overview of AI and how it works. BBC (2025) – “Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to "build baby build", as he announced plans to make it easier to construct mini nuclear power stations in England and Wales.”Goldman Sachs (2024): “On average, a ChatGPT query needs nearly 10 times as much electricity to process as a Google search.”Google (2024): “Our total GHG emissions were 14.3 million tCO2e, representing a 13% year-over-year increase and a 48% increase compared to our 2019 target base year—primarily due to increases in data center energy consumption and supply chain emissions” ITU (2023) – Approximately 67% of the world's population (5.4 billion people) is now online. In Africa, that figure is just 37%. UNCTAD (2024) – “The production of a single 2 kg computer requires the extraction of a staggering 800 kg of raw materials.”Also, we looked up data centres in Ireland… The Guardian (2024) – Ireland’s growing fleet of datacentres used 21% of its electricity, an increase of a fifth on 2022. Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokMusic: “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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    40 mins

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