Will Conservation Become More Mainstream? (Your Radical Questions with Chris Packham)

Environmentalist and TV presenter Chris Packham answers your questions about wildlife conservation, consumerism and his love of punk. Also, why does he oppose trail hunting? What support would have helped him as a child growing up with autism? And how does he make even the smallest insects interesting? Here’s how to send us your questions for Jordan Stephens and Jamie Oliver: * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Johnny Baker. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

What does it mean to confront climate change? Amol speaks to broadcaster and campaigner Chris Packham who says conservationists like him have not done enough to protect nature. After the COP climate summit in Brazil ended without new targets to reduce the use of fossil fuels, he wants the UK government to lead a global emergency action plan as it did in World War Two and during the 2008 financial crisis to address what he calls climate and nature breakdown. The Springwatch and Winterwatch presenter also highlights the importance of biodiversity, how carbon emissions affect our health, and the practical steps individuals can take to make a difference. But ultimately he says we need a policy shift, which makes polluters pay. Chris also speaks candidly about his neurodiversity, his compulsion to speak truth to power and the personal price he pays for his campaigning. (00:06:27) The scale of the climate crisis (00:09:22) What he wants the UK government to do (00:12:23) Why climate change has fallen down the political agenda (00:14:52) Short term vs long term decisions (00:20:26) Are net zero policies working? (00:33:55) Environmentalism as a form of misanthropy (00:40:14) Radical solutions (00:44:02) What Chris does to help the environment (00:45:40) Why he thinks he and other conservationists have failed(00:48:01) What individuals can do (00:57:38) The price he’s paid for his campaigning (00:59:55) Neurodiversity (01:02:38) Amol’s reflections GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Johnny Baker. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Farmer and author James Rebanks is our first guest to answer your questions. He tackles everything from what consumers can do to support British farmers to whether sheep farming should go the way of coal mining, and how to reduce obesity in the UK.He also discusses his experiences at school, going to Oxford University in his mid-twenties and how his education has shaped him.Send us your questions for Jamie Oliver:* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Dave O’Neill. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Is it possible to produce enough healthy food to feed the nation whilst also restoring nature? The farmer and best-selling author James Rebanks thinks it is but says there needs to be a radical change to government policy and our entire food system. He explains why he thinks farming subsidies are flawed, the unintended consequences of cheap food, and the delicate balance between food security and environmental stewardship. And from the hills of Cumbria to a remote island in Norway, he also reflects on the lessons he learnt about masculinity whilst writing his latest book, ‘The Place of Tides’. A government spokesperson said: “Farmers are stewards for our nation's land and for our food security. Farming also plays a central role in our mission to kickstart economic growth. “We understand that when farmers run profitable businesses, it’s good for the whole economy. “That is why we are backing them through new technology, streamlined regulation and our nature-friendly farming schemes are helping farmers produce food for the nation.” This podcast has been updated since the original broadcast to remove some inaccuracies around pig farm numbers.(00:05:34) James explains his rise to farming fame (00:08:49) Why British farming is in crisis (00:16:42) Food production vs nature recovery (00:24:35) Our cheap food system (00:32:27) Supermarkets and food security (00:36:29) Restoring the balance between supermarkets and farmers (00:39:00) How can consumers help British farmers? (00:42:15) What do we do to build a better system? (00:46:00) Farming and politics (00:49:30) What it's like to be a British farmer and James’ family history (00:52:43) From the farm to Oxford University (00:57:37) How a visit to a remote island in Norway led to ‘The Place of Tides’ (01:05:17) Amol’s reflections GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Dave O’Neill. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

How should we balance innovation, power and accountability in the digital age? This week, Amol speaks to Sir Nick Clegg — former UK deputy prime minister and former president of global affairs at Meta — about the power and responsibility of big tech companies. Sir Nick argues that breaking them up won’t solve the problem of their digital dominance, calling instead for greater regulation and user control. He discusses how technology shapes young people’s lives, warning against moral panic whilst calling for stronger age-appropriate safeguards and phone-free schools. And with rare candour, Sir Nick offers an insider’s perspective on how Silicon Valley really works — and why governments, not tech CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg, must ultimately set the rules. He also talks about politics and philosophy, arguing that true liberalism — rooted in reason, openness, and the belief in evidence over emotion — remains vital in an increasingly polarised world. (00:03:20) Concerns about the impact of AI (00:07:00) The power paradox and network effects (00:06:11) Children and smartphones (00:22:17) Social media and political polarisation (00:34:00) What’s Mark Zuckerberg really like? (00:37:56) Why tech bosses are not moral leaders (00:41:36) Why he left Meta (00:44:10) The future of technology and power (00:49:26) The race for AI ‘supremacy’ between the US and China (00:52:00) Preparing for this new digital world (00:53:11) Why has politics changed so much since he was deputy prime minister? (00:57:55) Is liberalism weak? (01:01:20) What’s next for Sir Nick Clegg? (01:05:16) Amol’s reflections GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Jonny Hall and Ben Andrews. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

How do human choices, biases, and behaviours shape our economy? This week Amol speaks to Nobel Prize winning behavioural economist Professor Richard Thaler about his theories that dive into the patterns behind our decision-making and reveal why humans aren’t always as rational as we like to think. From overconfidence and the lure of winning at any cost, to the hidden costs of risk-taking and the psychology of incentives, his research shows why individuals and markets sometimes make surprising — or even seemingly irrational — choices. By unpacking the experiments described in his book The Winner’s Curse we get an insight into his work and he applies these behavioural insights to the issues facing the UK today. They discuss how to get young people off welfare and into work, government debt and why Richard believes the winter fuel allowance needs a rethink. (00:04:10) Why he thinks traditional economic theory is flawed (00:07:44) The pros and cons of behavioural economics (00:17:40) The story behind The Winner’s Curse (00:19:00) The Endowment Effect (00:21:16) The Ultimatum Game (00:23:28) Confirmation Bias and Overconfidence (00:25:54) Mental Accounting (00:29:42) Young people, welfare and work (00:33:35) Tackling government debt (00:38:32) The housing crisis (00:40:06) The rise of AI and dangers of social media (00:43:00) How he found out that he’d won the Nobel Prize for Economics (00:45:26) Richard Thaler’s legacy (00:47:43) Amol’s reflections (00:51:20) Listener Messages GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Dave O’Neill. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

How can Millennials, Gen Zs and Gen As thrive in a world where so much success depends on having access to the Bank of Mum and Dad? Historian Dr Eliza Filby – an expert in generational identity – tells Amol that society needs to shift in three major ways to mitigate the “rupture” between young and old: in values, education and wealth. Amol speaks with her about her book ‘Inheritocracy’ which calls for a radical redefining of meritocracy. They also discuss the shifts in parenthood and the evolving household roles of men and women, and ‘kidulthood’ - where young people move into adulthood in their early thirties instead of their late teens or early twenties. (00:02:30) What is ‘Inheritocracy?’ (00:04:13) The values rupture – Baby Boomers are the exceptional generation (00:10:07) The education rupture - the declining graduate premium (00:16:00) The wealth rupture – unattainable ‘big ticket’ items (00:28:00) Why is the social contract broken between generations? (00:38:27) Shifts in assortative mating (00:45:30) Is meritocracy a good idea in principle? (00:54:17) How to reconfigure the tax system for a new generation (00:57:07) Dr Eliza Filby's radical idea (01:01:11) Amol’s reflections (01:04:25) Listener messages GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Gareth Jones. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Artificial Intelligence is fundamentally changing the internet. But Matthew Prince, CEO of cybersecurity giant Cloudflare, thinks there is a way to ensure content creators and publishers earn enough to operate — even as their work feeds AI.Cloudflare has put up digital firewalls around its clients’ sites, which blocks the bots that copy content to train large language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. It is then up to its customers to choose whether to allow those so-called AI “crawlers” to access their sites. Matthew spoke to Amol ahead of his appearance at the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Trust Conference, about how he hopes his decision will lead to a better deal for publishers as ‘search engines’ become ‘answer engines’ in the era of AI overviews and chatbots. They also talk about the debate between artists like Sir Elton John and the UK government over plans to exempt technology firms from copyright laws. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has designated Google with strategic market status in general search, which includes AI Overview and AI Mode. But Google says “many of the ideas for interventions that have been raised in this process would inhibit UK innovation and growth, potentially slowing product launches at a time of profound AI-based innovation.” The company also disputes Matthew’s claim that traffic to websites has fallen since the launch of AI Overview. (00:03:52) How the internet is changing (00:08:05) How AI is reducing web traffic (00:11:34) Why it's important to compensate content creators (00:18:50) AI is a platform change (00:21:38) How AI could improve content creation (00:26:29) The story behind Cloudflare (00:31:42) Why he decided to block AI “crawler” bots (00:42:33) AI and copyright laws in the UK (00:45:19) Google’s market power (00:51:37) Advice for becoming a tech entrepreneur (00:54:01) Amol’s reflections GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Ricardo McCarthy and Dafydd Evans. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Whilst on a night out in the summer of 2011, Jacob Dunne made a split second decision to throw a punch that killed James Hodgkinson. After being convicted of manslaughter, Jacob spent 14 months in prison during which time James’ parents contacted him to get answers about their son’s death. A dialogue began between them and when Jacob was released, Joan and David asked a question that he says saved him: “What are you going do with your life?” That led to him doing his GCSE’s and getting a degree, and with James’ parents he now campaigns for criminal justice reform to improve the experience of victims and reduce reoffending. Amol and Jacob go into extraordinary detail about his tough upbringing in Nottingham, what happened on that fateful night in 2011, and how – through his relationship with Joan and David - Jacob turned his life around. They also discuss knife crime and why he thinks building stronger relationships is the solution to ending the cycle of violence in some of the most deprived areas of the UK. His story is the subject of a West End play called Punch by James Graham and an award-winning BBC Radio 4 Series, which you can listen to here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000l0jr (00:04:00) What is restorative justice? (00:14:00) Growing up in Nottingham (00:26:44) The punch (00:47:00) Time in prison (00:56:20) Life after prison (01:05:00) Meeting James' parents (01:22:40) The future (01:31:00) Amol’s reflections (01:36:14) Listener messages GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by James Piper. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

As extreme weather forces people from their homes, the journalist and author Gaia Vince makes the positive case for immigration.Projections show that billions of people will be displaced by 2050 due to the effects of global warming, a phenomenon she has reported on in her book ‘Nomad Century: How to Survive the Climate Upheaval’.She argues that if governments plan for the mass movement of people they can reap the economic rewards of immigration despite public concern about the issue.And with news that renewable energy overtook coal as the world's leading source of electricity in the first half of 2025, Gaia tells Amol why she thinks we’re approaching a “tipping point” which will see the end of our reliance on fossil fuels and green energy become the dominant source of power.GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by James Piper. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.