Ask the Geographer

Environmental degradation of our land, water and air is not just an ecological but an economic issue which in turn has an impact on development. The World Bank has recently released a report into the connection between the economy and the environment. The report titled ‘Reboot Development - The Economics of a Livable Planet’ explores the issues around a declining environment, its connection to the economy as well as how futures could be managed to improve both areas for everyone. This episode of Ask the Geographer speaks to Richard Damania - the Chief Economist of the Sustainable Development Practice Group for the World Bank who explores these issues as well as how geographers can use the findings from the report.

Join Professor James Evans – Associate Dean for Research at the University of Manchester and a former Head of the Department of Geography and Director of the Manchester Urban Institute, whose specialism focuses on the development of smarter and more sustainable cities.

Listen to Dr. Jessica Tipton and Richard Irvine talk about the National Education Nature Park - an initiative to change school spaces into a biodiverse landscape and encourage children to be more engaged with nature.

Sophie Blake - Head of Geography at Channing School, London has created a new set of learning resources around the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station. Listen to her insights in why it is important to study this iconic landmark and the potential for fieldwork in the area.

This podcast explores the history of the environmental movement with Chris Church and Professor Oli Mould from the Department of Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Join Dr. Toby Butler and Dr. Saskia Papadakis - part of the team behind the History of the Environmental Movement project for the Department of Geography at Royal Holloway University, London as they reflect on the use of oral history interviews as a tool within geography projects and explore the unique insights gained from interviewing environmental activists.

Catch up with explorer Mark Evans as he reflects on his expedition to Oman - the opportunities, challenges and how his adventure compared with 20th Century explorer Bertram Thomas.

Join us for an exciting podcast with expedition cyclist Dr. Kate Leeming who is embarking on a 10,500 km bicycle journey through the heart of Central Asia. Kate will be travelling for 5 months exploring the geography, history and cultural importance of this region with a particular focus on water resources - a topic that is critical not only to Central Asia but to the world.

Russia is often overlooked with respect to its role in climate change conversations. However, this vast country with a population of over 140 million, a wealth of fossil fuels, and diverse ecosystems, has an important role to play in the causes and effects of climate change. Join us as we talk to Professor Jonathan Oldfield from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham as he discusses Russia's past, present and future role in climate change.

In this podcast we speak to Michael Pryke, Colin Lorne and Benjamin Newman who have collaborated on an inspiring project titled 'Voices from the Global South'. An initiative which is part of the Open Learn provision from The Open University, comprises six short films designed to stimulate reflection on how geography deepens our understanding of the climate crisis and its far-reaching impacts.