How does carbon dioxide shape our world? - The Climate Question podcast, BBC World Service

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CO2 — carbon dioxide — is the gas that makes life possible. Without it, Earth would be a frozen rock. But if there is too much of it in the atmosphere, the planet can overheat. Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM Carbon dioxide is a molecule so important it has shaped life on Earth for billions of years. Without it, there would be no plants, no oceans, no people. But now, after centuries of burning coal, oil and gas, it’s in the atmosphere at levels that alarm scientists. In this episode of The Climate Question, Graihagh Jackson speaks to Peter Brannen, science journalist and author of The Story of CO2 is the Story of Everything, and Esme Stallard, BBC climate and science reporter. They explore what makes this tiny molecule so powerful, how it has driven ice ages and mass extinctions, why the story of CO2 is the story of human progress — and what might come next. Do you have a climate question? Let us know in the comments👇 00:00 Intro: What is CO2 and why does it matter? 01:00 Meet Peter Brannen and Esme Stallard 02:30 What makes CO2 so powerful? 04:20 What would Earth be like without CO2? 06:00 How CO2 traps heat and makes life possible 08:00 From volcanoes to fossil fuels – the story of carbon through time 11:00 The Anthropocene – how humans changed the geological record 14:00 Earth’s past – palm trees in the Arctic, ice ages in Europe 19:00 The future we choose Watch more episodes from The Climate Question here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4dlFahw2svjb6-aW_BVOn4x ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #CarbonDioxide #ClimateChange #BBCWorldService #TheClimateQuestion #CO2 #ClimateScience #PeterBrannen #EsmeStallard #BBCClimate #Environment