A Brazilian Take On The Climate Emergency
Deforestation, Aviation Fuels, and What To Expect From Belem
What happens if the Amazon rainforest stops absorbing carbon and starts releasing it instead? Do we need geoengineering to help us cool an overheating planet? And how can developing countries balance environmental preservation with economic development?
This week on Cleaning Up, Baroness Bryony Worthington sits down with Thelma Krug, a renowned Brazilian scientist and mathematician, and former vice chair of the IPCC, to explore these critical questions.
Krug offers an insider's perspective, drawing from her decades of experience monitoring the Amazon rainforest and leading international climate negotiations.
The conversation ranges from the alarming transformation of the Amazon from a carbon sink to a potential carbon source, to the controversial realm of solar radiation management. As it prepares to host COP30 in Belem in November, Krug provides nuanced insights into Brazil's challenges, the complexities of global climate policy, and the potential for innovative solutions like biofuels and international collaboration.
Listen to the full episode now on YouTube, or your favourite podcast platform.
As someone who works closely with coastal and island communities, I also welcomed the nod to international collaboration. We can’t afford siloed solutions — >>not when the warming of the Amazon shifts rainfall patterns across Africa, or when decisions made in climate summits ripple through fishing villages half a world away. Thank you for this conversation. I’ll be tuning in again, and encouraging others to do the same because we need more voices like Krug’s --> scientific, grounded, and quietly brave.