The Climate Question

The Climate Question by BBC World Service

BBC World Service

Why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.

Categories: Science & Medicine

Listen to the last episode:

Winter sport depends on one thing that is becoming less reliable each year: snow. As temperatures rise, glaciers are retreating, seasons are shifting, and lower-elevation resorts are struggling to guarantee consistent conditions.

Hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar explore the ways climate change is reshaping winter sport, from elite competition to local economies. Former alpine ski racer and BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott describes how competitors have to deal with shorter training seasons, cancelled races and increasing injury risks.

They also speak to Daniel Scott, a leading researcher on climate change and winter tourism at the University of Waterloo in Canada, about which cities may still be able to host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics by the 2050s. And Professor Scott tells The Climate Question how organisers are adapting through snowmaking, snow storage and changes to competition schedules.

Guests: Chemmy Alcott – former British Winter Olympian and BBC Ski Sunday presenter Professor Daniel Scott – University of Waterloo, Canada

If you have a question for the team, email: theclimatequestion@bbc.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721

Presenters: Jordan Dunbar and Graihagh Jackson Production team: Grace Braddock, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle Sound engineers: Tom Brignell and Philip Bull Editor: Simon Watts

Image: Reuters

Previous episodes

  • 284 - Can winter sports survive a warming world? 
    Sun, 08 Feb 2026
  • 283 - What is climate anxiety and how can you cope with it? 
    Sun, 01 Feb 2026
  • 282 - How hot could the planet get? 
    Sun, 25 Jan 2026
  • 281 - Could ancient rice seeds help fight climate change? 
    Sun, 18 Jan 2026
  • 280 - Are SUVs becoming a climate problem? 
    Sun, 11 Jan 2026
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