Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.

EPISODE 39: A warning from the food industry, crossing planetary boundaries, and super El Niño

In this episode, Clare Farrell and Charlie Gardner examine the latest warning about the state of our planet: seven of the nine planetary boundaries have now been breached. They explain what these boundaries mean, why ocean acidification and the degradation of natural systems matter, and how focusing on carbon alone can obscure the wider planetary crisis. They then look at the prospect of a powerful El Niño, its potential to intensify extreme weather and disrupt harvests, and the growing risks to global food security. Finally, they discuss warnings from food industry insiders about the fragility of supply chains, the failure to make necessary systemic changes, and how governments are increasingly shifting responsibility for preparing for crises onto individuals while continuing to make them worse.

REFERENCES

Planetary Health Check 2026 – Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
https://www.planetaryhealthcheck.org/2026-planetary-health-check-launched-at-new-york-climate-week/

Planetary Boundaries: The 2026 assessment – Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/planetary-health-check-2026-finds-mounting-pressures-across-earth2019s-life-support-systems

Seven of nine planetary boundaries now at record breach levels – Oceanographic Magazine
https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/seven-of-nine-planetary-boundaries-now-at-record-breach-levels/

El Niño/La Niña Update – World Meteorological Organization
https://public.wmo.int/resources/publication-series/el-ninola-nina-updates/august-2026

What could El Niño mean for our weather? – Yorkshire Evening Post
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/weather/leeds-el-nino-uk-impacts-9184644

The Illusion of Resilience in a Degrading Supply Chain – Inside Track
https://www.insidetrack.org.uk/releases/food-resilience 2026–2027

El Niño food security impacts – FEWS NET
https://fews.net/global/special-report/october-2026

Stockpile food – and wash your hands: is that really how to prepare for environmental catastrophe? – George Monbiot, The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/08/stockpile-food-wash-hands-how-to-prepare-environmental-catastrophe

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Follow us on BlueSky
Clare Farrell
@claretotty.bsky.social

Charlie Gardner
@charliejgardner.bsky.social

If you can, please donate to help with the production of this show
https://ko-fi.com/worldinflux

Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.

EPISODE 38: Why we need climate popularism with Caroline Lucas and Rupert Read

Charlie Gardner talks to former Green MP Caroline Lucas and Rupert Read, director of the Climate Majority Project, about their new report on climate popularism. They explain how the populist right has made climate policy toxic, and why the way back may be adaptation: retrofitting homes, greening cities, restoring nature and growing food together. These community projects cut bills, keep people safer in heatwaves, rebuild trust between neighbours and are harder to turn into a culture war. They also cover why climate popularism isn't populism, the place of grief and joy in climate politics, winning over some Reform voters, and a proposed People's Plan for Climate Resilience that Rupert sees as a vindication of XR's call for citizens' assemblies.

REFERENCES

The Climate Majority Project
https://climatemajorityproject.com

CLIMATE POPULARISM: Breaking the grip of right-wing populism through a new politics of crisis resilience
https://assets.climatemajorityproject.com/Climate%20popularism%206Oct26.pdf

Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security (UK Government assessment, redacted version)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e0eae719d837d69afc7de/National_security_assessment_-_global_biodiversity_loss__ecosystem_collapse_and_national_security.pdf

When Nature Becomes a Security Threat - Caroline Lucas, The Rest Is Politics (episode 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rT9694CQFc

POWER STATION - documentary about turning a Walthamstow street into a solar power station
https://power.film/

---------------------

Follow us on BlueSky

Clare Farrell
@claretotty.bsky.social

Charlie Gardner
@charliejgardner.bsky.social

If you can, please donate to help with the production of this show
https://ko-fi.com/worldinflux

Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up once more to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.

EPISODE 37: Why nature loss is a national security risk, with James Bullock

Recorded live at an Extinction Rebellion Love & Rage event, Clare and Charlie are joined by Professor James Bullock for a special "live" episode to unpack what climate breakdown is already doing to nature in Britain and beyond and what it means for our security. They explain how extreme heat, drought and fire are scorching ecosystems, why species can't keep pace as the seasons shift out of sync, and why collapse is "a process, not an event". They explore what failing ecosystems mean for our food and livelihoods and why the government's redacted report on nature collapse and national security matters. Finally, they ask: what can we actually do about all this?

REFERENCES

Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security (UK Government national security assessment, January 2026, redacted version)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e0eae719d837d69afc7de/National_security_assessment_-_global_biodiversity_loss__ecosystem_collapse_and_national_security.pdf

Zack Polanski demands full release of report warning of ecosystem collapse (Novara Media, 9 Sept 2026)
https://novaramedia.com/2026/09/09/zack-polanski-demands-full-release-of-report-warning-of-ecosystem-collapse/

In the Climate Emergency, Conservation Must Become Survival Ecology (Gardner & Bullock, Frontiers in Conservation Science, 2021)
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2021.659912

Tritrophic phenological match-mismatch in space and time: oaks, caterpillars and birds (Woodland Trust Nature's Calendar) https://naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk/analysis/research-reports/2017/tritrophic-phenological-match-mismatch-in-space-and-time/

Mountain pine beetle outbreaks and climate change in British Columbia (Forests.org)
https://forests.org/foresters-blog-mountain-pine-beetle/

The continuing plight of Lough Neagh (British Wildlife)
https://www.britishwildlife.com/?p=30154

30x30: guide to Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (IUCN)
https://iucn.org/resources/grey-literature/30x30-guide-inclusive-equitable-and-effective-implementation-target-3

Zero Hour campaign
https://www.zerohour.uk

---------------------

Follow us on BlueSky

Clare Farrell
@claretotty.bsky.social

Charlie Gardner
@charliejgardner.bsky.social

James Bullock @jmbecologist.bsky.social

If you can, please donate to help with the production of this show
https://ko-fi.com/worldinflux