Fossil vs Future

By: James Cameron and Daisy Nicholls
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  • Summary

  • This is Fossil vs Future, a warm conversation between generations on climate change. - Each podcast episode will be focusing on a different climate-related challenge, as godfather and goddaughter, James and Daisy, share their individual experiences and perspectives, with the hope of fostering understanding between generations. - James is at the later stage of his working life dedicated to dealing with climate change, through law, finance, and social entrepreneurship, and Daisy is at an earlier stage of her career, equally focused on the climate and how to drive systemic change through her experience in the finance, business, and non-profit sectors. - We want to use intergenerational dialogue as a tool to learn, inspire, and get stuff done! - LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/fossil-vs-future Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/fossil_vs_future TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@fossil_vs_future
    © 2025 James Cameron and Daisy Nicholls
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Biological Sciences Earth Sciences Science
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Episodes
  • WHAT ABOUT AI? A promising tool to find solutions or a waste of valuable energy?

    WHAT ABOUT AI? A promising tool to find solutions or a waste of valuable energy?
    Feb 25 2025
    Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our world, enabling computers to learn and solve problems in ways that can seem human. This powerful technology is already being used to benefit the environment – optimising efficiencies, predicting weather patterns, and mapping ecological impacts. However, the immense computing power required for AI comes at a cost, consuming vast amounts of energy and other critical resources.In this episode, James and Daisy talk about AI. What exactly is AI? What are its environmental impacts? And with AI now deeply embedded in our daily lives, how can we ensure it evolves responsibly to benefit all humanity? SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: Code Dependent: How AI is Changing Our Lives – This book by Madhumita Murgia explores the impact of a set of powerful, flawed, and often exploitative technologies on individuals, communities, and our wider society.Liebreich: Generative AI – The Power and the Glory (2024) – Michael Liebreich examines the transformative potential of generative AI, particularly in creative and industrial sectors.OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:Mo Gawdat – The Former Chief Business Officer at Google X published Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World, a roadmap detailing how humanity can ensure a symbiotic coexistence with AI when it inevitably becomes a billion times smarter than we are.Perplexity AI – A conversational search engine that uses large language models to answer queries with sourced citations. Verv is an AI-based smart home product that sits next to your electricity or smart meter and analyses your home energy data at its source.IBM (2024) – A clear overview of AI and how it works. BBC (2025) – “Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to "build baby build", as he announced plans to make it easier to construct mini nuclear power stations in England and Wales.”Goldman Sachs (2024): “On average, a ChatGPT query needs nearly 10 times as much electricity to process as a Google search.”Google (2024): “Our total GHG emissions were 14.3 million tCO2e, representing a 13% year-over-year increase and a 48% increase compared to our 2019 target base year—primarily due to increases in data center energy consumption and supply chain emissions” ITU (2023) – Approximately 67% of the world's population (5.4 billion people) is now online. In Africa, that figure is just 37%. UNCTAD (2024) – “The production of a single 2 kg computer requires the extraction of a staggering 800 kg of raw materials.”Also, we looked up data centres in Ireland… The Guardian (2024) – Ireland’s growing fleet of datacentres used 21% of its electricity, an increase of a fifth on 2022. Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokMusic: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3Producer: Podshop StudiosHuge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.
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    40 mins
  • WHAT ABOUT FASHION? An example of groundbreaking innovation or a major polluter?

    WHAT ABOUT FASHION? An example of groundbreaking innovation or a major polluter?
    Feb 11 2025
    The fashion industry is huge. Fuelled by social media, influencer culture, and powerful marketing, we’re constantly tempted to buy new clothes at low prices. But behind these bargains lie devastating consequences for the environment and poor conditions for garment workers. In this episode, James and Daisy dive into our obsession with fast fashion and its hidden costs. What are the environmental impacts of the fashion industry? Do different generations approach fashion differently? What can we do to change our consumption habits? SOME RECOMMENDATIONS:Less – A book by Patrick Grant considering the crisis of consumption and quality in fashion, and how we might make ourselves happier by rediscovering the joy of living with fewer, better-quality things.Let My People Go Surfing – A memoir by Yvon Chouinard, the founder of outdoor clothing company Patagonia. OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:The Fashion Pact – A non-profit organization forging a nature-positive, net-zero future for fashion, through CEO-led collaboration.WRAP – A global environmental action NGO focused on creating a circular economy for textiles and other industries. Fashion for Good – A global platform for collaborative innovation in the fashion industry. The Australian Wool Industry Insetting Program has recently been launched by Woolmark, Pollination, and Landcare Australia and will connect apparel brands with Australian woolgrowers looking to reduce emissions through nature-based solutions. Mina Guli – CEO of the Thirst Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to increasing awareness, driving stakeholder urgency and delivering meaningful action on fresh water.The Aral Sea was once the world’s fourth largest body of inland water but it has shrunk to a tenth of its size over the past fifty years due to human interference, causing severe environmental and social consequences. SAGES is a textile industry start-up that offers a sustainable alternative to the synthetic fabric dyes currently on the market, by turning food waste into natural dyes. They are supported by Undaunted, a hub for the UK’s climate innovation community. Grist (2024) – “Shein is officially the biggest polluter in fast fashion. AI is making things worse.” – An article about fast fashion giant, Shein, with some shocking statistics. Ellen MacArthur Foundation – “Every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truck load of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill.” “…in the last 15 years, clothing production has approximately doubled.”thredUP (2022) – “1 in 3 Gen Z say they feel addicted to fast fashion.”UNEP – “About 60 per cent of material made into clothing is plastic, which includes polyester, acrylic and nylon textiles.”Earth.Org (2025) – “The the industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.”McKinsey (2025) – “The fashion industry is worth around $1.7 trillion and over 300 million people work across its global supply chains.” McKinsey research also indicates that most fashion brands could reduce their emissions by more than 60 percent for less thatn 1 to 2 percent of their revenues. Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokMusic: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3Producer: Podshop StudiosHuge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.
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    40 mins
  • WHAT ABOUT PLASTICS? A lifesaving innovation or a threat to our planet and health?

    WHAT ABOUT PLASTICS? A lifesaving innovation or a threat to our planet and health?
    Dec 3 2024
    Plastics have revolutionized modern life with their versatility and usefulness, but their overwhelming abundance has led to a mounting crisis. Plastic waste is everywhere: in the air we breathe, the ice on Mount Everest, the water we drink, the fish we eat, and even in human placentas. This pollution is not only devastating ecosystems but also harming our health. Adding to the problem, plastics are intrinsically tied to climate change, as most are derived from fossil fuels. In this episode, James and Daisy are joined by Aidan Charron from EARTHDAY.ORG to unpack the plastics problem. What exactly are plastics? Why are they so bad for the planet, and for us? What is the Plastics Treaty, and why does it matter? SOME RECOMMENDATIONS:EARTHDAY.ORG – EARTHDAY.ORG’s founders created and organized the very first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Since then, Earth Day Network also known as EARTHDAY.ORG has been mobilizing over 1 billion people annually on Earth Day, and every other day, to protect the planet.Babies vs. Plastics Report – Evidence is mounting that plastics, microplastics and their additive chemicals pose potentially serious health risks to humans, with babies and infants being especially vulnerable.Pets vs. Plastics Report – This report is a meta-analysis of some of the available research to date studying the impact of plastics, microplastics and their additive chemicals on the health of our pets. Plastics Treaty – In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Programme instated an International Negotiating Committee (INC) tasked with creating a global, legally binding memorandum tackling the pressing problem of plastics pollution. OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:Silent Spring by Rachel Carson – published on September 27, 1962, this book documented the environmental harm caused by the widespread use of pesticides and is recognizes as one of the most influential books of the twentieth century. SYSTEMIQ (2020) – “Breaking the Plastic Wave” is a global analysis using first-of-its kind modelling, showing that we can cut annual flows of plastic into the ocean by about 80% in the next 20 years by applying existing solutions and technologies. Ellen MacArthur Foundation – a charity committed to creating a circular economy, which is designed to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature.Notpla – advanced packaging solutions made from seaweed and other natural materials as an alternative to single-use plastic. The Blue Planet – a wildlife documentary series, presented and narrated by David Attenborough, exploring the planet's oceans.UNDP (2023) – “Scientists estimate that only around 9 percent of all the plastic waste generated globally is recycled.”EARTHDAY.ORG – “More than 500 billion plastic bags – one million bags per minute – were produced worldwide last year.” World Economic Forum (2022) – “Saying no to single-use plastics is the most common sustainable lifestyle change among UK consumers. More than 60% have reduced their use of throwaway plastics.”BBC (2019) – A cotton bag needs to be reused at least 131 times to make it more environmentally friendly than a plastic bag. Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokMusic: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3Producer: Podshop StudiosHuge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.
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    35 mins

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