NATURE PODCAST13 November 2026In the first of our new podcast series, a Nature reporter looks for reasons for hope in the face of overwhelming climate anxiety.ByNick Petrić HoweNick Petrić HoweView author publicationsSearch author on: PubMed Google ScholarView saved researchDownload the Nature Podcast 13 November 2026The past year has been... a lot. Record-breaking temperatures, devastating floods and catastrophic wildfires have brought the realities of climate change into sharp focus for people around the world. At the same time, many governments and organisations have scaled back on their climate action.If you’re anything like me you might be feeling it’s all a bit ‘doom and gloom’. So in this series I decided to face my climate anxiety head on and set out in search of reasons for optimism.In this first episode of Cooked? I talk to experts around the world about what the data really show and why there are still reasons to hope.00:00 How climate change feels overwhelming04:27 What the data say about renewables11:23 Will AI stall climate progress?21:49 How are the world’s nations doing on climate change?35:13 Preview of next timeFurther reading:Nature: COP31 kicks off as planet faces imminent overshoot of 1.5 °C climate targetNature: How much energy will AI really consume? The good, the bad and the unknownNature: Biotech innovations are an opportunity to limit climate changeThis episode was written and produced by Nick Petrić Howe. Dan Fox was the editor. Music was by Daniel Knowler, Akio Jefferson, Lionel Cohen and The Conductor, and was provided by Triple Scoop Music via Getty Images. Thanks to Hannah Ritchie, Ketan Joshi and Niklas Höhne for featuring in this episode.Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music or your favourite podcast app. An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too.doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-03716-6Related Articles How biotechnology can mitigate climate change by curbing the global land squeeze UN finally admits global warming will shoot past 1.5 ºC climate limit Don’t despair, collective action can address climate changeSubjectsClimate changeMachine learningRenewable energyLatest on:Climate changeMachine learningRenewable energyJobs Four PhD fellowships in AI-driven plant biology - University of CopenhagenFour PhD positions (NNF and MSCA) on knowledge graphs, single-cell stress networks and plant metabolic pathways. Deadline 31 Jan 2027.Frederiksberg Campus, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkUniversity of Copenhagen, Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesStrategic Scientist, Outstanding Youg Investigator, and Postdoctoral Positions at CIBCASCIB invites distinguished Strategic Scientist, Outstanding Young Investigator, and Postdoctoral Research Fellow.Chengdu, Sichuan (CN)Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology Global Talent WantedApplicants should meet the requirements for the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars (overseas), please refer to the Part IV for detailsShenzhen, Guangdong (CN)The State Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic BiologyAssistant Professor, Tenure Track, CHOP Division of HematologyPerelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania seek candidates for an Assistant Professor position in the tenure track.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (US)University of Pennsylvania