The world is shaped by ideas—some good, some bad, and some that seemed good at the time.
This is a podcast about rethinking the things we take for granted, challenging sacred cows, and admitting when we’ve been wrong.
With your host, awarded environmental author and activist Mark Lynas, we take a deep dive into the environmental, political, and social debates shaping our future—without the outrage, tribalism, or easy answers.
Help us save the world from bad ideas. Because the future depends on us getting it right.
Episode summary
In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, host Mark Lynas is joined by Roger Hallam, climate campaigner and co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, to discuss his evolution in climate activism and the case for mass civil resistance. Roger reflects on the successes and failures of Extinction Rebellion, his various arrests and time in prison, and his subsequent international campaigns. Mark and Roger discuss Roger’s most recent and controversial “4 Billion Dead” campaign, discussing the role of science communication about climate impacts at high levels of global heating. Roger argues that our political systems are failing to respond at the scale and speed required, and advocates for civil resistance, citizens’ assemblies and even solar geoengineering as possible responses to the planet’s escalating climate crisis.
“As a general rule, 99% of humans find courage through the community of collective action,” says Roger Hallam. “Then they radicalise through that experience and that can happen very quickly. As a general rule, if 3% of a population occupies a capital city for anything from 10 to 20 days, then you're rolling a dice on whether you get regime change or structural change in the regime. And we know that's what's necessary to slash carbon emissions at the present time.”
Join ‘4 Billion Dead’ for monthly campaigning and organizing Zoom calls at this link → 4billiondead.org (https://4billiondead.org/)
About WePlanet
WePlanet is an international movement campaigning for science-based solutions to the climate, nature and development crises. Through conversations like this one, we challenge bad ideas, spotlight better ones, and make the case for a more abundant, resilient and hopeful future.
Join the Conversation
podcast@weplanet.org (mailto:podcast@weplanet.org) | https://weplanet.org/podcast (https://weplanet.org/podcast)
Instagram: @weplanetinternational (https://www.instagram.com/weplanetinternational/)
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LinkedIn: WePlanet (https://www.linkedin.com/company/weplanetinternational/)
1 Oct 2026
Bad Idea #60 “Trees are our only carbon offset”
Episode summary
In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, host Mark Lynas is joined by Quico Toro, Director of Climate Repair at the Anthropocene Institute, to discuss his research on ocean-based carbon dioxide removal via phytoplankton. Quico challenges the idea that photosynthesis must only occur on land via reforestation, when 70% of our planet is ocean. He also discusses working with stakeholders in the South Pacific, like the Kingdom of Tonga, in collaborating with knowledge keepers and local ocean ecosystem experts to address concerns about carbon removal and approach the practice thoughtfully, scientifically and responsibly.
“To me, the obvious answer to carbon removal is photosynthesis. The forestry people had it right in the first place: photosynthesis is great. It's had a billion and a half years to develop through research and development and evolution. Oceanographers have been thinking for many years that a logical way to approach this problem would be to increase carbon dioxide removal by increasing phytoplankton concentrations in the center of the ocean.”
About WePlanet
WePlanet is an international movement campaigning for science-based solutions to the climate, nature and development crises. Through conversations like this one, we challenge bad ideas, spotlight better ones, and make the case for a more abundant, resilient and hopeful future.
Join the Conversation
podcast@weplanet.org (mailto:podcast@weplanet.org) | https://weplanet.org/podcast (https://weplanet.org/podcast)
Instagram: @weplanetinternational (https://www.instagram.com/weplanetinternational/)
X: @weplanetintl (https://x.com/weplanetint)
LinkedIn: WePlanet (https://www.linkedin.com/company/weplanetinternational/)
24 Sept 2026
Bad Idea #59 “Climate stabilisation is a moral hazard”
Episode summary
In this inaugural episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas Season 4, host Mark Lynas is joined by scientist Joshua Elliott, director of Advanced Research for Climate Emergencies (ARC) and chief scientist at Renaissance Philanthropy, to discuss Earth's tipping points and rapidly changing climate systems — and how human intervention, via approaches like climate stabilization, is a fast becoming a moral imperative to combat the worst projections of climate breakdown.
“We have been geoengineering this planet since we first developed agriculture,” says Joshua Elliott. “The tacit belief that accidental geoengineering is somehow okay, but that thoughtful, science-driven, purposeful, researched and scaled geoengineering or stabilization is somehow a horrible moral hazard. I mean, to me, that just completely defies logic.”
About WePlanet
WePlanet is an international movement campaigning for science-based solutions to the climate, nature and development crises. Through conversations like this one, we challenge bad ideas, spotlight better ones, and make the case for a more abundant, resilient and hopeful future.
Join the Conversation
podcast@weplanet.org (mailto:podcast@weplanet.org) | https://weplanet.org/podcast (https://weplanet.org/podcast)
Instagram: @weplanetinternational (https://www.instagram.com/weplanetinternational/)
X: @weplanetintl (https://x.com/weplanetint)
LinkedIn: WePlanet (https://www.linkedin.com/company/weplanetinternational/)
Who has been a guest on Saving the World From Bad Ideas
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
David Wallace-Wells
Bryony Worthington
Sarah Berry
Julia Pyke
Lauri Myllyvirta
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
4.8 / 5
27 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 35 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
70
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
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Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Saving the World From Bad Ideas
Who hosts Saving the World From Bad Ideas?
Mark Lynas host the show. Published by WePlanet.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Saving the World From Bad Ideas take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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