The Life Geographic: A somewhat self-absorbed personal and professional development blog of an ex-Geography high-school teacher…
My #CoffeeGeogPod chat with Dr Claire Brown highlighted the importance of adapting UK housing for climate change, focusing on thermal comfort during heat waves. We discuss social issues such as the insulation and shading choices available to private homeowners versus social housing tenants. Retrofitting existing homes and incorporating solar shading into building regulations are pivotal for future-proofing structures and ensuring health and safety.
Talking to Amy Imhoff meant bringing together several of my favourite things: space, geography, Star Trek, science communication, feminist media, public engagement, and the kind of wonderfully nerdy conversation where you begin with astronomy and somehow end up at Taylor Swift, dark skies, comet juice and Captain Janeway.
In this episode of the Coffee & Geography Podcast, I discuss geographical identity and social justice with Dr. Cyrus Golding, a Senior Teaching Fellow. They explore the impact of place on personal experiences, the redefinition of natural disasters, and the significance of student voices in geography through the journal Routes. The conversation emphasised geography's role in revealing inequalities and connections in society.
In Season 6 Episode 10 of the Coffee & Geography Podcast, geologist, author and TV presenter Dr. Anjana Khatwa discusses her unique perspective on geology, linking it to personal identity through her family's migration story. She emphasises the importance of rocks in environmental narratives and advocates for equitable access to nature for all communities, while also sharing light-hearted moments about Agatha Christie.
In Season 6 Episode 9 of Coffee & Geography, I discuss climate education with Nava Khorram Ahmad, Executive Director of the Climate Education Centre. Emphasising practical approaches, Nava highlights the importance of integrating Indigenous knowledge and the human aspect of climate issues. She shares stories of youth-led climate resilience and underscores the potential for change through community efforts.
In Season 6 Episode 8 of the Coffee & Geography Podcast, Kit Marie discusses climate adaptation with Aparna Bamzai-Dodson from the USGS. She emphasises “actionable science” that engages stakeholders from the outset and the importance of context in decision-making. The conversation also touches on the interplay of science, community needs, and personal joy in the process.
My latest #CoffeeGeogPod chat is with Pluto Liu, a "professional nomad." We discuss identity, language, and the interconnectedness of various academic fields. Pluto shares insights on marine science and capitalism, emphasising resilience in nature. The conversation blended humor with profound reflections on geography and personal growth.
When someone like Dr Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles, an Indigenous geographer, opens up their time for me, I really am deeply grateful. Joining me from Victoria, British Columbia, our conversation for the Coffee & Geography podcast was rich, generous, expansive, and rooted in a geography that moves far beyond lines on a map.
In Episode 5 of the podcast, the I visit East Norfolk Sixth Form College in Great Yarmouth, emphasising sustainability as a cultural practice intertwined with education. Principal Dr. Catherine Richards discusses the college's role in the community, addressing local challenges while promoting climate literacy across all subjects, fostering a sense of belonging and optimism.
Every now and again, a Coffee & Geography conversation leaves me feeling as though I’ve been gently lifted out of my familiar mental landscape and placed somewhere new — somewhere where the world is stretched wider, deeper, older. My chat with Omar Regalado Fernández, a Mexican paleobiologist now living in Germany, was exactly that kind of experience. It wasn’t just a conversation about fossils, or science, or identity. It was an excavation — of assumptions, of histories, of the stories science tells about itself. And like all good excavations, it revealed far more than either of us expected.