Dan Ashby

@danielashby.bsky.social

Environment journalist, podcaster and film-maker. Investigations on climate, forever chemicals, organised crime, landfill, planet + more. Host of Buried, BBC Sounds - Gold winner, British Podcast Awards 2023

NEW: Calls for plastic exports ban as investigation reveals hundreds of boys and men killed in recycling factories in Turkey. Boy Wasted, our three-part podcast exposes hundreds of deaths in recycling facilities. Search for it now wherever you get your podcasts.

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Lovely to see our BBC pod The Last Witness shortlisted for a True Crime Award, and even more so that it's for community impact. We cannot ignore the legacy of forget chemicals.

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Welsh Government has intervened after our investigation revealed carcinogenic chemicals at 140 x the background rate in a Caerphilly woodland. But the land has not been declared officially 'contaminated'. Instead, they're fencing it all off. Does that mean it should have been all along?

One of the more startling analyses I've come across. This from @carbonbrief.org on how different temperature rises affect flood damages. Been a while since I've seen a 6000%+ rise in anything! We'll be covering Storm Bert in our COP29 special on Inside Europe.

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Over the past week I've been speaking to some of the world's leading climate scientists and data journalists for our COP29 special programme. There's much to be scared about. But for a change, I thought I'd pull out some of the things to be cautiously hopeful about.

New text dropped at COP29. Developed countries offering global south $250bn to fight climate crisis, far below hoped-for contribution. Though 'calls for' 1.3trn, from other finance. Some orgs calling for it to be rejected. But seems the start of a path to a deal. Higher than current funding by a lot

Producing special COP coverage this week. And though it's not new, I can never quite get over that even IF countries meet current pledges, we're on course for estimated 2.6C rise (max). It's difficult even to get countries to promise to save the world, let alone do it.

Next week, we are guest producing and presenting a 30-minute special segment on Deutsche Welle's 'Inside Europe' about the climate summit COP29. Looking for guests. Given it's a news-show, and not Buried, I guess people don't want to hear me bickering with Lucy.