2025 Conference / Saturday AM - Climate and Risk

Welcome to the sixth series in the annual podcast programme from Academic Archers, bringing you papers from our 2025 conference.

This episode brings together the Saturday morning sessions exploring climate, infrastructure, and risk in rural life. Across four papers, speakers consider how Ambridge understands climate change, measures carbon, adapts to new technologies, and navigates everyday dangers in the countryside.

Ambridge Talks Climate
Claire Astbury

Drawing on the Britain Talks Climate research by Climate Outreach and More in Common, this paper applies national climate engagement typologies to Ambridge residents. Characters such as Mia, Lynda and Ed are mapped onto segments including Progressive Activists, Civic Pragmatists and Disengaged Battlers.

The paper explores how different approaches could motivate climate action in the village, including tailored messaging and the role of trusted messengers.

About the speaker
Claire Astbury has been an Archers listener for over 20 years. With a background in housing policy, she has presented at Academic Archers since 2018 on topics including rural housing, fan cultures, mental health, and social mobility. She is an active member of the Saturday Ambridge Study Society and a regular caller-innerer to the DumTeeDum podcast.

Carbon Baseline: Where Is Ambridge Now and What Needs to Change in the Future?
Victoria Grattidge

This paper considers Ambridge’s carbon footprint and asks whether rural villages could do better than national efforts on climate change. It examines emissions from homes, businesses and residents, compares these with national data, and explores barriers to change.

The paper also reviews local initiatives and considers what further action might realistically be possible in a village like Ambridge.

About the speaker
Victoria Grattidge is a Chartered Civil Engineer specialising in the nuclear industry, with experience across operations, decommissioning and new build. A long-term Archers listener, she now catches up by podcast before joining the Saturday group.

The Effect of Charging Stations in Rural Communities
Lucy Bufton

This paper explores the impact of electric vehicle charging stations in rural areas, using real-world examples to assess what Ambridge’s new charging station might mean for the village.

It considers effects on footfall, traffic, infrastructure, economic activity, employment, retail opportunities, and digital literacy, drawing on case studies from Gloucestershire, Cumbria and Devon.

About the speaker
Lucy Bufton is a data analyst with an interest in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. She began listening to The Archers at university in 2005 and has followed the Ambridge charging station storyline with particular interest.

Is Everything in the Countryside Trying to Kill You?
Sue Lee

This presentation looks at dangerous goods in farming and rural life, highlighting the risks that exist in everyday countryside settings. Drawing on professional experience, it explores how hazardous materials are used, stored, and often underestimated on farms and in rural homes.

About the speaker
Sue Lee has over 30 years’ experience shipping dangerous goods and more than 25 years training others to do so safely. She is qualified across air, road and sea transport and works as a dangerous goods safety advisor. She has listened to The Archers for around 60 years and remains convinced that, in the countryside, almost everything is out to get you.