Podcast Episode: Climate and Policy

Host: Nikunj

Guest: Lucilla

Nikunj: Welcome to Postcards! I’m Nikunj, your host, and today’s episode is about the politics of climate and why it matters. We’ll discuss who makes decisions, climate advocacy, and why it’s so hard to find common ground. Before I introduce my guest, I want to thank all our listeners for the phenomenal response to our first two episodes! Now, onto our guest.

Nikunj: Hi Lucilla, welcome to the podcast! How are you doing?

Lucilla: Hi Nikunj! I’m good, thank you for having me. What an eventful Christmas Day!

Nikunj: It is! Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating. Do you know about Secret Santa?

Lucilla: Yes, we have it in Brazil as well! In business settings, we often exchange Havaianas, the Brazilian flip-flops. You pick your favorite color and join the Secret Santa. It’s a very Brazilian tradition!

Nikunj: That sounds fun! So, it has been two years since we graduated from Oxford. How was your experience there?

Lucilla: It was overwhelming but amazing! The diversity of people, the grand university setting—it was all so different from anything I had experienced before. One of my biggest realizations was the strong Brazil-India connection. Even though we are geographically far apart, we share many cultural similarities, which I only discovered while at Oxford.

Nikunj: That’s interesting! You’ve been traveling around India for two weeks now. Have you found anything that surprised you or reminded you of Brazil?

Lucilla: Absolutely! One of the biggest similarities is the warmth of family life. Your mother reminded me of many Brazilian mothers—so welcoming and kind. There’s also a strong emphasis on sharing food and making people feel at home, which is very familiar to me. I think this warmth is something we see in many developing nations.

Nikunj: Speaking of food, you love Indian food! What’s your favorite dish?

Lucilla: I love gulab jamun ! Your mom gave me some, and I was so happy. Also, I’ve been learning to cook dal and palak paneer. My dal is getting better!

Nikunj: That’s great! You grew up in São Bernardo do Campo, an industrial city in Brazil. What are your fondest childhood memories?

Lucilla: The city was very industrial when I was growing up. My parents worked in factories, and I remember identifying different factories and what they produced. But my best memories are with my grandparents. Since my parents worked long hours, I spent a lot of time with them, watching TV and enjoying my grandmother’s cooking.

Nikunj: Has the city changed over the years?

Lucilla: Yes! Many factories have closed, and now it functions more like a commuter city for São Paulo, similar to how people commute to Delhi. It’s at a crossroads, figuring out its new identity.

Nikunj: Speaking of identity, have you ever felt a sense of ‘otherness’ while growing up?