Welcome to today's podcast where we seek to navigate the stormy seas of a pressing global issue - climate change. As we set the stage in this introductory segment, we will briefly journey through the history of climate change theories, giving you a snapshot of the monumental environmental challenges currently facing humanity.

We find ourselves in an era when the collective actions of humanity wield an unprecedented impact on our planet. Now more than ever, mankind appears as a geological force, shaping the workings of our world often with dire consequences in tow. Air pollution, deforestation, melting ice-caps, rising global temperatures – these and many more are everyday reminders of the environmental challenges we grapple with. Challenges that have the potential to redefine not just landscapes, but civilizations.

So, how did we realize this? How did we come to understand that human activities, particularly in the last two centuries, are triggering a shift in global climate? To answer this, we must delve into the evolution of climate change theories spanning over a century.

Our brief journey into the past begins in the 19th century with Fourier, Tyndall, and Arrhenius – the pioneers who laid the foundation of our current understanding of the Earth's climate. Fourier, way back in the 1820's, suggested that the Earth's atmosphere might act as an insulator of sorts. Recognizing that the Earth was much warmer than it should be, given its distance from the Sun, he theorized about the existence of an atmospheric effect, a theory that would later evolve into the concept of the "greenhouse effect".

Then came John Tyndall, an Irish scientist who made a phenomenal discovery in 1859, showing that gases such as methane and carbon dioxide trap heat within the Earth's atmosphere. Fast forward to 1896, and Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius furthered the greenhouse effect discourse with calculations indicating that doubling the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere would increase Earth's temperature by 5-6 degrees Celsius. Such revolutionary work lay the foundation for the modern science of climate change.

Then came the 20th century, which saw an acceleration in both scientific understanding and the environmental impacts of industrialization. Guy Callendar in the 1930's, provided empirical evidence tying the industrial revolution and the accompanying surge in CO2 emissions to rising global temperatures, proudly bearing the nickname of "the Callendar effect".

As we stepped into the 21st century, we greeted a future fraught with climatic challenges. The inception of terms like "global warming" and "climate change" into everyday vocabulary came as prickling reminders of the repercussions of our industrialized lifestyles: soaring greenhouse gas emissions, melting polar ice-caps, and, of course, rising global temperatures.

Now, in the second decade of the 21st century, we find ourselves in a new geological epoch - the Anthropocene, defined by human-dominant influence on climate and environment. Our impact on global ecosystem has been so significant that we have left unmistakable signatures on geological records. Not a badge of honor, but rather an urgent wake-up call.

Throughout this podcast, we will explore the multiple facets of climate change, grounding our discussions in the rich history of the science that brought us to our current understanding. So, ready yourself for a fascinating journey as we chart the course through the environmental challenges facing humanity and delve in-depth into the realities and repercussions of climate change.