Jared Diamond is an acclaimed author, geographer and historian.
His latest book, Upheaval: How Nations Cope with Crisis and Change, looks at global crises such as climate change and what countries are doing to deal with them.
He joined us on The Last Word to discuss the book and why he is "cautiously optimistic" that the world will be able to tackle these issues.
He also explained why it's crucial for Ireland to play its part in combating climate change, despite being a small country.
"The EU is one of the four biggest exploiters of resources in the world."
"If these things get messed up, Ireland is going to suffer the consequences of it."
Listen to the interview in full by pressing the play button on this page.
