FACE TO FACE WITH

Francesc Mauri, geographer and television presenter

Francesc Mauri: “It Feels Like the Educational System is Diluting Knowledge”

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David Rabadà

Francesc Marc Mauri i Domènech (Barcelona, 26 December 1966) is a Catalan geographer and television presenter. He is currently one of the weather forecasters for TV3, the Catalan public television network. Holding a degree in Geography from the University of Barcelona with a specialisation in meteorology, he considers himself largely self-taught, having developed a passion for the subject at the age of 13. Since July 1985, he has worked at the Catalan Audiovisual Media Corporation, initially at Catalunya Ràdio before transitioning to Televisió de Catalunya three years later as a “weatherman”. Between 1988 and 1991, he also contributed meteorological reports for La Vanguardia. Throughout the 1990s, he collaborated with the weekly magazine El Tiempo and worked with various media outlets, including Grupo Flaix, Ràdio Aran, Ràdio Marina, Ràdio Olot, and Ràdio Costa Brava.

In late 2012, he launched the pioneering weekly programme MeteoMauri, Spain’s first web-based radio show, available exclusively on the Catalunya Ràdio website. The programme featured weekend weather forecasts and ski conditions for Catalonia, alongside discussions on environmental issues, gastronomy, leisure, regional heritage, and sustainability. In 2014, he debuted as a television presenter, co-hosting Cosecha Propia with Lídia Herèdia on Televisió de Catalunya, focusing on healthy eating and local produce. In 2019, he began conducting interviews aboard a hot air balloon for the segment Globus Sonda, engaging guests from fields such as green business, journalism, film, and culture. Currently, he provides weather updates on El Temps for TN Migdia and broadcasts on 324, Catalunya Ràdio, and Catalunya Informació. In 2010, he received the Ondas Award for his coverage of the severe snowfall in Catalonia that March, sharing the honour with the Catalunya Ràdio afternoon news team. In 2014, he was named Best Radio Professional in Catalonia by the Radio Asociación.

Most people in Catalonia know you as the weather presenter for TV3 and affiliated media. In your childhood and family environment, what sparked your passion for climate-related matters?

I didn’t have a clear role model among my parents or grandparents who guided me to be the weatherman, but my father instilled in me a deep appreciation for nature and curiosity. My interest in weather developed naturally at the age of 13 after observing others engaged in it.

You seem to value the relationship between landscape and cultural heritage. How did this interest shape your early academic performance?

Geography reflects both the natural and cultural environments in which humanity has evolved. It was my strongest subject because I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the links between landscape and culture.

By year 6, you were already highly engaged. Did a specific teacher influence you, or was it an inner emotional self?

Yes, Professor Vinyoles from Moianès played a key role in awakening my curiosity.

If you performed well academically in primary school, how did your studies evolve in your teenage years?

Until Year 9, I did well, but from that point onward, I lost motivation, and laziness set in with my adolescence, especially in subjects I wasn’t interested in. I struggled with humanities, while I enjoyed chemistry and natural sciences.

That childhood curiosity about geography, landscapes, and the environment led you to university. What did you study, and which professor do you think had the most positive influence on you?

My passion for the environment led me to study Geography. I felt most comfortable with scientific subjects, particularly physical geography over human geography. The professor who had the greatest impact on me was Javier Martín Vide—I was already buying his books at 15 or 16, long before university.

«The professor who had the greatest impact on me was Javier Martín Vide—I was already buying his books at 15 or 16, long before university» 

I assume you’re aware that I interviewed Javier Martín Vide a few weeks ago. It’s clear that outstanding scholars are essential for the development of exceptional students. I can see that you hold Dr. Martín Vide in high regard, but is there anyone in your family who would support your view? If so, why?

Yes, my wife does. In the 1990s, whenever we attended dinners or presentations with Martín Vide, she would comment—despite not being a geographer herself—that he must have full classes due to his passion for teaching. She often said that if she had had a professor like him, she would have been drawn to meteorology.

In 1985, you attended courses at the Science Museum alongside fellow weatherman Dani Ramírez. What happened that summer that set you both on the path to becoming weather presenters on TV3?

In May 1985, fate played its part. Dani Ramírez was 15 or 16, and I was 18. The theoretical part of the course was taught by a physicist, while Alfred Rodríguez Picó led the practical sessions. After two years without a break, Picó wanted a summer holiday and offered one of us the chance to fill in for him. Following a few trial runs on the radio, I was selected, and that opportunity launched my career.

I suppose that the passing of the great Castejón in 1988, as TV3’s weatherman, further strengthened your position in the media. Would you say that you were in the right place at the right time thanks to your dedication? Or was it all the result of positive thinking, driven by personal ambition and projection?

At the beginning of the summer of 1988, Antoni Castejón passed away suddenly, and at that time, I had just returned from military service, fully available. I was tested for television, and I was provisionally selected.

It is worth explaining to the reader that you have scheduled this conversation at 8 a.m. I must say that after conducting dozens of interviews for Educational Evidence, this is the first time someone has suggested meeting at 8 in the morning. Would it be fair to say that you are highly disciplined, responsible, and persevering in your work?

Well, I am—though my work schedule also dictates my routine. We could say that I am disciplined, responsible, and persevering, but perhaps not to such an extreme. Rather, it is the nature of working in television news that sets this particular context.

«Effort has certainly been a factor, but I’ve always directed it towards what I enjoyed»

I believe that the culture of hard work holds great significance for you. Do you see a link between your current success and your academic dedication?

Effort has certainly been a factor, but I’ve always directed it towards what I enjoyed. In the end, life is shaped by countless small contributions that gradually fill the glass.

The image you project is that of a calm person, who maybe lets loose every once in a while. When they imitate you in Polònia¹, this is how they depict your character. Would you agree?

Yes, that’s right, I’m a calm person, but I also enjoy letting loose I every now and then and become the life of the party when I’m away from the TV.

We could say that you lean more towards common sense than impulsiveness. When you see an injustice, like the handling of the DANA in Valencia, do you lose your temper?

I’m more about common sense than impulsiveness, but with the DANA situation, I can’t help but feel a surge of anger. There are words I keep to myself, considering there are over two hundred more deaths than in the 11M Madrid attacks, largely due to poor management and the disappearance for five hours of the person who was supposed to lead the emergency response. And when you add in the faked images, audios, and so on, that’s when the anger really kicks in. It all speaks for itself, and that snowball turns into something farcical.

Both you and I were born in the 1960s—1966 for you, 1967 for me—and we’ve lived under the shadow of climate change. Since 2010, we’ve seen some global warming parameters accelerate, but denialist and catastrophist ideologies tend to muddle the issue, mixing natural astronomical causes with human atmospheric ones. What percentage do you think human activity is responsible for in the rise of global temperatures? Between 20 and 30%? Or between 50 and 60%?

On this matter, you won’t find a clear consensus. I’m not a scientist who can pinpoint an exact figure, but from everything I’ve read, I’d say it’s around 60% human-caused and 40% natural.

«I see that transmitting knowledge is becoming increasingly difficult, despite its wide accessibility through digital platforms» 

Many argue that society lacks a strong scientific foundation. Do you think our education system is diluting core scientific knowledge, or do you believe it’s enhancing it to foster a broad social scientific culture?

I’m not an expert in educational policy, but as the parent of a secondary school student, I see that transmitting knowledge is becoming increasingly difficult, despite its wide accessibility through digital platforms. It does seem like the educational system is diluting knowledge.

We can agree that, given the need for more scientific culture, there are many people, especially on social media, making a lot of noise without being experts. How do you feel when so many people just voice opinions for the sake of it?

Obviously, there’s a lot of noise on social media, as well as among pundits in the media who seemingly know everything, but end up causing significant harm to scientific culture. This results in many people receiving information without expert oversight, and ultimately, we’re in a bad situation due to all this pointless opinionating, amplified by mass and chaotic dissemination.

Do you think that influential entities and organisations silence the voice of true science?

There are certainly influential entities and organisations that attempt to convey the truth without a doubt. For instance, we know of companies, by name, that pay advertising agencies to simulate publications related to the motor world and fuels, where both the far-right and far-left are eager to have their say.

«The only way to combat the climate emergency effectively is a global shift to an electrified energy» 

Do you have any upcoming personal or professional projects?

I don’t have any imminent personal projects beyond my television work. However, I’m deeply involved in the transition to a green economy. I co-founded Oikia, an NGO working to build consensus for Catalonia’s green transition.

Francesc, I’ve found you to be sincere, honest, and humble. If you had a magic lamp, what would you wish for?

Thank you, David! If I had a magic lamp, I would wish for many things: health, universal and free education, accessible healthcare, respect for all global cultures, and the eradication of poverty. However, professionally, my most pressing wish is clear—the only way to combat the climate emergency effectively is a global shift to an electrified energy model. That is the magic solution we need.

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¹ Polònia is a satirical TV show on TV3 that humorously parodies current events, politics, and public figures in Catalonia and Spain.

Source: educational EVIDENCE

Rights: Creative Commons