Insects are the quiet engineers of the environment - pollinating our plants, balancing our ecosystems and clearing up our waste. Some insects can digest plastic, and they play a vital role in crop production. At the same time their populations are under threat from pesticides, habitat loss and climate change. In this programme, Helen Czerski and Tom Heap explore the largely ignored world of insects. Could they be the answer to some of the environmental problems we have created? Would eating them help lower our carbon footprint, and will the western world ever overcome its squeamishness to the idea? Helen and Tom explore the weird and wonderful world of insects with a panel of experts.Producer: Emma CampbellAssistant Producer: Toby FieldRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University
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53:24
Set in Concrete
From ancient Rome onwards our civilisation has been built on concrete. It's incredibly useful but emits huge quantities of carbon dioxide in its production. What are the alternatives? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski explore the issues with a panel of experts: Professor Colin Hills from Greenwich University, Smith Mordak Chief Executive of UK Green Building Council, and structural engineer Roma Agrawal, who worked on the construction of London's tallest building, the Shard.Producer: Emma CampbellAssistant Producer: Toby FieldResearcher: Harrison JonesRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University
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53:21
Paradise on the Edge
The islands of the Pacific Ocean are on the frontline of climate change. Sea level rise will eventually erase some from the map and make many more uninhabitable. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski hear from the people of the region and explore its stunning wildlife both above and below the waves.With them in the studio are Professor Tammy Horton from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton and BBC One Show naturalist, Mike Dilger. Tammy studies- and names- some of the thousands of creatures recently discovered living at depths of 4-6km in the Pacific's Clarion Clipperton Zone, while Mike has just returned from the bird-watching trip of a lifetime, spotting the extraordinary Birds of Paradise of Papua New Guinea.Samoan climate journalist Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson joins in the conversation to consider how Pacific islanders respond to the prevailing narratives around climate change. She says that the islanders have no wish to be presented as victims and are well placed to stand up for their rights in international climate negotiations and to actively lead efforts to maintain their rich cultures, despite the rising tides.Producer: Alasdair CrossAssistant Producer: Toby FieldResearcher: Harrison JonesRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University
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53:14
How to Clean Up the Shipping Industry
The shipping industry is an enormous source of pollution. Ships burn dirty fuel oil that helps contribute to the industry's global carbon emissions and even in port they continue to belch out noxious fumes that pollute the air of many of our major port cities. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski search for the solutions, from a return to sailing ships to new fuels - and even the possibility of ships being more like penguins - with a panel including:Paddy Rodgers, Director (Chief Executive) of Royal Museums Greenwich and former CEO of EuronavTristan Smith, Professor of Energy and Transport, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy & Resources (UCL) Aoife O’Leary, CEO of Opportunity GreenProducer: Beth Sagar-FentonAssistant Producers: Toby Field and Harrison JonesRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University
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53:27
Forever Chemicals
PFAS chemicals are all around us. They're used in frying pans, food packaging and waterproof coats but they have been linked to thyroid disease, liver damage and cancer. The trouble is that PFAS just doesn't go away- these 'forever chemicals' build up in our bodies and the environment.Tom Heap and Helen Czerski look back at the invention of these miracle chemicals, their use in the Second World War and the Space Race and meet Robert Bilott, the American lawyer who held the PFAS manufacturers to account, going head to head with the enormous DuPont corporation. They're also joined by Stephanie Metzger of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Hannah Evans from the environmental charity Fidra and by the journalist Leana Hosea of Watershed Investigations.Producer: Alasdair CrossAssistant Producer: Toby FieldRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University
Environmental journalist Tom Heap and physicist Helen Czerski tackle major stories about our environment and wildlife, celebrate the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderful.
South Africa