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Seabirds face many challenges - avian flu, plastic pollution, overfishing and climate change have all had an impact - but despite all of this, these resilient birds are surviving and in some cases, thriving. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski explore all things seabird, from the urban kittiwakes of Tyneside to the sea cliffs of Shetland.
They're joined by Adam Nicolson, the author of The Seabird's Cry. He's determined to recover the reputation of the puffin from the cute star of seaside mugs and tea towels to its rightful place as a brave and powerful navigator of the toughest ocean environments.
Mike Dilger, resident nature expert on BBC TV's The One Show, reports from Shetland on the extraordinary colony of storm petrels that breed in the brickwork of Iron Age brochs.
The kittiwakes that nest in the heart of Newcastle and Gateshead are the furthest inland colony in the world. Helen Wilson of Durham University discusses her research on the birds and their developing relationship with the people who live and work alongside them.
Many of Britain's most dramatic seabird colonies breed on the most isolated islands of the west coast of Scotland. Film-maker and adventure leader Roland Arnison has spent the summer in a kayak, paddling from island to island, recording the sounds of thirty species of seabird. He tells Tom and Helen about his Call of the Loon expedition and his dramatic scrapes with riptides, hypothermia and the most predatory of Scottish seabirds- the great skua.
Producer: Alasdair Cross Assistant Producer: Toby FieldResearcher: Christina Sinclair
Rare Earth is a BBC Audio Wales and West production in conjunction with the Open University
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Tom Heap and Helen Czerski meet the people with fresh ideas to combat rising sea levels, from Enfield to Indonesia.
Average sea levels across the world are rising fast. That puts 570 cities with a combined population of 800 million people at significant threat of inundation. Add in the impact of extreme rainfall events and you have a huge slice of our urban planet that needs protection from flooding. Tom and Helen are joined by Professor Richard Dawson of Newcastle University who considers the engineering solutions available, from huge chunks of concrete and steel to the clever use of parks and gardens that can slow down the flow of water into the streets.
Emma Howard Boyd, former chair of the Environment Agency, tells them about her London Climate Resilience Review which shines a light on the urgent need to raise the city's embankments and suggests some quirkier options. Could the 160,000 large holes that are dug ever year in London be repurposed as emergency water buffers?
Helen visits New Orleans, 19 years after one of the world's most disastrous urban floods, to meet Dana Eness who leads the Front Yard Initiative which helps city residents floodproof their homes with native flower gardens and rainwater butts. And journalist, Peter Hadfield, discusses his visit to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia that's sinking fast. There are ambitious plans for new sea defences linked by artificial Dubai-style luxury islands, but the national government has decided to abandon the city in favour of a new capital over 1000km away.
Producer: Alasdair Cross
Assistant Producer: Toby Field
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Over the centuries, bottom-trawling activities have transformed our coastal seas both ecologically and physically, mostly for the worse. As the habitat has declined, so has the success of fisheries. Is it time we said goodbye to bottom trawling? Or can we manage our coastal seas more effectively to protect nature and provide seafood and jobs?
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski discuss the issues with a panel of experts.
Producer: Emma Campbell
Assistant Producer: Toby Field and Christina Sinclair
Rare Earth is a BBC Audio Wales and West production in conjunction with the Open University
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Is the rise in global wild fires unstoppable? Helen Czerski and Tom Heap discuss the terrifying march of the flames and search for fresh answers. They're joined by John Vaillant, author of the award-wining exploration of Canada's Fort McMurray disaster, 'Fire Weather' and by Dr Stacey New from the Met Office.
Tom and Helen take a look at the ways in which indigenous knowledge is being applied to fire prevention in California and visit the Blodgett Research Forest where experts study the best ways to make America's threatened forests more resilient.
They're also joined by Grant Moir of the Cairngorms National Park to discuss new by-laws banning campfires in the area. Do we need to restrict our freedom in the wilderness to protect it for the future?
Producer: Alasdair Cross
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Can meat ever be environmentally friendly, or do we need better substitutes? Helen Czerski and Tom Heap discuss the cutting edge technology being developed to reduce the carbon cost of our diet.
Producer: Emma Campbell
Assistant Producer: Toby Field
Rare Earth is a BBC Audio Wales and West production in conjunction with the Open University
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What should we do with our old oil rigs? Can the relics of the fossil fuel age be good for wildlife? Helen Czerski and Tom Heap investigate the future for the steel and concrete that's fuelled the modern age.
Helen visits a highly specialist scrapyard on Teeside which dismantles oil rigs bought ashore at the end of their lives. Tom and Helen discuss whether the rules on what happens to old oil and gas installations in the North Sea should be relaxed to allow some to be turned into artificial reefs. They hear from Professor Matt Frost from Plymouth Marine Laboratory and INSITE, an international project investigating the future for undersea structures; Dr Alethea Madgett a marine ecologist who's researching how old rigs can be used in nature restoration; and Ricky Thomson from the industry body Offshore Energies UK.
Producer: Sarah SwadlingAssistant Producers: Christina Sinclair and Toby Field
Rare Earth is a BBC Audio Wales and West production in conjunction with the Open University
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With the general election now two weeks away, Helen Czerski and Tom Heap take a look at how the environment is featuring on the political agenda. They are joined by a panel of guests: energy and climate commentator Sepi Golzari-Munro; senior policy editor at the independent climate news website Carbon Brief, Simon Evans; Chief Executive of the Wildlife Trusts, Craig Bennett; and environment correspondent for BBC News, Matt McGrath.
Together they take a look through the manifestos of the main political parties, exploring their policies and pledges when it comes to the environment and wildlife. They ask whether green issues are taking a back seat in this general election compared with previous ones - and if so, why? They examine how the parties are talking about the environment in their campaigning, including the language they're using and how they're positioning environmental concerns in relation to other issues such as healthcare and the cost of living. Do politicians see environmental promises as a vote-winner or a vote-loser? We also hear from the polling organisation YouGov, which has carried out research assessing which issues are most important to voters.
Producer: Sarah Swadling
Rare Earth is a BBC Audio Wales and West production in conjunction with the Open University.
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Nature-writing is going through a renaissance. What started largely with TV tie-ins has evolved into a genre encompassing books about climate change, the countryside, walking, and off-grid living. For Radio 4's new landmark environment and nature series, Rare Earth, presenters Tom Heap and Helen Czerski are joined on-stage at the Hay Festival by Mark Cocker, Philippa Forrester and Chris Thorogood to discuss the purpose of nature-writing, why it's important, and how nature-writing can help shape our understanding of the natural world. Produced by Emma Campbell for BBC Audio Wales and West in conjunction with the Open UniversityAssistant producer: Toby Field
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In the first edition of a new series of Rare Earth Tom Heap and Helen Czerski reveal a new phenomenon- 'Greenhushing'. Big corporations that once trumpeted their green credentials are now staying very quiet about the environment. From the left they've been attacked by green zealots eager to expose greenwashing, when their claims don't stand up to scrutiny. Meanwhile from the right any hint of environmental action is condemned as 'woke'. Better, some business advisors believe, to keep quiet about the issue and avoid offending any of their potential customers or falling foul of new regulations.
Tom and Helen discover how hotel towels inspired the coining of the term greenwash, by ecologist Jay Westerveld. Moving on to greenhushing, they're joined by business experts and PR gurus to consider the broader impact of business and industry disengaging from the core issue of our time. Solutionist Solitaire Townsend explains why she thinks some greenhushing is a good thing. Tom and Helen take a deep dive into what might be driving greenhushing with the former CEO of French food giant Danone, and now head of the International Sustainability Standards Board, Emmanuel Faber, international trade and sustainability expert Dr Rebecca Harding, and journalist turned PR advisor Piers Scholfield.
Producer: Sarah Swadling
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With river pollution more in the news than ever before, and sewage now a hot topic, Helen Czerski and Tom Heap investigate how we can restore the health of our rivers. They talk to the Rivers Trust, which this week released its latest ‘State of our Rivers’ report, and ask whether water quality has got better or worse since the last survey three years ago.
They delve into the history of our water system – from the creation of the Victorian sewer network after the “Great Stink” of 1858, to the 21st century Thames Tideway Tunnel, London’s super-sewer currently under construction. But have we got our whole water system wrong? Tom and Helen ask whether regarding water as a one-way disposal system has partly created the mess our rivers are in today. They also hear about some waterfleas with remarkable powers to suck pollutants out of water.
Produced by Emma Campbell for BBC Audio Bristol in conjunction with the Open University
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The world's oceans have absorbed huge quantities of carbon dioxide, protecting us from the worst effects of climate change, but how much longer can they defend us? Join Helen Czerski in New Orleans at the world's biggest conference of marine science to meet the experts working to keep the ocean working for us.
Tom and Helen's guests from the American Geophysical Union conference include Jeremy Werdell of NASA and Jaime Palter of Rhode Island University.
With special thanks to the team at the AGU and David Mann of Loggerhead Instruments.
Produced by Alasdair Cross for BBC Audio Bristol in conjunction with the Open University
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Why do politicians have such trouble sticking to their environmental promises? Why are they happy to hug a husky one minute, desperate to ditch the 'green crap' the next?
As Labour ditch their £28bn commitment to green the economy, Tom Heap and Helen Czerski are joined by a panel of insiders to analyse the electoral gains and costs of environmental policies and consider the best strategies to maintain the focus of those in power on the greatest challenge to the planet.
Sophie Howe was the Future Generations Commissioner of Wales, charged with ensuring that government policies did no harm to the unborn citizens of Wales. Her pressure helped put a stop to a new motorway in South Wales and supported the government's virtual moratorium on road-building and 20mph zones in built-up areas. Tara Singh is a public affairs advisor with the PR company, Hill and Knowlton. She was a government advisor at the time that Prime Minister David Cameron cancelled commitments on home insulation and put a stop to new onshore wind farms in England. Professor Colin Davis holds the chair in Cognitive Psychology at Bristol University. He has taken part in Extinction Rebellion protests and has a particular interest in the psychological factors that prevent politicians and the public acting against climate change.
Produced by Alasdair Cross for BBC Audio Bristol in conjunction with the Open University.
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Should we celebrate the arrival of new species to the UK or drive them out? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski investigate the role of alien invasive species in the British countryside and beyond.Tom and Helen hear about non native earthworms invading North America, posing a threat to forests by changing the soil. They discuss whether it's now time to be less judgmental about alien invasive species with Professor Chris Thomas, an expert in Anthropocene Biodiversity at the University of York. Rare Earth meets conservationists 'holding the line' against Grey Squirrels on Tayside, to give Red Squirrels a chance to re-establish. Ecologist Conor McKinney shares his experiences of trying to keep the remote St Kilda archepelago, off Scotland, free of invasive predators which could decimate the islands' globally important seabird breeding colonies.
Produced by Sarah Swadling for BBC Audio Bristol in conjunction with the Open University
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From the emotional balm of a walk in the woods to the first wooden skyscrapers, Tom Heap and Helen Czerski ask if we can replace a world of concrete and steel with a wooden utopia. Will the Wood Age be healthier for us and for the planet?
Michael Ramage of Cambridge University explains how the development of Cross-Laminated Timber makes it possible to build pretty much any building with wood while Tim Searchinger of Princeton University argues that turning forests into construction material has a high carbon cost for the planet.
Produced by Alasdair Cross for BBC Audio Wales and West in conjunction with the Open University
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Rare Earth is a new weekly podcast and radio show from BBC Radio Four which digs deeper into the biggest issues for our planet. Each week, environmental journalist Tom Heap and physicist Helen Czerski will tackle a major story about our environment and wildlife, work out how we got here and meet the brave and clever people with fresh ideas to help us- and nature- thrive.
Helen and Tom won’t shy away from the big stuff- temperatures rising while wildlife declines- but this won’t be a weekly dose of doom laden predictions and tortured hand-wringing. Rare Earth is here to celebrate the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderful.
In the second episode Tom and Helen ask why we're rubbish at tackling waste. Estimates suggest we could cut up to 15% of greenhouse gas emissions if we just used all the stuff that we make and grow. Fashion houses burn their unworn stock and supermarkets make late changes to their orders from farmers, leaving edible crops to go to waste. It's the one climate change solution that doesn't ask anybody to give up anything, so why can't we put a stop to waste? Tom and Helen are joined by the waste-hunting journalist, Oliver Franklin-Wallis and expert on the bio-geography of landfill, Professor Kate Spencer of Queen Mary's, University of London.
Produced by Emma Campbell for BBC Audio Wales and West in conjunction with the Open University
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Rare Earth is a new weekly podcast and radio show from BBC Radio Four which digs deeper into the biggest issues for our planet. Each week, environmental journalist Tom Heap and physicist Helen Czerski will tackle a major story about our environment and wildlife, work out how we got here and meet the brave and clever people with fresh ideas to help us- and nature- thrive.
Helen and Tom won’t shy away from the big stuff- temperatures rising while wildlife declines- but this won’t be a weekly dose of doom laden predictions and tortured hand-wringing. Rare Earth is here to celebrate the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderful.
In the first edition Tom and Helen ask how we can bring nature back from the brink. Should we simply abandon great swathes of countryside and let nature reclaim it on its own terms or must we balance the competing demands on our land and micro-manage species and habitats for the best outcomes? Tom meets the herd of bison helping to re-wild a woodland in Kent and visits the Holkham Estate in Norfolk where the government's Landscape Recovery pilot project is funding the transition of intensive farmland into wetlands and passageways for nature.
They're also joined by Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment and by Rebecca Wrigley, Chief Executive of Rewilding Britain.
Produced by Alasdair Cross for BBC Audio Bristol in conjunction with the Open University
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Journalist Tom Heap and physicist Helen Czerski unpack a burning environmental issue each week, discovering fresh ideas and new ways to approach our relationship with nature.
