How we get around town has never been more political, with controversies over low traffic neighbourhoods and 15 minute cities, and rows about congestion charging and public transport breaking out all over the country. Tom and Helen are in search of the kind of consensus that makes things faster, cheaper and smoother for all of us. What works and what’s been a complete flop? Should we all stop moaning and get on our bikes? Who is the reshaping of traffic flows working - and not working - for? And could Milton Keynes have all the answers?With contributions from:Chris Boardman, Commissioner of Active Travel England.
Stephen Potter, Emeritus Professor of Transport Strategy at the Open University
Karen Lucas, Professor of Human Geography at the University of Manchester and Director of the Manchester Urban Institute
Natalie Ashton. Senior Engagement Officer (North) at Transport for All Presenters: Tom Heap & Helen Czerski
Producers: Beth Sagar-Fenton & Alasdair Cross
Assistant Producer: Toby Field
Editor: Alasdair CrossRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University.
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Hiding in Plain Sight
We tend to think of wildlife as something which exists in the countryside or in nature reserves, but in fact there are plenty of plants and animals which thrive in an urban environment. In this programme Tom Heap and Helen Czerski explore the species that live alongside us in our towns and cities - finding out what makes a good habitat for them, asking why they're important, and discovering what advantages they bring to the human population. They're joined by a panel of experts: Professor Dawn Scott from Nottingham Trent University, writer Chris Fitch, and founder of Rewild My Street Siân Moxon, who's also Associate Professor Sustainable Architecture at London Metropolitan University.Producer: Emma Campbell
Assistant Producer: Toby FieldRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University
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The Evolution of Evolution
190 years ago Charles Darwin stepped ashore in Falmouth at the end of a five year voyage that would transform the way in which we all think about nature. But how does his work and that of his fellow evolutionary theorist, Alfred Russel Wallace stand up in a world of climate change and habitat destruction?To find out, Tom Heap and Helen Czerski are joined by Sandra Knapp of the Natural History Museum, naturalist and broadcaster Mike Dilger and by Armand Marie Leroi, professor of evolutionary developmental biology at Imperial College, London.Producer: Alasdair CrossAssistant Producer: Toby FieldRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University
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Fashioning the Future
Whether you love to express yourself through fashion, or find getting dressed a chore, clothing isn’t optional - and every choice has an impact. So how do our fashion choices affect the environment? Who's paying the price? And - most importantly - how can we do things differently? Can individuals and business rethink how we see clothes to prioritise the planet? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski get beneath the surface on this huge subject with Patrick Grant, presenter of The Great British Sewing Bee, hugely influential professor and author Kate Fletcher, and Simon Platts, a sustainability consultant with decades of industry experience. After you listen to this you might never see your clothes the same way again. Featuring:
Patrick Grant - Presenter and entrepreneur
Kate Fletcher - Professor of Sustainability, Design and Fashion Systems in the Manchester School of Art at Manchester Metropolitan University
Simon Platts – Sustainability consultant Skye Pennant
Julian Ellis-Brown & Finlay DuncanPresented by Tom Heap & Helen Czerski
Produced by Beth Sagar-Fenton & Toby Field
Mixed by Ilse Lademann
Editor: Alasdair Cross
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COP30: A New Hope?
For thirty years world leaders have been gathering to negotiate the planet's route away from climate disaster. For thirty years carbon emissions have been rising and hopes have been fading. Is it time to admit defeat and search for a new strategy to persuade corporations and individuals to cut their pollution and save the planet?As the COP30 summit begins in Brazil, Helen Czerski and Tom Heap will be joined by an expert panel eager to come up with fresh solutions that could accelerate climate action and bring a unified, international response to the existential crisis of our time.With them are Nigel Topping, Chair of the UK Climate Change Committee, Corinne Le Quéré, professor of climate change science at the University of East Anglia, Anna Åberg from the Chatham House think tank and Georgina Rannard, BBC Climate and Science correspondent.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.