Podcasts about costing the earth

Show NotesIn this episode we speak with Charles Humble, climate polymath and author, about why we as software engineers should think about energy consumption of our workloads. We also talk about how nascent legislation and standards are turning externalities into real costs, forcing  innovation that gives us more control over software energy usage. Charles has encyclopedic knowledge of the history of the industry and is a former CTO himself, so his judgments are practical, realistic,  and applicable. It's easy to become cynical when you learn that our industry uses about 300TWh per year, about the consumption of Brazil. What I admired about Charles is that despite his knowledge, he was optimistic. He used a comparison to acid rain, to bring home “We can fix this problem,”  and goes on to tell us how we can do the same for tech industry as well. Listen to learn that there may actually be useful things you can do, now and in the future, to shape your system's energy usage and energy policy of the large hyperscalers. Our Guest, Charles HumbleCharles Humble is a freelance consultant, author and podcaster. A former software engineer, architect, and CTO he has worked as a senior leader and executive of both technology and content groups. He was InfoQ's editor-in-chief from 2014-2020, and was chief editor for Container Solutions from 2020-2023.He writes regularly for The New Stack and other publications, is a highly experienced content strategist, and has spoken at multiple international conferences including Devoxx, GOTO, WTF is SRE and QCon. His primary areas of interest are how we build software better, including sustainability and ethics, cloud computing, remote working, diversity and inclusion, and inspiring the next generation of developers.Charles is also a keyboard player, and half of the ambient techno band Twofish.You can find him on linkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleshumble/Links to Charles' Mentions The BBC 4 program, “Costing The Earth” https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006r4wnWATTime, information and APIs for optimizing energy usage: https://watttime.org/Green Software Foundation: We are building a trusted ecosystem of people, standards, tooling and best practices for green software:  https://greensoftware.foundation/. They make an API that is a wrapper around WATTime and other carbon intensity data for real-time optimization: https://sci-guide.greensoftware.foundation/I/APIBased/Holly Cummins, senior principal software engineer at Quarkus for Red Hat: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-k-cummins/Amazon is making sustainability datasets more readily available: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/publicsector/aws-announces-simpler-access-sustainability-data-launches-hackathon-accelerate-innovation-sustainability/Books“Building Green Software” by by Anne Currie, Sarah Hsu, Sara Bergman: Your Hosts Mansi Shah - Joshua Marker ClimateStack website - https://climatestack.podcastpage.io/

In this episode, Michael Benarroch speaks to Dr. Nazim Cicek whose big ideas are proving that it doesn't have to cost the earth to feed the world. He's a professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering and Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science. Michael and Nazim explore how research is advancing sustainable agriculture to address food shortages and the climate crisis.About the host:Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Throughout his career, Dr. Benarroch has demonstrated his lifelong dedication to transformative higher education and has made significant contributions to the fields of economics, research, and post-secondary administration. A passionate teacher and researcher, he has taught economics at Canadian universities since 1989. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017) and 21-years with the University of Winnipeg, where he was chair of the department of Economics (1999 - 2007). About the University of Manitoba:For more than 140 years, the University of Manitoba has delivered life-changing learning experiences for students, conducted world-class research and shared knowledge and discovery to shape our province, country and world. UM is western Canada's flagship university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.An Everything Podcasts production. 

Conscious creativity: Creativity without costing the earth - Jax Davey and Seb Royce, Neuvo

French journalist Guillaume Pitron discusses his book "The Dark Cloud: How the Digital World is Costing the Earth" with guest host Tim Hughes. The book explores the environmental impact of the digital world. Pitron delves into concerns about energy usage, e-waste, and the carbon footprint of the internet. The episode concludes with a debrief of Tim by regular host Gene Tunny on the conversation. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at contact@economicsexplored.com or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. About this episode's guestGuillaume Pitron is a French journalist, author and filmmaker. He has written two books, published in some fifteen countries, about the natural resources needed for new technology. He has been invited to share his ideas in the French and international media (Le Figaro, BBC World Service, Bloomberg TV, El País, La Repubblica) and at international forums and institutions (Davos, IMF, European Commission, Unesco).Link to Guillaume's website:https://www.en-guillaumepitron.com/What's covered in EP189Introduction to this episode. (0:06)What is the dark cloud? (1:27)There is no digital life without rare earths. (3:54)What is the real cost of digital technology? (8:06)What's the cost to the environment? (13:07)What can we do as individuals to make this better? (17:38)Facebook's Lapland data center. (22:22)Facebook uses hydro-electricity to run its servers. (24:25)What happens if there's no water? (28:05)What is the future of the internet going to look like in 10 years? (33:18)Are there any governments around the world that are taking steps forward to regulate the internet? (41:02)What can be done to address this issue? (43:59)What were the main takeaways from the conversation? (48:11)Links relevant to the conversationThe Dark Cloud book:https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/the-dark-cloud-9781922585523Digital Cleanup Day:https://www.digitalcleanupday.org/Jevons paradox:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradoxIt appears the Amiga hard drive Gene's neighbour in the late 1980s had was a 20MB hard drive:https://bigbookofamigahardware.com/bboah/product.aspx?id=534Thanks to Obsidian Productions for mixing the episode and to the show's sponsor, Gene's consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Full transcripts are available a few days after the episode is first published at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Costing the Earth - The Power of Nature Writing

In the latest episode in our Climate Conversations series, climate activisti Mitzi Jonelle Tan speaks to Henry Dimbleby MBE and CCAG's Sir David King about the critical need to develop ways of producing food which do not cost the earth.

Much has been written and said about landowners and  farmers adopting new approaches to land management and being incentivised by Government to produce food in a sustainable way. It is in everyone's interest to farm efficiently without costing the earth. In common with other aspects of life there is a balance to be struck  as the nation needs feeding and demand is ever growing, as the population  increases but is there a conflict between two sides or are we in fact  being drawn closer together?  John Bates welcomes to the podcast two guests who have a passion for looking after all that surrounds us and both are very much at the heart of the thinking to drive change on farm, in a sensible and practical way.   Baroness Natalie Bennett was Leader of the Green Party from 2012 to 2016 and introduced as a peer into the House of Lords in the October 2019.  You will be interested to hear how Natalie believes there is a lot to be gained from  balancing policy with productivity. Dr Jon Foot is head of environment at AHDB and works with levy payers giving independent advice to them understand their carbon footprint and what impact this has on the land and in their accounts. He is also, Specialist in air quality, climate change, ecosystems, and management systems. Along with expertise in environmental regulation, developing policy, Statutory Conservation agencies and the energy industry. He is Chair for their Climate Change and Energy Network. Measuring carbon tools Shape the future of farming Levy payers are at the heart of everything we do, so it's only right that we give you a greater voice in how we spend your levy. Find out how your levy is invested and how it makes a difference to your business and the industry.  In April 2022, you'll get to have your say on the challenges you want AHDB to focus on and the services we will deliver for you in the future. It's your chance to influence how your levy is spent on the things that matter to you most. Register before 31 March 2022 to have your say Feedback We'd love to know what you think of our podcasts. If you'd like to give your feedback, please complete our short questionnaire, which will help us to improve the podcast on an ongoing basis, or email: foodandfarming@ahdb.org.uk. 

As governments around the world set increasingly tough environmental targets, it's becoming clear that investment from business is also going to increase. A new report from the UN Environment Programme, the World Economic Forum and the Economics of Land Degradation say that by 2030, investment in nature-based solutions are going to have to treble from the current level of $133 billion. This week on The Agenda podcast, Stephen Cole looks at who is likely to foot the bill to reverse climate change.Justin Adams, director of nature-based solutions at the WEF, discusses some of the key issues highlighted in the report [00:39].With concerns over private companies' interest in such solutions rising, so is the demand for sustainability consultants. Armen Dallakyan is the director of sustainable finance consulting at KEN Associates, and he tells Stephen Cole about the growing demand for his services [10:22].Finally, Richard Lancaster, CEO of electricity supply company CLP Holdings, explains how a company can ensure every part of its business is fully sustainable, and why managers and investors alike are finally starting to realise sustainability is no longer something which is done just for show [16:20]. 

Why chemical separations are so difficult. Separating useful chemicals from our waste has become one of the world's biggest challenges. We discuss the scientific background of separation issues, and what it means for research and our day to day lives. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/fey-sci/message

Verity Sharp & Caroline Hickman try to wrap their heads and hearts around eco-anxiety for the second time following their first discussion in BBC Radio 4's "Costing The Earth" in April 2019. They may have to talk again in a few weeks. It’s all changing so fast.

Now the podcast this week came about after I heard quite a heated debate on Radio 4 called 'The Morality of Fashion'regarding Fashion and Environmental impact - and I thought who better to ask about sustainability than my friend Venetia Falconer.Venetia is a London based producer, presenter and host of the Talking Tastebuds podcast. She is extremely passionate about mindful consumption and slow fashion. Recently, she has been featured discussing Sustainable Fashion on on BBC World News, BBC Radio 4’s Costing The Earth, NowThis News and BBC Radio London.You may have seen Venetia on Tastemade, where she makes delicious vegan dishes and low waste beauty products. She regularly hosts events and interviews for brands including Sweaty Betty, Vevolution and The Body Shop.“Human health and planetary health are fundamentally interconnected .. We are slowly waking up to the cumulative, time-delayed, and spatially removed effects human actions are having on the planet’s health. Since planetary and human health are fundamentally linked, preventing environmental damage and maintaining healthy ecosystems is the most effective long-term strategy to promote health in humans. In 1992, the ‘Commission on Health and Environment’ created by the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report entitled Our planet, our health. Its opening statement reads: The maintenance and improvement of health should be at the centre of concern about the environment and development.A summary of some of what we discussed on the pod today:Conscious fashion - being a lot more aware of when we choose to purchase fashion itemsMany websites that can help you shopping with peace of mindCheck out charity shops and hiring clothes websites - which allow you to indulge in the hobby of fashion whilst not being as detrimental to the environmentRecognising the role of the consumerHow important our purchasing power isConnect with Venetia on Instagram and Youtube for weekly videos and tips for living a more mindful lifestyle.You’ll find the recipe video that I cooked with Venetia and our super interesting conversation - on my youtube channel go check it out!Don't forget to check out social media links and other information on this episode over on The Doctor's Kitchen website. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We continue our special series of podcasts with a look at the economics behind climate change. Ed Conway asks how much it will cost to save the planet - and who will pay?

We continue our special series of podcasts with a look at the economics behind climate change. Ed Conway asks how much it will cost to save the planet - and who will pay?

The bulldozers have already begun work on London's 'cycle superhighways' or 'Crossrail for bikes'. Cycling enthusiasts have declared these segregated lanes to be the infrastructure which London needs to make cycling much more appealing for all. Andrew Gilligan, the Mayor's Cycling Commissioner says if Transport for London can get the engineering right then cycling in the capital will become safer and far more people might make the switch from cars, buses and trains to carbon free pedal power. The potential carbon and congestion savings are huge, up to 25% of transport emissions if we can reach the levels of cycling now seen in Copenhagen, and those who cycle are also healthier. However, to replicate Dutch or Danish bike culture cycling's appeal must move beyond the lycra-clad males to become the first choice for women, children and older people too. Tom Heap finds out if these cycle superhighways can really deliver for the capital and if the huge amounts of money being spent here and elsewhere across the country can ensure a cycling revolution for all of Britain's would-be bikers. Produced by Helen Lennard. First broadcast on 14 April, 2015.

This is a podcast about pollution. How it was started, what made it worse, what its doing to us and our planet, and what we can do to change it.

We all know it's important to save energy because it helps reduce harm to the planet.  Dale and Kyle are finding out that it’s also a great way to save money too.

We've just endured a really tough winter but records suggest that Spring is on average beginning much earlier. Lindsey Chapman investigates how shifting seasons are affecting our wildlife. Bumblebees in January, daffodils blooming early, 'thuggish-vegetation' thriving as a result of mild winters and damp summers: the seasons appear to be blurring and wildlife is becoming confused. The overall impact is 'quite staggering' according to Matthew Oates, butterfly expert from the National Trust. In this week's Costing The Earth, Lindsey Chapman meets Matthew as he takes stock of our shifting seasons. He explains how early spring can throw several species out of kilter, creating a mismatch between wildlife and their prey. And what happens when- like this year- we get an icy snap in the middle of a mild spell? Lindsey meets the scientists studying the mechanisms driving the UK's climate, phenologists who have been studying the link between seasons and species and the naturalists who are spotting new species turning up on our doorstep. Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

Tom Heap is in Bonn for the United Nations annual climate change discussions. It is the first year with Donald Trump in power as president of the United States of America and Tom will be exploring what impact his climate stance will have on the conference talks and any future agreements. Tom's guests are Lou Leonard, senior vice president of climate and energy at WWF US. He leads their climate program in the US and he is in Bonn to represent the 'We Are Still In' movement, referring to President Trump's desire to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. Rachel Kyte is Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All. Oliver Maurice is Director of The International National Trusts Organisation: the organisation that oversees all of the national trust organisations around the world, and Mark Pershin. Mark fronts an organisation called 'Less Meat, Less Heat' and he tells Tom about something called the 'Climatarian' diet. Tom will be taking stock of some of the topics disucssed in this series of Costing The Earth and asks how our attempts to combat climate change are proceeding and will proceed in the future. Will public responsibility and engagement with the problems that are now being faced galvanise more of the world's population into action? Presenter: Tom Heap Producer Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

Alice Roberts is an anatomist, anthropologist and Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham. She is also a broadcaster and has presented several landmark BBC series including The Incredible Human Journey, Origins of Us, Ice Age Giants and The Celts. She has also presented several Horizon programmes, and occasionally presents Costing The Earth on Radio 4. She has written seven popular science and archaeology books. Her book about embryology and evolution, The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being, was shortlisted for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize in 2015. View this episode's image here. Producer: Dan Morelle Subscribe, rate and review on iTunes and follow Janina on Twitter. Follow History Hit on

New President elect of the USA Donald Trump is a climate change denier, and so what does his rise to power mean for the environment? Among his early pledges he states: "The Trump Administration will make America energy independent. We will end the war on coal, and rescind the coal mining lease moratorium, the excessive Interior Department stream rule, and conduct a top-down review of all anti-coal regulations issued by the Obama Administration. " He promises to rip up climate deals and get the USA mining and burning fossil fuels again, giving jobs back to areas that need them. Costing The Earth will take each sector and try to predict what the next four years will hold for each energy generator. Is there any good news for the environment or will Trump's election usher in a return to dirty, polluting, fossil fuel-burning days that we were pulling away from? Presenter: Tom Heap Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

How noisy is the underwater environment? Tom Heap dips beneath the surface to find out if man-made noise is affecting the marine life that lives below the waves. Costing The Earth begins a new series with three programmes investigating the health of our oceans. The team tackles ocean acidification and how the UK plans to protect marine areas in its overseas territories but first Tom Heap delves into a mystery soundscape: one that exists underwater. Scientists are only just beginning to study the complex noises coming from beneath the waves. All marine life depends on sound to communicate but in a world that is becoming increasingly loud, whales, dolphins, fish of all shapes and sizes, all the way down to molluscs and the smallest organisms are finding their voices lost in a sub-aqua world of rumbles and crunches from various man-made sources. Presenter: Tom Heap Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

With arctic sea ice shrinking and Antarctic sea ice growing, Tom Heap asks what is happening to the climate. Despite the consensus of scientists around the world, there are still some anomalies in the computer models of the future climate. Tom Heap is joined by a panel of experts to tackle some of the difficult questions that lead to uncertainties in our understanding of the changing climate. The perceived wisdom in the scientific community is that the climate is warming but evidence shows that even though Arctic sea ice is melting, there has actually been a growth in Antarctic sea ice. That, along with a documented slow down in the warming of the climate since 1998, has been a 'stone in the shoe' of the climate change story. So what is happening? Tom is joined by BBC and Met office weather presenter John Hammond to put these 'difficult' climate scenarios to a team of experts: Mark Lynas is an author and environmental campaigner, Mike Hulme is professor of Climate and Culture at Kings College London and Dr Helen Czerski is a broadcaster and 'bubble physicist' at UCL. With the help of this panel, Costing The Earth discusses how best to communicate anomalies that don't appear in climate models and make the science sometimes hard to comprehend. Presenter: Tom Heap Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

Bristol has been named as Europe's Green Capital for 2015. Tom Heap finds out if local people will see real improvements in their city. Trapeze artists and a high wire act on a bicycle, spanning two former warehouses, heralded the start of Bristol's Year as European Green Capital for 2015. The award is a few years old now and goes to a city with outstanding green credentials and ambitions. So how is Bristol shaping up for it's year in the big green spotlight? A year ago Costing The Earth asked what the award meant, and how it would impact and improve the lives of Bristolians along with those living around the city. Now the award is here, so Tom Heap investigates whether there is substance beyond the stunts, gimmicks and planned festivals: are there radical plans afoot to put the environment in the forefront of Bristolians' minds? Solar Panels are appearing on roofs of council buildings across the city, projects and grants encouraging residents to insulate their homes are in full swing. Wildlife corridors are springing up, provision and distribution of sustainable food is gathering pace. There's an education programme featuring Shaun The Sheep for school children, piloting in Bristol and available nationwide from September but the city cannot ignore it's major problem: the traffic. Bristol has some of the worst congestion in the UK, and with that congestion comes poor air quality, and this ultimately costs lives. Costing The Earth asks if Bristol's traffic conundrums are solveable and if, after being green capital for a year, the number of deaths in the city caused as a direct result of air pollution, will fall. Presenter: Tom Heap Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

Tom Heap meets Darren Reynolds, a health and environment professor, who has developed a mini treatment plant that can turn dirty water into clean drinkable water. The technology could be transported around the globe and put to use in places where clean water is scarce, such as in areas where there is a humanitarian crisis. Costing The Earth discovers how the machine works and looks at other technology that could improve the water supplies of millions of people around the world. Presenter: Tom Heap Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

Cleaning the ocean floor, one dive at a time. Miranda Krestovnikoff reports from the sea bed as she joins a new marine clean-up squad. Miranda joins NARC - Neptune's Army of Rubbish Cleaners - in their war against marine litter. Dave Kennard and his band of ocean cleaners dive off the coast of Pembrokeshire recovering fishing gear, bottles, cans and a whole miscellany of unwanted rubbish. They've found trolleys, whole cars, and even the kitchen sink. This week Costing The Earth looks at the problem of marine litter that sinks to the sea bed. What we see floating on the surface and washed up on beaches is only the tip of the ice-berg. It is estimated that 70% of litter that gets into the marine environment sinks. Miranda meets scientists and divers doing their best to combat the problem. Presenter: Miranda Krestovnikoff Producer: Alasdair Cross.

Nuclear power is back on the UK's agenda, but what to do with the long-lasting radioactive waste remains the problem. Costing The Earth investigates the best ways to dispose of the waste produced by the generation of nuclear power. Rob Broomby travels to France where more than 75% of electricity is generated by nuclear power stations. He visits Aube where they are taking care of low and intermediate level waste. It is being stored in concrete and then will be grassed over and monitored for the next 350 years. Rob also visits a planned site for future disposal of high level waste: deep below the surface in the Champagne-Ardennes region where they intend to bury the waste locked up in clay. Back in the UK the debate continues as we strive to find a final destination for radioactive waste. Presenter: Rob Broomby Producer: martin Poyntz-Roberts.

Tom Heap meets a man on a mission: Eben Bayer is determined to eradicate plastic and polystyrene from the packaging industry and replace it with a bio-degradable fungus. And he thinks he's cracked it. By combining fungus with agricultural waste to create packaging that's cheap, durable and biodegradable, Bayer hopes to disrupt an environmentally destructive industry valued globally at around £13 billion. He's looking at ways to roll his product out across the USA and beyond. Plus scientists are also looking at biodegradable plastics made from potatoes, and even shrimps and silk in what could be heralded as a real game-changer In this edition of Costing The Earth, Tom Heap asks if it's too early to be reading the last rites to plastic. Presenter: Tom Heap Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

Miranda Krestovnikoff looks at new building materials for environmentally-friendly houses and asks where you should start if you want to build your own eco-home. Costing The Earth visits Ashley Vale in Bristol: a self-built community of eco-homes to find out, ten years on, if the project has been a success. Miranda also discovers the latest building materials and techniques available to those embarking on 'grand design' style projects and discovers how difficult and expensive it is to build your own environment-sensitive home. Presenter: Miranda Krestovnikoff Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

Edition 15 of the Walks Around Britain podcast features a walk to the top of Mam Tor with author Peter Naldrett, the inspiration behind the photography of Holmfirth based Andy Leader, what the least known National Park of Exmoor has to offer us walkers and "Costing The Earth"s Tom Heap on the rise of nettles and brambles in our countryside. #TomHeap #WalksAroundBritain #walks #walk #walking #Exmoor #ExmoorNationalPark #AndyLeader #MamTor #PeakDistrict #PeakDistrictNationalPark #PeterNaldrett

Satellite technology and advances in robotics are set to revolutionise the future of farming. Out go the heavy, soil destroying combines and tractors, in come a light army of mini robots which weed, spray and pick crops at the optimum time. Expert agronomists will advise thousands of farmers at a time. Using real data, farmers will be able to maximise the yield and quality of the crops as they leave the field. Sarah Cruddas meets the scientists engineering the robotic shepherds of the future, and hops into the cab of a self-driving tractor to experience labour and fuel saving precision farming. She also hears from Science Minister, David Willetts who believes that the UK can become Europe's centre of satellite technology. The data provided will, in the coming years, become more and more detailed enabling farmers to have a greater understanding of their land and allow them to produce yield maps and farm more efficiently than ever before. Costing The Earth ask if farms of the future will be run by a fleet of robots: from crop-picking automatons to swarms of electronic bees, and whether the farmer of the future be found in a control centre rather than out in a muddy field. Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

The first attempt in England to turn a landscape back into a wilderness is 10 years old this year. In this week's Costing The Earth, Miranda Krestovnikoff visits Ennerdale Valley, on the Western edge of the Lake District, to find out how the scheme is progressing. Rewilding, as the scheme has become known, allows natural processes to take place, in order to return the habitat to as natural an environment as possible. The landscape has been managed in such a way that natural flora and fauna have been encouraged back to the valley. Miranda meets those involved in returning the valley to a wilderness. In order for the project to be be a success, the major land owners in the valley: the National Trust, the Forestry Commission, Natural England and United Utilities have all been working together. Miranda discovers how successful the rewilding project has been and whether or not schemes of this type are worth attempting elsewhere in the UK: a country that has very little wilderness that has been untouched by human hands. She also finds out the vital role visitors to the area play in keeping the landscape alive. Presenter: Miranda Krestovnikoff Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

The outbreak of Schmallenberg disease amongst sheep and cattle on British farms has provided a powerful reminder of how novel infections can develop, spread and kill before the authorities have a chance to react. Scientists are still working hard to fully understand the virus and a vaccine is still some way off so what can we do to protect ourselves against future disease outbreaks? And how can we discover what diseases could be heading our way? Tom Heap heads to the Kent marshes in search of one of the potential carriers of nasty illnesses: Culex modestus. It's known to be a successful carrier of West Nile Virus - a paricularly nasty illness - and while the mosquito has been found on the marshes of Kent the disease has not made it's way to the UK yet. Costing The Earth also discovers the vital role social media could play in monitoring future epidemics. Intensive farming, international travel, global trade and climate change are all playing a role in changing the diseases we encounter. In 'Costing the Earth' Tom Heap asks what epidemics we should expect in the future and examines the readiness of government, the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry. Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

What you hear is not necessarily what you're getting. We all have our pet noise hates, but experts tell us that the nuisance caused by noise depends on a number of factors and certainly not just volume. For this week's Costing The Earth, Tom Heap consults the experts and discovers that our response to noise is not only subjective, it is easily influenced by context and even what we can see. Tom also looks at the environmental impact of major construction projects and asks what more could be done to limit the damage. Money, politics and diligent campaigning all have a part to play in ensuring that the latest technology is brought into play. Throw enough money at the problem and major projects like the High Speed rail line between London and Birmingham be significantly quieter and less disruptive than campaigners fear.