Podcasts about natural environment research council

What does the past tell us about the future? How does Archaeology impact the world we live in? In 2024, the Liverpool Institute of Archaeology celebrated its 120th birthday, and it has developed an international reputation for its quality of teaching and research. Gavin Freeborn is joined by University of Liverpool researchers Professor Larry Barham, Dr Ceren Kabukcu and Rachel Stokes to discuss their work - looking at how they were drawn to Archaeology, and the multi-disciplinary nature of the work, including the UK's Arts & Humanities Research Council funded Deep Roots of Humanity Project in south-central Africa (Zambia). They aimed to take a slice of time (roughly 500,000 to 300,000 years ago) before the evolution of Homo sapiens, because we know very little about this period as there are few well-dated sites. This led to the Old Wood discovery making worldwide headlines.For info: NERC facility refers to the Natural Environment Research Council. Learn more: liverpool.ac.uk/research/original-ideas/

The deepest parts of the Pacific Ocean have been largely unexplored for centuries. But now the ecosystem thousands of metres beneath the surface is under threat - from companies wanting to mine the seabed for rare metals and minerals. The proposals to allow deep-sea mining are centre-stage at global talks by the International Seabed Authority - the UN body in charge of regulation - and its members in Jamaica in the coming weeks. It comes after a two-year ban on the practice expired when countries failed to reach an agreement on new rules. Scientists fear a "goldrush" for precious metals beneath the oceans could have devastating consequences for marine life. But supporters argue that these metals are needed if the world is to meet the demand for green technologies - such as electric car batteries - that will be key in the fight against climate change. So is this a necessary step in the journey towards cleaner, greener technologies? Does climate change pose a bigger risk to our oceans overall? And what impact might mining have on this rare and delicate ecosystem? Shaun Ley is joined by: Pierre Josso, mineral geoscientist at the British Geological Survey Helen Czerski, physicist and oceanographer at University College London and author of 'Blue Machine: How the ocean shapes our world' Toby Fisher, environment lawyer who has negotiated with the International Seabed Authority Also featuring: Gerard Barron, CEO of The Metals Company Photo: An animal from the deep Pacific Ocean known as a 'gummy squirrel'. Credit: SMARTEX Project, Natural Environment Research Council, UK smartexccz.org Producer: Sarah Passmore and Pandita Lorenz

Alex N. Halliday (pictured) is in charge of Columbia University's Earth Institute and his calm and knowledgeable demeanor inspires me to double down on my efforts to do more to about countering the climate crisis. You can hear Mr Halliday talk about "The Hard Truths about Climate Change" during an interview on the Bob Herbert Op-Ed TV show. Mr Halliday is the Director of Columbia University's Earth Institute. He joined the Earth Institute in April 2018, after spending more than a decade at the University of Oxford, during which time he was dean of science and engineering. With about 400 published research papers, Mr Halliday has been a pioneer in developing mass spectrometry to measure small isotopic variations in everything from meteorites to seawater to living organisms, helping to shed light on the birth and early development of our solar system, the interior workings of the Earth, and the processes that affect Earth's surface environment. His scientific achievements have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Murchison Medal of the Geological Society, the Bowen Award and Hess Medal of the American Geophysical Union, the Urey Medal of the European Association of Geochemistry, and the Oxburgh Medal of the Institute of Measurement and Control. He is a Fellow of the UK's Royal Society and Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences. His contributions to science and innovation have been recognized with the award of a knighthood in the UK. Mr Halliday has also helped to lead a variety of distinguished scientific societies and advisory panels. He is the former Vice President of the Royal Society and former President of the Geochemical Society. He has served as an external board member for Britain's Natural Environment Research Council, the Max Planck Society, London's Natural History Museum, the American Geophysical Union, and more. As a professor in Columbia's Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Halliday divides his time between Columbia's Morningside campus and his geochemistry lab at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robert-mclean/message

Rebecca Willis is a Professor in Energy & Climate Governance at Lancaster Environment Centre, where she leads the Climate Citizens  project. In 2020 she was an Expert Lead for Climate Assembly UK, the Citizens' Assembly established by the UK Parliament. Rebecca is a Trustee of the New Economics Foundation and an adviser to the National Lottery's Climate Action Fund. She features on the Woman's Hour Our Planet Power List which highlights 30 women making an impact by helping to protect our planet.  Her book, Too Hot To Handle? The democratic challenge of climate change was published by Bristol University Press in March 2020.Previously, she was a research fellow for the IGov project at the University of Exeter, investigating energy governance. From 2015-2019 she was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of UKRI's Energy Programme, and from 2011-15 she was a Council Member of the Natural Environment Research Council. She was Vice-Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission, advising the Prime Minister and First Ministers of the devolved administrations, from 2004-2011.  In 2009 Rebecca founded Green Alliance's Climate Leadership Programme, an initiative to support Members of the UK Parliament, and earlier served as Green Alliance's Director.

Welcome to another episode of Explode Your Expert Biz Show, brought to you by http://gtex.org.uk/, I am your host, Simone Vincenzi, The Experts Strategist, and this is the podcast for experts who want to become the ultimate authority in their niche while making an impact in the world. We have created the Ultimate Publicity Bundle where you will get access to: A Curated Database Of 500+ Media Publications That Are Looking For Speakers 100+ Podcasts looking for guests. My templates on how to connect with journalists. My follow up framework to maximise every single speaking opportunity you have. All of this for only £29.99 for a limited period of time. Click here to download. http://bit.ly/publicity-bundle-podcast Today I have the pleasure to Interview Jan Peters A background in scientific research in academia and industry has been developed with 9 plus years working in science policy at the Natural Environment Research Council and DTI resulting in a broad skillset, that develops ideas and projects into useful, effective programmes. Building projects and developing partnerships is central to my success. I have worked for over 20 years on issues relating to women in science and engineering; running the UK SET for Women unit, as rapporteur for the Greenfied report and latterly equality and diversity manager at the Royal Society. Katalytik now works to bring a network of associates together to work across science and technology policy, engagement, research and evaluation. Connect with Jan Peters Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjanpeters/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.peters.31337 To become a GTeX Member, Apply here: https://gtex.events/call ----- To receive daily support in your coaching and speaking business, join our private Facebook Group EXPLODE YOUR EXPERT BIZ https://www.facebook.com/groups/explodeyourexpertbiz/ ------- Take a full business assessment for free to have absolute clarity on your business with the EXPERT BIZ CHECKLIST. http://bit.ly/expert-biz-checklist-podcast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/explode/message

Nimisha Vedanti highlights her Honorary Lecture on understanding seismic wave attenuation mechanisms. Nimisha explains how she discovered the problem of seismic attenuation, why seismic attenuation is one of the least understood physical mechanisms, practical takeaways from her lecture, and highlights from two real-world case studies. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes. BIOGRAPHY Nimisha Vedanti received M.Sc. (Tech) in Exploration Geophysics from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, and Ph.D. (2007) from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India, while working as a Junior Scientist at CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, India. She held a postdoctoral position at the University of Texas at Austin, USA (2007-2008), and worked as CSIR-Raman Research Fellow at the Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Canada in 2016. She has been a visiting scientist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and SINTEF Petroleum Research, Trondheim, Norway, under Indo-Norwegian Collaboration Programs (2005-2006 and 2010-2013). She had short research stay at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia in April 2018. Nimisha was the Indian project coordinator for the Indo-Norwegian collaborative projects that focused on the ‘4D Seismic Monitoring of In-situ Combustion Process in Balol Heavy Oil Field, India' and ‘Feasibility Assessment of a CO2 EOR process in Ankleshwar Oil Field, India'. She led these projects in collaborations with NTNU, SINTEF, and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India under a tripartite agreement signed under the aegis of Norwegian Embassy in India. Presently, Nimisha is senior principal scientist and in charge of Shallow Seismic Group at CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, India. Her group is carrying out 2D/3D seismic surveys for the exploration of Coal Bed Methane and Shale Gas in the Gondwana coal fields of India. She is also leading two research projects focused on the assessment of sedimentary basins of India for CO2 EOR and sequestration. These projects are supported by the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, and the Natural Environment Research Council, UK. She is also serving the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, India as a Professor. She has published more than 60 articles and co-authored a handbook titled Fractal Models in Exploration Geophysics published by Elsevier Science under the ‘Seismic Exploration Series.' Nimisha is a recipient of many prestigious awards, including the ‘National Geoscience Award' given by the Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India, ‘Young Scientist Award' given by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR)-Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, ‘Krishnan Medal' by the Indian Geophysical Union, ‘KR Gupta Medal' by the Geological Society of India and Indian Science Congress Association's Young Scientist Award. She is the lead coordinator for the theme ‘Geological Sequestration of CO2 and Enhanced Oil Recovery' during the forthcoming 36th International Geological Congress (IGC) 2021. SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by TGS. TGS offers a wide range of energy data and insights to meet the industry where it's at and where it's headed. TGS provides scientific data and intelligence to companies active in the energy sector. In addition to a global, extensive and diverse energy data library, TGS offers specialized services such as advanced processing and analytics alongside cloud-based data applications and solutions. Visit https://www.tgs.com/ to learn more. CREDITS Original music by Zach Bridges. This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary at 51 features, LLC. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Ted Bakamjian, Kathy Gamble, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney.

Juliet Davenport is the founder of Good Energy. Established in 1999, the company was the UK's first 100% renewable electricity supplier and allows people and businesses to be part of the climate change solution. In 2013, she was awarded an OBE for services in the renewables industry and was appointed to the board of the ‘Natural Environment Research Council' two years later. In this in-depth conversation, Juliet reflects on establishing the brand - from inspiring and encouraging individuals to be generators of cleaner energy, to  now boasting almost 200,000 success stories; discusses her ‘Great Green Questions' podcast - exploring common questions and bringing attention to a vital conversation on  living a greener life, including topics like veganism, fast fashion, and food waste; and delves into what the future holds for the business and why she holds an optimism that the UK will help “lead, find solutions and support the rest of the world.”

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is part of the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council,… The post Podcast #71: British Antarctic Survey appeared first on StorageReview.com.

In this episode, Lottie talks to Alyssa Gilbert, Director of Policy and Translation at the Grantham Institute. They discuss Alyssa's work in ensuring that academic research can inform the work of policymakers and businesspeople, as well as her involvement with the Natural Environment Research Council's Advisory Network and the COP26 Universities Network.

In today's program we continue our investigation into Earth's ever changing climate from a marine geology and oceanographic perspective examining various factors both past and present that have contributed to major climate shifts. Today we welcome Dr. Colin Summerhayes to the program. Dr. Summerhayes is an Emeritus Associate of the Scott Polar Research Institute of Cambridge University. He has carried out research on aspects of past climate change in both academia and industry: at the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute; Imperial College London; the University of Cape Town; the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; the UK's Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Deacon Laboratory (IOSDL); the UK's Southampton (now National) Oceanography Centre; the Exxon Production Research Company; and the BP Research Company. He has managed research programmes on climate change for the UK's Natural Environment Research Council, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) of the International Council for Science. He is a former director of both the IOSDL and SCAR, and of the IOC's Global Ocean Observing System Project. Dr. Summerhayes is also the author of various books on this subject matter and numerous scientific papers. To learn more about Dr. Summerhayes or to purchase his books please visit: Dr. Summerhayes info Books

In this podcast, Professor Sir Duncan Wingham, Executive Chair of the Natural Environment Research Council, discusses a range of topics including; climate change and COP26, NERC research centres, and NERC priorities over next 12 months with Gavin Costigan.

Professor Sir John Lawton is a fellow of the Royal Society, president of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and chair of the Endangered Landscapes Programme. Previously a trustee of the WWF, head of the Natural Environment Research Council and the most recent chair of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, there are seemingly few environmental organisations that John hasn’t been involved with. That said, it is birds that have driven John’s lifelong obsession with the natural world. Sitting in John’s back garden amidst the sound of birdsong, this conversation flows from a childhood obsession of brilliant blue hedge sparrow eggs tucked away in his nan’s back garden to following in the shoes of Darwin with a (now frowned-upon) fascination for collecting specimens. John explains how he helped to set up nature protection areas across the world, how he visited Chernobyl in the hopes of persuading the Belarus government to turn the exclusion zone into a national park, and what he got up to with a dolphin in Durham with David Bellamy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Annaliesa Anderson is Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Bacterial Vaccines within Vaccine Research and Development at Pfizer Inc. In the lab, Liesa is working to develop new vaccines that prevent infectious diseases caused by bacteria. Outside of work, Liesa loves spending time at home with her husband, sixteen year old son, twelve year old daughter, and the family’s new dog. She also enjoys being outside, visiting the Jersey Shore beaches, taking exercise classes with her husband, and serving as a girl scout leader. She earned her PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Warwick in the UK. Afterwards, Liesa was awarded a Natural Environment Research Council postdoctoral fellowship which she completed at the University of Coventry. She was subsequently awarded a Royal Society postdoctoral fellowship during which she conducted research at the University of Warwick. Next, Liesa worked for about 9 years at Merck Research Laboratories. She then joined the team at Wyeth a few years before it was acquired by Pfizer, and she has been with Pfizer ever since. Liesa is a Member of the Microbiology Society, a Fellow of the American Academy for Microbiology, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, and she serves on the Microbiology and Infectious Disease Steering Committee at the NY Academy of Sciences. In our interview Annaliesa will share more about her life and science.

In 2016 The Natural Environment Research Council in the UK invited the public to name their latest scientific research vessel, which was costing £200m. This vessel was going to be doing (and currently is doing) really insightful and exploratory work, making new discoveries and so on. Really important, noble and global research for the good of the natural world. In the initial stages the likely suggested winner was names such as 'Endeavour' and 'Poseidon' etc. Which made sense. However  you can imagine the consternation internally when the public unanimously got behind a viral idea of calling it something rather ridiculous, yet pretty hilarious at the same time. And so it was that the winning vote, by some margin, was ‘HSS Boaty McBoat-Face’! In the past week we saw the 2019 Budget being released, and depending on your level of interest you may have either read every single iota of info in it, listened-out for any major bits that will impact you, or paid no heed to it at all. Each to their own. For me at least, The Budget is one of these things that happens every year (as far as I'm aware) and which the media latch onto and utilise to create a good week's worth of material and supplements and 'special reports' etc. But for many of us, The Budget is something that largely happens in the background, and has little impact on our overall financial lives or indeed financial planning. For many the drama of the Finance Minister somberly walking onto the steps of the Dail with his or her brief-case looking all serious is all a bit much, it is over-dramatising a budgetary process that any prudent government in any nation attempts to do in a way that ensures it’s financial stability. Between the media and the incumbent government they try and whip us up into a state of frenzy about the Budget…..perhaps so that we’ll notice them and think more of them, I’m not clear on the motive to be honest, as it seems they use the same of hype whether it is a give-away’ or a ‘tightening’ Budget! I’m not suggesting we change the name from ‘The Budget’ to Budgety McBudget-Face’ but I am inviting us to look at it in less of a reactive ‘Oh-my-God-look-at-what-they-are-doing-to-us’ sort of way, and in more of a pragmatic and proactive manner. So this week we are going to share a bit of a budget update, and invite you to observe how significant (or otherwise) it might be to you individually, particularly if you are in the process of either building and maintaining your wealth over the long term. The Update Bit: The budget didn’t carry too many shockers in fairness, while it was being reported as an ‘election-friendly’ budget you’ll see from our highlight reel here that there was nothing overly generous or prohibitive in it. Here’s our ‘Super 7’ list of Budget Updates: Standard rate income tax band increased by €750 from 2019 onwards Self Employed & Directors increased by €200 to €1,350 from 2019 Some tweaks to the lower USC bands and rates DIRT tax reduced to 35% - Exit Tax remains unchanged at 41% €5 increase to State Pensions per week, from March 2019 Capital Acquisitions Tax (Class A) increased by €10,000 Mortgage Interest relief against rental income increases to 100% from 2019 Read on here. Paddy Delaney QF| RPA | APA | Qualified Coach  

About this episode... Today we talk with Tuppy Owens and her work as a sex-positive activist and helping disabled individuals find their sexuality. But trust me, Tuppy has been a strong force in the UK and world sex and disability scene since the 70s. She has even been seen on stage performing burlesque to celebrate her birthdays... but you should listen to find out more about that... A little about Tuppy... Tuppy Owens was born in Cambridge. She gained a degree in zoology from Exeter University, and then worked in ecology in Africa and Trinidad. She settled in London and worked as a scientific administrator at the Natural Environment Research Council. Then, in the late 1960s, she established a sex education book publishing company, for which she wrote and published The Sex Maniac's Diary successfully between 1972 and 1995, and which she operated as a thriving business from her Mayfair flat — for example, the 1975 Sex Maniac's Diary was launched in August 1974 with a reception at the Bristol Hotel in London which was reported on the following day in the Financial Times. Tuppy Owens remains active in running Outsiders. At the same time, she also advises the promoter of the Sexual Freedom Ball to fund Outsiders, and the organizers of the fundraiser, The Erotic Awards, now called The Sexual Services and Entertainment Awards. Owens is now the chair of the Sexual Freedom Coalition. Back in the 90s Owens worked campaigning with Prostitution Pride, parades through London, which was funded by Arcadia events in North London. Owens has been working with the Bath Institute of Medical Engineering in the hope that they will be able to create sex toys that can be used by disabled people who, without them, cannot masturbate. Owens will be the editor of a forthcoming website, The School of Sex for Disabled People, which is being created by sexually experienced disabled people and those who provide them with sexual services. She is currently writing her autobiography. Great Documentary on the Outsiders and Tuppy on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofzxzBRpKFM Links to more information on Tuppy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuppy_Owens

A new generation of pollution monitors developed by the University of Cambridge, together with academic and industrial partners, could help gather the evidence essential to tackle poor air quality. Air pollution is the world’s largest single environmental health risk, causing one in every eight deaths according to figures released in 2014 by the World Health Organization. The new sensors are small enough to carry, stable enough to be installed as static detectors long-term around a city, and sensitive enough to detect small changes in air quality on a street-by-street basis. Research funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, European Union and Medical Research Council; film funded by the NERC Impact Acceleration Account

As a scientist, John Krebs made his name discovering that the brains of birds that store seeds are different from those that don't. But he gave up his successful research career and job as Professor of Zoology at Oxford University to move into science policy and management. After five years as Chief Executive of the Natural Environment Research Council, John Krebs became the first Chairman of the Food Standards Agency, where he was embroiled in controversial questions such as is organic food better for us and how can the spread of foot and mouth disease be stopped. Lord Krebs is now Master of Jesus College, Oxford, but is still involved in issues where science meets public policy, in particular the debate over whether culling badgers will prevent cattle contracting TB. He talks to Jim al-Khalili about his life in science and in the public eye and about how he brings a scientific approach to every issue.

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: why salt marshes are so important, but are difficult to recreate; how storms are made; and why the ground beneath our feet could provide decades of natural heating. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: why salt marshes are so important, but are difficult to recreate; how storms are made; and why the ground beneath our feet could provide decades of natural heating. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: why salt marshes are so important, but are difficult to recreate; how storms are made; and why the ground beneath our feet could provide decades of natural heating.

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast, Sue Nelson goes to the River Thames in central London to find out why nitrate pollution has trebled since the 1930s. Later on, she talks to a researcher about an unusual freshwater bulge in the Arctic, and asks if we should be concerned. Finally, we hear a round-up of some of the news from the natural world. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast, Sue Nelson goes to the River Thames in central London to find out why nitrate pollution has trebled since the 1930s. Later on, she talks to a researcher about an unusual freshwater bulge in the Arctic, and asks if we should be concerned. Finally, we hear a round-up of some of the news from the natural world. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast, Sue Nelson goes to the River Thames in central London to find out why nitrate pollution has trebled since the 1930s. Later on, she talks to a researcher about an unusual freshwater bulge in the Arctic, and asks if we should be concerned. Finally, we hear a round-up of some of the news from the natural world.

It's not often that science news goes viral, but when researchers dubbed a new species the 'Hoff Crab' more people than usual seemed to take notice! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's not often that science news goes viral, but when researchers dubbed a new species the 'Hoff Crab' more people than usual seemed to take notice! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's not often that science news goes viral, but when researchers dubbed a new species the 'Hoff Crab' more people than usual seemed to take notice!

It seems that hardly a week goes by without a major earthquake striking somewhere in the world, which may be why many people have been asking scientists at the British Geological Survey if earthquakes are getting more frequent. Richard Hollingham talks to expert seismologist Brian Baptie from BGS, who uses clever musical software to give us the answer. We also hear from Plymouth Marine Laboratory scientists on a boat off the coast of Cornwall in the UK. They're sampling seawater and sediment from the seafloor to try to understand how marine ecosystems change from one month to the next,... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It seems that hardly a week goes by without a major earthquake striking somewhere in the world, which may be why many people have been asking scientists at the British Geological Survey if earthquakes are getting more frequent. Richard Hollingham talks to expert seismologist Brian Baptie from BGS, who uses clever musical software to give us the answer. We also hear from Plymouth Marine Laboratory scientists on a boat off the coast of Cornwall in the UK. They're sampling seawater and sediment from the seafloor to try to understand how marine ecosystems change from one month to the next, coming across many weird and wonderful creatures in the process. Finally we get an action-packed update from Cambridge scientist Tim Cockerill, who's in northern Borneo investigating the effects of palm plantations on the biodiversity of rainforest insects. Sounds like fun? Not until you hear about the leeches.

It seems that hardly a week goes by without a major earthquake striking somewhere in the world, which may be why many people have been asking scientists at the British Geological Survey if earthquakes are getting more frequent. Richard Hollingham talks to expert seismologist Brian Baptie from BGS, who uses clever musical software to give us the answer. We also hear from Plymouth Marine Laboratory scientists on a boat off the coast of Cornwall in the UK. They're sampling seawater and sediment from the seafloor to try to understand how marine ecosystems change from one month to the next,... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Planet Earth podcast, Sue Nelson reports from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew where she finds out that some plants like the Snake's Head Fritillary have enormous amounts of DNA in their genomes. These plants struggle in extreme environments, so how will they cope under climate change? We also hear from the British Antarctic Survey's medical doctor Claire Lehman in one of our unique audio diaries. Claire joins the diving team for a refreshing dive under the Antarctic ice. Later, Sue meets a fossil-tree expert at Cardiff University. Chris Berry describes how he went about identifying... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Planet Earth podcast, Sue Nelson reports from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew where she finds out that some plants like the Snake's Head Fritillary have enormous amounts of DNA in their genomes. These plants struggle in extreme environments, so how will they cope under climate change? We also hear from the British Antarctic Survey's medical doctor Claire Lehman in one of our unique audio diaries. Claire joins the diving team for a refreshing dive under the Antarctic ice. Later, Sue meets a fossil-tree expert at Cardiff University. Chris Berry describes how he went about identifying the 385 million-year-old fossilised remains of trees in New York State.

In this Planet Earth podcast, Sue Nelson reports from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew where she finds out that some plants like the Snake's Head Fritillary have enormous amounts of DNA in their genomes. These plants struggle in extreme environments, so how will they cope under climate change? We also hear from the British Antarctic Survey's medical doctor Claire Lehman in one of our unique audio diaries. Claire joins the diving team for a refreshing dive under the Antarctic ice. Later, Sue meets a fossil-tree expert at Cardiff University. Chris Berry describes how he went about identifying... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Richard Hollingham finds out that bowerbirds are not just brilliant at making elaborate bowers, they're also good at mimicking other birds and pretty much most sounds they hear - including human voices. He also goes to a Scottish forest to meet researchers from the University of Edinburgh who are using a 220-metre high TV tower to measure greenhouse gas concentrations from across Scotland and all the way to Ireland and even as far as Canada. Lastly, during Richard's recent trip to the Arctic onboard the RRS James Clark Ross, he spoke to a scientist who explained how a small yellow... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Richard Hollingham finds out that bowerbirds are not just brilliant at making elaborate bowers, they're also good at mimicking other birds and pretty much most sounds they hear - including human voices. He also goes to a Scottish forest to meet researchers from the University of Edinburgh who are using a 220-metre high TV tower to measure greenhouse gas concentrations from across Scotland and all the way to Ireland and even as far as Canada. Lastly, during Richard's recent trip to the Arctic onboard the RRS James Clark Ross, he spoke to a scientist who explained how a small yellow... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Richard Hollingham finds out that bowerbirds are not just brilliant at making elaborate bowers, they're also good at mimicking other birds and pretty much most sounds they hear - including human voices. He also goes to a Scottish forest to meet researchers from the University of Edinburgh who are using a 220-metre high TV tower to measure greenhouse gas concentrations from across Scotland and all the way to Ireland and even as far as Canada. Lastly, during Richard's recent trip to the Arctic onboard the RRS James Clark Ross, he spoke to a scientist who explained how a small yellow submarine is helping scientists understand much more about Arctic ocean currents.

In this Planet Earth podcast, Sue Nelson goes to the Eden Project in Cornwall, southwest England and to the South Downs in southeast England to find out what butterfly research is telling us about climate change. As you might expect, there's some bad news to report, but surprisingly there's also hopeful news - at least for the silver spotted skipper. Meanwhile Richard Hollingham goes to Plymouth - also in southwest England - to hear how long-term monitoring buoys in the English Channel have helped reveal, among other things, that the water has gradually been getting warmer. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Planet Earth podcast, Sue Nelson goes to the Eden Project in Cornwall, southwest England and to the South Downs in southeast England to find out what butterfly research is telling us about climate change. As you might expect, there's some bad news to report, but surprisingly there's also hopeful news - at least for the silver spotted skipper. Meanwhile Richard Hollingham goes to Plymouth - also in southwest England - to hear how long-term monitoring buoys in the English Channel have helped reveal, among other things, that the water has gradually been getting warmer. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Planet Earth podcast, Sue Nelson goes to the Eden Project in Cornwall, southwest England and to the South Downs in southeast England to find out what butterfly research is telling us about climate change. As you might expect, there's some bad news to report, but surprisingly there's also hopeful news - at least for the silver spotted skipper. Meanwhile Richard Hollingham goes to Plymouth - also in southwest England - to hear how long-term monitoring buoys in the English Channel have helped reveal, among other things, that the water has gradually been getting warmer.

Scientists know that fluffy stratocumulus clouds act like a blanket on the Earth - they stop warm air escaping, but also reflect the Sun's energy back out to space. But they have no idea if cirrus clouds, which are high up in the atmosphere and made of ice, do the same. So Dr Paul Connolly makes ice clouds inside the 10-metre-high, three-storey ice cloud chamber - which looks a bit like a giant fridge freezer - to find out. To hear how the chamber works, Sue Nelson goes to Manchester to meet him. Also in the programme, find out how a tiny wasp, just 1.5 millimetres long, can pollinate fig trees 160 kilometres apart. And after the successful launch of the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite earlier this month, Professor Meric Srokosz from the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, tells us why he's pinning his hopes on the data. Finally, Richard Hollingham gets more than he bargained for when he visits the venomous snake facility at Bangor University.

With efforts to improve energy efficiency focussed on green transport to sustainable power generation, growing your own food to reducing waste, it's often easy to forget that the very buildings we live and work in could also be made energy efficient. But how do you retrofit old buildings without ruining their architectural character? One researcher from the UK Energy Research Centre explains where you might start. Scientists at the University of Birmingham tell Sue Nelson how they're trying to understand when and why humans developed the ability to walk on two legs; with the help of some human subjects, a manmade rainforest canopy and some orangutans. We also hear from the British Antarctic Survey's GP at Rothera Research Station in the West Antarctica Peninsula who explains what life's like on the base.

With efforts to improve energy efficiency focussed on green transport to sustainable power generation, growing your own food to reducing waste, it's often easy to forget that the very buildings we live and work in could also be made energy efficient. But how do you retrofit old buildings without ruining their architectural character? One researcher from the UK Energy Research Centre explains where you might start. Scientists at the University of Birmingham tell Sue Nelson how they're trying to understand when and why humans developed the ability to walk on two legs; with the help of some... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With efforts to improve energy efficiency focussed on green transport to sustainable power generation, growing your own food to reducing waste, it's often easy to forget that the very buildings we live and work in could also be made energy efficient. But how do you retrofit old buildings without ruining their architectural character? One researcher from the UK Energy Research Centre explains where you might start. Scientists at the University of Birmingham tell Sue Nelson how they're trying to understand when and why humans developed the ability to walk on two legs; with the help of some... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Scientists recently found plastics floating in some of the most remote and inaccessible seas in the world - just off the coast of Antarctica. Although it clearly looks ugly in such a pristine environment, scientists are more concerned about the major role plastics play in moving alien species around the world. Richard Hollingham goes to the north Norfolk coast to speak to an expert on ocean plastics from the British Antarctic Survey to find out more. Later, Sue Nelson goes to the Natural Environment Research Council's Space Geodesy Facility at Herstmonceux in Sussex to find out how it uses lasers to pinpoint satellites.

Scientists recently found plastics floating in some of the most remote and inaccessible seas in the world - just off the coast of Antarctica. Although it clearly looks ugly in such a pristine environment, scientists are more concerned about the major role plastics play in moving alien species around the world. Richard Hollingham goes to the north Norfolk coast to speak to an expert on ocean plastics from the British Antarctic Survey to find out more. Later, Sue Nelson goes to the Natural Environment Research Council's Space Geodesy Facility at Herstmonceux in Sussex to find out how it uses... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

You could be forgiven for thinking the freezing seas around Antarctica are pretty barren and lifeless. But, as Richard Hollingham soon finds out, this couldn't be further from the truth.The Census of Marine Life is building up a picture of the richness and diversity of life in the world's oceans and has so far found thousands of species on shelves around the frozen continent. Incredibly, scientists are still finding new species.At this rate, researchers will soon have documented 17,000 species living on coastal shelves in the region. Richard meets British Antarctic Survey researcher Huw Griffiths to find out more.Later, hear why the recent Icelandic volcano presented scientists with a unique opportunity to study the ash cloud. Also, find out how a ground-breaking study has revealed where giant sauropod dinosaurs preferred to live.Finally, in the first of our audio diaries, we hear from a bird ecologist in Ireland who talks us through exactly how you go about tagging geese migrating to the Arctic.

You could be forgiven for thinking the freezing seas around Antarctica are pretty barren and lifeless. But, as Richard Hollingham soon finds out, this couldn't be further from the truth.The Census of Marine Life is building up a picture of the richness and diversity of life in the world's oceans and has so far found thousands of species on shelves around the frozen continent. Incredibly, scientists are still finding new species.At this rate, researchers will soon have documented 17,000 species living on coastal shelves in the region. Richard meets British Antarctic Survey researcher Huw... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

You could be forgiven for thinking the freezing seas around Antarctica are pretty barren and lifeless. But, as Richard Hollingham soon finds out, this couldn't be further from the truth.The Census of Marine Life is building up a picture of the richness and diversity of life in the world's oceans and has so far found thousands of species on shelves around the frozen continent. Incredibly, scientists are still finding new species.At this rate, researchers will soon have documented 17,000 species living on coastal shelves in the region. Richard meets British Antarctic Survey researcher Huw... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's Planet Earth podcast from the impressively-named Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire, England, hear how two researchers are using hi-tech physics to study different aspects of the environment.The Diamond synchrotron is like a giant, silver doughnut, is more than half a kilometre around and - according to the blurb - you could fit eight St Paul's cathedrals inside.You might imagine a huge machine like this is used only for physics experiments. But it turns out it's used to study everything from the nature of matter to food and new medicines.One researcher explains how his studies... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's Planet Earth podcast from the impressively-named Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire, England, hear how two researchers are using hi-tech physics to study different aspects of the environment.The Diamond synchrotron is like a giant, silver doughnut, is more than half a kilometre around and - according to the blurb - you could fit eight St Paul's cathedrals inside.You might imagine a huge machine like this is used only for physics experiments. But it turns out it's used to study everything from the nature of matter to food and new medicines.One researcher explains how his studies... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's Planet Earth podcast from the impressively-named Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire, England, hear how two researchers are using hi-tech physics to study different aspects of the environment.The Diamond synchrotron is like a giant, silver doughnut, is more than half a kilometre around and - according to the blurb - you could fit eight St Paul's cathedrals inside.You might imagine a huge machine like this is used only for physics experiments. But it turns out it's used to study everything from the nature of matter to food and new medicines.One researcher explains how his studies of earthworms at Diamond could help clean up contaminated soils. Another scientist tells us how his mussel shell research at the synchrotron may ultimately help make stronger materials for aeroplanes and hip replacements.Finally, find out how irrigation techniques used by ancient indigenous cultures could help Peru cope with water shortages caused by its disappearing glaciers. And hear how high speed winds off the coast of Greenland affect how heat moves around the world's oceans.

Look around the English countryside and you'll find animals and plants that shouldn't be there - from Muntjac deer to Mitten crabs, Harlequin ladybirds to Tree of Heaven.So-called invasive species are reckoned to be one of the world's greatest threats to native wildlife. And when you factor in a changing climate, the situation gets even more complicated.Richard Hollingham meets an invasive species expert from the Centre for Ecology Hydrology who tells us not only what we can expect, but also what you can do to help.We also hear from a climate expert at the UK Met Office to find out why he believes climate scientists should take responsibility for communicating their science to the world.Finally, we hear how researchers figured out that a pit full of decapitated bodies in Dorset were Vikings and why small honeybees don't do as well as their normal-sized peers when it comes to mating.

Coral reefs are among the most beautiful habitats in the world. As well as being rich in biodiversity, they're vital for the local economies that depend on them for fishing, tourism or protection from storms.While most of us are aware that ocean acidification is bad for coral reefs, scientists are now finding that coral communities are facing other threats from climate change.Richard Hollingham meets three coral reef experts to find out more - not in some tropical paradise but in the basement of a 1960s towerblock at the University of Essex.Later in the programme we hear from two insect... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Look around the English countryside and you'll find animals and plants that shouldn't be there - from Muntjac deer to Mitten crabs, Harlequin ladybirds to Tree of Heaven.So-called invasive species are reckoned to be one of the world's greatest threats to native wildlife. And when you factor in a changing climate, the situation gets even more complicated.Richard Hollingham meets an invasive species expert from the Centre for Ecology Hydrology who tells us not only what we can expect, but also what you can do to help.We also hear from a climate expert at the UK Met Office to find out why he... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coral reefs are among the most beautiful habitats in the world. As well as being rich in biodiversity, they're vital for the local economies that depend on them for fishing, tourism or protection from storms.While most of us are aware that ocean acidification is bad for coral reefs, scientists are now finding that coral communities are facing other threats from climate change.Richard Hollingham meets three coral reef experts to find out more - not in some tropical paradise but in the basement of a 1960s towerblock at the University of Essex.Later in the programme we hear from two insect experts at the University of Cambridge, who explain why it might be wise for oil palm producers to nurture patches of rainforest close to and among their plantations.We also find out why scientists think an asteroid caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, rather than huge volcanoes, why global warming could lead to more male turtles than female turtles and how household waste is being linked with pollution in rivers.

Look around the English countryside and you'll find animals and plants that shouldn't be there - from Muntjac deer to Mitten crabs, Harlequin ladybirds to Tree of Heaven.So-called invasive species are reckoned to be one of the world's greatest threats to native wildlife. And when you factor in a changing climate, the situation gets even more complicated.Richard Hollingham meets an invasive species expert from the Centre for Ecology Hydrology who tells us not only what we can expect, but also what you can do to help.We also hear from a climate expert at the UK Met Office to find out why he... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coral reefs are among the most beautiful habitats in the world. As well as being rich in biodiversity, they're vital for the local economies that depend on them for fishing, tourism or protection from storms.While most of us are aware that ocean acidification is bad for coral reefs, scientists are now finding that coral communities are facing other threats from climate change.Richard Hollingham meets three coral reef experts to find out more - not in some tropical paradise but in the basement of a 1960s towerblock at the University of Essex.Later in the programme we hear from two insect... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Willow, palm, miscanthus and other energy crops are being touted as a possible solution to our growing energy security problems. Some people are suggesting that they could help replace fossil fuels, plugging Britain's energy gap and cutting our carbon footprint.But before we go down that route, wouldn't it be sensible to find out how these crops affect the environment?That's the very question David Bohan from Rothamsted Research is trying to answer. He's researching how miscanthus and willow affect native biodiversity while looking at where these crops should be sited to have minimal environmental impact.Also in this week's podcast, we find out why 25 February will be a nail-biter for many scientists, not least for those from the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling at University College London.Later we'll hear how British winters are ending an average of 11 days earlier compared with the 1970s, why red leg bands put male zebra finches in front of their rivals and what next for a group of scientists that has just returned from exploring volcanic vents in the Southern Ocean.

This week we talk to two researchers about the technological solutions some scientists say we might have to use to tackle climate change. With average temperatures expected to rise by 2C this century, and efforts to cut greenhouse emissions proving painfully slow so far, scientists are saying it might be prudent to have a plan B. Professor Tim Lenton and Dr Nem Vaughan from the University of East Anglia explain the differences between the two approaches to geoengineering - removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reflecting sunlight to keep temperatures down. Later on we find out how scientists use a field full of radars in Wales to help forecast extreme weather. We also hear what the UK Government's chief scientific advisor thinks about the latest climate change controversies in the news, how researchers have figured out what colour dinosaurs were and why carpet sea squirts have been spotted in Scotland.

Mention the word archaeology and you might conjure up an image of Tony Robinson from Channel 4's Time Team getting down to a dig in an ancient burial site in an attempt to find some telling artefacts. But these days, people researching the ancient past have some additional, very sophisticated tools up their sleeves. Richard Hollingham visits the Natural Environment Research Council's Isotope Geosciences Laboratory near Nottingham to find out what isotope geosciences are and why they're such an important tool for archaeologists. Later on we hear why fossil hunting is just kid's stuff for one scientist: Russell Garwood from Imperial College London shows Sue Nelson how he uses medical technology to see ancient spiders in 3D. Also, how scientists know that sticklebacks understand all about virtues like patience, how Arctic terns fly an epic 80,000 kilometres every year on their way from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again, and why corals may be better able to recover from fishing damage than scientists thought.

In this week's podcast, Richard Hollingham strikes gold - literally - while Sue Nelson finds out why weather forecasters still struggle to predict sudden, violent summer storms. We'll also be hearing why scientists may be a step closer to getting rid of the American mink from the Outer Hebrides and how to run away from a Tyrannosaurus rex. Banks may have collapsed, shares plummeted and currencies faltered over the last couple of years, but if you put your money in gold, you could have made a tidy profit - the metal recently reached its highest value ever. Great news if there's a gold mine nearby, which funnily enough isn't as unlikely as you might think. As well as going gold-panning, Richard visits Northern Ireland's only gold mine and finds out why there's such a market for Northern Irish gold. Also, Sue Nelson meets cloud expert Dr Andrew Russell from the University of Manchester. Andy talks about the work he's doing to make forecasting storms easier. Finally, find out what scientists are doing to understand why some Antarctic penguin colonies are growing, while others are declining.