Podcast appearances and mentions of Tom Heap

Is there any true wilderness left on our planet? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski consider the fear and fascination of the wild. They're joined by the writer Cal Flyn who has spent the last few years travelling the world in search of wilderness for her new book The Savage Landscape. Also with them are Steve Carver, professor of Rewilding and Wilderness Science at Leeds University and Sophie Grig, Research and Advocacy Director of Survival International. The travel writer and broadcaster Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent escapes the studio to visit the largest rewilding project in Wales. Can the conservationists get local people onside and boost the area's wildlife without provoking a negative reaction from local farmers? Produced by Alasdair Cross and Sarah Swadling

How can Britain- and the world- prepare itself for extreme heat? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski hear from the experts and from the people facing up to the hottest temperatures on the planet.David Shukman, former BBC Science Editor asks how Britain should react to the threat in his new book, The Response, while Alex Riley, author of Super Natural guides us through the strategies used by animals that thrive in the hottest places on Earth. Tom and Helen are also joined from Bangalore by Chandni Singh of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements who shares her knowledge of the Indian response to heatwaves that can push the mercury to 48 degrees centigrade and make human life impossible to sustain.Producer: Alasdair CrossAssistant Producer: Toby Field

Amphibians are the most threatened type of vertebrates on the planet since the dinosaurs- and some of the most fascinating. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski are joined by a panel of amphibi-fans to celebrate the very best in frogs, toads, newts and salamanders. What can we do to reverse their rapid decline?Jeanne Tarrant, founder of Anura Africa is an expert on the extraordinary diversity of frog life in South Africa, Jeff Streicher is Head of Zoology at National Museum Cardiff and James Herd is Director of Reserve Management at the Surrey Wildlife Trust.Helen also takes a visit to London Zoo to meet our largest and smallest amphibians and discuss captive breeding programmes with Ben Tapley, ZSL's Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles. Finally we hear from two field ecologists working to save amphibians in the highlands of Cameroon and the tea gardens of Darjeeling. Marina Kameni and Barkha Subba are two of the winners at this year's Whitley Fund for Nature awards.Producer: Beth Sagar-FentonAssistant Producer: Toby Field

Is the conflict in Iran, with its knock-on effect on oil supplies, accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski debate the issues with a panel of experts: Josh Gabbatiss from the environmental journalism website Carbon Brief; Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University; and Cornish farmer Stuart Oates.Producer: Emma Campbell

Beneath our feet is a world wide web that keeps us all alive. Estimated to be the origin of about 97% of the calories we eat, soil is fundamental to life. But it's a whole living world of its own. A biological engine, a carbon sink, and home to an abundance of bacteria, insects and worms. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski find out how soil is made, how it's faring in a world of intensive farming and how to get it back to full health. Joining Tom and Helen to dig into the hidden drama of soil are:Jack Hannam, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture & Biodiversity at the University of Greenwich's Natural Resources Institute Duncan Farrington MBE, farmer and founder of Farrington Oils Simon Jeffery, Professor of Soil Ecology at Harper Adams University Dr Rachel Cassidy, lead scientist on Northern Ireland's Soil Nutrient Health Scheme. Andrew Baker, Soil Acoustics.Producer: Beth Sagar-FentonAssistant Producers: Rebecca Rooney and Toby FieldRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University.

President Trump has been very clear in his views on climate change but how much of his rhetoric will have real impacts on the environment in the US and worldwide? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski are joined by an expert panel to examine the consequences for the planet's temperature and its wildlife of the second Trump administration.Producer: Beth Sagar-FentonAssistant Producer: Toby FieldRare Earth is produced in collaboration with the Open University

Plunge into the chilly embrace of the UK's lakes and you enter troubled waters. They're a place for recreation and an inspiration for our greatest poets but they're also on the frontline in the battle against pollution. The biggest lake in the British Isles, Lough Neagh, is plagued with toxic green algae that sucks the life out of its waters, but nobody seems able to stop the relentless flow of agricultural, industrial and domestic pollution that feed it. Meanwhile, Lake Windermere, birthplace of the Romantic movement, is suffering from a record number of illegal sewage spills that make wildwater swimming a dicey business.Tom Heap and Helen Czerski paddle through the history and legends of our lakes and lochs, search for solutions to their present day problems and celebrate the natural life that still flocks to these beautiful places. Producer: Emma CampbellAssistant Producers: Rebecca Rooney and Toby FieldRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University

It's less than a month before the new inheritance tax comes in for farmers, and the Government's Finance Bill reaching the report stage is a last chance for any amendments to be considered. After a Government u-turn at the end of the year, the tax threshold was increased, but there are concerns the policy still doesn't give Tenant Farmers, who don't own their land, the same advantage. The Tenant Farmers Association share their concerns. A farm vets practise in Gloucestershire is offering free workshops for Young Farmers groups to spend time with their vets asking questions and taking part in practical workshops. Marie Lennon went to Tyndale Vets for one of the sessions. For decades, farmers have used sewage sludge, or bio solids as fertiliser. That's the waste that comes from us after it's been cleaned up in water treatment plants. Compared to imported artificial fertiliser, its very cheap - it can even be free. But there's concern that sewage-derived fertiliser may contain microplastics, pharmaceuticals and some so-called forever chemicals. The government is proposing to tighten the rules on using sewage sludge on farmland Scotland introduced tighter rules a few months ago – and Wales is also looking to reform. Tom Heap reports.Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Marie Lennon

This year London Zoological Society marks its 200th anniversary. Established in 1826, today it has around 8000 animals and claims to be "the original scientific zoo". In this programme, Helen Czerski and Tom Heap look back at the role of zoos across the centuries and ask where their future lies. From public entertainment to conservation projects, do they have a part to play in an age when technology means we can see animals virtually, up-close and in high-definition, without having to keep them in captivity? Tom and Helen visit the former site of Bristol zoo in Clifton, now awaiting development, and are joined in the studio by a panel of experts to discuss the history, future and philosophy of the zoo.Producer: Emma Campbell Assistant Producers: Toby Field and Rebecca RooneyRare Earth is produced in collaboration with the Open University

150 years ago the British research ship Challenger returned from a three and a half year voyage that changed the world. Plucking species from every ocean, at depths never explored before, the Challenger kick-started the science of oceanography and paved the way for a world connected by undersea communication cables.To celebrate the Challenger's legacy, Helen Czerski and Tom Heap are at the world's biggest ocean science conference in Glasgow to ask what the next 150 years may hold. Is the age of the human explorer over, replaced by robots and DNA sampling, or is there still a space for wonder as we explore the depths of our planet's oceans?With Tom and Helen at the AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting are three top ocean explorers- Kirsty McQuaid from Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, Murray Roberts of Edinburgh University and Sofie Spatharis of Glasgow University.Producer: Alasdair Cross Assistant Producers: Toby Field and Rebecca RooneyRare Earth is produced in collaboration with the Open University

What does the arrival of winter mean for plants and animals? In this programme Tom Heap and Helen Czerski find out how wildlife survives the freezing temperatures and short days of the winter months. In a time of climate change, they also ask how warmer weather patterns are affecting the natural world at this time of year. Do we have to get used to the idea of winters without snow and ice, and will winter scenes of robins on snowy branches and children sledging down hillsides only exist on Christmas cards?Panel: Hugh Warwick, John Hammond, Val McDermidProducer: Emma Campbell Assistant Producer: Toby FieldProduced in association with the Open University

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

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

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

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

It's 200 years since the first passenger rail journey saw George Stephenson's Locomotion No.1 travel 26 miles between Shildon, Darlington and Stockton. Environmentalists love trains - making a journey by rail can be up to 80% greener than doing it by car - and there are exciting new inventions hoping to make train travel even greener. But can we pin part of the blame for global warming on the invention of the railways in the first place? Presented by Tom Heap and Helen Czerski Produced by Beth Sagar-Fenton Assistant Producer: Toby FieldRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University

New technology gives fresh insights into the great animal migrations. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski discuss the great spectacles of the bird, mammal and insect worlds and consider how they're changing in an era of climate change and habitat destruction.They're joined by insect migration expert, Will Hawkes, David Barrie, author of Incredible Journeys and the leader of the ICARUS satellite monitoring project, Martin Wikelski from the University of Konstanz. Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent reports from the dangerous songbird migration route over Cyprus while ecologist and concept developer Mark van Heukelm reveals the secrets of the extraordinary fish doorbell and Martha Kearney visits Britain's migration hotspot, Fair Isle. Producer: Alasdair CrossAssistant Producers: Toby Field and Georgia ChristieRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University

The modern world is built on steel but can it ever be green? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski search for the holy grail of environmentally friendly steel.Panellists: Ed Conway – Sky Economics & Data Editor and Author of “Material World” Will Arnold – Head of Climate Action, The Institution of Structural Engineers Dr Abi Ackerman – Imperial College London Caroline Ashley – Director, SteelWatch Producer: Beth Sagar-FentonRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University

Efforts to reduce our carbon emissions are falling far short of what's necessary to keep our temperature rise below 2 degrees centigrade. Is it time to seriously consider another option- using technology to cool the planet? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski explore the controversial field of geoengineering.They're joined by Shaun Fitzgerald, Director of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge University, Peter Brannen, author of The Story of CO2 is the Story of Everything and by Alex Davey, Deputy Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.Producer: Alasdair CrossAssistant Producer: Toby FieldRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University

A celebration of the wildlife that works while we sleep. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski explore the world of animals that provoke fear and wonder in equal measure.Producer: Emma CampbellRare Earth is produced in collaboration with the Open University

Can the insurance industry save the planet? With the nod from insurance companies a must for everything from coal mines to new homes, is the industry ready and willing to wield its power? When huge swathes of Los Angeles were destroyed by wildfire in 2025 the spotlight shone on the insurance industry. Would insurers pay out billions of dollars to rebuild in exactly the same way, in exactly the same place, in a region in which the risk of wildfire is only going to increase?Tom Heap and Helen Czerski take a deep dive into the role of the insurance industry in the climate crisis. Why can new homes in floodplains be insured? Are the rest of us subsidising risky behaviour with our own premiums? And are those in the industry trying to take revolutionary steps to prevent further climate damage? Contributors include: - Dr Lisa Dale, Senior Lecturer at Columbia University's Climate School - Dr Franziska Arnold-Dwyer, Associate Professor of Law at UCL and author of 'Insurance, Climate Change and the Law' - Lee Harris, insurance correspondent at the Financial Times - Lindsay Keenan, environmental campaignerProducer: Beth Sagar-FentonRare Earth is produced in collaboration with the Open University

80 years since the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Tom Heap and Helen Czerski ask how our relationship with nuclear power has evolved.At 8.15 on the morning of the 6th of August 1945 a new era began for this planet. For the first time humankind had the power not just to exploit or damage nature, but to destroy it utterly.Tom and Helen are joined by Mark Lynas, author of Six Minutes to Winter: Nuclear War and How to Avoid It and by Professor Timothy Mousseau of the University of South Carolina, a biologist who has studied the environmental impact of the nuclear disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima. Also in the studio is Dr Fiona Rayment, President of the Nuclear Institute.Producer: Alasdair CrossAssistant Producer: Toby FieldSpecial thanks to Archie McWatt of the University of the West of EnglandRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University

A ban on commercial hunting for whales came into force 40 years ago. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski look back on the whaling industry with one of the last of Shetland's whalers and ask if our largest mammals have bounced back from the extinction that so many species were close to reaching.They're joined by Jayne Pierce of the South Georgia Heritage Trust, the marine biologist and author of Eat, Poop, Die, Joe Roman and by linguist Inbal Arnon. Joe talks about his latest study for Whale and Dolphin Conservation which reveals the importance of whales in moving nutrients around the ocean while Inbal talks about her work comparing how whales and human babies learn to communicate. Jayne discusses this weekend's festival in Dundee which commemorates Scotland's role in the whaling industry and marks the launch of the Whaler's Memory Bank, a project to capture the voices of the last of the men who spent the British winter in the Antarctic capturing and processing the whales that found their way into our margarines and military hardware until the 1960s. Special thanks to Gibbie Fraser, Helen Balfour and baby Idris.Producer: Alasdair CrossRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University

The transition to an economy based on renewable energy and electric cars needs huge quantities of materials like copper and rare earth metals. Sourcing them can be a problem. Mining damages the surrounding landscape and many of the materials come from unstable regions with poor records on child labour and environmental regulation. Are there alternative materials or do we simply need to consume less? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski investigate.Producer: Emma CampbellRare Earth is produced in collaboration with the Open University

Datacentres are big business, and vast numbers of them are being built around the world. In the UK, Amazon has announced plans to invest £8bn over the next five years building new datacentres, £3bn has been spent in the UK by Amazon's cloud computing business since 2020 and Google is spending millions on a new centre in Hertfordshire. All this data handling is necessary because we're storing more of it and making more complex AI internet searches. The energy cost of this shift is so huge that the big tech companies are commissioning their own nuclear power stations. Each data centre requires energy to run and vast quantities of water to cool it. Both have significant environmental costs, particularly in the hottest and driest regions. Google's greenhouse gas emissions have increased by nearly 50% in the past five years, largely due to the energy demands of Artificial Intelligence.Tom Heap and Helen Czerski ask if we really need to handle all this data. Are there more efficient ways for us to store and search or should we be coming up with more efficient data centres which exploit renewable energy resources and cool themselves naturally with seawater or Arctic ice?To answer these big questions for our internet future they're joined by Tom Jackson, Professor of Information and Knowledge Management at Loughborough University Business School, Aurora Gomez Delgado from the campaign group Tu Nube Seca Mi Río (Your Cloud is Drying My River) and Mark Bjornsgaard from the data centre company, Deep Green.Producer: Alasdair CrossRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University

In 2008 the UK made an all-party legally-binding commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Since then the consensus has broken down and analysts doubt that current government policy has any chance of reaching that goal. Tom Heap, Helen Czerski and an expert panel stress-test net zero. Is it still achievable? Is it even politically possible in a world of trade wars, Trump's anti-environment agenda and the rise of Reform?Producer: Emma CampbellRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University

Insects are the quiet engineers of the environment - pollinating our plants, balancing our ecosystems and clearing up our waste. Some insects can digest plastic, and they play a vital role in crop production. At the same time their populations are under threat from pesticides, habitat loss and climate change. In this programme, Helen Czerski and Tom Heap explore the largely ignored world of insects. Could they be the answer to some of the environmental problems we have created? Would eating them help lower our carbon footprint, and will the western world ever overcome its squeamishness to the idea? Helen and Tom explore the weird and wonderful world of insects with a panel of experts.Producer: Emma CampbellAssistant Producer: Toby FieldRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University

From ancient Rome onwards our civilisation has been built on concrete. It's incredibly useful but emits huge quantities of carbon dioxide in its production. What are the alternatives? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski explore the issues with a panel of experts: Professor Colin Hills from Greenwich University, Smith Mordak Chief Executive of UK Green Building Council, and structural engineer Roma Agrawal, who worked on the construction of London's tallest building, the Shard.Producer: Emma CampbellAssistant Producer: Toby FieldResearcher: Harrison JonesRare Earth is produced in association with the Open University

In this episode of the Fully Charged Show Podcast, Robert Llewellyn chats with Tom Heap about his brand new book, Land Smart. As demands for food, renewable energy, carbon storage, and housing grow, we're running out of land to meet them all and having to ask how we strike the right balance. Tom, known for his work on Countryfile, Rare Earth, and The Climate Show, shares insights from his tour across the UK, where he's met with farmers, scientists, and conservationists who are pioneering smart land solutions that support both humanity and nature. Listen for an exploration of how we can create a future where land serves multiple purposes without compromising our planet's health.  https://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/land-smart/   Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: https://everythingelectric.show Check out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingElectricShow Support our StopBurningStuff campaign: https://www.patreon.com/STOPBurningStuff Become a Fully Charged SHOW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow Buy the Fully Charged Guide to Electric Vehicles & Clean Energy : https://buff.ly/2GybGt0 Subscribe for episode alerts and the Fully Charged newsletter: https://fullycharged.show/zap-sign-up/ Visit: https://FullyCharged.Show Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fullychargedshw Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/fullychargedshow To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: commercial@fullycharged.show   Everything Electric AUSTRALIA NSW - Sydney Showground - 7th, 8th & 9th March 2025 Everything Electric LONDON (UK) - ExCel - 16th, 17th & 18th April 2025 Everything Electric CANADA - Vancouver Convention Center - 5th, 6th & 7th September 2025 Everything Electric SOUTH (UK) - Farnborough International - 10th, 11th & 12th October 2025 Everything Electric AUSTRALIA VIC - 14th, 15th & 16th November 2025

The UK is in danger of violating international agreements on restoring nature, that's according to the Wildlife Trusts. The Trusts' chief executive, Craig Bennet, tells us next week's COP 16 on biodiversity is a crucial chance for the Government to demonstrate how it will meet targets. Tom Heap explores the microscopic world of microbes, including an experiment to improve the resilience of wheat.Viticulture is one of the fastest growing parts of agriculture here in the UK. Recent data shows that more than 80 new vineyards opened in 2023, bringing the total number to over a thousand for the first time. But many rely on tourism to make them financially stable, and the industry body Wine GB estimates there were over 1.5 million visits to vineyards and wineries last year. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton

Sports writer Simon Barnes and Countryfile presenter Tom Heap join Tortoise's James Harding and Cat Neilan to debate what should lead the news.They discuss Elon Musk posting fake news and misinformation about the riots in the UK, their Olympic highlights and why we should be using farmland for solar panels rather than biofuels.Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.comGuests:Simon Barnes, sports writer who is covering the Paris Olympics for TortoiseTom Heap, author of Land Smart and Countryfile presenterCat Neilan, political editor at TortoiseHost: James Harding, founder and editor-in-chief of TortoiseProducer: Casey MagloireExecutive producer: Lewis VickersTo find out more about Tortoise:- Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists- Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and exclusive content- Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jane and Fi are back from covering election night and they are ready to debrief. Today's episode will scratch your plumbing itch and make sure you hold on for the abattoir!And they are joined by Countryfile presenter, Tom Heap, to chat about his new book, 'Land Smart'.Our next book club pick has been announced! 'Missing, Presumed' is by Susie Steiner.If you want to contact the show to ask a question and get involved in the conversation then please email us: janeandfi@times.radio.Follow us on Instagram! @janeandfiAssistant Producer: Hannah QuinnPodcast Producer: Eve SalusburyExecutive Producer: Rosie Cutler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Heap introduces Rare Earth, a programme exploring major stories about our environment.

Tom Heap introduces Rare Earth, a programme exploring major stories about our environment.

The King has urged world leaders assembled in Dubai to make the COP28 climate summit a "critical turning point" in the fight to tackle global warming. And there has already been a breakthrough with wealthy nations contributing nearly $300m to a 'loss and damage' fund compensating poorer countries for the effects of climate change. It has taken 32 years to agree so while it is an achievement, the real issue remains cutting fossil fuels. In oil-rich Dubai that is a thorny issue. It and other petrostates are still arguing that the world needs fossil fuels while it transitions to greener energy sources. Climatecast host Tom Heap is in Dubai finding out what COP28 might achieve.For more from CimateCast, click here to subscribe.Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse & Luke Denne Editor: Wendy Parker

Quail Hollow Sessions episode seven features Quail Hollow Club AITs Tom Heap and Carson Shaw. Tom Heaps reflects on his journey and training in the industry from Manchester, England to Quail Hollow Club. Carson Shaw talks about his role as irrigation specialist at Quail Hollow Club. carolinasgcsa.org

Many of us can remember returning our pop bottles to the shop in return for cash and wonder why we can't use a system like this today to reduce, reuse and recycle. In Scotland a Deposit Return Scheme has been on trial, but in a complex material world it's not as simple as the schemes we might remember. Tom Heap and Sepi Golzari-Munro turn detective to find out why the DRS (Deposit Return Scheme) is under threat and if it can survive to launch as intended. The scheme is causing issues for small businesses like craft brewers, it's angering politicians who are concerned about the added cost to consumers and it's being questioned by some waste management experts who believe the gains in recycling rates may be small in comparison to the huge costs of implementation. Defenders argue that we need to take action and that change is never popular but that similar schemes in Europe have achieved over 90% recycling rates. There are no simple answers with this one so it's going to take some hard line detective work by our Costing the Earth crack team. Tom and Sepi step up to uncover the truth and consider the best future for bottle recycling. Producer : Helen Lennard

Sewage is now discharged into our rivers and seas on a regular basis. It's joined by agricultural pollution and a host of microplastics. In this special debate programme, Tom Heap asks what's gone wrong with our water system. How did we get into this situation, what will it cost to put it right, and how can we go about sorting out the mess we seem to be in? Tom is joined by a panel of experts to discuss the history, the finances and the future of cleaning up our waterways. Producer: Emma Campbell

After a winter of spiralling energy prices, Tom Heap asks whether our attitudes to energy consumption have changed. What lessons have we learned in the last twelve months, both as individual consumers and as a society - or are we putting our heads in the sand and carrying on as normal? Last week the government announced its plans to update the UK's net zero strategy, but what do its announcements tell us about its priorities when it comes to our energy use? Fuel poverty is hitting many people hard, but some environmentalists argue that the invasion of Ukraine and everything which has followed could prove to be a turning point for environmental change. In this programme Tom hosts a panel discussion on how the energy landscape is changing. Producer: Emma Campbell

UK commitments to phase out gas boilers and petrol cars may be good news for the environment, but do we have the skill to realise our ambitions? Where are all the trained workers able to fit heat pumps in our homes and electric car chargers along our roads? In this programme, Tom Heap joins trainees as they learn the skills they'll need in a greener economy, and asks how we will staff up the next industrial revolution. Presented by Tom Heap and produced by Emma Campbell.

New technologies are vital in the drive to turn our fossil fuel-based economies green and drastically slash carbon emissions. That technology requires investment and an enormous slice of the cash required is controlled by the financial markets of the City of London. Tom Heap meets the City's movers and shakers to find out if they- and the wider financial services industry- are willing and able to finance the revolution. Producer: Reuben Smith-Burrell

Months of governmental chaos have seen contradictory policies on the environment come and go. Tom Heap asks where the Conservative Party now stands on the environment. Should we expect more onshore wind or a continuing ban, will farmers be paid to help wildlife? And what are the underlying trends in the Conservative Party? Are most activists and MPs signed up to a Green Growth agenda or are climate change sceptics and fossil-fuel fans still a powerful force in the party that has governed the UK for most of the post-war era? Producer: Sarah Swadling

Community energy might conjure up images of off-grid villagers working together to put up solar panels on a remote community hall. This is one model, but Tom Heap finds that there are now many more ways to join the clean energy revolution. From urban solar rooftop projects which train up young people as fitters to huge wind farms owned by a growing online army of committed enthusiasts, community energy is having a moment. It seems an incredible but simple idea. If we all own a bit of our energy system then we can decide the price that we pay to keep warm and keep the lights on. So what is standing in the way of more community energy? Tom Heap discovers more about how all of us could get involved with the future of energy. Producer: Helen Lennard

The COP 27 summit in Sharm-El-Sheikh is welcoming world leaders and climate negotiators to Egypt. In a year that has been rocked by the war in Ukraine and global economic instability, can COP refocus the world's attention on climate? Tom Heap and Matt McGrath will take a look back at some of the pledges made last November in Glasgow for COP 26 to find out whether countries across the world are keeping to the agreements made on areas such as deforestation, methane reduction, finance and technology. Everyone agrees that current geopolitics will make significant global agreements to decrease emissions difficult but there may be signs of hope in the actions of individual countries. Tom and Matt will try to decipher where we are and what we might be able to expect from this years ‘Conference of the Parties'. To help them pick through the details our panel of experts include Bernice Lee from Chatham House, Danny Kennedy from New Energy Nexus, Mia Moisio from Climate Action Tracker, Piers Forster from the University of Leeds and Ben Caldecott from the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group. Producer: Helen Lennard

For many dog owners, watching your pet race around after a crow or leap joyfully into a stream is a source of great pleasure...but these natural behaviours all have an impact on the environment. Estimates of the UK dog population vary from 10 million all the way up to 13 million and the number has been rising in recent years, so their environmental paw print is growing. In this programme Tom Heap visits a nature reserve where dogs have been banned from some areas after being blamed for frightening wildlife, damaging rare habitats and adding excess nutrients to the soil via their excrement. He meets a farmer and dung beetle expert, who shows him how the drugs found in flea treatments and worming pills can leach out into nature. And what to do with all that poo - especially when it's wrapped in plastic bags? Meanwhile, across the world free-roaming dogs are having wide reaching effects. Dr Abi Vanak from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment says the 60-80 million free-roaming dogs in India are putting some native species at risk of extinction. Producer: Heather Simons

In the UK, more than half our electricity is generated without using fossil fuels. Despite that, the rocketing price of gas has lead to matching increases in our electricity bills. Why the disconnect? What could we be doing differently so that consumers benefit from cheap renewable power? And what will the current crisis mean for our long term aims of reducing our use of fossil fuels? In this programme, Tom Heap asks an expert panel how our energy market can be reshaped to produce smaller bills in a low carbon future. He's joined by: Glenn Rickson - Head of European Power Analysts with S&P Global Commodity Insights Emma Pinchbeck - CEO of Energy UK, the trade body for the British energy industry Michael Grubb - Professor of Energy and Climate Change at UCL Producer: Heather Simons

It's said that the environment is the silent victim of war. In this programme, Tom Heap finds out how the conflict in Ukraine is affecting environmental work in the country. With so many people forced to flee, what happens to projects which were trying to protect fragile wildlife habitats? He talks to an award-winning Ukrainian environmentalist who has had to temporarily abandon his conservation project around Chernobyl in order to help with the humanitarian aid effort. Meanwhile, with airstrikes taking place in some of the most industrialised areas in the east of the country, the risk of long-term contamination from damaged coal mines and nuclear installations is very real. Tom asks what lessons can be learned from previous wars around the world, and discovers how long-lasting the environmental impacts of military action can be. How can environmental concerns be can be given a voice, instead of remaining the silent victim, at a time when the focus is understandably on saving human lives? Produced by Emma Campbell

Making your finances work harder against climate change. Tom Heap speaks to Richard Curtis, British film director and architect of Comic Relief, about his Make My Money Matter campaign. This encourages everyone to find out where their pension money goes. He also speaks to the boss of a UK bank, Bevis Watts, and to the campaign director of switchit.green about how easy it is to move your bank account elsewhere. A special episode for anyone worried about what their money is - or isn't - doing to keep the planet green. Interviewees: Lisa Stanley of Good With Money Bevis Watts of Triodos John Fleetwood of Square Mile Investment Consulting and Research Sophie Cowen of switchit.green Richard Curtis of Make My Money Matter The presenter is Tom Heap and the producer in Bristol is Miles Warde

Millions of trees were brought down by this winter's storms. Storm Arwen in November proved particularly damaging, taking out whole swathes of woodland in Scotland and the north of England. It comes at a time when there is more focus than ever on planting trees, with the urgent need to both tackle climate change and produce more home-grown timber. At the moment, the UK imports more than 80% of the timber it uses. In this programme, Tom Heap visits two forest estates in the North East of Scotland, to see for himself what havoc the high winds have wrought. One estate manager tells him that they'll be clearing up for the next three years, with an estimated 45,000 tonnes of timber now lying broken on the ground. Tom finds out what this means for the work of foresters on the estate, and how it will affect the value of the timber they'll be able to sell. Meanwhile he discovers why the National Trust for Scotland is seeing the damage caused by Storm Arwen as an opportunity to re-think the kind of woodland it has on its land. Tom talks to the Royal Forestry Society at their research site in the Chilterns, and finds out what techniques can be used to improve the resilience of woodlands to future storms. He asks whether - when the clear-up is over and it's time to re-plant - we may need to explore using different species of trees, better able to survive in the climate we expect to have in another fifty years' time. He also meets a meteorologist from Reading University, who explains what changing weather patterns may mean for storms in the future. Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol Emma Campbell

The government announced its new energy strategy last week, outlining plans to tackle energy supply over the coming decades. In this edition of Costing the Earth, Tom Heap chairs a panel discussion which looks into the detail of the strategy, and asks what it will mean for both net zero targets and household bills. He is joined by a panel of experts: Roz Bulleid, Deputy Policy Director at the independent think tank Green Alliance; Chief Political Commentator at the i-newspaper, Paul Waugh; and environmental journalist, author and campaigner Mark Lynas. Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Emma Campbell