Rare Earth

How can we build new green infrastructure without wrecking the countryside? Helen Czerski and Tom Heap debate the issue with a panel of experts, and ask what the measures outlined in last week's budget will mean for planning decisions and the environment. On the panel this week: Emma Pinchbeck, new CEO of the Climate Change Committee; Roger Mortlock, chief executive of the CPRE - the Countryside Charity; and Professor Matthew Kelly, modern historian from Northumbria University.Producer: Emma Campbell

Karen Pynchon, author of "Kings of Their Ocean," dives into the history of tuna fisheries. Lucy Hawkes from the University of Exeter reveals the fascinating return of bluefin tuna to UK waters. Jess Rattle, head of investigations at the Blue Marine Foundation, discusses the urgent need for sustainable fishing practices. Chris Berry, author of "Tunny," shares stories of tuna fishing's impact on Scarborough. Together, they explore bluefin's unique biology, conservation challenges, and the cultural significance of this prized fish.

US elections always have an outsized impact on the planet. As the world's second largest polluter and one of the primary sources of green technology and finance, America's lead on environmental issues is a vital part of our battle against climate change.Tom Heap and Helen Czerski analyse the efforts of the Biden regime and examine the rival policies of Harris and Trump. Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act is said to have helped channel half a trillion dollars into clean technology and renewable energy. Has all that money brought down emissions or funded fresh answers to the planet's biggest challenge? Trump talks tough on the environment, supporting oil, gas and coal companies but did his presidential term really accelerate global warming?Tom and Helen are joined by Professor Leah Stokes from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Trisha Curtis, CEO of PetroNerds and presenter of the PetroNerds podcast and by Pilita Clark, Associate Editor and environment and business columnist for the Financial Times.Producer: Alasdair CrossAssistant Producer: Toby FieldRare Earth is a BBC Audio Wales and West production in conjunction with the Open University

The environment and wildlife show returns with a celebration of the humble microbe. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski are joined by a ‘microbe explorer’ who travels to some of the Earth’s most hostile environments in search of microbes with a huge appetite for carbon dioxide. They also be visit the crop trial field station of Imperial College London where researchers are studying changes to bacteria in soil that could help agriculture and the environment. Producer: Emma CampbellAssistant Producer: Toby FieldRare Earth is made by BBC Audio Wales and West in association with the Open University.

Seabirds face many challenges - avian flu, plastic pollution, overfishing and climate change have all had an impact - but despite all of this, these resilient birds are surviving and in some cases, thriving. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski explore all things seabird, from the urban kittiwakes of Tyneside to the sea cliffs of Shetland.They're joined by Adam Nicolson, the author of The Seabird's Cry. He's determined to recover the reputation of the puffin from the cute star of seaside mugs and tea towels to its rightful place as a brave and powerful navigator of the toughest ocean environments. Mike Dilger, resident nature expert on BBC TV's The One Show, reports from Shetland on the extraordinary colony of storm petrels that breed in the brickwork of Iron Age brochs. The kittiwakes that nest in the heart of Newcastle and Gateshead are the furthest inland colony in the world. Helen Wilson of Durham University discusses her research on the birds and their developing relationship with the people who live and work alongside them.Many of Britain's most dramatic seabird colonies breed on the most isolated islands of the west coast of Scotland. Film-maker and adventure leader Roland Arnison has spent the summer in a kayak, paddling from island to island, recording the sounds of thirty species of seabird. He tells Tom and Helen about his Call of the Loon expedition and his dramatic scrapes with riptides, hypothermia and the most predatory of Scottish seabirds- the great skua.Producer: Alasdair Cross Assistant Producer: Toby Field Researcher: Christina SinclairRare Earth is a BBC Audio Wales and West production in conjunction with the Open University

Tom Heap and Helen Czerski meet the people with fresh ideas to combat rising sea levels, from Enfield to Indonesia. Average sea levels across the world are rising fast. That puts 570 cities with a combined population of 800 million people at significant threat of inundation. Add in the impact of extreme rainfall events and you have a huge slice of our urban planet that needs protection from flooding. Tom and Helen are joined by Professor Richard Dawson of Newcastle University who considers the engineering solutions available, from huge chunks of concrete and steel to the clever use of parks and gardens that can slow down the flow of water into the streets.Emma Howard Boyd, former chair of the Environment Agency, tells them about her London Climate Resilience Review which shines a light on the urgent need to raise the city's embankments and suggests some quirkier options. Could the 160,000 large holes that are dug ever year in London be repurposed as emergency water buffers?Helen visits New Orleans, 19 years after one of the world's most disastrous urban floods, to meet Dana Eness who leads the Front Yard Initiative which helps city residents floodproof their homes with native flower gardens and rainwater butts. And journalist, Peter Hadfield, discusses his visit to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia that's sinking fast. There are ambitious plans for new sea defences linked by artificial Dubai-style luxury islands, but the national government has decided to abandon the city in favour of a new capital over 1000km away. Producer: Alasdair CrossAssistant Producer: Toby Field

Over the centuries, bottom-trawling activities have transformed our coastal seas both ecologically and physically, mostly for the worse. As the habitat has declined, so has the success of fisheries. Is it time we said goodbye to bottom trawling? Or can we manage our coastal seas more effectively to protect nature and provide seafood and jobs?Tom Heap and Helen Czerski discuss the issues with a panel of experts.Producer: Emma CampbellAssistant Producer: Toby Field and Christina SinclairRare Earth is a BBC Audio Wales and West production in conjunction with the Open University

Is the rise in global wild fires unstoppable? Helen Czerski and Tom Heap discuss the terrifying march of the flames and search for fresh answers. They're joined by John Vaillant, author of the award-wining exploration of Canada's Fort McMurray disaster, 'Fire Weather' and by Dr Stacey New from the Met Office.Tom and Helen take a look at the ways in which indigenous knowledge is being applied to fire prevention in California and visit the Blodgett Research Forest where experts study the best ways to make America's threatened forests more resilient.They're also joined by Grant Moir of the Cairngorms National Park to discuss new by-laws banning campfires in the area. Do we need to restrict our freedom in the wilderness to protect it for the future? Producer: Alasdair Cross

Can meat ever be environmentally friendly, or do we need better substitutes? Helen Czerski and Tom Heap discuss the cutting edge technology being developed to reduce the carbon cost of our diet.Producer: Emma CampbellAssistant Producer: Toby FieldRare Earth is a BBC Audio Wales and West production in conjunction with the Open University

The podcast explores what to do with aging oil rigs and their unexpected potential for wildlife. Experts discuss the idea of transforming these decommissioned structures into artificial reefs, fostering marine biodiversity. Listeners hear about innovative recycling methods and the ethical dilemmas tied to environmental stewardship. The conversation balances ecological benefits with economic challenges, emphasizing the duality of human impact on marine ecosystems, and raises thought-provoking questions about the future of these colossal remnants of the fossil fuel age.