ClimateCast with Tom Heap cover image

ClimateCast with Tom Heap

Latest episodes

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Sep 30, 2024 • 2min

Introducing... The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim

Sky News’ Yalda Hakim and NBC’s Richard Engel have covered world events for years. Now, they team up for a new podcast to share their experiences from the frontline.    They debrief from global flashpoints and discuss their encounters with the biggest decision makers. They’ll also be joined by some of those key players to help make sense of world events.  From conflict in the Middle East, to the US election, and the war in Ukraine there is no better place for analysis and expertise.New episodes from Richard and Yalda every Wednesday, starting October 9th.
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Mar 23, 2024 • 16min

Wet winters are damaging farmland - is the solution in the soil?

We've seen a trend over recent decades of wetter winters - and this year was no exception.     This winter was in the top 10 wettest for the UK, with the south of England experiencing its wettest February since records began in 1836. Scientists expect this trend to continue as the climate changes.    Farmers are particularly vulnerable to increased rainfall which either prevents them from sowing or destroys the seeds they have been able to plant.     On this episode of ClimateCast, Tom Heap visits Groove Armada musician Andy Cato at his Wiltshire farm to find out how this winter has been challenging for farmers already on wafer-thin margins and what he thinks the solutions could be. Producer: Alex Edden Editor: Wendy Parker 
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Mar 16, 2024 • 19min

The group sabotaging SUV tyres to save the planet

Sports Utility Vehicles, the big cars blamed for causing huge damage to the planet, now make up two-thirds of all new car sales.  More commonly known as SUVs, many people are choosing them for their increased comfort and a feeling of safety.  They were originally designed for off-roading in the countryside, but now they are often more of a status symbol.   Their larger size and weight mean they're big polluters, so their growing number is undoing years of progress towards cleaner air.  On this week's ClimateCast, Tom Heap speaks to the Tyre Extinguishers, climate activists who are notorious in cities around the world for deflating the tyres of SUVs to protest against their pollution.  Plus, hear from AutoTrader's Erin Baker about why so many of us want these bigger cars. Producers: Alex Edden and Gemma Watson Assistant producer: Iona Brunker Editors: Wendy Parker  
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Mar 9, 2024 • 24min

Britain's crumbling coastlines: Deciding what should and shouldn't be saved

Climate change has led to storms becoming more extreme and rising sea levels, threatening the future of coastal communities around the UK. The British Geological Survey suggests up to 1.35 million homes could be at risk by the end of the century without further sea defences. On this week's ClimateCast with Tom Heap, the team are on the Isle of Wight and in north Norfolk hearing from people who are losing their homes to the sea and from others fighting to protect their properties. Tom also speaks to those who make the decisions on what should and shouldn't be saved from the sea. Senior podcast producer: Annie Joyce Location producer: Gemma Watson Assistant Producer: Evan Dale Promotion producer: Jonathan Day Editor: Wendy Parker
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Mar 2, 2024 • 16min

How disused coal mines can be part of a green energy future

Explore how abandoned coal mines in the North East of England are being transformed into green energy sources, providing warmth for communities and potentially reducing energy bills. Learn about the innovative use of geothermal heat from disused mines and the economic benefits of repurposing them for sustainable energy generation.
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Mar 1, 2024 • 14min

Introducing… Electoral Dysfunction

Prominent political figures discuss global general elections, trust in government, transparency in public discourse, potential changes in political direction, and personal anecdotes about a politician.
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Feb 24, 2024 • 15min

The town that smells like rotten eggs 

Hydrogen sulphide is the smell that comes from a rotten egg. Imagine that seeping out from a mound of rubbish the size of a small hill.You don't have to imagine it if you go to the Staffordshire town of Silverdale, population 5,700. It's an ever-present threat and a frequent reality. On this week's ClimateCast, Tom Heap visits Silverdale to speak to residents campaigning to shut down a landfill that's been haunting them for years.He talks to protesters in the village, as well as the local doctors' surgery to ask health professionals if they believe the landfill is a risk to health - which operators deny.Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse and Mickey CarrollEditors: Luke Denne and Philly Beaumont
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Feb 17, 2024 • 21min

Cows or solar? The lucrative future for farmland

Solar farms in the UK only account for 0.1% of land – that's less than that of golf courses. But, as the government aims to meet its clean energy targets, more agricultural land is being lost to solar panels. On this episode of ClimateCast, Tom Heap visits farmer Andrew Dakin, whose family have farmed the same land for 94 years, but now, his landlord is selling up to make room for a solar farm. Tom speaks to Andrew about how not just his job, but his livelihood is at risk - and Georgia, who grew up nearby and has launched a community campaign to help save the farm. Plus, Chris Hewitt – Solar Energy UK’s Chief Executive – explains how solar farms are a necessary part of the energy transition and how agriculture will be at risk of climate change without urgent action, including more solar energy. Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse and Gemma Watson Assistant Producer: Iona Brunker Editor: Paul Stanworth
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Feb 10, 2024 • 25min

Can the private jet industry really clean itself up?

Multi-millionaire musician Taylor Swift had two private jets - until she sold one of them just a week before her lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to the creator of social media accounts that log take-offs and landings of planes and helicopters owned by public figures. So, on this episode of ClimateCast, Tom Heap visits a private jet investors conference in London to find out just how climate un-friendly these jets are, and what the industry says it's going to do about it. Tom speaks to industry leaders, including Steve Varsano is the founder of The Jet Business, which has a street front corporate aircraft showroom and almost two million TikTok followers. Plus, Todd Smith, a former airline pilot, now climate activist and Extinction Rebellion spokesperson, shares his experience of trying to make the industry more sustainable. Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse and Luke Denne
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Feb 3, 2024 • 22min

Could a scotch egg help solve climate change? 

On this episode of ClimateCast, Tom Heap visits the home of afternoon tea, Fortnum and Mason, but there's something different about the menu. Its scotch egg is made from cultivated meat – that's meat grown in a lab. He speaks to the scientists behind the product to find out how it was made and explores if this could be a solution to our polluting meat and dairy industry - which accounts for 14% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Cultivated meat is technically not yet legal in the UK - but as pressure mounts to change our diet - could this be the future? And where does that leave farmers?Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse and Gemma Watson Editor: Wendy Parker

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