Episodes

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

    Wet winters are damaging farmland - is the solution in the soil?
    Mar 23 2024
    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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    16 mins
  • The group sabotaging SUV tyres to save the planet

    The group sabotaging SUV tyres to save the planet
    Mar 16 2024
    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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    19 mins
  • Britain's crumbling coastlines: Deciding what should and shouldn't be saved

    Britain's crumbling coastlines: Deciding what should and shouldn't be saved
    Mar 9 2024
    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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    24 mins
  • How disused coal mines can be part of a green energy future

    How disused coal mines can be part of a green energy future
    Mar 2 2024
    The North East of England is famous for its history of coal mining – entire livelihoods were built on powering the country on coal before they were closed at the end of the last century.

    But now, the disused coal mines could play a role in powering the future, while doing no harm to the climate.

    On this week’s ClimateCast Tom Heap is in Gateshead where they’re using mining infrastructure to heat up water as an energy supply for the future. He visits Beamish Living Museum to speak to the Coal Mining Authority about the how it works and its future potential as an energy source.

    Plus, he finds out what difference it could make to energy bills.
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    16 mins
  • Introducing… Electoral Dysfunction

    Introducing… Electoral Dysfunction
    Mar 1 2024
    Today, something different – we're bringing you the trailer of an exciting new podcast from Sky called Electoral Dysfunction.

    Beth Rigby. Jess Philips. Ruth Davidson.

    With polls suggesting trust in politicians is low, three political powerhouses unite to unravel the spin and explain what’s really going on in Westminster and beyond.

    Every week, they will examine our political leaders and their policies – how they’re written, and how they’re sold to voters – as we prepare for a general election. 

    With so much at stake, they will work out which politicians are coming out on top and who is having an Electoral Dysfunction – and what it all actually means for you.

    Here's the trailer. For more, follow Electoral Dysfunction now wherever you listen to podcasts.
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    14 mins
  • The town that smells like rotten eggs 

    The town that smells like rotten eggs 
    Feb 24 2024
    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 Carroll
    Editors: Luke Denne and Philly Beaumont
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    15 mins
  • Cows or solar? The lucrative future for farmland

    Cows or solar? The lucrative future for farmland
    Feb 17 2024
    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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    21 mins
  • Can the private jet industry really clean itself up?

    Can the private jet industry really clean itself up?
    Feb 10 2024
    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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    25 mins