Rare Earth Podcast
Environmental journalist Tom Heap and physicist Helen Czerski tackle major stories about our environment and wildlife, celebrate the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderful.
Episodes to download
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City Transport: Faster, Cheaper, Greener
Fri 12 Dec 2025
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski examine how we get around our towns and cities.
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The Evolution of Evolution
Fri 28 Nov 2025
What would Darwin and the other great naturalists think of our world today?
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Fashioning the Future
Fri 21 Nov 2025
Can we rethink how we dress to be less impactful on the planet?
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COP30: A New Hope?
Fri 14 Nov 2025
World leaders are gathering in Brazil, but can they prevent runaway climate change?
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Trains on Trial
Fri 26 Sep 2025
Is train travel part of a green future, not just our industrial past?
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Great Migrations
Fri 19 Sep 2025
New technology gives fresh insights into the great animal migrations
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The Risk Takers
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Can the insurance industry save the planet? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski report.
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After the Bomb
Fri 4 Jul 2025
Eighty years since Hiroshima, how has our relationship with atomic power changed?
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A Whale's Life
Fri 27 Jun 2025
Whales have been protected from hunting for 40 years. Have they recovered from us?
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Metals and Minerals
Fri 20 Jun 2025
Where can we get the materials we need for the transition to a green economy?
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Powering Our Robot Overlords
Fri 13 Jun 2025
The energy used by a simple internet search is increasing. Can we cut the cost?
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Are insects the answer?
Fri 30 May 2025
Helen Czerski and Tom Heap discuss the environmental importance of insects.
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Set in Concrete
Fri 11 Apr 2025
Our civilisation is based on concrete. Can we build in a cleaner way?
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Paradise on the Edge
Fri 4 Apr 2025
Travel to the beautiful islands of the Pacific - the front line of climate change.
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How to Clean Up the Shipping Industry
Fri 28 Mar 2025
The shipping industry is a big polluter. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski search for solutions.
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Forever Chemicals
Fri 21 Mar 2025
The health impact of PFAS chemicals used in everything from frying pans to coats.
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The Hole That Changed the World
Fri 14 Mar 2025
40 years ago a hole was discovered in the ozone layer. It caused an international crisis.
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Arctic Goldrush
Fri 28 Feb 2025
President Trump wants a slice of the Arctic. What does it mean for the region's wildlife?
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Good Clean Fun
Fri 13 Dec 2024
How to cut the carbon from live music and sport and film and TV production.
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Amazon Future
Fri 6 Dec 2024
Drought and fire are devastating the Amazon rainforest. What can be done to save it?
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The Final Frontier
Fri 29 Nov 2024
Is space colonisation the last hope for mankind or a dangerous distraction?
Explore what we can do to help our rare Earth with The Open University.
Watch, play, and discover a wide range of bonus content.
