As series 1 of Imagining Tomorrow draws to a close, presenter Emma Newman reflects on the battle against despair and what the podcast has revealed about the entrepreneurs, scientists, innovators and communities she's interviewed. Emma explores the key lessons they've imparted, and whether they're enough to tackle the climate.Resources:Research on new onshore wind and solar sites: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/mapping-england-could-produce-13-times-more-clean-energyhttps://www.oxfam.org...
Sep 5, 2024
30 min
Seaweed has long been touted as an important resource in the battle against climate change, thanks to its rapid growth and ability to absorb carbon dioxide. Inspired by conversations with a community garden group in Scotland and the founder of a company producing sustainable materials from seaweed, Emma Newman imagines a world in which new materials replace plastics and fossil fuels are replaced by different types of biomass, including seaweed. In episode 9 we heard from: Prof...
Aug 9, 2024
50 min
Recent council decisions to cut down trees in Sheffield and Plymouth have prompted outcry from local residents and demonstrated how passionate we can be about preserving trees in urban environments. Research carried out on behalf of Friends of the Earth shows the dramatic impact trees have on bringing down temperatures in urban areas, and calls to increase our woeful tree cover in the UK are gathering momentum. Inspired by conversations with the CEO of one of the most ambitious rewilding...
Jul 10, 2024
54 min
The decline in pollinator numbers is a frightening trend that needs to be reversed as soon as possible. If you live in a city, is there anything you can do? And if you're a farmer, how can you tell if the changes you're making to increase numbers of pollinators that food production depends upon are actually working?Inspired by conversations with an ecologist who has an ambitious plan for pollinators in London, the founder of a UK start-up using smart listening devices and AI to monitor pollin...
Jun 10, 2024
55 min
In recent years, young people have been at the forefront of campaigning on climate change. How does it feel to spearhead a campaign? How is it possible to campaign with busy lives and academic pressures? What keeps you going in these times of hostile politics, an adversarial press and toxic social media? Emma Newman talks to a young activist who has spearheaded an amazing campaign for clean air in London and a youth campaigning mentor from Friends of the Earth.In episode 5 we heard from:Desti...
May 20, 2024
47 min
One day, a man in Salford Quays awoke to find a duck nesting on his balcony, 150 ft above the water. Once born, her ducklings had to be lowered down in a bucket. With over 20 acres of water at her disposal, why did that mother duck decide to nest there? And why did thousands of fish in the same location die overnight?Inspired by talking to the duckling rescuer, the inventor of cutting-edge water monitoring equipment, and an award-winning science fiction author, Emma Newman imagines a future w...
Apr 5, 2024
44 min
When the average person can’t control how the funds in their own bank accounts or pensions are used by institutions, is there any way to stop terrible things being done with our money?Inspired by conversations with the leader of a grassroots movement empowering women to take control of their finances, a community farm in Wales raising funds to keep the farm in the service of the local people it feeds, and an award-winning science fiction writer, Emma Newman imagines a world in which fossil fu...
Mar 5, 2024
1 hr 1 min
Across the UK there are thousands of faith buildings playing important roles in their communities. Churches, mosques, gurdwaras, all host gatherings for worship and for community activities such as playgroups, choirs, support groups and many more. Recently, many have been serving as warm banks, providing a space for people struggling to heat their homes in the energy crisis. How can these buildings, often huge and sometimes hundreds of years old, afford to provide these critical spaces in tim...
Feb 6, 2024
52 min
Over the past couple of years, extreme weather events, the energy crisis and Brexit have put a visible strain on the UK’s food supply chain and increased prices for the consumer.What if we increased the amount of food that we grow in cities, and thus increased biodiversity and reduced food miles?Inspired by talking to a community gardens group in Reading, a horticultural engineer who has co-founded a vertical farm in London and an award-winning author and screenwriter, Emma Newman imagines a ...
Jan 5, 2024
54 min
Most homes in the UK are still heated by burning fossil fuels. Struggling households are faced with unnecessarily high bills and cold winters, or bearing the financial burden of replacing old-fashioned central heating.So is there a better way to heat and cool our buildings, accelerate decarbonisation and reduce fuel poverty?Inspired by talking to a Welsh community, a scientist and award-winning author Anne Charnock, Emma Newman imagines a future in which ex-industrial towns can be regenerated...
Nov 20, 2023
50 min
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