Rare Earth BBC Radio 4

What should we do with our old oil rigs? Can the relics of the fossil fuel age be good for wildlife? Helen Czerski and Tom Heap investigate the future for the steel and concrete that's fuelled the modern age.
Helen visits a highly specialist scrapyard on Teeside which dismantles oil rigs bought ashore at the end of their lives. Tom and Helen discuss whether the rules on what happens to old oil and gas installations in the North Sea should be relaxed to allow some to be turned into artificial reefs. They hear from Professor Matt Frost from Plymouth Marine Laboratory and INSITE, an international project investigating the future for undersea structures; Dr Alethea Madgett a marine ecologist who's researching how old rigs can be used in nature restoration; and Ricky Thomson from the industry body Offshore Energies UK.
Producer: Sarah Swadling
Assistant Producers: Christina Sinclair and Toby Field
Rare Earth is a BBC Audio Wales and West production in conjunction with the Open University

With the general election now two weeks away, Helen Czerski and Tom Heap take a look at how the environment is featuring on the political agenda. They are joined by a panel of guests: energy and climate commentator Sepi Golzari-Munro; senior policy editor at the independent climate news website Carbon Brief, Simon Evans; Chief Executive of the Wildlife Trusts, Craig Bennett; and environment correspondent for BBC News, Matt McGrath.
Together they take a look through the manifestos of the main political parties, exploring their policies and pledges when it comes to the environment and wildlife. They ask whether green issues are taking a back seat in this general election compared with previous ones - and if so, why? They examine how the parties are talking about the environment in their campaigning, including the language they're using and how they're positioning environmental concerns in relation to other issues such as healthcare and the cost of living. Do politicians see environmental promises as a vote-winner or a vote-loser? We also hear from the polling organisation YouGov, which has carried out research assessing which issues are most important to voters.
Producer: Sarah Swadling
Rare Earth is a BBC Audio Wales and West production in conjunction with the Open University.

Nature-writing is going through a renaissance. What started largely with TV tie-ins has evolved into a genre encompassing books about climate change, the countryside, walking, and off-grid living. For Radio 4's new landmark environment and nature series, Rare Earth, presenters Tom Heap and Helen Czerski are joined on-stage at the Hay Festival by Mark Cocker, Philippa Forrester and Chris Thorogood to discuss the purpose of nature-writing, why it's important, and how nature-writing can help shape our understanding of the natural world. Produced by Emma Campbell for BBC Audio Wales and West in conjunction with the Open University
Assistant producer: Toby Field

In the first edition of a new series of Rare Earth Tom Heap and Helen Czerski reveal a new phenomenon- 'Greenhushing'. Big corporations that once trumpeted their green credentials are now staying very quiet about the environment. From the left they've been attacked by green zealots eager to expose greenwashing, when their claims don't stand up to scrutiny. Meanwhile from the right any hint of environmental action is condemned as 'woke'. Better, some business advisors believe, to keep quiet about the issue and avoid offending any of their potential customers or falling foul of new regulations.
Tom and Helen discover how hotel towels inspired the coining of the term greenwash, by ecologist Jay Westerveld. Moving on to greenhushing, they're joined by business experts and PR gurus to consider the broader impact of business and industry disengaging from the core issue of our time. Solutionist Solitaire Townsend explains why she thinks some greenhushing is a good thing. Tom and Helen take a deep dive into what might be driving greenhushing with the former CEO of French food giant Danone, and now head of the International Sustainability Standards Board, Emmanuel Faber, international trade and sustainability expert Dr Rebecca Harding, and journalist turned PR advisor Piers Scholfield.
Producer: Sarah Swadling

With river pollution more in the news than ever before, and sewage now a hot topic, Helen Czerski and Tom Heap investigate how we can restore the health of our rivers. They talk to the Rivers Trust, which this week released its latest ‘State of our Rivers’ report, and ask whether water quality has got better or worse since the last survey three years ago.
They delve into the history of our water system – from the creation of the Victorian sewer network after the “Great Stink” of 1858, to the 21st century Thames Tideway Tunnel, London’s super-sewer currently under construction. But have we got our whole water system wrong? Tom and Helen ask whether regarding water as a one-way disposal system has partly created the mess our rivers are in today. They also hear about some waterfleas with remarkable powers to suck pollutants out of water.
Produced by Emma Campbell for BBC Audio Bristol in conjunction with the Open University

The world's oceans have absorbed huge quantities of carbon dioxide, protecting us from the worst effects of climate change, but how much longer can they defend us? Join Helen Czerski in New Orleans at the world's biggest conference of marine science to meet the experts working to keep the ocean working for us.
Tom and Helen's guests from the American Geophysical Union conference include Jeremy Werdell of NASA and Jaime Palter of Rhode Island University.
With special thanks to the team at the AGU and David Mann of Loggerhead Instruments.
Produced by Alasdair Cross for BBC Audio Bristol in conjunction with the Open University