Rare Earth

Tom Heap and Helen Czerski tackle major stories about our environment and wildlife, celebrate the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderful.

Radio 4,62 episodes

Episodes

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Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog
40% of amphibian species are threatened with extinction. How can we save them?
05 Jun 2026,52 mins
Leaving Fossil Fuels Behind
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski ask whether war is accelerating the shift from fossil fuels
29 May 2026,52 mins
World of Flowers
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski discover how flowers changed our planet.
22 May 2026,52 mins,
The Joy of Soil
Beneath your feet is a world wide web that keeps us all alive. Dig the joy of soil.
03 Apr 2026,52 mins
Hot Sport
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup we ask how to cut the environmental cost of sport.
27 Mar 2026,53 mins
America and the Planet
How will the second Trump presidency really impact the future of our environment?
20 Mar 2026,52 mins
Lakes, Lochs and Loughs
Plunge into the chilly, much-disputed waters of the lakes of the British Isles.
13 Mar 2026,53 mins
Should we still have zoos?
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski ask what the role of zoos is in the 21st century.
06 Mar 2026,53 mins
Ocean Explorers
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski explore how robots and DNA are expanding our oceanic knowledge.
27 Feb 2026,53 mins
Love of a Cold Climate
What will warmer winters mean for the natural world?
19 Dec 2025,52 mins
City Transport: Faster, Cheaper, Greener
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski examine how we get around our towns and cities.
12 Dec 2025,52 mins
Hiding in Plain Sight
A celebration of city wildlife from across the world.
05 Dec 2025,53 mins
The Evolution of Evolution
What would Darwin and the other great naturalists think of our world today?
28 Nov 2025,52 mins
Fashioning the Future
Can we rethink how we dress to be less impactful on the planet?
21 Nov 2025,52 mins
COP30: A New Hope?
World leaders are gathering in Brazil, but can they prevent runaway climate change?
14 Nov 2025,52 mins
Trains on Trial
Is train travel part of a green future, not just our industrial past?
26 Sep 2025,53 mins
Great Migrations
New technology gives fresh insights into the great animal migrations
19 Sep 2025,53 mins
World of Steel
Steel is the skeleton of the modern world, but can it ever be green?
12 Sep 2025,52 mins
Engineering the Planet
Can we design and build our way out of climate change?
05 Sep 2025,52 mins
Creatures of the Night
A celebration of the wildlife that works while we sleep
29 Aug 2025,53 mins
The Risk Takers
Can the insurance industry save the planet? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski report.
22 Aug 2025,52 mins
After the Bomb
Eighty years since Hiroshima, how has our relationship with atomic power changed?
04 Jul 2025,53 mins
A Whale's Life
Whales have been protected from hunting for 40 years. Have they recovered from us?
27 Jun 2025,53 mins
Metals and Minerals
Where can we get the materials we need for the transition to a green economy?
20 Jun 2025,53 mins
Powering Our Robot Overlords
The energy used by a simple internet search is increasing. Can we cut the cost?
13 Jun 2025,52 mins
Is Net Zero a toxic brand?
Can the UK ditch its carbon emissions by 2050?
06 Jun 2025,53 mins
Are insects the answer?
Helen Czerski and Tom Heap discuss the environmental importance of insects.
30 May 2025,53 mins
Set in Concrete
Our civilisation is based on concrete. Can we build in a cleaner way?
11 Apr 2025,53 mins
Paradise on the Edge
Travel to the beautiful islands of the Pacific - the front line of climate change.
04 Apr 2025,53 mins
How to Clean Up the Shipping Industry
The shipping industry is a big polluter. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski search for solutions.
28 Mar 2025,53 mins