All Episodes - Emissions: Impossible?
UK Research and Innovation brings you hope for the planet in the form of a nine-part podcast.Hosted by broadcast journalist Kim McAllister and featuring experts from across the UK, ‘Emissions: Impossible?’ showcases some of the most ground-breaking research and innovation in climate change. We look at fashion, food, transport, health, space, and more.From eating grasshoppers to turning rubbish into fashion, Kim asks “what can we each do to help get to net zero?”
View Podcast Details10 Episodes
Christmas Special: All the tips you need for a greener lifestyle
Kim McAllister is rejoined by the EPSRC's Claire Spooner to look back over the episodes from the series and gather all the tips in one place. Claire also shares her experience of presenting at COP26.How to make sustainable fashion choices, with tips from Dr Mark Sumner, Lecturer in Sustainable Fashion at the School of Design, University of Leeds(listen to episode 2: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1852092/9205895)The food system and its consequences for global emissions, with comment from Riaz Bhunnoo from the Global Food Security Programme.(listen to episode 3: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1852092/9248212 )Saving the earth from space and how you can get involved, thanks to Dr Caroline Cox from STFC's RAL Space. Try it for yourself: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/caroline-cox/cloudcatcher(listen to episode 4: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1852092/9305817)Considerations for a greener economy - Leeds University research fellow Andrew Sudmant explains how jobs will evolve.(listen to episode 5: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1852092/9342859 )Health and our environment, including pollution, with information shared by Dr Ben Barratt from Imperial College London.(listen to episode 9: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1852092/9342859 )Home energy use and reducing the resources we consume, with advice from UKRI's Mareike Schmidt.(listen to episode 8: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1852092/9463752 )Transport and the impact of delivering our goods to us; Professor Alice Larkin | The University of Manchester is working on alternatives.(listen to episode 1: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1852092/9178010)Not to mention the incredible technology involved in carbon storage and getting CO2 safely back into the ground.(listen to episode 6: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1852092/9373329)UK Research and Innovation brings you hope for the planet in the form of this bonus episode for a nine-part podcast.Hosted by Broadcast Journalist Kim McAllister and featuring experts from across the UK, ‘Emissions: Impossible?’ showcases some of the most ground-breaking research and innovation in climate change. We look at fashion, food, transport, health, space, and more.You can read more about UKRI’s climate-related research here. Or follow them on Instagram or YouTube .
Human health and climate change
Rising temperatures and air pollution have huge implications on human health.In the final episode of Emissions: Impossible we explore the work of the Medical Research Council (MRC) both at home and abroad.Dr Ben Barratt from Imperial College London co hosts with Kim McAllister as they discuss the effects of climate change on our health.Dam Khan from the MRC's Unit in the Gambia discusses the effect of burning biomass on the health of people living in rural communities.Dr Ana Bonell is a medical doctor studying the effect of heat on pregnant women working as subsistence farmers in the Gambia.Kate Langford, programme director at Urban Health, is managing projects to look at the effects of air pollution and inequalities in the system.UK Research and Innovation brings you hope for the planet in the form of this nine-part podcast.Hosted by Broadcast Journalist Kim McAllister and featuring experts from across the UK, ‘Emissions: Impossible?’ showcases some of the most ground-breaking research and innovation in climate change. We look at fashion, food, transport, health, space, and more.You can read more about UKRI’s climate-related research here. Or follow them on Instagram or YouTube .
Heating and eating in your home, the greener way
Cutting the energy we use to heat our homes and cook in them is key to reducing the UK's carbon emissions.In this episode hosts Kim McAllister and Mareike Schmidt discuss the new technology projects making a huge difference.Lee Chambers from Active Building Centre, funded by the ISCF Transforming Construction, explains how building a net zero housing development can cost the exact same as a traditional one.Barbara Hammond introduces us to Project LEO, funded by the ISCF Prospering from the Energy Revolution, which aims to unite all of Oxfordshire in its energy efficiency.Finally Harry Keeling from Rolls-Royce discusses the potential to heat entire cities using what is effectively waste heat from nuclear reactors.UK Research and Innovation brings you hope for the planet in the form of this nine-part podcast.Hosted by Broadcast Journalist Kim McAllister and featuring experts from across the UK, ‘Emissions: Impossible?’ showcases some of the most ground-breaking research and innovation in climate change. We look at fashion, food, transport, health, space, and more.You can read more about UKRI’s climate-related research here. Or follow them on Instagram or YouTube .
The future of planes, trains and automobiles
The UK's transport emissions aren't going down fast enough - so here's what we're doing about it.Broadcaster Kim McAllister and Innovate UK's David Leipziger take a hydrogen-powered journey to find out how cars, planes and trains are going to look in the future. Paul Hilton and Jenny Kavanagh from Cranfield Aerospace (www.cranfieldaerospace.com) explain how they're changing 9-seater airplanes to electric engines powered by hydrogen fuel cells - and it's all starting in Scotland.Will Nock from Bramble Energy (www.brambleenergy.com) is building recyclable fuel cells to improve the battery range on cars and they could be commercially available soon.Alice Gillman from Vivarail discusses the alternative to electrification on train tracks and the possibility for joined up journeys.UK Research and Innovation brings you hope for the planet in the form of this nine-part podcast.Hosted by Broadcast Journalist Kim McAllister and featuring experts from across the UK, ‘Emissions: Impossible?’ showcases some of the most ground-breaking research and innovation in climate change. We look at fashion, food, transport, health, space, and more.You can read more about UKRI’s climate-related research here. Or follow them on Instagram or YouTube .
How can we get CO2 safely back into the ground?
In this episode we're trying to clean up the atmosphere with Carbon Capture and Storage - CCS.Executive Chief Scientist at the National Environment Research Council's British Geological Survey, Mike Stephenson, explains that CCS is how we capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, turn it into liquid and pump it back into deep layers of porous rocks.Professor Jon Gibbins, from the University of Sheffield, explains how this works in practice and the successful pilots which have proved its viability.Lawyer and lecturer Navraj Singh Ghaleigh, from the University of Edinburgh, then discusses how the market for carbon capture and storage might work - and how well placed the UK is to lead the way.UK Research and Innovation brings you hope for the planet in the form of this nine-part podcast.Hosted by Broadcast Journalist Kim McAllister and featuring experts from across the UK, ‘Emissions: Impossible?’ showcases some of the most ground-breaking research and innovation in climate change. We look at fashion, food, transport, health, space, and more.You can read more about UKRI’s climate-related research here. Or follow them on Instagram or YouTube .
What does a Net Zero economy really look like?
UK Research and Innovation brings you hope for the planet in the form of a nine-part podcast.Hosted by Broadcast Journalist Kim McAllister and featuring experts from across the UK, ‘Emissions: Impossible?’ showcases some of the most ground-breaking research and innovation in climate change. We look at fashion, food, transport, health, space, and more.In this episode we have the opportunity to rip it all up and start again, asking 'what does a net zero economy really look like?'Kim is joined by ecological economist Professor Tim Jackson to discuss whether an economy can be as much about health as it is about wealth.Dr Anna Valero , ESRC innovation fellow at London School of Economics reveals where the UK's strengths lie, while Leeds University research fellow Andrew Sudmant provides some clues as to how our workforce can change.This episode features work from the Economic and Social Research Council - you can find more information on CUSP here, the CCEP here, the Economics Observatory here and the Place Based Climate Action Network here.Read the UKRI's articles on responding to climate change here and here and here.Find out more about the Festival of Science and COP26. You can read more about UKRI’s climate-related research here. Or follow them on Instagram or YouTube .
Saving the earth from space
UK Research and Innovation brings you hope for the planet in the form of a nine-part podcast.Hosted by Broadcast Journalist Kim McAllister and featuring experts from across the UK, ‘Emissions: Impossible?’ showcases some of the most ground-breaking research and innovation in climate change. We look at fashion, food, transport, health, space, and more.In this episode we shoot for the stars in asking 'how can we save earth from space?'Space scientist Hugh Mortimer joins Kim to discuss how satellites are monitoring the earth and giving us data about forests, sea temperatures and lots of other markers of climate change.Dr Murray Collins and Professor Ed Mitchard from Space Intelligence explain how their research is informing governments across the world and helping to save the rainforest.Dr Caroline Cox invites us to spot clouds in satellite images in her Cloud Catcher project, which will help her team take more accurate measurements from space.Find more about Dr Hugh Mortimer’s work here Read THIS article to find out other ways space is helping us combat climate change.You can read more about UKRI’s climate-related research here. Or follow them on Instagram or YouTube .
Would you eat grasshoppers and lab grown steaks?
UK Research and Innovation brings you hope for the planet in the form of a nine-part podcast.Hosted by Broadcast Journalist Kim McAllister and featuring experts from across the UK, ‘Emissions: Impossible?’ showcases some of the most ground-breaking research and innovation in climate change. We look at fashion, food, transport, health, space, and more.From eating grasshoppers to turning rubbish into fashion, Kim asks “what can we each do to help get to net zero?”In episode 3 Kim is joined by Maia Elliott and Riaz Bhunnoo from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to discuss our food system and its impact on the planet.They chat about the benefits of eating insects with Pete Bickerton, who has a PhD in Plant Sciences and works as a science communications manager for the Earlham Institute.We also learn more about cultivated meat from Petra Hanga, who’s working on growing stem cells into muscle and fat cells to create steaks and other meat products for human consumption. Petra is a lecturer in biochemical engineering at University College London.You can read more about UKRI’s climate-related research here. Or follow them on Instagram or YouTube .
Fast fashion, organic cotton and sustainable shopping
UK Research and Innovation brings you hope for the planet in the form of a nine-part podcast.Hosted by Broadcast Journalist Kim McAllister and featuring experts from across the UK, ‘Emissions: Impossible?’ showcases some of the most ground-breaking research and innovation in climate change. We look at fashion, food, transport, health, space, and more.From eating grasshoppers to turning rubbish into fashion, Kim asks “what can we each do to help get to net zero?”In episode 2 Kim is joined by Dr Mark Sumner, Lecturer in Sustainable Fashion at the School of Design, University of Leeds to talk about our fashion choices and how the supply chain is changing.They are joined by Nikki Matthews, R&D Programme Manager at BFTT who discusses the programme, backed by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. A recent report they commissioned shows the strong desire for fashion and textiles businesses to make more sustainable choices in their business models. Find our more about their R&D programme hereKresse Wesling, of Elvis and Kresse, explains how she is redefining waste by making bags and accessories from decommissioned fire hoses, as well as other unwanted products.Find out more about the fashion brands you purchase and their sustainability policies by searching for initiatives like Textiles 2030, the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, the Ethical Fashion Initiative and the Centre for Sustainable Fashion.You can read more about UKRI’s climate-related research here. Or follow them on Instagram or YouTube .From catwalk to landfill - read our article here to learn more about waste in the fashion industry.
How to cut shipping emissions before they hit 10%
UK Research and Innovation brings you hope for the planet in the form of a nine-part podcast.Hosted by Broadcast Journalist Kim McAllister and featuring experts from across the UK, ‘Emissions: Impossible?’ showcases some of the most ground-breaking research and innovation in climate change. We look at fashion, food, transport, health, space, and more.From eating grasshoppers to turning rubbish into fashion, Kim asks “what can we each do to help get to net zero?” In episode one Kim is joined by Claire Spooner from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to talk about our reliance on shipping, how it impacts climate change and what can be done to reduce its effect.Claire’s portfolio includes the research domain on the decarbonisation of transport – including sustainable fuels for planes, electric vehicle battery development and other energy efficient modes of transport.Dr Tristan Smith is the Principal Investigator for the Decarbonising the UK's Freight Transport - Decarbonising UK Freight Transport (decarbonisingfreight.co.uk). He is also a general expert on freight.Professor Alice Larkin | The University of Manchester is a Professor of Climate Science and Energy Policy and was funded by EPSRC on The High Seas Project: Assessing the technical and operational scope for rapid carbon emission reduction from global shipping (ukri.org)You can read more about UKRI’s climate-related research here. Or follow them on Instagram or YouTube .