Alle afleveringen van People Fixing The World – pagina 5 van 11

Dads on duty

27 september 2022 · 24 min

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When 23 pupils were arrested after a series of fights at a school in the US city of Shreveport, a small band of parents decided to help the beleaguered teaching staff regain control. Lees meer

Step forward the ‘Dads on Duty’. They are a group volunteer fathers who patrol the corridors and playgrounds with a friendly smile and a few dad jokes. Their presence gives the kids some positive male role models and demonstrates an alternative to gang culture.

Plus, we take another look at a scheme that tackles bullying by bringing a baby into the classroom. Roots of Empathy believe that caring for a baby will reduce aggression amongst young children and help them to become better citizens.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/Reporter: Ben Wyatt
Producer: Richard Kenny
Picture: Dads on Duty

The food waste warriors

20 september 2022 · 24 min

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At least a third of food grown around the world fails to be eaten, with the resulting food waste causing 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. Lees meer

However, there are pioneers trying to tackle different issues along the chain.

We visit a project linking farmers direct to customers in Puerto Rico, check out smart labels that extend the shelf life of food by revealing when food actually goes off, and revisit an app where millions of people share spare food for free.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/Producer: Jo Mathys
Reporter/Producer: Claire Bates
Producer in Puerto Rico: Adriana De Jesus
Producer: Richard Kenny
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound mix: Hal Haines
Editor: Penny Murphy

Image: Crystal Díaz

How to get people eating less meat

13 september 2022 · 24 min

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Farming animals for meat has a massive environmental impact, both in terms of land use and carbon emissions. But in order for people to eat less meat, they need to be excited about the alternatives. Lees meer

Around the world, people are coming up with ingenious meat replacements that look, taste and smell more like the real thing than ever. In Switzerland, we visit the perfume company that’s now turned its hand to perfecting the flavour in veggie burgers. And in Nigeria we meet the entrepreneur who has devised an alternative to beef and chicken that he hopes will appeal to West African tastes. Plus, we speak to the start-up in Israel that’s making kosher veggie ‘meat’ using a 3D printer.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/Producer: Craig Langran
Producer: Lucy Burns
Picture: Vegan burger (Getty Images)

Robots on the beat

6 september 2022 · 24 min

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Police forces in the US are turning to futuristic technology to tackle a rise in violent crime and murder across the country. Lees meer

In one area of California, they are even using robots to patrol the streets. There, the police are claiming it's led to a reduction in crime and an increase in arrests. In New York they even experimented with a robot police dog, but with mixed results.

This and other cutting-edge technologies are helping the police – and the public - stay one step ahead, but they are often controversial.

In this programme we look at the some of the best ways that technology can make the streets safer.

Presented and produced by Ben Wyatt

Image: The Robocop K5

Repeat - first published 5 October 2021

Hands-Off Health Tech

30 augustus 2022 · 24 min

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We look at two new pieces of health technology which allow medics to treat people without touching them.
Breast cancer fatality rates in India are higher than in other countries because women are often reluctant to go for screening. A start up called Niramai wants to change this. They use thermal imaging and machine learning to screen for breast cancer without patients having to be seen or touched by a doctor.
Plus, we hear about a new company using augmented reality to connect surgeons in operating theatres around the world. Proximie allows medical professionals to help or observe surgery in progress from anywhere on their computer or tablet. It’s already been deployed in 500 hospitals. Lees meer

Presenter: Jo Mathys
Reporters: Chhavi Sachdev and Lucy Burns
Produced by Lucy Burns for the BBC World Service.
Picture: Remote operation (credit: Proximie)

What 3D printing can fix

23 augustus 2022 · 24 min

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The ability to print objects in three dimensions has been heralded as the solutions to many problems. We check out some of the latest innovations. In Jordan we hear from the doctors who are printing prosthetic arms for people injured in conflict. In the UK we meet the man fitted with the world's first 3D printed eye. And we find out how an Egyptian inventor is using 3D printing to help blind children in the classroom. Lees meer

Presenter: Jo Mathys
Producer/reporter: Claire Bates
Additional reporting: Toka Omar and Suzanna Goussous

(Picture: A 3D printer prints a sphere. Getty Images)

What 3D printing can fix

23 augustus 2022 · 24 min

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The ability to print objects in three dimensions has been heralded as the solutions to many problems. We check out some of the latest innovations. In Jordan we hear from the doctors who are printing prosthetic arms for people injured in conflict. In the UK we meet the man fitted with the world's first 3D printed eye. And we find out how an Egyptian inventor is using 3D printing to help blind children in the classroom.
Presenter: Jo Mathys Producer/reporter: Claire Bates Additional reporting: Toka Omar and Suzanna Goussous
(Picture: A 3D printer prints a sphere. Getty Images) Lees meer

Fighting fashion waste

16 augustus 2022 · 25 min

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Our desire for new clothes creates a lot of waste and much of it ends up in landfill. But a lot of that discarded material can be turned into something useful. We hear from the people in Ghana who are taking old clothes that are sent from Europe, and turning them into pillows, doormats and mops. In Italy, we visit the company making affordable clothes out of fabric that luxury fashion brands don't want. And we meet the Chilean entrepreneur who's turning clothes that are dumped in the desert into insulation for houses. Lees meer

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/Reporter: Craig Langran for the BBC World Service.
Photo: Kantamanto Market, Accra (Yayra David Agbofah/The Revival)

How to fix democracy

9 augustus 2022 · 24 min

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Politics in the age of social media can often be angry and divisive. And many people feel their voices aren’t being heard by those in power. But Polis is an online platform that’s trying to make democracy work better. It helps people to reach a consensus even on very polarising issues. We visit Taiwan where it’s been used to draft more than 20 laws and regulations. And in the UK, we see how Polis is helping to sort out difficult local issues. Lees meer

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Carl Miller
Produced by Shiroma Silva and Richard Kenny for the BBC World Service.
Picture: Getty Images

Getting refugees out of tents

2 augustus 2022 · 30 min

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More than 100 million people have been forcibly displaced from their home around the world – fleeing conflict, natural disasters or persecution. Millions end up in refugee camps, living in tents. Lees meer

Around the world, designers and architects are trying to improve the lives of these displaced people, by improving the temporary homes they’re living in.

From prefabricated shelters made using Swedish flat-pack design methods, to the homes made from scratch using local knowledge and materials, we meet the people trying to replace tents with homes that have a little more dignity.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/Producer: Farhana Haider
Producer: William Kremmer
Syria Producer: Ali Haj Suleiman
Production Co-ordinator: Ibtisam Zein
Sound mix: Hal Haines
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Penny Murphy

Photo credit Ali Haj Suleiman

Description Kafirjalas IDP camp Idlib, Syria

Using finance to fight homelessness

26 juli 2022 · 24 min

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Bank accounts and clever investment schemes are being used to help improve the lives of homeless people. Lees meer

In the UK, a number of banks have started offering accounts to homeless people - which until recently were only available to people with a fixed address.

Having a bank account can be a crucial turning point, and we meet a disabled homeless person in one of Britain's biggest cities, who's now able to receive welfare payments as a result.

We also hear from the city of Denver, Colorado, in the United States, where investors were invited to finance a scheme to house people classed as ‘chronically’ homeless.

If the scheme succeeded in saving money for the City council by keeping those people out of Emergency Rooms and police cells, the investors would get their money back - if the initiative failed, they'd lose their cash. Find out what happened on People Fixing the World.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Daniel Gordon
Production Co-ordinator: Ibtisam Zein
Sound mix: Hal Haines
Editor: Penny Murphy

Image: Hands holding a house (Getty Images)

Saving kids with cancer

19 juli 2022 · 24 min

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If your child develops cancer and you live in a wealthy country there’s a really good chance they will survive - more than 80%. If you live elsewhere, the chances are much lower - less than 30%. Lees meer

Over a decade ago, Dr Mae Dolendo set up a centre in the Philippines to treat children with cancer. Since then she’s saved the lives of hundreds of children who’ve received treatment for free. Now others are replicating her trailblazing hospital.

We head to the Philippines to meet Dr Dolendo and see how she’s linking up with St Jude’s paediatric cancer team in the US — one of the best of its kind in the world. Doctors from the team provide expertise remotely, enabling Dr Dolendo to save lives for a fraction of what it would normally cost.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Micaela Papa
Producer: Jo Mathys
Production Co-ordinator: Ibtisam Zein
Sound mix: Hal Haines
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Penny Murphy

Image: Dr Mae Dolendo

The power of group therapy

12 juli 2022 · 28 min

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Therapy has been helping Boko Haram survivors and street youth in Liberia turn their lives around. Lees meer

In northern Nigeria, a programme called Counselling on Wheels is offering mobile mental health services in remote and dangerous areas.

They’ve been giving Boko Haram survivors and others affected by conflict a safe space to talk about the horrific violence and trauma they have been exposed to.

In Liberia, a project called Sustainable Transformation of Youth in Liberia has been using cognitive behavioural therapy and a cash reward to turn young men away from crime. A new study has shown the scheme is working.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/reporter: Lucy Burns
Liberia producer: Massa Kanneh
Production Co-ordinator: Ibtisam Zein
Sound mix: Hal Haines
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Penny Murphy

Image: Counselling on Wheels (Credit: Neem Foundation)

Keeping medicines cool

5 juli 2022 · 24 min

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How enzymes and earthen pots could help keep medicines safe. Lees meer

Access to life-saving medicines often relies on a complex system known as the cold-chain – the refrigerated lorries, store rooms and fridges, which keeps them at the right temperature from the factory to the patient.

However, a traditional cold chain runs on electricity- meaning that it’s often difficult to keep medicines and vaccines cold for long enough to reach the remote places and look after them when the electricity supply is intermittent.

The food we eat also relies on the cold chain to keep it cool from the farm until it reaches our plates.

We meet some of the inventors and entrepreneurs working on cooling solutions, from using enzymes from a special bacteria that make water freeze at a higher temperature, to the earthen pots keeping insulin cool in India.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/Reporter: Craig Langran
Reporters: Mayank Prakash Bhagwat, Daniel Ominde
Production Co-ordinator: Ibtisam Zein
Sound mix: Andy Mills
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Richard Vadon

Image: Alkesh and his insulin (Credit: Mangesh Sonawane, BBC)

The future of wind power

28 juni 2022 · 24 min

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Could floating wind turbines and kites that generate electricity help fight climate change? Lees meer

There are lots of innovative new ways people are harnessing the power of the wind.

We visit a floating wind farm off the coast of Scotland, check out wind turbines on street lamps and see how much power giant kites can generate.

Along the way we investigate the massive potential of wind energy and assess the challenges involved in catching the breeze.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Claire Bates
Reporter: Craig Langran
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Production Coordinator: Ibtisam Zein
Sound mix: Hal Haines
Editor: Penny Murphy

Image: Illustration of a wind turbine on a cloud (Getty Images)

Getting kids out of institutions

21 juni 2022 · 24 min

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More than five million children live in orphanages or other institutions - the vast majority in low or middle income countries. Lees meer

Staff are often overstretched, poorly paid and don’t last long in the job, which leaves children deprived of one of the most important things for healthy development - a consistent, loving relationship.

Organisations around the world are now working hard to find these children the one thing they desperately need - a family. But in countries with high rates of poverty and fragile social work and foster care systems, it’s not always easy.

We visit a project in Colombia to meet the children, parents, and trainee foster carers whose lives are taking a very different turn. And in the UK, we look at a project giving foster families the support network they need.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporters: Megan Janetsky and Jo Mathys
Producer: Craig Langran
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Production Coordinator: Ibtisam Zein
Sound Mix: Annie Gardiner
Editor: Penny Murphy

Image: A mother and daughter in Colombia

Racing to get kids reading

14 juni 2022 · 24 min

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How a race to write books and a gadget that counts words are helping child literacy. Lees meer

In South Africa 8 out of 10 children struggle to read by the age of 10. But a charity called Book Dash has come up with an innovative way of getting more kids to read. It holds events where teams of writers and illustrators create a book in just 12 hours. More than a hundred titles have been created and over 2 million books have been given away to children.

And in the US a group called Birmingham Talks is giving pre-school children a pedometer-style gadget to wear. But instead of counting steps, the gadget counts the number of words they hear every day. The idea is to encourage parents to talk to their children more and therefore improve language development.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Lucy Burns
Photo: Book Dash

The library where the books are people

7 juni 2022 · 25 min

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At the human library you borrow a person you wouldn’t usually meet for a half-hour frank conversation. The volunteers have various book titles from polyamorous to former prisoner. The aim of these face-to-face chats is to break down our assumptions and prejudices. We explore whether simple discussions can make a difference. Lees meer

Produced and presented by Claire Bates.

Picture: Ronni Abergel, Human Library

Repeat - first published 7 Sep 2021

Safer cities for women

31 mei 2022 · 24 min

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Street harassment and violence against women in public spaces is a global issue. According to one survey, 84% of women in cities around the world reported being harassed on the street before the age of 17; half of respondents said they had been groped or fondled. Lees meer

It’s acknowledged that intimidating, violent behaviour from men needs to stop, but what can be done to improve the safety of women and girls in cities now?

We look at initiatives that allow women to tell authorities what changes to make to the fabric of their cities to make them feel safer, plus some new technologies that might help in an emergency.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Dima Babilie
Producer: William Kremer
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Penny Murphy
Image: Silhouette of a women (Getty Images)

Helping teenagers become good mums

24 mei 2022 · 24 min

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Being a teenage mum is not easy. But innovative projects around the world are trying to help. Lees meer

We hear from Sierra Leone, where the 2 Young Lives project supports teenagers who've been rejected by their families for getting pregnant. They link them up with older women who step in to look after them.

Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death for 15–19-year-old girls globally. But the mentors are making sure the young mums get the medical support they need.

After giving birth, the early years of motherhood can be problematic for teenagers too.

We also hear from Brazil, where a team of researchers and nurses is teaching young mothers the skills they need to form strong attachments to their children.

By getting their mothers to do things like read to their toddlers, the researchers say they can improve the children's future development and give them better life prospects.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporters: Amelia Martyn-Hempill and Marcia Reverdosa
Producer: Daniel Gordon
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Penny Murphy

Image: Tamires Salviano and her child

Turning mud into ‘clean’ concrete

17 mei 2022 · 24 min

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A young scientist has developed a white powder which gives waste soil concrete-like properties. Lees meer

Gnanli Landrou grew up in Togo, helping his neighbours dry out soil to make bricks, and his big dream is to help people like them build stronger, cheaper, houses.

But the European building industry is also excited about his new, low carbon building material.

We talk to Gnanli about his ambitions for this extraordinary powder, and meet the Swiss architect who is about to build a luxury apartment block with it.
Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Jo Mathys
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Penny Murphy
Image: Gnanli Landrou

Robots fixing sewers

10 mei 2022 · 24 min

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Robots that navigate sewer pipes are being used to find leaks and blockages in an ancient water system. Lees meer

They’re being put to work in Pune, India, to access dangerous and noxious spots that otherwise would be checked by people.

The sewage systems are more than 100 years old and the maps have been lost or are just outdated. So the robots are being used to update the maps, which should eventually lead to less leaks and so less contamination in the water.

But the machines also replace manual work that is done by some of the poorest members of Indian society. We explore what it will mean for their wellbeing and livelihoods.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Chhavi Sachdev
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Penny Murphy

Image: The sewer robot in Pune

Using lotteries to make us better people

3 mei 2022 · 24 min

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Lotteries aren’t just about winning money. They’re also being used to nudge people to change their behaviour. Lees meer

In the UK we try out a mobile app that enters users in to a £25,000 lottery every time they pick up a piece of litter.

We see how heart patients in the US can win smaller prizes for taking their pills… and if they don’t take their medicine, are told what they could have won.

And we look at receipt lotteries, where customers are encouraged to get receipts as each one is an entry to a big monthly draw. The scheme started in Taiwan but has been replicated in a number of countries, helping governments find the businesses avoiding tax.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Claire Bates
Producer: Francois Wibaux
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Penny Murphy
Image: Illustration from Getty Images

Work: Access for all

26 april 2022 · 24 min

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La Casa de Carlota isn’t like most workplaces. The design studio, based in Barcelona, Spain, employs creatives who have intellectual disabilities, autism and schizophrenia. Lees meer

Working together with non-disabled colleagues, they produce striking graphics for campaigns and packaging, as well as original works of art. This isn’t a government-backed scheme to help out a disadvantaged group, but a winning formula that is helping the studio forge a unique brand.

In this programme we look at two companies who have realised there is strength in neurodiversity and hear from Natalie Duo from the charity Mencap. The vast majority of people with learning disabilities are unemployed, so how can other businesses follow suit?

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: William Kremer
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Penny Murphy

Image: Casa de Carlota

Sponge cities that fight flooding

19 april 2022 · 24 min

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Sponge cities use natural features to slow down, soak up and reuse flood water.
Yu Kongjian nearly drowned as a boy when his village flooded, but it inspired him to come up with the sponge city concept. It’s now being rolled out across China. In Singapore too, parks and lakes are being engineered to soak up excess water. They embrace the flood water rather than block it with concrete barriers. It comes as cities around the world are struggling to cope with more extreme weather caused by climate change. Lees meer

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Tessa Wong
Producer: Claire Bates
Image: Zhejiang, China (Turenscape)

Turning tyres into cheap fuel & football pitches

12 april 2022 · 24 min

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Meet the entrepreneurs using scrap rubber to fuel cars and make new tyres. Lees meer

Each year, over a billion car tyres reach the end of their life.

They’re notoriously hard to recycle and present an environmental hazard if left to disintegrate out in the open.

But around the world, people are trying to clean up their cities by finding new uses for the mountains of rubber waste.

In Senegal, a young entrepreneur is turning them into artificial football pitches. In Zambia, an engineer is perfecting a way to turn these tyres into diesel. And in Canada, a company is making new tyres out of old ones using some very clever chemistry.
Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Francois Wibaux
Producers: Jo Mathys and Claire Bates
Image: Yaye Souadou Fall

Saving California’s butterflies

5 april 2022 · 24 min

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In California, butterflies such as the monarch are critically endangered as a result of habitat erosion, pesticides, and climate change. But many people are trying to save these beautiful insects. Lees meer

We meet the scientists who are painstakingly rearing individual butterflies by hand and then releasing them back into the wild.

In California’s vineyards, we talk to a farmer who has designed a butterfly-friendly tractor.

And at the famous butterfly groves on the coast, we see the first signs of recovery.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Ben Wyatt

Photo: A monarch butterfly (Getty Images)

How to make fishing nets less destructive

29 maart 2022 · 24 min

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Fish have favourite colours and dolphins hate high pitched noises. Lees meer

In an effort to save rapidly dwindling global fish stocks, scientists are trying to figure out how to attract the right fish into nets, and keep protected species away.

On the southern coast of England, we meet the man who’s designed a hi-frequency gadget which warns dolphins to stay out of fishing nets.

In Denmark, scientists show us how LED lights are able to show fish you don’t want the exit from the net.

And in Oxford we hear from the researchers using satellite technology to help the Thai government stop criminals from plundering the oceans.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Rumella Dasgupta
Image: The dolphin pinger

Making hospitals less stressful

22 maart 2022 · 24 min

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Hospitals can make you sicker. It's a strange thought for places that also can make you healthier. But think about the constant noise, the distinctive hospital smell, the bright lights. Lees meer

There's lots of evidence that most patients find hospitals themselves very stressful. This stress can lead to slower healing times or even a higher chance of being readmitted to hospital.

This week, we look at some interesting work happening around the world to try to improve the hospital environment.

We hear from people who are using nature to heal, are redesigning lighting systems and are blocking out the noise. And by learning what stresses humans out, we can learn a lot about how our bodies recover and heal.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Charlotte Pritchard

Using haircuts to fight oil spills

15 maart 2022 · 29 min

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When you get your hair cut, you probably don't think much about what happens to the bits that get chopped off. Lees meer

But it turns out that rather than being dumped in the rubbish, hair can be put to all kinds of uses that can help clean up the planet and feed the people who live on it.

We meet a hairdresser who weaves the clippings into mats that get used to soak up oil spills.

Plus the young entrepreneur in Tanzania who's worked out how to turn human hair into a powerful crop fertiliser.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Daniel Gordon

Image: A man getting his hair cut

Insects fixing the world

8 maart 2022 · 26 min

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From an industrial-scale fly factory in London to farming bugs in the Madagascan rainforest, insects are being put to work all around the world. Lees meer

These biological wonders are turning stuff we don’t want – like food waste and even faeces – into useful protein. This is creating a greener alternative to animal feed and creating food products for humans too.

We meet the people using bugs to help the planet.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/reporter: Craig Langran
Executive producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Penny Murphy

Image: Black soldier fly larvae (Getty Images)

Prison Voicemail: Messages from behind bars

1 maart 2022 · 24 min

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The Prison Voicemail app connects inmates and their families, helping them stay in touch throughout a sentence. Lees meer

We hear a mum and daughter using the messages to rebuild their relationship, and find out how it helps children who are separated from their dad.

Producer/ reporter Ruth Evans
Repeat - first published 4 Aug 2020

Violent partners: The ‘window’ strategy

22 februari 2022 · 26 min

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Police in Iceland treat domestic violence differently. Lees meer

Leaving an abusive relationship is hard, and many victims stay with physically or mentally hurtful partners, even after police get involved.

In Iceland, they focus their efforts on the first 24 hours after a domestic attack is reported.

This is the “window” in which survivors are most likely to give unfiltered evidence against their abusers and accept help leaving them.

Specialist police, social workers and child protection officers are swiftly sent into violent homes, and suspected offenders can be immediately removed. It’s a more hands-on approach than in most places, based on the view that domestic abuse is a public rather than a private problem.

Maddy Savage investigates how much the initiative has impacted prosecution rates and the wellbeing of families affected by this type of violence.

Image: Iceland’s top police officer Sigríður Björk Guðjónsdóttir

Training police to patrol each other

15 februari 2022 · 24 min

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How do you get officers to step in to prevent other officers from harming the public? Lees meer

“Loyalty isn't saying: ‘Well, you've done something wrong, I'm going to protect you.’ Loyalty is me saying: ‘You're about to do something wrong, and I'm going to stop you.’”

New Orleans Police Department says this is the basis of a radical training programme devised to reduce incidents of police brutality.

We first reported on the training system back in October 2020, five months after the killing of George Floyd.

Since then, the idea has spread, and the system is now being taught right across the United States and beyond.

Daniel Gordon catches up with the project to hear what progress is being made.

Picture credit: Getty Images

The house that fights malaria

8 februari 2022 · 24 min

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Malaria kills more than half a million people per year. We meet the innovators who are using buildings, lights, genes and vaccines to fight the mosquito-borne disease. Lees meer

In Ghana, a young woman has turned her school project into a business, selling lights that electrocute mosquitos and help kids study.

In Tanzania, researchers have designed a house with porous walls that diffuse human breath and keep the people inside hidden from mosquitos.

In London, scientists are using genetic engineering to reduce female mosquito fertility, aiming one day to make a dent in the wild population.

And in Kenya and Malawi, a new malaria vaccine is being tested, offering hope to millions of people.

Presenter: Jo Mathys
Reporter: Rumella Dasgupta

Image: A Star Home (Credit: Star Homes Project)

Using VR to change lives

1 februari 2022 · 27 min

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Virtual Reality is being used by researchers around the world to change people’s lives – helping them confront their own fears and change how they treat other people. Lees meer

In the UK, a company is using VR to help people with a fear of heights. The automated therapy system puts participants in a virtual multi-story building to help them combat their fear.

A team in Israel is experimenting with using VR to change how people on both sides of the conflict feel about the other.

And in Spain, a virtual reality simulation is being used in prisons. They’re trying to make people convicted of domestic violence aware of what it feels like to be in the position of their victims.

Presenter: Jo Mathys
Producer/Reporter: Serena Tarling

Image: Someone using a VR headset (Getty Images)

How to fight fake health news

25 januari 2022 · 24 min

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Could a video game where you pretend to spread Covid misinformation actually make you less susceptible to real-life fake news? Lees meer

Fake news, conspiracy theories and misinformation about health can stop people getting vaccinated, which in turn could cause diseases to spread and ultimately result in people dying.

In Sierra Leone, an NGO is educating people about typhoid and malaria by creating audio dramas, and sharing them over WhatsApp.

Meanwhile, a team based at Cambridge University in the UK wants to ‘inoculate’ people, to prevent them from believing fake stories if and when they see them in the future.

Presenter: Jo Mathys
Reporter/Producer: Mark Sedgwick
Image: The Go Viral game

Making clean water with rubbish

18 januari 2022 · 24 min

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A Ugandan chemist has found a way to use old cattle bones and food waste to make clean water. Lees meer

Timothy Kayondo turns the rubbish into activated carbon, which he uses to produce water purifiers. They’re being used in schools and hospitals.

It is estimated that one in 10 people on the planet do not have a basic level of access to clean water.

In this programme we find out about Timothy’s work and discover more ways people around the world are getting access to safe drinking water.

Presenter: Jo Mathys
Reporters: Mercy Juma, Celestina Olulode and Tom Colls
Producers: Daniel Gordon and Tom Colls
Image: Timothy Kayondo

Catching up with our solution seekers

11 januari 2022 · 24 min

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How are Covid sniffer dogs, a sturdy bicycle scheme and balloons beaming down the internet getting on? We catch up with a few of the projects featured on our programme to see if they are making progress. Lees meer

In the UK we catch up with the sniffer dogs being trained to detect Covid 19. After promising results from a large trial, they’re onto the next stage of training.

Meanwhile Wyson in Zambia has extended his bicycle purchase scheme for rural women and even had a bit of help from a BBC World Service audience member.

We find out what happened after US company Loon launched giant balloons designed to beam down the internet to rural Kenya.

And we hear from Dhruv Boruah, who has turned his attention from running plastic hackathons to a rather unusual underwater project.

Produced and presented by Claire Bates
Reporters: Richard Kenny and Tom Colls
Image: Dhruv Boruah

The forest sound detectives

4 januari 2022 · 24 min

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Scientists are checking up on the health of forests by analysing the sounds in them. Lees meer

They test their vital signs by measuring the croaks, tweets and hums of resident creatures. If they can hear a full range of animals they can be confident an ecosystem is doing well. However, if gaps start to appear, it’s a sign something is up.

Nick Holland hears more about how it works and how it’s being used to strike a balance between the needs of Papua New Guinea’s growing indigenous communities and the need to preserve the biodiversity of the forests they live off.

Produced and presented by Nick Holland
Image: The Nature Conservancy
Repeat - first published 04 May 2021.

The moo loo and other stories

28 december 2021 · 24 min

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Training cows to use the toilet and a bouncy castle that fights climate change are some of the surprising solutions today. Lees meer

Humans have been training animals like dogs and horses for centuries. But how easy is it to train a cow? Well scientists in New Zealand and Germany have been successfully training cows to use a special latrine. The cows get a reward each time they pay a visit.

The idea behind it is that by collecting their urine in the latrine, it won't release so much ammonia into rivers and streams.

In this programme we are going to look at some unusual solutions to big problems, and solutions to unusual problems you might not know existed.

We’ll also hear about a bouncy castle which fights climate change by absorbing CO2, and a project to help people with different size feet find shoes that actually fit.

Presenter: Celestina Olulode
Reporter and producer: Richard Kenny
Image: Dr Matthews (Credit: Dr Caroline Bagshaw)

Creating an alternative gig economy

21 december 2021 · 24 min

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Meet the innovators who want to change gig work for the better. Lees meer

When we order a pizza on a Friday night or use a ride-sharing app to get home, it’s likely that the person providing the service is a ‘gig worker’ – a flexible employee who picks their own hours and gets paid per-job.

The app-based gig economy provides convenience for consumers - and has become an increasingly important part of the global economy over the last 10 years. Workers can log on and off when they chose – but they are often managed by an absent algorithmic middleman, and don’t have access to basic workers’ rights such as sick pay, holiday pay or an hourly wage.

But people around the world think that a fairer approach to gig work is possible – from a co-operative run by ex-delivery riders in London to a blockchain based ride-sharing app launching in India. But can these upstarts provide the flexibility and convenience that both workers and consumers have come to expect?

Produced and presented by Craig Langran

How to make electricity for your neighbours

14 december 2021 · 26 min

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Hundreds of millions of people don’t have access to electricity. But all over the world, people are joining forces to provide a home-grown solution — by setting up their own “microgrids” using renewable energy. Lees meer

We meet the Kenyan man who got so frustrated waiting for his village to be connected to the national power grid that he built his own hydro power station. Using scrap materials and a bicycle wheel he made enough electricity for his own household and many others in the community.

We’ll also hear from Bangladesh where individual households with solar panels on their roofs have formed a local network. They sell any spare power neighbours who don’t have the panels.

Produced by Daniel Gordon and presented by Mercy Juma.

Image: John Magiro

Food waste: The solar dryer solution

7 december 2021 · 24 min

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A simple system for saving food and empowering women on the show today.
Hundreds of millions of tonnes of food go to waste every year, much of it before it is even sold. This waste is bad for the planet, but also for farmers and consumers. Lees meer

A company in India has found an solution. They collect imperfect produce that would otherwise have been left by farmers to rot and use specially designed solar dryers to remove the water. They then take the dried fruit and vegetables, process it, and sell it on.

The benefits of their system go far beyond food waste. By setting up collectives of women in rural India with the machines, they’re transforming the lives and status of a group of people who traditionally struggle to gain economic independence.

Chhavi Sachdev goes to see the system in action, finds out who is buying the dried produce and discovers what it actually tastes like.
Image: Kavita Gadekar, who uses the solar dryer

Ways to save the planet: Using the sun

30 november 2021 · 24 min

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Floating solar panels and a see-through pyramid are the solutions this week. Lees meer

The sun is the ultimate source of energy for life on earth. Harnessing that energy in new ways is a key part of the fight against climate change.

This week, we meet two people who had solar power eureka moments and are doing just that.

One designed a see-through pyramid that produces hot water for low-income countries. The other opened up new space for solar panels by floating them on the water.

We explore these ideas with environment journalist Tom Heap, who joined forces with The Royal Geographical Society to check out the most promising climate change solutions for BBC Radio 4 series ‘39 Ways to Save the Planet’.

Image: Faisal Ghani and his solar water heater.

The tiny satellites changing how we see Earth

23 november 2021 · 24 min

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CubeSats are small but mighty. They started as an educational toy in 1999, but now help people tackle issues from deforestation in Brazil to modern slavery in Greece. Lees meer

Cheap to make and launch, these tiny satellites’ biggest role is in remotely scanning the Earth. Thousands are whizzing over our heads right now tracking a huge range of stuff - including herds of elephants, coral reefs and volcanic ash clouds.

We look at how CubeSats have opened up space to nations and start-up companies and helped usher in a new, commercial, space age.

Produced and presented by Claire Bates.

Image: A CubeSat (Nasa)

The 15-minute city

16 november 2021 · 24 min

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Everything you need on your doorstep: a radical plan to improve our cities. Lees meer

Imagine if everything you needed - your work, leisure and essential services - was just a 15-minute walk or cycle from where you live.

With no need to drive, there’d be less time sitting in traffic jams, the air would be less polluted and maybe we would all be a bit less stressed.

That’s the vision that many cities around the world are now trying to achieve - a new concept called the “15-minute city”.

As more and more of us join the urban sprawl, the aim is to make city life healthier, happier and better for the environment.

We visit Paris to see the plan in action.

Produced and presented by Richard Kenny.

Image: Getty Images

COP26: The tech helping you to help the planet

9 november 2021 · 24 min

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Climate change is set to alter our planet and human beings need to change the way we live and work. But how do we know exactly what changes to make? Lees meer

New technology could help us make informed choices - from sensors counting pollinating insects in fields, to power sockets that tell us how green our energy is, to apps that enable communities to discuss change in their local area.

These ideas are part of the Tech for Our Planet challenge, which is being run by the UK government as part of the COP26 summit. We check out the three projects and explore how new technology has the potential to change our behaviour.

Produced and presented by William Kremer from COP26.

Image: The COP26 summit in Glasgow (Getty Images)

Ways to save the planet: Ancient solutions

2 november 2021 · 24 min

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Sixteen percent of greenhouse gas emissions could be saved by using biochar, a simple fertilising technique adopted by tribes in the Amazon thousands of years ago. If produced on an industrial scale, scientists say biochar could be as powerful as renewable energy in the fight against climate change. Lees meer

Picture Credit: Carbofex and Puro.earth

How to spot fake drugs with a mobile phone

26 oktober 2021 · 24 min

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Fake medicines are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide each year. But inventors around the world are coming up with ways to spot the fakes. Lees meer

In Nigeria, pharmacists are using a pocket-sized nanoscanner and mobile app to analyse light shone through a pill, powder or liquid.

A Ghanaian entrepreneur has developed a way to verify a barcode or a series of numbers on a box of medicine, using a mobile phone.

And in Finland, you can take photos of your medicine and get a detailed analysis of the packaging, pill or powder, to find out if it’s authentic or not.

Presented and produced by Hannah Gelbart

Image: Fake medicine