Alle afleveringen
507 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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Teenage inventor special
3 november 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringIn this inspiring episode, we hear ideas from high school students in Asia, Africa, Europe and America. They’ve created a new form of sound insulation, refined a forensic process to use at crime scenes, won an award for predicting crop yields and made going to the beach a little safer in the age of Covid. Lees meer
Image: Team Hibla from the Philippines.
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Saving Cape Cod’s dolphins
27 oktober 2020 · 25 min
Beluister deze afleveringThe mass stranding of dolphins, orcas and whales is depressingly common. We join a team on the East Coast of the United States who have dramatically improved the survival rates of beached dolphins there. And we are with them as they fight to save a dolphin mother and calf. Plus we look at how Silicon Valley AI tech, and its power to understand dolphin communication, could lead to even more being saved. Lees meer
Produced and Presented by Ben Wyatt
Picture credit: Getty Images
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How to put the internet in a box
20 oktober 2020 · 25 min
Beluister deze afleveringWhat happens when you take a little box containing some of the vast knowledge amassed on the internet, to communities that live offline? Lees meer
From a peaceful valley in the remote Himalayas to a bustling Rohingya refugee camp, people are carrying gigabytes of data - from school curricula to the whole of Wikipedia - into places where access to the internet is impossible.
Inspired by one of our listeners, we delve into the world of the “sneakernet” - a network of people who carry information to places where the signal doesn’t reach.
Produced and presented by Tom Colls
Photo Credit: Getty
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How jellyfish can help us
13 oktober 2020 · 26 min
Beluister deze afleveringJellyfish blooms can cause havoc, scaring away tourists, clogging up fishing nets, and even getting stuck in power station cooling pipes. Lees meer
But scientists are finding ways to use the creatures to help us solve some big problems. They think jellyfish mucus could filter microplastics from our water systems, and their collagen could help us develop new medicines. And some want to see jellyfish on our plates.
Produced and presented by Ruth Evans
Picture credit: Getty Images
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Training police to patrol each other
6 oktober 2020 · 26 min
Beluister deze afleveringA growing number of police departments in the US are introducing a new concept in their training - teaching officers on the beat how to step in when they see a colleague doing something they don't think is right. Lees meer
After the killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests, a programme pioneered by police in New Orleans is being developed for other forces.
Presented and produced by Daniel Gordon.
Picture credit: Getty Images
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Getting rid of AI bias
29 september 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringIt’s not just search engines that are powered by artificial intelligence. From the courts to the jobs market, AI is influencing decisions that have a big impact on people’s lives. Lees meer
But researchers now believe that not all people are treated equally by some algorithms. They’ve found potential bias - influenced by race, class and gender - can have an impact on the decisions that computers make.
Some programmers, computer scientists and entrepreneurs hope to fight this bias, using the technology that created it in the first place.
Produced and presented by Craig Langran
Image: Getty Images
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How to prevent drowning
22 september 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringWe hear how AI lifeguards are helping to spot danger on Israel’s beaches, while on Lake Victoria special forecasts for fishermen are saving hundreds of lives. Meanwhile in Bangladesh, community creches and bamboo swimming stages are reducing deaths among children – the group at highest risk of drowning. It’s estimated that 320,000 people around the world die in the water each year. Lees meer
Produced and presented by Claire Bates
Photo: Getty Images
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Smartphones saving the rainforest
15 september 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringOld smartphones powered by solar panels are being used to catch illegal loggers in rainforests across the world. Lees meer
Each year, more than 150 million mobiles are discarded in the US alone - so we’re looking at clever ways to reuse them. But should we really rethink our consumer habits and keep our phones for longer?
Produced and presented by Julie Ball.
Photo: Rainforest Connection
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A happier planet
8 september 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringLooking for the happiest places in the world. We follow in the tracks of someone who gave up his job to cycle round the world to investigate happiness. From Costa Rica to Canada to Bhutan - what are the best ways of bringing about a happier planet?
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Keeping data forever
1 september 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringCould your family photos end up being stored on a piece of glass? Might you find yourself saving a file to DNA storage? Or downloading a video from a data centre in space? Lees meer
Current methods of storing information are susceptible to decay and have limited capacity but novel approaches could provide plentiful storage so that our selfies outlast our species.
Reporter/ Producer William Kremer for the BBC World Service.
Picture credit: Southampton University
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Could a device invented in the 1930s help end period poverty?
25 augustus 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringPeriod poverty affects girls and women across the world who can’t afford to buy sanitary pads or tampons each month. So what are the alternatives? Lees meer
In a refugee camp in Jordan, we follow one woman as she tries to get a sanitary pad micro-factory off the ground. While in Malawi, they’re handing out menstrual cups to teenagers.
This podcast was first published on 7 May 2019
Presenter: Vibeke Venema
Producer: Tom Colls(Photo Caption: A menstrual cup / Photo Credit: Getty Images)
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The mums saving each other from a taboo condition
18 augustus 2020 · 25 min
Beluister deze aflevering"Get rid of the girl who smells" - this is the reaction thousands of traumatised new mothers face every year because of a condition called fistula. Lees meer
But in Madagascar some women, who have successfully been treated, become patient ambassadors finding others with the same condition.
They personally accompany them to clinics to get life-changing surgery and support.
This podcast was first published on 2 April 2019.
Reporter/ Producer: Amelia Martyn-Hemphill
(Photo: Felicia - a patient ambassador in Madagascar)
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The tech doctors forecasting heart failure
11 augustus 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringMonitoring devices implanted in a person’s chest are helping doctors predict if something is about to go wrong with a patient’s heart. Sometimes they can tell a month in advance. It’s allowing cardiologists to adjust treatment and prevent problems before they occur. Lees meer
Produced and presented by Nick Holland.
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Prison Voicemail: Messages from behind bars
4 augustus 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringThe 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
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Financing the forests
28 juli 2020 · 26 min
Beluister deze afleveringProtecting the rainforest could make people millions of dollars under a pioneering new scheme. Lees meer
Bankers and conservationists have teamed up to regrow a large area of Indonesia’s jungle where endangered orangutans and tigers live.
Reporter: Jo Mathys
Image: An orangutan (Getty Images)
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Life-saving surgery, but not by a doctor
21 juli 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringNurses and midwives in Ethiopia are being trained to perform emergency operations, saving thousands of lives. Lees meer
People Fixing the World follows one of them, Seida Guadu, as she operates to try to save the lives of a mother and her unborn child.
This podcast was first published on 25 June 2019.
Reporter: Ruth Evans
Producers: Lily Freeston and Hadra Ahmed -
New uses for old solutions
14 juli 2020 · 30 min
Beluister deze afleveringTwo life-saving apps have been adapted to fix problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic - hear how ideas we’ve visited before have developed and grown. Lees meer
One of them has been helping ambulance drivers find their way to field hospitals; the other has been finding volunteers to run errands for people who are vulnerable.
Presenter: Daniel Gordon
Reporters: Ruth Evans, Nick Holland and Richard Kenny
Picture credit: Getty Images -
How to get everyone online
7 juli 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringFrom balloons in the stratosphere to swarms of satellites in space, the race to get everyone online is heating up. Lees meer
The internet may never be more useful than during the coronavirus outbreak. It provides us with the latest health information, educates our kids and lets us communicate with our loved ones face to face.
But only half of the world’s population is online.
Tech evangelists around the world are trying to change that. Using balloons and satellites, soon even the most remote areas on Earth will be able to log on.
But there is more to getting everyone online than the strength of the signal. People Fixing the World investigates.
Produced and presented by Tom Colls
Image: Loon
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A future without bees
30 juni 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringTech companies have developed drones to drop pollen on orchards or shoot it at crops through pipes from tractors. Lees meer
They’re responding to a crisis in insect pollination as studies suggest numbers of both wild pollinators and farmed bees are declining. This could have a serious knock-on effect on how we grow our fruit and veg. But some experts argue high-tech alternatives are a short-term solution to a much bigger and long-term problem.
Presented and produced by Claire Bates
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How tech is tackling wildlife trafficking
23 juni 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringNew technology is helping in the fight against wildlife poaching. Computer scientists have created a programme that uses artificial intelligence to predict where poachers are going to strike; a new generation of smart cameras is catching the criminals red-handed; and the latest police forensic techniques are being adapted to investigate these crimes.
The aim is to put a stop to the illegal trade of wildlife trafficking, which is worth billions of dollars and is threatening the survival of species such as elephants, rhinos and tigers. Each year 20,000 elephants are killed for their ivory, according to WWF estimates.
Reporter and producer - Richard Kenny for BBC World Service Lees meer -
Personality tests for loans
16 juni 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringA short online test that reveals attitudes, opinions and thought processes is being used to help decide whether to give people loans. Lees meer
The idea is to use psychometric tests to give people with little or no credit history a better chance of getting support and investment.
New ways of providing financial services are needed because 1.7 billion people have no access to any kind of formal banking facilities, according to the World Bank. Known as the unbanked, they deal only in cash. This can make it harder to reduce poverty, save money or invest for the future.
Cheap mobile phones and good network coverage in Nigeria are also transforming the lives of people who previously only dealt in cash.
Presented and produced by Anisa Subedar
Picture credit: Getty Images
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Kids fixing the world
9 juni 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringThis week we look at four brilliant inventions by children: a phone app to stop drivers missing road signs; a robot that is activated when a vulnerable person falls over; a tool to help fire departments predict the likelihood of wildfires, and a way to make your fish tank double as a vegetable patch for microgreens. Lees meer
The future engineers and scientists behind these innovations are aged between 12 and 16 and were all entrants in the UK’s Big Bang Competition. Head judge Helena Dodd joins William Kremer to discuss what makes a winning design, and what grown-ups everywhere can do to unleash the problem-solving power of the next generation.
Reported and produced by William Kremer.
Picture: Freddie with Fallbot
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No more bosses
2 juni 2020 · 23 min
Beluister deze afleveringCan companies operate better without managers? We hear from people who’ve got rid of managers and say it has helped them do a better job, made them happier and saved money. Lees meer
But there are pitfalls, too. Co-ordination and hiring talent for what are usually considered top management jobs can be a challenge when there’s no traditional hierarchy.
Produced and presented by Dina Newman.
Picture credit: Getty Images
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The ancient technology getting a second wind
26 mei 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringOld ships, powered by the wind, are sailing small amounts of cargo around the world again to help cut pollution. Some of them were built more than 100 years ago.
The shipping industry moves 80% of traded goods around the planet. But the diesel engines that propel modern cargo ships through the oceans burn the dirtiest type of fuel. Lees meerNick Holland speaks to sailors and brokers who, for the sake of the environment, are breathing new life into these vintage vessels.
And he hears how new types of sails could get monster-sized modern cargo ships using the wind as well.Producer / Reporter: Nick Holland
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Electricity that grows on trees
19 mei 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringScientists in Italy have discovered that trees generate an electrical charge every time the wind blows strongly enough to make their leaves touch one another. Lees meer
The researchers, from the Italian Institute of Technology, have managed to harvest enough energy this way to power 150 LED lights from a single leaf.
We meet them, and others, who are trying to make use of untapped, natural sources energy.
We hear from a project trying to produce electricity from the interaction of fresh and salt water where rivers meet the sea.
And we talk to a geologist in Iceland, who’s helped dig nearly 5km beneath the surface of the Earth. At that depth, the temperature can be about 600C - the idea is to mine the heat and turn it into energy.
Producer/Reporter: Daniel Gordon
Picture: Getty Images -
The breath of life
12 mei 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringA clever invention is saving the lives of hundreds of children. Lees meer
Pneumonia kills about 1.4 million children under five every year. Treatment with concentrated oxygen could save many of them, but the machines that make it need a reliable source of electricity. Some hospitals have frequent power cuts, though, which can be fatal.
So scientists in Australia and Uganda came up with an innovative way to produce oxygen by separating it from the rest of the air, using a vacuum created by running water.
Then they designed special bags that can store and deliver oxygen – even when the electricity cuts out. Their systems have provided oxygen for hundreds of sick children in Uganda.
People Fixing the World hears the story of these remarkable inventions.
Produced and presented by Ruth Evans
Picture credit: Peter Casamento
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A Sporting Chance
5 mei 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringWe all know that sport is great for our health - and if you’re talented it can bring you great riches. But this week we look at how sport is changing lives and giving hope to young people leading the toughest lives. Lees meer
In Cape Town, South Africa, a British surfer noticed how kids from poor townships hardly ever went to the beach. So he started giving them free surfing lessons. Now hundreds go along each week to get “surfing therapy”. Not only is surfing giving them a buzz, it's helping to improve their life chances.
In Afghanistan we meet the people who have brought skateboarding to the streets. As well as being an exciting challenge, it’s giving girls in particular a safe place to do sport and changing their outlook on life.
And in one of the more deprived parts of London we find out how horse riding - a sport normally associated with the elite - is now inspiring young people from all backgrounds.
Reporter/Producer: Richard Kenny
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The great spreadsheet in the sky
28 april 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringThere’s a technology on the block which has the power to change all kinds of things for the better.
If that power is harnessed, it has the potential to end corruption, protect your online identity and a whole lot more. Start-up companies and charities are using it in everything from tuna supply chains to medical records and ID documents and everything in between.
The technology is blockchain and on this episode of People Fixing the World, we’ll explore whether its great potential can be realised. Lees meerProduced and presented by Tom Colls
Image: Blockchain illustration (Getty Images)
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The farmers moving their fields indoors
21 april 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringWe visit farmers growing lettuce, herbs and strawberries indoors in the middle of cities. The plants are stacked up on shelves in vertical farms that use hydroponics and aeroponics to cultivate them. Lees meer
The idea is to grow food closer to where it’s eaten. At the moment, cities get most of their produce delivered from far away, but transporting it uses energy, while fruit and veg can lose their freshness in transit.
We visit two European companies hoping to change the supply chain. One makes indoor farming units for food retailers, restaurants and hotels, and the other grows strawberries in shipping containers on the outskirts of Paris.
We find out if these pioneers of European urban farming are able to feed our growing cities.
Produced and presented by Dina Newman.
Picture credit: Getty Images
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Making the world a quieter place
14 april 2020 · 25 min
Beluister deze afleveringPeople around the world are coming up with ways to make the world a quieter place, from portable sound barriers to schemes to stop people honking their car horns. Lees meer
The trouble is that noise from traffic, railways, builders, even neighbours, can have a huge impact on our health and wellbeing, according to the World Health Organization.
One of the solutions we look at reduces decibel levels around building sites and music festivals, while another collects acoustic data to help local councils enforce laws if people are being too noisy.
Also, a woman in India is doing her bit to reduce noise levels on the streets of Mumbai.Presented and produced by Anisa Subedar
Picture credit: Getty Images -
The big transport swap
7 april 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringRobot shuttles and buses on demand are being tested to persuade more people to use public transport. Tallinn in Estonia and Luxembourg have even made travel free. Lees meer
The aim is to tackle the impact of one billion cars on the world's roads, which have brought some cities to a virtual standstill.
But in order to tempt people away from their cars new incentives are needed.Claire Bates tries out schemes that are being developed across Europe.
Presented and produced by Claire Bates
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Regrowing the rainforest
31 maart 2020 · 27 min
Beluister deze afleveringIt has taken him 40 years, but Omar Tello has turned a patch of exhausted farmland in Ecuador back into rainforest. One of his biggest challenges was repairing the soil. His land was so degraded he had to make enough new soil - from unwanted wood shavings and chicken manure - to cover the entire plot. That alone took about 15 years.
He also travelled deep into the Amazon for days at a time, looking for seeds and plants he could rescue. Now his forest is flourishing and the wildlife has returned - it is home to snakes, toucans, monkeys and many other animals. And he is sharing what he has learned to encourage others to protect the rainforests instead of cutting them down. Lees meerPresented and produced by Jo Mathys.
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The treasure in our toilets
24 maart 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringHuman sewage contains lots of valuable nutrients, so should we be recycling it? Lees meer
One of these nutrients is phosphorus, a key ingredient in fertiliser. We need fertilisers to meet the demands of the planet’s growing population, but there is a limited supply of phosphorus. Once it finds its way into the sea it becomes impossible to recover.
And yet we all excrete about half a kilogram of the stuff a year, making cities a potentially rich source of the element. In the Netherlands human sludge is already being processed to recover phosphorus and recycle it into a high-tech fertiliser which will not leach into the environment.
Reporter: William Kremer
Photo: Getty images -
How to be a better dad
17 maart 2020 · 25 min
Beluister deze afleveringThis week we’re in Rwanda, where some men are getting lessons teaching them how to look after their babies. As well as promoting gender equality it's helping to reduce the high levels of violence women there experience at the hands of their husbands and partners. People Fixing the World meets the people taking part and finds out how it works and what difference it’s making. Lees meer
Reporter Lily Freeston
Executive Producer Nick Holland(Photo Credit: BBC)
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How they’re saving the kakapo
10 maart 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringIt’s a flightless bird on the edge of extinction, but a team in New Zealand is trying to stop it from going the way of the dodo. Lees meer
The kakapo is a large parrot that was once common in New Zealand. But its inability to fly, strong smell and habit of freezing when attacked made it easy to hunt for both human settlers and the animals they introduced. By the mid-1990s there were only 51 left.
The remaining birds were moved to an island and a recovery operation began – looking at every aspect of the animals’ lives to try to boost the population.
Twenty-five years on and the kakapo are at the centre of an elaborate breeding programme. There are monitors that measure the jiggle of mating birds, “smart eggs” to replace the ones removed for rearing and even a sperm-carrying drone.People Fixing the World looks at what it takes to bring a bird back from the brink.
Presenter: Tom Colls
Reporter: Alison Balance(Photo caption: A kakapo / Photo credit: Jake Osborne, New Zealand Department of Conservation)
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Audience takeover: Your feedback
3 maart 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze aflevering“Fabulous idea” or “waste of money”? Clever observations from our audience about solutions we’ve covered on People Fixing the World. Many are funny and offer fresh perspectives. Lees meer
Regular listeners will know that as well as podcasts, we also make videos that we post on social media. Our viewers love to comment and ask questions, and this episode is made up of these thoughts.
Among the solutions coming under public scrutiny today are The Dog Poo Detectives, Electric Trucks and The Glasses Made From Coffee. Presenters Nick Holland and Kat Hawkins get through as many reviews as possible. There are some good ones, some bad ones and a few stinkers.
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A safe place to be gay
25 februari 2020 · 25 min
Beluister deze afleveringAn idea used in video games is helping LGBTQ people in the Middle East talk safely online. Coming out can be particularly hard, especially if there are no support groups to go to. As a result, the internet is sometimes the only place people feel they can be open about their sexuality, seek advice, and meet like-minded people. Lees meer
But in some countries, opening up on websites to people you’ve never met can expose you to blackmail, surveillance, even police entrapment and prosecution. So one woman has come up with a solution - she has built a website that uses gaming software to protect its users.
We hear from her and users who say the site has transformed their lives.
Produced by Jo Mathys
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Meet the neighbours
18 februari 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringPeople living in this block of flats sign a contract to socialise together for at least two hours a week. Lees meer
The new housing experiment in Sweden is aimed at the two age groups most likely to feel lonely: under-25s and pensioners. A former home for the elderly has been given a revamp, creating plenty of communal areas designed to encourage mingling between the different generations.
While loneliness can happen wherever you live, it is a big talking point in Sweden where more than half of all households only have one occupant and it is common to rent an apartment by yourself as soon as you leave school.
Maddy Savage meets tenants taking part in the shared living experiment and looks at other solutions designed to help young Swedes who are lonely.
Reporter: Maddy Savage
(Photo Credit: BBC)
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The good lads
11 februari 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringMen and boys are being taught how to tackle some of the uncomfortable truths about everyday sexism. Lees meer
Many don’t realise the extent of the problem - cat-calling, unwelcome comments and dominating behaviour are all things that women across the world put up with on a daily basis.
This week’s solution looks at a project called the Good Lad Initiative in the UK, which is trying to help men understand why it happens and how they can help change things. It also helps them to improve their relationships with other men and challenge traditional values.
Robbie Wojciechowski meets ambassadors for the group as they train and he finds out how positive masculinity workshops are creating communities of men who want to help in the fight for equality.
Produced by Robbie Wojciechowski for BBC World Service.
(Photo credit: Good Lad Initiative)
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The miracle cure: Exercise
4 februari 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringIf exercise were a drug, almost every single person on Earth would be prescribed it in the later years of their lives. The health benefits for older people are massive – it can help reduce the risk of dementia, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, depression, heart disease and more. Lees meer
But not enough older people are getting the benefits of this “miracle cure” – as the UK and Ireland’s Academy of Medical Royal Colleges describe it. They are living out their retirements suffering from chronic illnesses, while health services struggle with the costs of looking after an aging population.
Where there’s a problem, though, People Fixing the World finds a solution. Around the world, imaginative projects are springing up to try to get older people exercising. We hear from veteran cheerleaders in South Korea, walking footballers in the UK and the mayor giving out free gym vouchers in Finland.
Reporters: Tom Colls, Olivia Lang and Erika Benke
(Photo Caption: An older person exercising / Photo Credit: Getty Images)
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Fighting depression together
28 januari 2020 · 26 min
Beluister deze afleveringWomen in Uganda are learning how to treat their neighbours for depression. That’s because there aren’t enough resources for professional care, especially for people from poor backgrounds. Lees meer
An organisation called StrongMinds sets up group therapy sessions across the country, and when clients come out of depression, some are trained to run courses for other women.
People Fixing the World visits a session in Kampala to see how it works and meet women whose lives have changed dramatically.
Produced by Reha Kansara for the BBC World Service
(Photo credit: Kwagala DeLovie)
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Running to do good
21 januari 2020 · 25 min
Beluister deze afleveringWhat if all the energy used at the gym was directed towards helping others, rather than lifting useless weights and running nowhere on a treadmill? That thought struck Ivo Gormley 10 years ago. So instead of running on a treadmill, he started running to see an elderly person twice a week. A few friends liked his idea, and the Good Gym was born. Lees meer
Today, you can find the organisation in more than 50 areas across the UK. It combines fitness with volunteering. One of its activities involves younger members running to visit older people - both groups can be at risk of feeling lonely and isolated, particularly in big cities. People are also invited to work on community projects - a group runs to the job together, helps out, then runs back. It has been particularly successful at attracting women who tend to exercise less than men.
Reporter Dina Newman
(Photo credit: Good Gym)
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Forecasting volcanoes
14 januari 2020 · 25 min
Beluister deze afleveringAs thousands of people are moved in the evacuation of the area around the Taal volcano in the Philippines, Ecuador - which has more than 20 active volcanoes - is looking at how to protect people there. Lees meer
A scientist based in Quito has designed a system to forecast dangerous activity. The Red Cross is working closely with him, so they can now warn people of potential disaster further in advance - giving a bigger time window in which to move themselves and livestock, and get medical backup in place.
It is part of a radical rethink in the way humanitarian aid is delivered, using forecasts to give people more warning and help them prepare before nature strikes. But funding a project like this means asking donors to donate cash to a disaster which may never happen.
Reporter Jo Mathys
(Photo credit: Red Cross)
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The pharmacists fighting high drug prices
7 januari 2020 · 24 min
Beluister deze afleveringIf you had a rare disease and the only drug that could help you suddenly shot up in price how would you feel? What if your health service or insurer decided it was too expensive and they wouldn’t fund it any more? This is the problem facing some patients in the Netherlands. Lees meer
In order to encourage pharmaceutical companies to invest in developing drugs for rare diseases, the EU allows them to have a 10-year monopoly. The number of these drugs has risen as a result, but the way the rules are written has created a problem. Pharma companies have been able to re-register old drugs that were used for other diseases and then, with their legal monopoly, raise the price significantly.
While some countries might accept the price rise, the Netherlands hasn’t, and small-scale pharmacists there are stepping in. They’re making small quantities of some of the drugs themselves and giving them to patients, at a fraction of the cost.
People Fixing the World hears from the patients, pharmacists and big pharma companies who are trying to find a way forward.
Reporter: Charlotte Horn
(Photo Credit: Marleen Kemper)
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How to move the Earth
31 december 2019 · 25 min
Beluister deze afleveringUsing lasers or asteroids to move our planet away from the sun may sound extreme, but a few scientists have come up with plans to do just that. Lees meer
The sun’s power is slowly increasing. Over the next billion years or so, the extra energy is going to boil off the oceans and make the earth inhospitable.
Given the timescales involved, you might think this is someone else’s problem. But such is the human enthusiasm for problem-solving, potential solutions have been found - from shooting asteroids past the Earth to creating a gigantic solar sail.
We meet the scientists who are trying to figure out how to save the planet from the sun.
Presenter: Kat Hawkins
Reporter: Tom CollsImage: The Earth in space. Credit: Getty Images
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Checking in with the problem solvers
24 december 2019 · 23 min
Beluister deze afleveringCatch up with the goats fighting forest fires in Spain and discover where else in the world they’re being used. This programme looks at what happened next to some of the people and projects we have featured in past episodes. We also revisit a scheme in Greece that’s helping people give their leftover medicines to those who can’t afford to buy them. And we check in with Majd Mashharawi who had found a way of creating brand new concrete blocks using ash and the rubble from old buildings. Lees meer
Image credit: Getty Images
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Making your deliveries greener
17 december 2019 · 26 min
Beluister deze afleveringWe look at four clever ways to reduce carbon emissions from deliveries. Shops, offices, restaurants and homes all get lots of them every day, and this so-called “last mile” in the logistics chain can be responsible for up to 50% of our goods’ shipping carbon footprint… so what can we do to reduce it?
While technology may provide part of the answer, there are also ways to radically reorganise the flow of stuff into cities. William Kremer looks at four innovative projects which attempt to solve the problem by grouping parcels together more intelligently.
There are things we can all do about this problem too - William also has some tips for you to reduce the carbon cost of your deliveries. Lees meerReporter: William Kremer
Picture: Getty Images
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Convicting more rapists
10 december 2019 · 23 min
Beluister deze afleveringRapists often avoid conviction and people they’ve attacked can face a traumatic journey through the legal system. But special reporting centres and courts in South Africa are improving things. Lees meer
The country has set up Thuthuzela Centres which are named after a Xhosa word meaning comfort. The centres aim to create a safe, empathetic and comfortable environment where people who have been raped can get all the medical and legal care they need in one place. Most of the centres are linked to specialised sexual offences courts, which are designed to reduce the trauma survivors often face in court. Staff there are trained to understand how sexual violence affects people.
We meet rape survivors and legal experts to find out how this approach is helping.
Reporter Lily Freeston
Picture: Praise Kambula, South Africa Department of Justice.
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Turning kids into entrepreneurs
3 december 2019 · 23 min
Beluister deze afleveringUganda has a very young population – the median age is 16 and young people find it hard to get a job. So now children are being taught how to run their own businesses before they leave school. They learn about profit and loss, how to get investment, leadership and practical skills, such as making bags and charcoal briquettes for the communities where they live. Lees meer
Uganda has a reputation as an entrepreneurial country but, as in most places, lots of its start-ups don’t last. The organisation behind these lessons, Educate!, hopes that its programme will give children everything they need to make their businesses a success when they leave school. Now the scheme has also spread to Kenya and Rwanda.
Reporter: Reha Kansara
Photo credit: BBC
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Saving the World’s Ice
26 november 2019 · 23 min
Beluister deze afleveringGlobal warming is melting the world's glaciers and sea ice. In Iceland the effects can already be seen - people there recently held a funeral to mark the death of the Okjokull glacier.
So scientists and engineers around the world are trying to come up with ideas to cool the planet and stop the ice from melting.
One wants to spray sea water into clouds to make them whiter so they reflect more of the sun’s rays back up. Another plan is to make sea ice more reflective by spreading layers of tiny silica beads on it.
Others are devising massive geoengineering projects, such as building giant sun shades in the sky and walls around sea ice to stop warm water wearing it away.
But sceptics warn that projects like these are too expensive and are a distraction from the cause of the problem - and we should be focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions instead.
Producer Hannah McNeish Lees meerPhoto: Getty Images