Today

Elbows up, again: a US-Canada trade flare-up

Promising trade talks imploded after a literal 11th-hour change from the American side. We examine the new trade barriers being erected, and the complex calculation for Prime Minister Mark Carney. In Japan Gen X workers are even still bearing the costs of an economic bubble-burst ... Show More

21m 48s

Aug 21

I, robot? AI and consciousness

The rise of generative AI has put new urgency into ancient questions. What is consciousness, and can machines ever have it? We dive into the data that reveal a surge in sexually transmitted infections in Europe. And our obituaries editor considers the life of Mary de Rachewiltz, ... Show More

24m 48s

Aug 20

Bombs and bombshells: Zelensky under pressure

From anti-corruption probes to a disgruntled ex-minister calling for elections to disrupted grain shipments, headaches are mounting for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. China has until now coped with a patchy, pricey system for mental-health treatment. The government is no ... Show More

22m 45s

May 2025

People vilify plastic. they should use it better instead

Many people view plastic as an environmental disaster that blights landscapes and chokes marine life. Our correspondent argues that instead we need to better understand this miracle material. To make prison work, governments need to have better strategies for managing inmates’ re ... Show More

22m 14s

May 2021

Plastic (not so) Fantastic

A closer look at the UK’s single-use plastic problemWe dive into the UK’s use of single-use plastics. Where’s it coming from? Where’s it ending up? And what needs to change? We speak to our Science Editor, David Shukman and TV presenter Julia Bradbury, who wants us to dump the pl ... Show More

34m 57s

Dec 2022

The Myth of Plastic Recycling

For many, recycling feels like a tangible way to personally combat climate change and to positively affect the environment. But after a years long investigation, NPR correspondent Laura Sullivan finds that reality is generally the opposite: Only a small fraction of plastic is ult ... Show More

13m 48s

Apr 2024

The stream of plastic pollution: could a global treaty help us turn off the tap?

Guardian Seascapes reporter Karen McVeigh tells Madeleine Finlay about a recent trip to the Galápagos Islands, where mounds of plastic waste are washing up and causing problems for endemic species. Tackling this kind of waste and the overproduction of plastic were the topics on t ... Show More

15m 56s

Nov 2021

171. IELTS 16 General Training | What Damage Does Plastic Do to the Environment?

Plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging are bad for the environment. What damage does plastic do to the environment? What can be done by governments and individuals to solve this problem? Read the sample essay here: https://www.ieltsessaybank.com/plastic-bags-plastic ... Show More

4m 56s

Mar 2024

88. That’s rubbish: How our waste is choking the planet and how we can clean it up

Just ahead of Zero Waste Day, this episode of The Weekly Tradecast talks trash with UNCTAD economist Henrique Silva Pacini Costa. From plastic packaging to fast fashion to car batteries, we have been creating mountains of waste for decades. It’s everywhere – in landfills, in the ... Show More

9m 25s

Apr 2023

A smarter way to melt down plastics?

In this episode:00:45 A new method to break down plastic polymersPlastic waste is an enormous problem, with much of it being incinerated or ending up in landfill. One way to give plastics another life is to break them down into their individual components using heat, but this met ... Show More

21m 13s

People vilify plastic. they should use i...