Yesterday

Marine warfare: Le Pen runs for president

Last night, the populist-right leader announced that she will run in the French presidential election next year. Our correspondent analyses the Le Pen dynasty and explains how this decision will shape the campaign. The world’s first refuge for whales once held in captivity. And o ... Show More

24m 27s

Jul 7

Continental rift: NATO’s tense summit

As NATO leaders gather for the annual summit in Turkey today, the thorniest issue is off the agenda: fractures within the alliance. Our correspondent travels to the Baltics, where a strategic shift is already evident. First there was vibe coding, now vibe lawyering is coming to c ... Show More

20m 19s

Jul 6

The mourning show: the politics of Khamenei’s funeral

The Iranian regime hopes the massive crowds gathered for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral will demonstrate its strength. Our correspondent says they could also reveal its weakness. Why Japan wants to change its divorce laws and custody arrangements. And the first part of our week ... Show More

20m 32s

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...