logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2025
25m 7s

Why rivers need human rights

THE TIMES
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Today
What ignited India's ‘cockroach’ revolt?
Riot police in Delhi have fired tear gas and baton charged the biggest protest the city has seen in years; tens of thousands of young Indians, marching under the banner of the "Cockroach Janta Party", calling for an end to corruption and educational reform. But what exactly trigg ... Show More
30m 45s
Yesterday
Does Britain have an energy security problem?
A gas platform in the North Sea is at the centre of a fierce debate that has divided the country: should the UK be expanding fossil fuel infrastructure or going all-in on renewables? The Rough Field gas facility wants to repurpose depleted gas fields to solve Britain’s chronic sh ... Show More
29m 38s
Jul 21
War, immigration, welfare: the in-tray for Burnham and his new cabinet
Britain’s new prime minister Andy Burnham revealed his key cabinet picks yesterday; so who’s in, who’s out and what does it tell us about the direction in which he’ll take the country? And as the Iran and Ukraine wars rumble on and the cost of living continues to bite, how will t ... Show More
27m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
CRY ME A RIVER: How to save the UK’s rivers
This week we’re giving Ed another reason to talk about his swimming, and diving into our rivers. Rivers are such an important part of our landscape, ecosystems and communities. They provide two thirds of our water supplies and support a vast array of wildlife, but are in bad shap ... Show More
47m 33s
Dec 2019
This river is legally a “person”
In this episode of the BBC Earth Podcast, we’re getting glimpses into brave new worlds, advancing into unfamiliar territories and breaking new ground. We’re pushing at the frontiers between us and the natural world.In New Zealand there is a river so integral to the history of the ... Show More
29m 40s
Aug 2023
Sick river: saving the Brent
Cities are where the battle to save planet earth will be won and lost. But it is not the urban environment that matters, but our relationship with nature within it. What can the story of one dying river, plagued by sewage and indifference, and the campaign to save it, teach us ab ... Show More
41m 31s
Sep 2023
What makes a healthy river?
River health has captured the public imagination, particularly as overspills from sewers have been getting more attention in the media. But the condition of a river is so much more complicated than what flows into it from our water treatment systems. Agriculture, roads, how we us ... Show More
36m 11s
Jul 2021
Introducing: "Guardians of the River"
The Okavango River is a major river system in Southwest Africa. It begins in Angola, passes through Namibia and ends in a vast delta in Botswana. This river system, its ecological and social impact is the subject of a breathtaking new podcast called Guardians of The River.  Guard ... Show More
48m 58s
Feb 2023
#169 Why the US is shooting down UFOs; the science behind period cravings; saving the UK’s rivers
The UK’s rivers are in a dire state. Full of sewage, chemicals and prescription drugs, life in our rivers is suffering. New Scientist has teamed up with the i newspaper to launch the Save Britain’s Rivers campaign to raise awareness of the issue and get changes in the law. The te ... Show More
31m 14s
Nov 2021
Canoeing the Cam
Britain's rivers are in crisis, with only 14% of them deemed to be in a good ecological state. Chalk streams are particularly vulnerable, as so much is taken out of them for use in our water supplies. Pollution from sewage and agricultural run-off only add to the problem. In this ... Show More
27m 55s
Sep 2023
Should you blow up a pipeline?
Climate activists have tried marching and lobbying. Now, a growing flank of movement radicals want to take more extreme action. Author Dana Fisher tells us who they are, and sociologist Matthew Wolfe traces the history of radical environmentalism in the US. Today's episode was pr ... Show More
25m 46s
Oct 2021
119. Join a music festival on the River Wye and meet the folk trying to save the "Queen of Rivers"
Enjoy wonderful folk music beside the River Wye and listen to the story of campaigners "Walking with the Wye" to raise awareness of the river's sad plight due to pollution. Recorded by Maria Hodson. With thanks to the Plump Hill Band, Tracey Dixon, Rob Swannack, Dick Brice and Ro ... Show More
43m 41s