Rare Earth

Helen Czerski and Tom Heap ask if nature is really red in tooth and claw. Is life all about survival of the fittest or are we all working together on a changing planet?
They're joined by Rowan Hooper, author of Togetherness, lichen expert April Windle and Isabel Hardman, assistant editor of the Spectator magazine and author of The Natural Health Service: How Nature Can Mend Your Mind.
Together they discuss the plants and insects that rely on deals with other species to keep themselves healthy, from fungus-farming ants to the Wood Wide Web that connects most living plants. April shows Helen the wondrous lichens of Hyde Park and Rowan discovers the orchids studied by Charles Darwin at his home in Kent.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Assistant Producer: Toby Field
Special thanks to English Heritage and The Royal Parks

How will the environment be changed by an Andy Burnham government? As the new parliamentary session opens, Tom Heap and Helen Czerski leaf through the government in-tray to reveal the big decisions that will need to be taken on energy, transport and nature protection.
Discussing the issues from Rosebank to wildfires are Sky News Economics Editor, Ed Conway, climate scientist Corrine Le Quéré from the University of East Anglia and Michael Jacobs, former Special Advisor on the environment to Prime Minster Gordon Brown.
Producers: Ed Prendeville and Beth Sagar-Fenton

Helen Czerski and Tom Heap investigate the environmental impact of volcanoes from prehistory to the present day, and find out about their cultural significance in art and literature.
On today's panel: Dr Will Hutchison, volcanologist at the University of St Andrews; Hólmfríður Sigurðardóttir, who chairs the Surtsey Research Society in Iceland; and Fiona Stafford, Professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford University.

Producer: Emma Campbell
Assistant Producer: Toby Field

Who's the hero that will protect us from the impact of extreme heat, rain and whatever else climate change might throw at us in future? Forget someone in a cape, maybe it's the person quietly sketching buildings on a bit of paper.
Architects shape the buildings we live in and rely on - can they change the way they work to make sure that our homes are smart enough to outpace the challenges of climate change? And can they lead the way in cleaning up the impact of the building industry? Or is the challenge just too great?
We find out with the help of:
- Isabel Allen, editor of Architecture Today
- Barnabas Calder, reader in architecture at the University of Liverpool
- Jay Morton, director of Bell Phillips Architects and incoming President Elect of RIBA
With thanks to Jess Hrivnak, and Melissa Mean and Jasmine Tippett from WeCanMake.
Presented by Tom Heap and Helen Czerski
Produced by Beth Sagar-Fenton

Helen Czerski and Tom Heap discover how new technology lets us listen in to the extraordinary sounds of the planet's waterways. From the deepest ocean to the tributaries, rivers and streams, this is an exploration of the sound made under water by animals, humans, and yes even plants. From the snapping of shrimp to the bark of a John Dory, Tom and Helen ask how sound travels through water, how important it is and what is known about the purpose of these sounds. They also ask what impact human activity is having on the watery soundscapes and their inhabitants. Joining Tom and Helen are Marine Biologist Steve Simpson, Former Submariner Bob Mansergh, Principle Scientist Rosalyn Seddon and Eco-Acoustician Jack Greenhalgh.
Producer: Ellie Richold
Assistant Producer: Toby Field