Imagining Tomorrow

Emma Newman with Friends of the Earth

It’s hard to imagine a bright future in the face of the climate crisis. This new podcast, from Hugo Award winning podcaster and author Emma Newman, will take you on a journey from despair to the most radiant, radical hope.

Made in partnership with Friends of the Earth, Imagining Tomorrow shows how we can create a future that is good for people and for nature, based on innovations in technology and community action that are already having a positive impact.

Join Emma as she pieces together the roadmap to utopia by interviewing amazing inventors, communities and award-winning science fiction authors.

We can’t build a better future until we can imagine it, so let’s imagine it together.

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20 episodes
Updated Sep 5, 2024

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Episodes20

Newest first

Sep 5, 2024 · 30 min
Pausing, Reflecting, Hoping
As series 1 of Imagining Tomorrow draws to a close, presenter Emma Newman reflects on the battle against despair and what the podcast has revealed about the entrepreneurs, scientists, innovators and communities she's interviewed. Emma explores the key lessons they've imparted, and whether they're enough to tackle the climate. Resources: Research on new onshore wind and solar sites: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/mapping-england-could-produce-13-times-more-clean-energy https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/richest-1-emit-much-planet-heating-pollution-two-thirds-humanity https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/climate-equality-a-planet-for-the-99-621551/ https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/government-pulls-defence-cumbria-mine-legal-challenges https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/supreme-court-judgment-horse-hill-oil https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/no-gas-caverns-legal-win-protecting-larne-lough https://friendsoftheearth.uk/take-action/take-action-join-local-group-groups-website Support the show
Aug 9, 2024 · 50 min
Harvesting, Fertilising, Revolutionising
Seaweed has long been touted as an important resource in the battle against climate change, thanks to its rapid growth and ability to absorb carbon dioxide. Inspired by conversations with a community garden group in Scotland and the founder of a company producing sustainable materials from seaweed, Emma Newman imagines a world in which new materials replace plastics and fossil fuels are replaced by different types of biomass, including seaweed. In episode 9 we heard from: Professor Chris Chuck from Kelpi Danielle Banks from Seaweed Gardens Lewis Hou from Science Ceilidh Author Gary L. Powell Additional resources Guide to using seaweed as fertiliser [PDF], shared with kind permission by Danielle Banks Support the show
Jul 10, 2024 · 54 min
Mapping, Restoring, Regenerating
Recent council decisions to cut down trees in Sheffield and Plymouth have prompted outcry from local residents and demonstrated how passionate we can be about preserving trees in urban environments. Research carried out on behalf of Friends of the Earth shows the dramatic impact trees have on bringing down temperatures in urban areas, and calls to increase our woeful tree cover in the UK are gathering momentum. Inspired by conversations with the CEO of one of the most ambitious rewilding projects in the UK, and a data scientist who specialises in the interpretation of mapping data, Emma Newman imagines a future where trees are valued more in both rural and urban environments and reflects on how that could benefit people and planet. In this episode we hear from: Trees for Life, a charity working to rewild the Scottish Highlands Author Justina Robson Terra Sulis, a community interest company that uses open data to conduct research and pilot nature-friendly projects Additional resources The relationship between heatwaves and premature births First major study examining the link between heat, pollution and premature births Urban heat map of the UK Woodland opportunity map for England Chew Valley Plants Trees Support the show
Jun 10, 2024 · 55 min
Pollinating, Gardening, Listening
The decline in pollinator numbers is a frightening trend that needs to be reversed as soon as possible. If you live in a city, is there anything you can do? And if you're a farmer, how can you tell if the changes you're making to increase numbers of pollinators that food production depends upon are actually working? Inspired by conversations with an ecologist who has an ambitious plan for pollinators in London, the founder of a UK start-up using smart listening devices and AI to monitor pollinator numbers in real-time, and a science-fiction author, Emma Newman imagines a future in which pollinators can flourish in both urban and rural environments, thanks to old- fashioned approaches melded with cutting-edge technology. In the episode we hear from: Gerry Tissier and the Hackney Buzzline https://www.ecoactive.org.uk/hackney-buzzline Casey Woodward, CEO of Agrisound https://agrisound.io/ Allen Stroud https://www.allenstroud.com/ Additional resources https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-06/MHAW21-Nature-research-report.pdf https://experiments.friendsoftheearth.uk/projects/postcode-gardeners-how-hiring-postcode-gardener-can-bring-nature-back-your-street Support the show
May 20, 2024 · 47 min
Campaigning, Collaborating, Motivating
In recent years, young people have been at the forefront of campaigning on climate change. How does it feel to spearhead a campaign? How is it possible to campaign with busy lives and academic pressures? What keeps you going in these times of hostile politics, an adversarial press and toxic social media? Emma Newman talks to a young activist who has spearheaded an amazing campaign for clean air in London and a youth campaigning mentor from Friends of the Earth. In episode 5 we heard from: Destiny Boka-Batesa from the Choked Up campaign Rowha Mohid, Climate Youth Society peer mentor from Friends of the Earth Additional resources related to the episode Destiny's article in Cherwell (Oxford's oldest student newspaper) Survey on the mental health impact of eco-anxiety [PDF] published in The Lancet Friends of the Earth's Climate.Youth.Society programme. Do you want to tell Emma about a project or idea linked to this episode? Email podcast@enewman.co.uk Support the show
Apr 5, 2024 · 44 min
Monitoring, Rescuing, Cleansing
One day, a man in Salford Quays awoke to find a duck nesting on his balcony, 150 ft above the water. Once born, her ducklings had to be lowered down in a bucket. With over 20 acres of water at her disposal, why did that mother duck decide to nest there? And why did thousands of fish in the same location die overnight? Inspired by talking to the duckling rescuer, the inventor of cutting-edge water monitoring equipment, and an award-winning science fiction author, Emma Newman imagines a future where communities help to keep waterways across the UK clean enough to swim in thanks to a nifty monitoring system. In episode 5 we heard from: Steve Stuttard, duckling rescuer (watch Steve's rescues on YouTube) Glynn Cotton from WATR, the environmental monitoring system Rachelle Atalla, author of "The Pharmacist" and "Dirty Animals" Additional resources related to the episode Join a local action group Support the show
Mar 5, 2024 · 1 hr 1 min
Financing, Fundraising, Moving
When the average person can’t control how the funds in their own bank accounts or pensions are used by institutions, is there any way to stop terrible things being done with our money? Inspired by conversations with the leader of a grassroots movement empowering women to take control of their finances, a community farm in Wales raising funds to keep the farm in the service of the local people it feeds, and an award-winning science fiction writer, Emma Newman imagines a world in which fossil fuel companies are starved of funds and ethical companies are able to thrive thanks to sensible, sustainable community investment. Who we hear from in this episode: Money Movers: https://www.wearemoneymovers.com/ Tydden Teg Farm: https://tyddynteg.com/ Adrian Tchaikovsky: https://adriantchaikovsky.com/ My own website: www.enewman.co.uk Resources: Friends of the Earth article about the World Bank: https://foe.org/blog/finance-to-fossil-fuels-world-bank-imf/ The Tydden Teg Community Share offer document: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14eQEnnrDs7Bws7eFP8-IAme_gtoOZlFu/view Report by Urgewald on World Bank Trade Finance: https://www.urgewald.org/sites/default/files/media-files/Urgewald%20-%20Trade%20Finance%20Paper%20-0923.pdf Friends of the Earth article about UK Pension Funds: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/revealed-ps16bn-local-government-pensions-fuelling-climate-crisis Tydden Teg’s Crowdfunder page - now finished, but you can see how they did it: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/tyddyn-teg-community-shares foe.uk/community-groups Co-operatives UK - Helped Tydden Teg to do their community share offer: https://www.uk.coop/ The origin of Money Movers: https://experiments.friendsoftheearth.uk/projects/money-movers-get-your-friends-or-colleagues-together-take-climate-action-your-finances Climate Town video on banks financing fossil fuel projects: https://youtu.be/NJ7W6HFHPYs Support the show
Feb 6, 2024 · 52 min
Warming, Decarbonising, Celebrating
Across the UK there are thousands of faith buildings playing important roles in their communities. Churches, mosques, gurdwaras, all host gatherings for worship and for community activities such as playgroups, choirs, support groups and many more. Recently, many have been serving as warm banks, providing a space for people struggling to heat their homes in the energy crisis. How can these buildings, often huge and sometimes hundreds of years old, afford to provide these critical spaces in times of energy price hikes and still meet net-zero goals? Inspired by talking to an interfaith group in Birmingham, an innovative infra-red heating company in Bristol and an NYT bestselling science-fiction author, Emma Newman imagines a future in which community groups redesign the function of former shopping malls to create third spaces that repair the fabric of society. Who we hear from in this episode: Footsteps: https://footstepsbcf.org.uk/ Herschel Infrared: https://www.herschel-infrared.co.uk/heating-heritage-buildings/churches/ Una McCormack: https://unamccormack.co.uk/ My own website: www.enewman.co.uk https://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/design/faith-buildings-and-local-communities/ - Interesting post about working with Bow Church to expand community activities http://www.empoweringdesign.net/ - all about the research project looking at community engagement in the use of faith buildings https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/enabling-community-based-leadership-in-design-sustainable-development-of-historic-faith-buildings/1 - An Open University course designed to help people to consult with communities on the use of faith buildings A video about the Halo heater, in which the diagram about bubbles of heat mentioned in the episode can be seen: https://youtu.be/eqnZF2uYMz4 Support the show
Jan 5, 2024 · 54 min
Growing, Feeding, Nurturing
Over the past couple of years, extreme weather events, the energy crisis and Brexit have put a visible strain on the UK’s food supply chain and increased prices for the consumer. What if we increased the amount of food that we grow in cities, and thus increased biodiversity and reduced food miles? Inspired by talking to a community gardens group in Reading, a horticultural engineer who has co-founded a vertical farm in London and an award-winning author and screenwriter, Emma Newman imagines a future in which communities grow so much food together on their doorstep that the UK no longer needs to import fresh fruit and veg... Resources In episode 2 we heard from: Reading Food for Families Harvest London Temi Oh Reading International Solidarity Centre Presenter Emma Newman The quote from Safia about her experience of growing food at Aisha Mosque garden was taken from this video and used with the kind permission of Andrea Berardi from COBRA Collective. Get inspired by existing community gardening projects Postcode Gardener scheme (by Friends of the Earth and The Co-operative Bank) Incredible Edible movement (which Reading Food for Families is joining). Check out their campaign to establish a Right to Grow Community food-growing initiatives highlighted by the COBRA Collective (PDF) Support the show
Nov 20, 2023 · 50 min
Heating, Cooling, Empowering
Most homes in the UK are still heated by burning fossil fuels. Struggling households are faced with unnecessarily high bills and cold winters, or bearing the financial burden of replacing old-fashioned central heating. So is there a better way to heat and cool our buildings, accelerate decarbonisation and reduce fuel poverty? Inspired by talking to a Welsh community, a scientist and award-winning author Anne Charnock, Emma Newman imagines a future in which ex-industrial towns can be regenerated, thanks to the intriguing idea of flooding mines... In episode 1, we hear from: Green SCIES (Centre of Excellence in Smart Local Energy Systems) Cym Arian Renewable Energy (CARE) Author Anne Charnock Presenter Emma Newman For inspiration and guidance on starting your own community energy project, visit the websites listed below: Welsh Government Energy Service Community Energy Wales Regen - Local and community energy support Centre For Sustainable Energy Additional resources mentioned in the episode: Friends of the Earth's guide to heat pumps and other eco-friendly heating The Ogwen Valley social enterprise group (video) Support the show
Nov 1, 2023 · 4 min
Imagining Tomorrow- Trailer
Coming soon, a new podcast, Imagining Tomorrow shows how we can create a future that is good for people and for nature, based on innovations in technology and community action that are already having a positive impact. Join Emma Newman as she pieces together the roadmap to utopia by interviewing amazing inventors, communities and award-winning science fiction authors. We can’t build a better future until we can imagine it, so let’s imagine it together. Support the show
Sep 28, 2021 · 27 min
How to Save the Planet | How 17,000 people took Shell to court - and won
An episode from Friends of the Earth podcast series, How to Save the Planet. This summer, in a ground-breaking ruling, a Dutch court ordered Shell to reduce its emissions. This is the first time a company has been made to take action to prevent climate breakdown. The case was brought by Friends of the Earth Netherlands, alongside 17,000 co-plaintiffs and other organisations. In this episode Fran and Finn speak to Nine de Pater, from Friends of the Earth Netherlands, to hear more about the case and how these changes can have a wide impact on our planet. This is the last episode in the current season, How to Save the Planet podcast will be taking a break until the new year. Thanks for listening! Support the show
Jul 29, 2021 · 22 min
How to Save the Planet | Black Girls Hike
An episode from Friends of the Earth podcast series, How to Save the Planet. As lockdowns ease and we're able to get out again we look at groups working to address the under-representation of black and brown people in the outdoors. Over a couple of future episodes, we speak to people who are challenging this. Louisa and Danny speak to Rhiane Fatinikun. In 2019 Rhiane set up a small walking group Black Girls Hike, which today has thousands of members, providing a safe space for black women to explore the outdoors and reconnect with nature. Find Black Girls Hike here: https://www.bghuk.com/ https://www.instagram.com/bgh_uk/ Support the show
Jun 11, 2021 · 40 min
How to Save the Planet | What’s wrong with the Policing Bill?
An episode from Friends of the Earth podcast series, How to Save the Planet. We explore the governments controversial new Policing Bill, speaking to our Head of Political Affairs, Dave Timms about the risk to peaceful protest and Mattey Mitchell from Friends, Families and Travellers about its potential devastating effects on the rights of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. Support the show
Apr 26, 2021 · 35 min
How to Save the Planet | Do local elections matter?
An episode from Friends of the Earth podcast series, How to Save the Planet. On 6th May polls open for local elections around England and Wales, for communities to vote for their next Mayor, Metro Mayor, local council and Senedd representatives. But interest in local elections can be low, with the power of your local representatives to make big decisions for our planet often get overlooked. This episode we spoke to Connie and Jackie, local campaigners in Friends of the Earth's network of grassroots groups. They talk to us about what they want to see as a priority for local candidates, how they got involved in local action and what gives them hope. ----- Support the show
Apr 1, 2021 · 45 min
How to Save the Planet | Want a green job?
An episode from Friends of the Earth podcast series, How to Save the Planet. A green, low carbon future means new jobs and industries that are good for the environment and the people in them. But what counts as a green job? Do people really want them? How do you get one? And what should government be doing to create more? We're joined today by Clare Linton from Urban Transport Group and Lola Fayokun from Teach The Future to talk all things green jobs. ---- Support the show
Feb 24, 2021 · 33 min
How to Save the Planet | What's wrong with the economy anyway?
Part of our plan for building a greener and fairer future as we recover from the pandemic is to fix the broken economy. But what's broken about it? What might a different approach look like? And what difference would that actually make to your life? Fran and Danny talk to Adrienne Buller from think tank Common Wealth who answers all of these burning questions. Want to hear from us on a specific topic? Tweet us @friends_earth or email podcast@foe.co.uk and let us know. Find out more about Common Wealth at https://www.common-wealth.co.uk/ ------ Support the show
Jan 27, 2021 · 20 min
How to Save the Planet | What does a green future look like?
An episode from Friends of the Earth podcast series, How to Save the Planet. As we make our way through the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a lot of talk of building back better and a new normal. We have heard campaigners and politicians talking about a green and fair recovery or a green new deal. But what do any of these things really mean? What parts of our society need to change? What would that look like in your life? This episode kicks off the new year with a new series and a new presenter. Joing Danny and Isobel as they talk to Connor, a Friends of the Earth climate lead, about what a "Green and Fair Recovery" actually is and outline the topics we'll be diving into over the coming months. ---- Support the show
Dec 18, 2020 · 34 min
How to Save the Planet | A green and stress free Christmas with Tori Tsui
An episode from Friends of the Earth podcast series, How to Save the Planet. The holiday season is barrelling towards us, and it can be a high stress time of year, even as we try to relax. So, Muna and Louisa spoke to Tori Tsui, a climate and mental health activist. Tori came loaded with tips on how we can look after ourselves, each other and the planet as we make it through the final hurdle of 2020. Head to Instagram to follow Tori @toritsui_ If you'd like to give the gift of a donation to Friends of the Earth this year, head to https://act.friendsoftheearth.uk/donate/christmas-gift-to-the-planet ---- Support the show
Nov 25, 2020 · 28 min
How to Save the Planet | Can you make a difference to climate breakdown?
An episode from Friends of the Earth podcast series, How to Save the Planet. You've signed petitions and shared posts, but what next? How can you make an actual difference to the climate? It’s easier than you think: start in your backyard! We speak to local campaigner Ian Bowler and Wigan Council's Climate Change Manager Kerrell Walley, to find out how working with your local council can have a massive impact. Support the show