Rare Earth

BBC Radio 4

Environmental journalist Tom Heap and physicist Helen Czerski tackle major stories about our environment and wildlife, celebrate the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderful.

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20 episodes
Updated June 27

Episodes20

Newest first

June 27 · 52 min
The Sound of Water
How new technology lets us listen in to the extraordinary sounds of the planet's waterways
June 19 · 53 min
Into the Wild
Is there any true wilderness left on our planet? Writer Cal Flyn joins Tom and Helen.
June 12 · 52 min
Hotter Than Hell
How can Britain - and the world - prepare itself for extreme heat?
June 5 · 52 min
Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog
40% of amphibian species are threatened with extinction. How can we save them?
May 30 · 52 min
Leaving Fossil Fuels Behind
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski ask whether war is accelerating the shift from fossil fuels
May 22 · 52 min
World of Flowers
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski discover how flowers changed our planet.
April 3 · 52 min
The Joy of Soil
Beneath your feet is a world wide web that keeps us all alive. Dig the joy of soil.
March 27 · 53 min
Hot Sport
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup we ask how to cut the environmental cost of sport.
March 20 · 52 min
America and the Planet
How will the second Trump presidency really impact the future of our environment?
March 13 · 53 min
Lakes, Lochs and Loughs
Plunge into the chilly, much-disputed waters of the lakes of the British Isles.
March 6 · 53 min
Should we still have zoos?
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski ask what the role of zoos is in the 21st century.
February 27 · 53 min
Ocean Explorers
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski explore how robots and DNA are expanding our oceanic knowledge.
Dec 19, 2025 · 52 min
Love of a Cold Climate
What will warmer winters mean for the natural world?
Dec 12, 2025 · 52 min
City Transport: Faster, Cheaper, Greener
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski examine how we get around our towns and cities.
Dec 5, 2025 · 53 min
Hiding in Plain Sight
A celebration of city wildlife from across the world.
Dec 1, 2025 · 52 min
The Evolution of Evolution
What would Darwin and the other great naturalists think of our world today?
Nov 21, 2025 · 52 min
Fashioning the Future
Can we rethink how we dress to be less impactful on the planet?
Nov 14, 2025 · 52 min
COP30: A New Hope?
World leaders are gathering in Brazil, but can they prevent runaway climate change?
Sep 26, 2025 · 53 min
Trains on Trial
Is train travel part of a green future, not just our industrial past?
Sep 19, 2025 · 53 min
Great Migrations
New technology gives fresh insights into the great animal migrations

Rare Earth

The Sound of Water

Into the Wild

Hotter Than Hell

Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog

Leaving Fossil Fuels Behind

World of Flowers

The Joy of Soil

Hot Sport

America and the Planet

Lakes, Lochs and Loughs

Should we still have zoos?

Ocean Explorers

Love of a Cold Climate

City Transport: Faster, Cheaper, Greener

Hiding in Plain Sight

The Evolution of Evolution

Fashioning the Future

COP30: A New Hope?

Trains on Trial

Great Migrations