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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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 (https://act.friendsoftheearth.uk/donate/make-a-donation?_ga=2.1735858.2055361964.1579523061-622360301.1536752803)

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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 Kerrel...

What is environmental justice?How are black and brown communities impacted by climate breakdown differently?Why do equality and anti-racism need to be central to the environmental movement?To mark Black History Month, campaigner Muna Suleiman chats to...

As fashion week draws to a close, we take a look at one of our most problematic faves - new clothes.Muna and Louisa speak to fashion insiders Ros and Marie to get useful tips about how we can look good sustainably, what we can do as consumers to push...

Outside of our major cities, the UK is reliant on cars to get us around. We know they're huge contributors to climate breakdown, but what are the alternatives? Could we really aim for the bike culture of Holland? Could our public transport system ever...

Caring about the climate doesn't always mean it's easy to talk about. We know it can be a tricky conversation to have, whether with friends, family or your least favourite coworker. We're here to help, so we asked Cassie Flynn to share some wisdom....

The UK claims to be a climate leader, but the truth behind where our tax money goes tells a different story. Muna and Louisa are joined today by Adam McGibbon, an investigator with Global Witness. We discover how our money is being used to damage our...

Lockdown may mean we're spending more time at home, but there's still a lot of the natural world we can look out for (and enjoy) from our doorstep. In this episode Muna and Isobel speak to 14-year-old RSPB Youth Ambassador, Kabir Kaul, who's on a...

Ramadan has kicked off for Muslims around the world, a time of fasting, reflection and family. This week Muna is talking to 3 British Muslims, Magid Magid, Lamees Hafeez, and Zunaira Malik. They chat about how lockdown has impacted their fasting,...

So the UN climate talks are postponed, but what really happens there anyway? And does the delay mean anything for climate breakdown?

Muna catches up with a few Friends of the Earth staff to see how they're coping and staying connected as we enter life on lockdown. We discuss how we're looking after ourselves, what social distancing means for activism, experiences with homeschooling,...