How do we get our healthy rivers back?
With so many of the UK's rivers in poor ecological health, Tom Heap and Helen Czerski ask what went wrong and what we can do to try to put things right.
With river pollution more in the news than ever before, and sewage now a hot topic, Helen Czerski and Tom Heap investigate how we can restore the health of our rivers. They talk to the Rivers Trust, which this week released its latest βState of our Riversβ report, and ask whether water quality has got better or worse since the last survey three years ago.
They delve into the history of our water system β from the creation of the Victorian sewer network after the βGreat Stinkβ of 1858, to the 21st century Thames Tideway Tunnel, Londonβs super-sewer currently under construction. But have we got our whole water system wrong? Tom and Helen ask whether regarding water as a one-way disposal system has partly created the mess our rivers are in today. They also hear about some waterfleas with remarkable powers to suck pollutants out of water.
Produced by Emma Campbell for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Audio Bristol in conjunction with the Open University
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- Fri 1 Mar 2024 12:04ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
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Rare Earth
Our relationship with the natural world explored by Tom Heap and Helen Czerski.
