Stay ConnectedDiscover the people and the projects trying to make the world a better place.
A weekly programme looking at common challenges around the world and the creative ways people are trying to tackle them.
Presenter Myra Anubi speaks to reporters, experts and innovators to investigate how effective different solutions are, share their successes and inspire listeners with what is possible.
Copyright: © (C) BBC 2022
Would you pick up litter if your life depended on it?
Around the world, companies and governments are trying to incentivise people to pick up litter and recycle their waste. In Nigeria, we visit the tech start-up which encourages people to pick rubbish up off the street – and then swaps the plastic bottles, cartons and metals they collect for potentially life-saving healthcare.
And in Turkey, we meet the mayor on a mission to get his residents recycling, by exchanging their household waste for points that earn them money. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporters: Craig Langran and Kareemot Salami Producer: Jo Casserly Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphy
Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: Recycling in Turkey
Giant seabirds and shellfish are being used to help protect our planet.
On an tiny island in the remote Southern Ocean, a French researcher wanted to find out why so many birds were being killed by fishing boats.
By attaching radar loggers to Albatrosses, he inadvertently invented a powerful method for tracking down illegal vessels.
And in New Orleans in the US, a restaurant owner is recycling tonnes of old oyster shells.
They’re being put back in the ocean to protect the shoreline and create new reefs so more oysters can grow.
Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Anna Adams Producer: Zoe Gelber Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphy
Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: An albatross (Getty Images)
How do you help young displaced people get a better start in life?
Young people who become refugees often have their education disrupted – which can have a serious impact on their future prospects. But we find out about two schemes that are trying to help. In Jordan, a charity has developed a high school curriculum specifically aimed at young people who are displaced. Amala enables 16-25 year olds to complete their secondary education, and also develop skills that will help their community. And when it comes to further education another organisation in Canada has been helping young refugees. The Student Refugee Program run by the World University Service help them to study at Canadian universities and then settle in the country. We speak to a student who’s been through the scheme, and to one of the volunteers who helped them.
Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Lucy Burns Additional production: Craig Langran Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Gareth Jones
Editor: Penny Murphy
Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk
Image: Amala graduates in Kenya, (Credit: Chol Ghai Angeth)
A growing number of people are looking for ways to be sustainable in death as well as life. We look at the latest end-of-life options aiming to be more environmentally friendly.
From the company making compost of our human remains in the US to the so called ‘greenatoriums’ in India that are offering people a greener alternative to traditional cremations.
Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/Producer: Farhana Haider Reporter in Lucknow: Mohammed Usman Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Gareth Jones Editor: Penny Murphy
Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: Recompose, a human composting facility in Seattle.
Road traffic injuries are the eighth biggest cause of death in the world, with about 1.3m people killed every year.
But 25 years ago, a movement started that changed the way policy-makers approach the issue. Vision Zero imagines a world in which no-one is killed or seriously injured on our roads. Its advocates say this isn’t a utopian ideal, but a mindset with numerous practical implications, and which has cut deaths in a number of countries.
Myra Anubi also hears about an innovative project to help truck drivers in India stay safe on the roads, and checks out the tech that now comes fitted in all new cars models in the EU - and which experts say could eliminate a fifth of road casualties.
Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporters: William Kremer and Chhavi Sachdev Producer: Zoe Gelber Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: Stop sign (Getty Images)
When 23 pupils were arrested after a series of fights at a school in the US city of Shreveport, a small band of parents decided to help the beleaguered teaching staff regain control.
Step forward the ‘Dads on Duty’. They are a group volunteer fathers who patrol the corridors and playgrounds with a friendly smile and a few dad jokes. Their presence gives the kids some positive male role models and demonstrates an alternative to gang culture.
Plus, we take another look at a scheme that tackles bullying by bringing a baby into the classroom. Roots of Empathy believe that caring for a baby will reduce aggression amongst young children and help them to become better citizens.
Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/Reporter: Ben Wyatt Producer: Richard Kenny Picture: Dads on Duty
At least a third of food grown around the world fails to be eaten, with the resulting food waste causing 10 per cent of global carbon emissions.
However, there are pioneers trying to tackle different issues along the chain.
We visit a project linking farmers direct to customers in Puerto Rico, check out smart labels that extend the shelf life of food by revealing when food actually goes off, and revisit an app where millions of people share spare food for free.
Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/Producer: Jo Mathys Reporter/Producer: Claire Bates Producer in Puerto Rico: Adriana De Jesus Producer: Richard Kenny Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphy
Image: Crystal Díaz
Farming animals for meat has a massive environmental impact, both in terms of land use and carbon emissions. But in order for people to eat less meat, they need to be excited about the alternatives.
Around the world, people are coming up with ingenious meat replacements that look, taste and smell more like the real thing than ever. In Switzerland, we visit the perfume company that’s now turned its hand to perfecting the flavour in veggie burgers. And in Nigeria we meet the entrepreneur who has devised an alternative to beef and chicken that he hopes will appeal to West African tastes. Plus, we speak to the start-up in Israel that’s making kosher veggie ‘meat’ using a 3D printer.
Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/Producer: Craig Langran Producer: Lucy Burns Picture: Vegan burger (Getty Images)
Police forces in the US are turning to futuristic technology to tackle a rise in violent crime and murder across the country. In one area of California, they are even using robots to patrol the streets. There, the police are claiming it's led to a reduction in crime and an increase in arrests. In New York they even experimented with a robot police dog, but with mixed results. This and other cutting-edge technologies are helping the police – and the public - stay one step ahead, but they are often controversial. In this programme we look at the some of the best ways that technology can make the streets safer. Presented and produced by Ben Wyatt Image: The Robocop K5
Repeat - first published 5 October 2021
We look at two new pieces of health technology which allow medics to treat people without touching them. Breast cancer fatality rates in India are higher than in other countries because women are often reluctant to go for screening. A start up called Niramai wants to change this. They use thermal imaging and machine learning to screen for breast cancer without patients having to be seen or touched by a doctor. Plus, we hear about a new company using augmented reality to connect surgeons in operating theatres around the world. Proximie allows medical professionals to help or observe surgery in progress from anywhere on their computer or tablet. It’s already been deployed in 500 hospitals.
Presenter: Jo Mathys Reporters: Chhavi Sachdev and Lucy Burns Produced by Lucy Burns for the BBC World Service. Picture: Remote operation (credit: Proximie)
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