ClimateCast with Tom Heap

This week Wales has joined England and Scotland on waving goodbye to single-use plastics. The decision lends its hand to the 'booming' compostable packaging industry.

But could a packaging that reverts to nature be too good to be true? One UCL study has found that 60% of products advertised as home compostable didn't fully decompose within 12 months - and a lot of consumers don't know which bin they go in.

So are compostables genuinely a good alternative to plastic?

On Sky News ClimateCast Tom Heap visits a compostable packaging manufacturer to find out how it works and where it's best fit for purpose.

He meets researcher Danielle Purkiss who ran the Big Compost Heap study to find out what the challenges with this kind of packaging are and visits online grocer Abel & Cole - who've decided to ditch compostables.

Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse and Mickey Carroll
Editor: Paul Stanworth

Just a few years ago, a small village in North Yorkshire became a magnet for protesters who were opposing hydraulic fracturing for gas - also known as fracking.

Now, the organiser of those protests works for the same company he opposed, but it has tapped into a greener energy source.

On this episode of ClimateCast, Tom Heap heads to North Yorkshire to meet workers at the firm which has swapped fracking for geothermal heat.

He speaks to the staff who have turned away from fossil fuels, and also to former protesters about their victory and the green energy solution that's on their doorstep.

Podcast producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Field producer: Gemma Watson
Editor: Paul Stanworth

Carbon dioxide is the big villain of global warming - the "most wanted" for crimes against the climate that we'd love to lock up.

In Merseyside and North Wales, they're putting a posse together.

It's called HyNet and it's a group of around 40 carbon-intensive industries brought together as a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) cluster.

On this episode, Tom Heap hears how polluting industries plan to capture CO2 before it's released and asks: will carbon capture ever actually become a reality?

Podcast producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Field producer: Gemma Watson
Editor: Paul Stanworth

Half of energy is used as heat and, both across the world and here in the UK, most of that comes from fossil fuels.

But a small business in Hampshire thinks that have the solution to store and decarbonise heat - a heat battery. If successful, the breakthrough could eliminate 4% of global carbon emissions.

On this week's ClimateCast Tom Heap visits the factory producing heat batteries for industry purposes. He speaks to founder James McNaghten about how aluminium and gravel could produce heat, on demand.

Plus he speaks to Dr Iain Staffell, senior lecturer in Sustainable Energy at Imperial College London, about how to scale up the producing of heat batteries and their potential.

Podcast producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Field producer: Mickey Carroll

On this week's ClimateCast Tom Heap is in west London to talk about the quality of the UK's waterways, something that's causing a public and political outcry across the country.

With his waders on, he meets the brains behind water quality monitors handmade by local residents which are helping to monitor pollution in the River Brent, including founder of Clean up the River Brent, Ben Morris.

Plus, he speaks to former punk icon Feargal Sharkey about fears for future water quantity and how much of a factor water will be in the next general election.

Podcast producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Field producer: Gemma Watson
Editors: Wendy Parker and Paul Stanworth

Lough Neagh is the UK’s largest lake – and it’s being poisoned by toxic algae.

It’s killing dogs, birds, fish and is dangerous to humans. Campaigners say the “toxic soup” is being used “as a toilet” and although it’s treated, it still provides 40% of Northern Ireland’s drinking water.

But without a sitting parliament, where do the people of Northern Ireland turn?

On this episode of Sky News ClimateCast, Tom Heap visits Lough Neagh to see the damage and speak to campaigners and locals outraged by the problem. Plus, he visits the Agri-Food and Biosciences institute which could have a solution to the problem.

Producers: Mickey Carroll and Emma Rae Woodhouse
Editors: Luke Denne and Wendy Parker

On this week's ClimateCast, Tom Heap goes wild camping on Dartmoor and discovers why people think it’s so devoid of wildlife.

Dubbed 'the place nature goes to die' Dartmoor has been criticised for overgrazing and not enhancing nature.

So what is the solution to protecting nature while still enjoying our national parks?

With a tent on his back, Tom Heap speaks to the chief executive of Dartmoor Park, a local farmer and environmental campaigner about how we strike the balance.

Podcast producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Climate producer: Gemma Watson
Editor: Paul Stanworth

Sky News and Global Fishing Watch have discovered many of the UK's marine conservation zones and marine protected areas are often protected in name only. Since January 2022, tens of thousands of hours of damaging fishing practices like dredging and bottom trawling have taken place in the so-called protected zones.

Although damaging to our ocean's havens, the practices aren't illegal. So how can we allow commercial fishing to continue while allowing our seabeds to recover and thrive?

On this week's ClimateCast, Tom Heap is in Bognor Regis to speak to fourth-generation fisherman, Clive Mills, who has returned to his fishing boat after being pushed out because of a lack of supply. Twenty years on, he's pledged to only fish sustainably and is encouraging others to do the same.

Plus, we look at the state of fishing in our waters internationally with Jack Clarke from the Marine Conservation Society.

Podcast producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Climate producer: Mickey Carroll
Editors: Paul Stanworth and Wendy

On this week's ClimateCast Tom Heap has exclusive access to Zero Petroleum, a producer of synthetic fuel.

He catches a glimpse of a jet engine powered by e-fuel and speaks to the chemists about how they create an almost zero carbon fuel, without any oil and gas, made from only air and water.

Tom meets Zero's creator Paddy Lowe, previously a Formula 1 engineer, to understand its possible role in the future of energy.

Plus, Colin Walker, transport lead at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, shares how he thinks synthetic fuel compares with the electrification of transport.

Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Editor: Paul Stanworth

On this week's ClimateCast, Tom Heap is cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

The food we eat is responsible for around a third of our emissions, so making diets greener couldn't be more essential to fight climate change. So how can consumers be nudged to make a change?

Tom visits Sky's kitchen where they are labelling the carbon intensity of each dish alongside the menu they serve to their 30,000 employees. He also gets a tour of a restaurant without a bin. The zero waste establishment upcycles and re-uses almost absolutely everything.

Podcast prodcer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Assistant producers: Alex Edden and Soila Apparicio
Podcast promotions producer: Jim Farthing
Editors: Wendy Parker and Paul Stanworth