Tomorrow People

Our world is typically built for affluent, white, and able-bodied, adult males. It’s a sound idea to design for a default, a typical customer. But when you’re ignoring up to half of the potential audience, your default may not be so standard in real life, right? People of all shapes and colours need to see themselves reflected in all aspects and layers of society. So in our final episode of season two, we look into how we can design our world to be more inclusive.

Topics include: gender data gap, adaptive, diversity, inclusivity, inclusive design, representation, disability, gender

Guests on this episode:

Caroline Criado Perez - Writer & activist
London, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

In her latest book Invisible Women, Caroline exposes the data bias in a world designed for men. With a plethora of baffling examples, she shows how women are often left out of research and product development, with consequences ranging from inconvenient to lethal. We could listen to her for hours, but we prepared a more succinct selection of her fascinating thoughts and findings.

Samanta Bullock - Model & disability consultant
London, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Born and bred in Brazil, Samanta now lives in London, where she runs an online shop for sustainable adaptive fashion. These are regular clothes with small tweaks and improvements to make them more comfortable and accessible to people with all kinds of abilities. Tune in to hear her compelling life story!

For pictures, additional links, credits and full transcript, visit: https://tomorrowpeople.today/inclusive-by-design

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Slowly but surely, meat and dairy are on the decline in some parts of Europe. Some of us have by now figured out we need to drastically reduce our consumption of foods that contribute considerably to the deterioration of the environment. And then there’s the animal suffering, not to mention the health issues. Whereas the world of plant-based products once used to be relegated to treehuggers and stuffy cornershops, now snazzy start-ups, big fast food chains, and the meat and dairy industry are jumping on board. Is the introduction of big money something we should be suspicious about, or is every step forward a good step?

Topics include: vegan, oatly, plantbased, sustainability, meatfree, veggie, oatmilk, jackfruit, veganism, vegetarianism, sustainable

Guests on this episode:

Anna Åhnberg - Sustainability Specialist at Oatly
Malmö, 🇸🇪 Sweden

When Swedish scientists were looking for an alternative to cow’s milk for people suffering from lactose intolerance in the early 90’s, they eventually stumbled upon oats. Oatly, the company they founded is still very much alive and kicking today, and a poster child for hip plant-based foods. We gave Anna a call, their sustainability specialist, to talk about their story, challenges and opportunities.

Tobias Leenaert - Vegan strategist
🇧🇪 Belgium

A man with quite a career in the plant-based world, Tobias first founded EVA, the Belgian vegetarian organisation many years ago. Nicknamed the Vegan Stragegist, he is now a meta-activist, coaching and training others on how to create a vegan world. That’s also the title to his book, but his pragmatic approach also has some opponents…

Kaline van Halder - Co-founder Meet Jack
Amsterdam, 🇳🇱 Netherlands

Born in the Philippines, Kaline had a jackfruit tree in her backyard. Little did she know that she would one day run a company on the other side of the world, called Meet Jack, that makes meat alternatives based on the tropical fruit. Hear how that works, and how they’re building bridges between the plant-based world and the meat industry.

For pictures, additional links, credits and full transcript, visit: https://tomorrowpeople.today/meatless-momentum

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1 million plastic bottles are made, sold and transported every minute on this planet. Beverages, cleaning products, laundry detergents, … We’re storing and transporting a lot of things where the primary ingredient is water. And yet we all have perfectly fine water coming out of our faucets at home. To add insult to injury, why are we flushing our toilets with perfectly potable water? Let’s dive in and hear from three entrepreneurs how we can do more with our tap water.

Topics include: tap water, robinetto, hydraloop, water, plastic, plasticfree, faucet, just add water, ecopods

Guests on this episode:

Raf Schoonbaert - Founder Ecopods
Antwerp, 🇧🇪 Belgium

After working as a representative in the cleaning industry for a couple of years, Raf wondered if there was a better way to store and transport the heavy and bulky cleaning product containers. Spoiler: there is. He is now the man behind Ecopods (Dutch only) – concentrated cleaners wrapped in tiny biodegradable pods. Just add water and shake!

Patrick Doyen - Cofounder Robinetto
Ghent, 🇧🇪 Belgium

A true veteran of the beverage industry, Patrick decided it was time for something else. But it didn’t take long before he returned. Instead of marketing the most popular sodas in the world, he’s now aiming for impact by reducing the amount of water stored and shipped. One billion fewer plastic bottles, that’s Robinetto’s big goal.

Arthur Valkieser - Founder Hydraloop
Leeuwarden, 🇳🇱 Netherlands

Although we should definitely do more with tap water, we should also keep an eye on using it effectively, and smart. Which is how, one day, Arthur found himself pondering. If we would redesign the world, we’d never flush our toilets with drinking water. So he set out to invent a home appliance that recycles and filters our household water: the Hydraloop.

For pictures, additional links, credits and full transcript, visit: https://tomorrowpeople.today/just-add-water

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“If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.” Regardless of the accuracy of that famous quote, pollinators are indispensable to our planet. About one in three bites of food in the Western world depend on commercial bee pollination. But their numbers are dropping, fast. Bees and other insects are plagued by several afflictions. So what’s bugging the bugs, and what can be done about it?

Topics include: urban beekeeping, beekeepers, apiculture, bees, save the bees, honey, apicultura, beekeeping, pollinators, beehives

Guests on this episode:

Tim Joye - Artist
Ghent, 🇧🇪 Belgium

Our first stop was at a vacant lot in our hometown, where art director Tim has launched his Beesphere project with the installation of the very first Beepod. It’s a neat structure covered with bee-friendly plants, and it provides a home to tens of thousands of bees. The project aims to bring the local community and bee culture closer together in these unused spaces.

Peter Neumann - Bee Professor
Bern, 🇨🇭 Switzerland

A worldwide authority on bee health, Peter was the perfect person to explain the many factors that contribute to the diminished bee populations. He’s also the president of COLOSS, the research association that looks into colony losses, and a member of the B-GOOD project, which will gather data on sustainable beekeeping.

Roberto Pasi - Beeing CEO
Cesena, 🇮🇹 Italy

Beeing is a company that tackles the pollinator problem like a Silicon Valley startup: with technology and innovative products. Their latest is the b-box, a stylish beehive that is simple, safe, and fun. Designed to give the bees a boost in our urban environments, it aims to lower the bar to get into beekeeping.

For pictures, additional links, credits and full transcript, visit: https://tomorrowpeople.today/pollinators-in-peril

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In these days of climate change and discussions about fossil fuels, the first alternative sources of energy that come to mind are probably solar power and wind turbines. For good reason of course, as they are the most common, and widespread. But there are two other sources, manpower and gravity, that can be utilised in some very remarkable and useful ways. We found three intriguing applications.

Topics include: power, alternative power, ai pioppi, deciwatt, fossil fuels, energy, nowlight, electricity, off-grid, manpower, emining, gravitylight, gravity

Guests on this episode:

Gianluca Ferrin - Playground Manager
Nervesa della Battaglia, 🇮🇹 Italy

Hidden in the outskirts of a small village in Northern Italy, the Ai Pioppi amusement park is a pretty unique place. Built by hand, all the elaborate attractions and rides in the park run entirely on two power sources: humans and gravity. No electricity involved! Gianluca is the grandson of the man who founded it half a century ago, and he retells the history.

Shaun Pirie - Product Design Manager
London, 🇬🇧 UK

What do you do when you don’t have access to the electric grid? Or when you simply can’t afford the power bill? About a billion people all around the world use kerosene lamps, which are dangerous, unhealthy, and still expensive for some. Shaun and his colleagues at Deciwatt are on a mission to make the ultimate low-cost light.

Gernot Beutle - Sales Manager
Heimberg,🇨🇭 Switzerland

When one of their clients wanted to electrify a mining dump truck, Gernot and his team at eMining took on the challenge and built the largest electric vehicle in the world. And thanks to the gravitational pull of the earth, the eDumper sometimes reaches the bottom of the slope with a higher battery charge than when it started its ascent!

For pictures, additional links, credits and full transcript, visit: https://tomorrowpeople.today/powerful-alternatives

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Tomorrow People is back! We have spent the last few months travelling, recording, writing and editing 5 more episodes of the podcast about the people building a better tomorrow, today.

Season two starts on Thursday December 19th, with new shows dropping every other week after that. We bet you’re gonna enjoy the new episodes, so if you haven’t already, subscribe to the feed now in your favorite podcast app.

For pictures, additional links, credits and full transcript, visit: https://tomorrowpeople.today/season-two-trailer

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If you enjoy Tomorrow People, tell your friends and family about it, or post about it on social media. We're on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You can also post ratings and reviews. It all helps us spread the stories of the Tomorrow People.

At the close of our first season, we thought it would be nice to have a quick recap of the past episodes with some updates. We also answer a few questions from listeners, and we briefly look into the future of what’s in store for Tomorrow People.

For pictures, additional links, credits and full transcript, visit: https://tomorrowpeople.today/season-one-wrap-up

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With the European elections just a few weeks behind us, we thought it would be interesting to find out what makes Europeans European? Are we united in diversity, as the official motto claims? Steering away from politics, we go looking for people and ideas that reach across borders, in order to understand each other a little bit better.

Topics include: identity, language, europe, european, eu, european union, english, e-residency, estonia

Guests on this episode:

Katy Lee - Journalist/Podcaster
Paris, 🇫🇷 France

As co-host of a podcast called The Europeans, and as a British journalist based in Paris, who better to ask the question about what makes us European? Turns out, the answer is not that simple. But it’s very much worth talking about, because we often barely know each other. Let’s do something about that!

Toomas Tirs - Ambassador
🇪🇪 Estonia

Estonia is often billed as the most advanced digital society in the world, so we sat down with the Estonian ambassador to talk about their intriguing e-Residency program. It promises to make it easy for anyone to start and run an Estonian business online – from the comfort of your own desk, anywhere on the entire planet.

Marko Modiano - Linguist
Gävle, 🇸🇪 Sweden

Finally we turn to the topic of languages, because boy, Europe has a lot of those. But increasingly we’re all talking English to each other – I’m doing it now! This is the primary field of study for Marko Modiano, linguist and English professor near Stockholm, Sweden. Tune in and listen to his unique, positive view on Euro English as an intermediary language.

For pictures, additional links, credits and full transcript, visit: https://tomorrowpeople.today/europe-united-in-diversity

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After neglecting and hiding the waterways in our cities for decades, we’re slowly rediscovering their benefits and potential. In this episode we feature three stories of people working with water in an effort to make their hometowns better.

Topics include: outdoor swimming, urbanism, cities, climate change, water, waterways, urbanism, resilience, rivers, blue space, rainfall, transportation

Guests on this episode:

Geert Dekleermaeker - SmartShip CEO
Gent, 🇧🇪 Belgium

After a career in construction, Geert thought it was time for something else entirely. So now he builds SmartShips and carries people and cargo all through the city. Discover the full story of this unique and green mode of transport, and Geert’s ambitious vision for our waterways.

Paul Steinbrück - Coordinator Pool is Cool
Brussels, 🇧🇪 Belgium

Paul is the coordinator for the non-profit Pool is Cool, a wonderful group of volunteers who are trying to fill a big void in Brussels, the capital of the European Union: there is currently no public place for outdoor swimming in the entire city! We visited them last winter, when they were busy preparing some of their wonderful events and projects.

Morten Kabell - Former Mayor
Copenhagen, 🇩🇰 Denmark

On the other side of the spectrum we find Copenhagen, which does have a thriving outdoor swimming community, with beaches, harbour baths, and very clean waters. I spoke to Morten, the former mayor of environment, about some deliberate choices made years ago, that made all this possible.

Anne Witteveen - Urban Designer
Rotterdam, 🇳🇱 the Netherlands

Finally we arrive in Rotterdam, where there is a large and intriguing square in the middle of the city. Nicknamed the water square, it’s an intricate system to deal with a certain aspect of climate change. But Anne Witteveen and her colleagues are also working on lots of smaller, yet equally interesting projects that contribute to climate resilience.

For pictures, additional links, credits and full transcript, visit: https://tomorrowpeople.today/blue-space

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Organised religion is on the decline in Europe, leaving lots of churches abandoned, waiting for a new role to fulfil. But the mix of religions is increasingly diverse, and we haven’t lost our need for spirituality and community. Rather than seeing different faiths as opposing world views, maybe we should look for what makes them similar, and bring people together.

Topics include: theology, synagogue, secularity, churches, spirituality, mosque, religion

Guests on this episode:

Ton Harmes - Bookshop DirectorMaastricht
🇳🇱 the Netherlands

Back in 2006, the bookshop Dominicanen opened in the very first Gothic church in the low countries. You see, it hadn’t been used as a church for over 200 years. It is now a beautiful store (see the pictures below), and it’s run by Ton Harmes, who tells the story of this particular church, and how society is dealing with an increasing number of empty churches.

Terry Biddington - Dean of Spiritual Life
Winchester, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

At the University of Winchester, Reverend Doctor Terry Biddington holds the unique title of Dean of Spiritual Life. As he explains in this episode, the world is now a smaller place, and people of different faiths are figuring out how to live together. Part of his research is on multifaith spaces, those rooms in airports, schools, etc. where all religions are welcome. Open your mind and listen to his vision…

Frithjof Timm, Esther Hirsch & Osman Örs - Theological Advisors
Berlin, 🇩🇪 Germany

Finally, we hear from the House of One in Berlin – well, from the team working on it, because the building is still very much under construction. It’s a prime example of an interfaith project, combining a church, mosque and synagogue. Discover the challenges and opportunities of establishing a concept that will build bridges and cross boundaries.

For pictures, additional links, credits and full transcript, visit: https://tomorrowpeople.today/rebuilding-religion

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If you enjoyed this episode, tell your friends and family about it, or post about it on social media. We're on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You can also post ratings and reviews. It all helps us spread the stories of the Tomorrow People.