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CrowdScience

What does a sustainable life look like?

CrowdScience

BBC

Science, Technology

4.8 • 985 Ratings

🗓️ 1 September 2023

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Many of us are worried about the environment, but the aim of living in a truly sustainable way is hard to pin down. Do we all need to stop buying things? Is it down to governments to make the changes for us? Is there somewhere in the world painting a picture of the end goal?

It’s a question that has bothered CrowdScience listener Cate for 20 years! She’s worried we’re not doing enough for the environment and just wants a clear scenario of what it might look like to live sustainably, in a way that could work for all eight billion of us on the planet.

It’s a big question, so this week presenter Caroline Steel has teamed up with her friend and colleague Graihagh Jackson from The Climate Question podcast to answer it.

They head to the remote Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, which is aiming to go carbon neutral by 2025 and zero waste by 2032. How are they going about it and could this be replicated elsewhere? We visit a ground-breaking project turning nappies into compost, meet a glassblower making tableware out of wasted insulin vials, and find out how pig waste can power homes.

This edition of CrowdScience hones in on Bornholm’s zero waste goal. Will the island make it?

Listen to The Climate Question’s look at the island’s quest to go carbon neutral here: BBC World Service - The Climate Question, Going carbon neutral - lessons from Denmark - www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5bkg (Available from 3rd September)

Presenters: Caroline Steel and Graihagh Jackson Producer: Sophie Eastaugh Editor: Richard Collings Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris

(Image: Dr David Christensen, Project Manager at BOFA, Bornholm’s waste authority with presenter Caroline Steel in front of a giant mound of waste bound for the island’s incinerator. The incinerator will be shut down in 2032 when the island aims to be zero waste. Credit: Sophie Eastaugh)

Transcript

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0:00.0

Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of

0:07.0

Happiness Podcast.

0:08.0

For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want

0:14.4

to share that science with you.

0:16.1

And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley.

0:19.4

I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that

0:25.4

calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds.

0:30.7

Unexpected elements is all about finding the surprising science angles to everyday news.

0:38.0

Mind absolutely blood.

0:39.0

Amazing to me.

0:40.0

That's Unexpected Elements from the BBC World Service.

0:43.6

Find it wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

0:46.7

You're listening to crowd science on the BBC World Service.

0:52.1

I'm Caroline Steele and I'm stood inside a

0:55.1

smelly waste incinerator on the remote Danish island of Bornholm. This

0:59.9

incinerator is getting shut down in 2032 and I'm here to find out what

1:03.8

happened next. All thanks to a question from listener Kate in London. My

1:08.5

question for crowd science is what does an actual sustainable lifestyle look like for 8 billion people sharing one planet?

1:19.0

So we're going big.

1:20.0

We're going big. That sounds good.

1:22.0

And what made you think of the question? I've actually

1:24.7

thought of this question for almost 20 years so I'm really pleased that you're

...

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