Planet Hope

In a world undergoing a rapid transformation due to climate change, a big question remains- is it possible to undo the damage to our planet? Environment Editor for The Times, Adam Vaughan is joined by National Geographic photographer and acclaimed conservationist Paul Nicklen to hear how he endeavours to safeguard our planet through photography. This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Series producer: Anya PearceThis podcast is advertiser funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coral reefs are some of the most diverse and vibrant ecosystems on our planet. Occupying less than 0.1% of the ocean floor, coral reefs are home to a quarter of all marine life and play a crucial role in protecting coastlines. However, over the last three decades, the world has lost half of its reefs from a combination of climate change, ocean acidification, overfishing and pollution. Environment Editor for The Times, Adam Vaughan is joined by marine environmentalist and entrepreneur, Titouan Bernicot to hear how he’s offering a life line to reefs through coral gardening. This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Series producer: Anya PearceThis podcast is advertiser funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ocean's twilight zone is one of the most important marine areas you’ve most likely never heard of. Home to marine life yet to be discovered and integral to carbon sequestration, it is vital that we protect this layer of ocean that spans across the Earth. Environment Editor for The Times, Adam Vaughan is joined by ocean explorer, Luiz Rocha, to learn more about his pioneering diving expeditions in the depths of our oceans and how he is safeguarding this area for the future of our planet.This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Series producer: Anya PearceThis podcast is advertiser funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just as humans depend on sound for survival and expression, animals too rely on auditory cues to navigate their environments. However, nature is increasingly disrupted by human generated noise, from roaring engines to clanking machinery, disturbing the delicate balance of sound in the natural world. Environment Editor for The Times, Adam Vaughan is joined by bioacoustics scientist and Rolex Awards for Enterprise Laureate Michel André as he strives to restore the balance of human-generated noise and wildlife survival.This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Sound clips: Prof. Michel André, Director of Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics (LAB)Series producer: Anya PearceThis podcast is advertiser funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The acclaimed ocean explorer, scientist, conservationist and Rolex Testimonee, Sylvia Earle shares how her global network of ‘Hope Spots’ are transforming ocean conservation. Sylvia tells Adam Vaughan, Environment Editor of The Times, how our oceans span over 70% of the Earth’s surface, and serve as a crucial life source - providing oxygen, sustenance, and climate regulation - and yet escalating human activities now threaten this vital ecosystem. This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Series producer: Anya PearceThis podcast is advertiser funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Southern Cone of South America is home to some of the most beautiful and diverse ecosystems in the world. However, decades of exploitation have taken their toll. Expansive lands left destroyed from ranching and species like the jaguar teetered on the brink of extinction. Environment Editor for The Times, Adam Vaughan is joined by one of the most successful conservation philanthropists in history, Kris Tompkins, to hear how she’s committed her life to making this corner of the world wilder.This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Series producer: Anya PearceThis podcast is advertiser funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amidst a population of 8 billion, a staggering quarter silently live with hidden hunger every day. And with over a billion people living in Africa struggling to afford a healthy diet, a crucial question remains- how can hidden hunger be eliminated? Environment Editor for The Times, Adam Vaughan is joined by social entrepreneur and Rolex Awards for Enterprise Laureate Felix Brooks Church to hear how his ingenious system is on track to eliminating hidden hunger.This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Series producer: Anya PearceThis podcast is advertiser funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Agumbe, known as one of the rainiest places in India and a sanctuary to King Cobras, holds one of the last surviving low-land rainforests. However, after years of logging and hunting native reptiles the rainforest, which plays a crucial role key to India’s rain patterns, is under threat. Environment Editor for The Times, Adam Vaughan is joined by one of India’s leading conservationists and renowned herpetologists, Romulus Whitaker, to learn more about the research centres that are bringing hope to the future of the Agumbe and beyond. This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Series producer: Anya Pearce This podcast is advertiser funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If the current trajectory continues, fast fashion emissions are set to surge by 50% by 2030. And with textile production becoming a greater contributor to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined, a crucial question remains - how can the textiles industry harness the power of the circular economy to make global change. Environment Editor for The Times, Adam Vaughan is joined by social entrepreneur and Rolex Awards for Enterprise Laureate Denica Riadini-Flesch, live at the Royal Geographical Society, to hear how she is rekindling our connection to the land and creating societal and environmental change, one stitch at a time. This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Series producer: Anya PearceThis podcast is advertiser funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Côte d’Ivoire, the Tanoé-Ehy Forest stands as one of West Africa’s last untouched rainforests, a refuge for unique flora and fauna. Despite boasting West Africa's highest biodiversity, aggressive human activities have spared only 2% of the country’s forests. Environment Editor for The Times, Adam Vaughan is joined by Primate Conservation Biologist Inza Koné, a 2023 Rolex Awards for Enterprise Laureate, as he strives to restore the balance between nature's resilience and humanity's unchecked greed, offering hope to the endangered wildlife and surrounding communities that thrive in the Tanoé-Ehy Forest.This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Series producer: Anya PearceThis podcast is advertiser funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The High Andes are one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in the world, but without urgent intervention, this landscape and its surrounding natural beauty will be lost. Environment Editor for The Times, Adam Vaughan is joined by conservationist and Rolex Awards for Enterprise Laureate Constantino Aucca Chutas to hear how he is working with local communities to restore ancient cloud forests on the Andean mountain range, which play a vital role in the fight against climate change.This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Series producer: Anya Pearce This podcast is advertiser funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even for countries with adequate water resources, water scarcity is not uncommon. But for those who live in remote and poverty struck areas of the world, water scarcity can be the difference between life and death. With reports suggesting that by 2025 half of the world's population could be living in areas facing water scarcity, is there a way to turn the tide? Environment Editor for The Times, Adam Vaughan is joined by Kenyan entrepreneur and Laureate of the 2023 Rolex Awards for Enterprise Beth Koigi to learn more about her commitment to provide water access for those in need with her innovative solution, harvesting drinking water from the air. This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Series producer: Anya PearceThis podcast is advertiser funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.