Radio
Flying high: The return of the peregrine falcon
The peregrine falcon is not only the fastest animal on our planet, but also the most widely distributed bird of prey, found on every continent apart from Antarctica. In the 1960s Falco peregrinus was close to extinction, but it has since made a remarkable comeback and is hailed as a global success story of conservation.
Recent decades have also seen the trend of this speedy raptor notably settling, nesting and flourishing alongside us, in man-made environments around the globe. Broadcaster, naturalist and writer David Lindo, aka ‘The Urban Birder’ travels from a hospital in London to a museum in Madrid and a power station in Kentucky, to explore how an iconic, apex predator is bouncing back from the brink, thriving in cities and towns across the world.
Stories from the New Silk Road: Iceland
From geothermal energy to scientific research, what does increased co-operation with China mean for Iceland? In 2013, Iceland made history by becoming the first European country to sign a free trade agreement with China, aimed at increasing exports from Iceland to China as well as opening up Iceland to cheaper Chinese consumer goods. Geothermal energy has meant that Iceland is effectively carbon neutral. Its expertise in this area has led to collaboration with China and its geothermal model is changing China’s energy mix. Anna Holligan asks Atli Jonsson, CEO of Arctic Green Energy how geothermal energy will help shape the future needs of China’s energy consumption and open further opportunities for collaboration?
Read our blog about ‘Stories from the New Silk Road: Iceland’ here…
Stories from the New Silk Road: Norway
As the Earth warms, there are new frontiers to be explored and traversed. From King Crab to shipping routes, Anna Holligan asks what does China’s Polar Silk Road mean for Norway?
Here, Anna shines a light on China’s wider ambitions in the Arctic. The region is rich in minerals, wildlife, fish, and other natural resources. So what does China’s Polar Silk Road mean for Norway and when the sea ice melts, who is set to benefit most?
Read our blog about ‘ Stories from the New Silk Road: Norway’ here…
The return
Promoted by the Ghanaian government, African-Americans are investing and settling in Ghana.
In this documentary for BBC World Service, Dr Ashley Milton travels from Cape Coast to Tema, meeting a variety of African-Americans who now call Ghana home along the way. From a Marine Corps veteran who grew up in Los Angeles to a single mother from Atlanta, through varying stories of assimilation, hope, identity and migration, Ashley highlights the personal experiences of those like herself who have moved to Ghana, whilst reflecting on the significant historical connection between both countries.
Stories from the New Silk Road: Mexico
The town of El Triunfo in Tabasco state is not far from the Mexican border with Guatemala. Translated from Spanish, ‘El Triunfo’ means ‘The Triumph’ and being miles from the nearest city, with just over 5000 inhabitants, it does not usually attract much attention.
Katy Watson, the BBC’s South America correspondent, visits El Triunfo to discover how a town has been transformed, asking if Mexico can ever follow other countries in the region and sign up to China’s Belt and Road initiative?
Writing’s on the Wall
From tattered lucky socks and perplexing pre-match rituals to Nadal’s perfectly placed water bottles, superstition truly pervades in the world of professional sport.
Martin Perry has spent years coaching sportsmen and women to build confidence and handle the psychological demands of their game. Here, he delves into the popular, very personal and often secretive sporting superstitions – regularly noted, but rarely discussed.
Stories from the New Silk Road: Space
China’s Belt and Road Initiative stretches physically with infrastructure projects across the globe, but there is one initiative that is the most ambitious yet – the Space Silk Road. The space race is heating up with new entrants like India and private companies like SpaceX, but it is the Chinese who are set to dominate by 2045.
Central to the Space Silk Road is a controversial station in Patagonia, Argentina. The Espacio Lejano Ground Station has a powerful 16-story antenna, with an 8ft barbed wire fence that surrounds the entire compound. With other facilities in countries from Bolivia to Peru, do China’s space ambitions aim for intergalactic exploration, rare mineral discovery and potential domination in space?
The road to rock’n’roll
In a segregated US, black audiences, entertainers and entrepreneurs established their own network of live performance venues known as the Chitlin’ Circuit. Concentrated primarily in the Deep South, it provided many pioneers of modern music with the platform to hone their craft and perfect their style as they travelled the country.
In this documentary, with his harmonica in hand and the help of Little Richard, Mary Wilson, B.B. King, Lou Rawls and others, Bobby shines a light on a hugely influential network of venues that paved the way for rock’n’roll and shaped music history.
