Breaking gold's toxic bond with mercury pollution

Loading player...
When mercury pollution makes headlines, it's often linked to fish and human health. But there's another big source of mercury pollution that's affecting millions of people across the world - artisanal and small-scale gold mining. This episode looks at efforts in South America to reduce mercury use in mining - and what that means for people's health and the future of the Amazon.
7 Nov 2025 English Germany Society & Culture · Health & Fitness

Other recent episodes

How the magic of underwater mics could save Arctic ‘unicorns’

Alex Ootowak grew up watching narwhals, the “unicorns of the sea”, frolic in Canada’s Arctic waters. Then a nearby mine changed everything. In this episode, hear how underwater recordings reveal a decline in narwhals - and why scientists couldn’t research these enigmatic creatures without the Inuit community.
17 Apr 29 min

Why cities keep losing the war on rats

In cities around the world, rats aren't just surviving; they're thriving. Despite decades of poison, traps and control, they keep coming back. So, what is it about modern city life that suits them so well? From Berlin to New York, this is a story about what happens when urban systems…
10 Apr 30 min

Pray or act? Churches at a crossroads

Climate change is reshaping the world - but inside many churches, it’s barely spoken about. So what’s behind the silence? One believer whose passion for God’s creation started as a kid surrounded by manatees and mangroves, is urging US churches to reconnect faith with stewardship of the land.
3 Apr 30 min

Unlimited energy? The heat beneath our feet

Brock Yordy once helped extract fossil fuels. Now he’s using the same expertise to tap the Earth’s heat. His journey from oilfields to geothermal highlights a bigger question: can the industry that drove emissions now help reduce them?
27 Mar 33 min

Houston, we have a plastic problem!

Chemical recycling promises to transform plastic waste, and Houston is at the center of this big experiment in the US. While industry touts it as a breakthrough, activists are finding that much of the plastic doesn't get recycled after all. Is Houston leading the way to real change - or…
20 Mar 29 min