Catch up on all the latest climate news with Daisy Page.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent on Climate live on KMTV. I'm Daisy Page and in this show we
00:26discuss all things related to environmental issues in the county. How is climate change
00:31impacting Kent? What are communities in the county doing to tackle it? And how can you
00:35help at home? Each week we will be taking a deep dive into a new environmental issue
00:40in the county and I'll be joined by expert guests. First tonight, staff at Wildwood Trust
00:46say that a resident brown bear has made an unbelievable recovery after ground breaking
00:50surgery. Two-year-old Bokey had been suffering from debilitating seizures and had a scent
00:57fitted to drain the excess fluids. Six weeks on and keepers say the Canterbury Sanctuary,
01:05the cub has been making good progress and is back to his normal self. Next tonight,
01:11a rise in cost of collecting green waste in Tunbridge and Morland has been described as
01:15the equivalent of a garden tax. Houses in the Kent Borough will see an annual charge
01:21increase by 19% from April next year. This will mean instead of paying £53 a year, residents
01:28will be paying £63. There are currently over 28,000 subscribers to this fortnight brown
01:35bin collection service. However, residents can pay for a second bin and third bin at
01:40a discount of £26 each. Thousands of robots and millions of packages. But what does this
01:47mean for our climate? Dartford's Amazon warehouse is one of the biggest in the county, with
01:52a large part driven by artificial intelligence. But with worries of emissions linked to the
01:57machine learning are destroying the planet, Oliver Leader de Sacks has been inside the
02:01distribution centre to find out if the debate around automation is really that binary. It's
02:08not quite Santa's workshop, but in the shadow of the Dartford crossing, the busiest Amazon
02:14warehouse in Europe is gearing up to make the Christmas magic happen. Two and a half
02:20thousand workers, some hired just for the festive season, are working day and night
02:27to distribute deliveries across the southeast. But with countless items being stocked, stacked
02:34and sent off, the global delivery giant has swapped the elves for something a little more
02:41futuristic. AI is in everything we do. Everywhere you look, AI is involved in our process. Amazon's
02:49been working with machine learning for over 25 years now, whether it's the optimisation
02:53of a parcel coming in or on the road. And that journey starts months before a package
02:59will be even delivered to the door. And we're investing heavily in generative AI as we believe
03:04it's going to be something that's going to transform every application of our personal,
03:08professional lives. Amazon couldn't do what they do without one of these, the Hercules
03:13drive robot. There's thousands of these giant Roomba style machines scuttling around the
03:19warehouse and then carry around 800 kilograms, the weight of a grand piano. And they make
03:25sure the goods that you need get to your doorstep by delivering them to the right place in storage.
03:31So basically our robots move the shelves with the products to our stores and pickers.
03:37So stores and pickers, they can put or remove the items. Every day we make sure everything
03:43is running smoothly, if motor is working, if they are clean and the wheels are working properly.
03:50But artificial intelligence is energy intensive. One UN report suggests that the number of data
03:58centers required for machine learning worldwide has surged to over 8 million with energy consumption
04:06doubling every four years in no small part due to our reliance on AI. And while Amazon's overall
04:15emissions fell by 3% last year, emissions as a result of direct operations like delivering packages
04:25and data services rose to more than 14 million tons according to Amazon's own sustainability
04:34report. So with 30,000 robots and miles of conveyor belts in just this warehouse alone,
04:42is Amazon boxing us in to a high emission future? Amazon signed the climate pledge in 2019
04:49and with that made two commitments. Number one, by the year 2030, all of our data centers,
04:54warehouses, grocery stores would be using 100% renewable energy, which I'm happy to say by last
04:59year alone, we were able to reach that. So seven years ahead of plan by the year 2040 to be carbon
05:04net neutral, which involves tons of things. As you see, like with our packaging, we're reducing
05:09our packaging every day. But with Amazon promising to invest even more into their robots in the
05:15coming years, some here in Kent may be left wondering what's next for the people behind
05:23the presents. Oliver Lead of the Sats for KNTV in Dartford. Next tonight, five teachers and student
05:30teams were selected from 1,000 entries from 58 countries. They went to COP29 to share their
05:37climate solutions and lesson plans. Amongst the finalists in the climate change challenge was
05:42Michael Jones. His lesson plan focused on plastics in the ocean and he's joining me now to tell us
05:47more. So you was the only teacher in the UK as well, just to add to that. So you've been to the
05:54finals before, but what do you have to do? What did you do? Well, you have to put together, they call
05:59it a lesson plan, but it's much larger than that. It's really a scheme of work that covers anywhere
06:05from four or five up to, in my case, 10 lessons that enables students and teachers to focus on a
06:12particular aspect of climate change and do something about that. So they learn about it,
06:17they become advocates for it and they propose a solution that they can then start to apply
06:23in their own locality. I was about to say I had to look at that plan. It's actually online which
06:28I managed to have a look at. How did you do in the challenge? I came second so I got the silver award.
06:35That's so exciting. And now there is a full list of sustainable development goals. Your research,
06:41correct me if I'm wrong, covers 14 life underwater. Can you tell us a bit more about your lesson plan?
06:48I've been fascinated because it's sort of the elephant in the room
06:51issue where we don't tend to worry about the oceans, but if you've been watching the TV lately
06:56you'll see there's a quite a powerful advert on plastic bottles and that's becoming a real
07:02problem because that's affecting the acidification of the oceans, greenhouse gases, which is then
07:09having a knock-on effect on coastal communities and so that means that people, their fish stocks
07:15are lower, it's affecting the ocean temperatures, which if you look at some of the tools online,
07:21if you model what's happening, that's really starting to cause an issue with extreme water
07:26levels and we've had examples of that of course over the last couple of days in the UK. Yeah well
07:32I'm actually originally from Margate so I grew up very close to the beach and I think when you
07:36grow up you hear about climate change and you don't really see the impacts of it, but abroad
07:42they're being impacted by it massively and I think now recently when you walk along the
07:47beaches you do start to spot the litter a bit more and spot the plastics a lot more as well.
07:53I did have a look at your plan and like you said it's not quite a lesson plan, it was pages long
07:58and one thing that really stuck out to me was a phrase of if not you then who, so with this what
08:05do you hope for like the future? Well I hope that even if a handful of people pick things up
08:12literally and figuratively, if they pick things up and they start to advocate for change themselves
08:17then we start to make a difference and that's where we start. We can't rely on large corporations to
08:22do it, they have to play their part, but we as individuals can collectively have to do our part
08:27to ensure that you know we keep global temperatures down. There was a statistic
08:33floating about yesterday on the news for every one degree rise in temperature there's seven degrees
08:38or seven percent more water in the atmosphere and that's got to come somewhere and it always
08:42comes down yeah so it's dangerous to life so it's not just a case of plastics in the ocean being
08:47untidy and looking unclean it actually has a real detrimental effect on all of us and you said it
08:52yourself there really it's abroad but also it's coming home to roost and we've had problems in
08:57Spain which are unexpected, we've had real serious issues in the UK in several spots which is coming
09:04home to roost and it will happen again and it will continue to happen until we do something about
09:08it and where we start is with education yes if we know what we're talking about if our students of
09:13our children are leaving school and they understand what the problem is they're then equipped to do
09:17something to provide a solution for the future. Yeah and do you think challenges like this and
09:23COP help raise awareness around these issues? They do, it provides a global stage so you have five
09:28teachers each submitted their schemes of work and those schemes of work now available internationally
09:34so that means that they get a wide very wide audience. You mentioned the five student teams
09:39as well and that's where it really starts yeah they've spent time putting together their
09:45individual project ideas so they can start to take action themselves and the teams themselves
09:50are brilliant you had one from the Lebanon they've got enough problems as it is at the moment
09:55without focusing on climate but they were determined to, brilliant yeah you had another team
10:00from the USA that focused on the issue of climate and bees that's a real issue because if we haven't
10:04got bees we lose our pollinators we don't pollinate our crops. And this wasn't the first time
10:11that you've been to COP and definitely not your first challenge can you tell us a bit more about
10:14your story? Yes okay so it feels like a long time ago but it's not. Three years ago I entered the
10:21school that I worked at for the what's called the Zaire Sustainability Prize and we were selected
10:28from the Europe and Central Asia area to give you some idea of the scope of that that's about
10:33two billion in population for the world and we were one of three schools selected to go there
10:40and we didn't win yeah but we put in a application or project the next year and we were selected
10:48again but this time we won and so at COP 28 last year in Dubai, get the states right, in Dubai
10:56we won the school won and with that it's not just about the applause which is great of course
11:02but it was also about the prize itself which meant that the school was awarded $150,000
11:07in order to take their sustainability project through to the end but oddly enough at the same
11:13time in parallel I was selected for the climate change challenge again last year which was in Abu
11:19Dhabi and for that again I was one of the finalists I came third on that one so I've got the bronze
11:25award so I suppose I'm moving up the scales a bit by getting the silver this year brilliant so
11:30hopefully gold in the future we can see for you there maybe maybe I think so well thank you so
11:37much for joining us today and telling us a little bit more about the major issue in that plastic in
11:42our oceans so thank you very much no problem thank you Daisy thank you after the break we'll hear
11:47about how an Ashford Hedgehogs Centre is helping hedgehogs but stay tuned and we'll see you then
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15:07Hello and welcome back to Kent on Climate live on KMTV. A new study reveals that if climate change
15:13continues to worsen Kent could be facing tropical diseases in 2080. With higher temperatures and
15:19rainfall suspected to rise by 30% it has been said that we could be set to see an explosion of bugs
15:26such as snails, flies, ticks and mosquitoes which could bring new diseases to our Kent shores.
15:32The report also mentioned the concerns of water shortages
15:35and an increase in food price due to droughts and crop failure creating food insecurity.
15:41A Hedgehog Rescue Centre from just outside Ashford says demands is rising year on year.
15:46It comes as a new national strategy is being rolled out to protect hedgehogs
15:50who have seen their numbers more than half in rural areas.
15:55Oliver Leader de Sacks has been finding out how you can help at home.
15:59A hedgehog on the move, a species on the decline. Across rural parts of the UK hedgehogs have seen
16:06their numbers cut down over the last 20 years falling by up to 75% since 2000. That means in
16:16places like Kent where the majority of the county is undeveloped countryside or farmland
16:22Several rescues, larger rescues, five across the county closed in the last year or two.
16:27The demand for rescue spaces is also increasing as well. So those of us that are left are seeing
16:33much higher demand. Not only is the species declining at a massive rate, there's estimations
16:39that hedgehogs could be extinct by as soon as 2050, but there's also a huge demand for
16:45a massive rate. There's estimations that hedgehogs could be extinct by as soon as 2050.
16:53The hazards that they're facing because of population growth means that the ones that
16:57are still left are facing more threats than ever before and needing help to be able to survive.
17:04With Thorn Hedgehog Rescue nurturing up to 150 hogs back to health at any one time,
17:10the pressure is on. But the future isn't all bleak. Hedgehog numbers have evened out in urban
17:17areas and this week conservation charities launched the first ever national hedgehog
17:23conservation strategy aiming to tackle the root causes of hedgehog decline. With access to food
17:30reducing the number of hedgehogs being hit by vehicles and habitat loss all being priorities
17:37for the next decade. And the co-author of the report says you can also help at home.
17:44First and foremost, we've got this idea of hedgehog highways, which are the 13 centimetre
17:48gaps in fences. I think a lot of people have heard of those now, which is brilliant.
17:52So it's a case of cutting a gap in the fence or digging a channel underneath
17:56and that lets hedgehogs in, you know, encouraging friends and neighbours to do the same thing,
18:00to create a hedgehog street. And then once you've done that, you can start to think about lovely
18:04wildlife friendly features in the garden. So things like log piles, leaf piles, compost heaps,
18:09all of those things are going to increase that creepy crawly, that invertebrate prey.
18:13And that's going to, you know, that's going to bring hedgehogs in.
18:16A prickly conversation then, but one that could keep Kent's hedgehogs safe for years to come.
18:22Oliver Leader of the Sats reporting for KMTV.
18:27Now, each week we take a look at a creature that can be found here in Kent. This week's
18:31find is native to England and at this time of year, not only found in gardens and parks,
18:36they're also commonly seen on a Christmas decoration. Well, have you guessed it? If
18:40not, let's take a look further with this week's Creature Feature.
18:44Hello and welcome to Creature Feature. Here to greet you is Robert the Robin, a familiar sight
18:50and sound in UK parks and gardens. He is one of the most popular birds in the UK, known for his
18:56chest and loud territorial song, which serves as a warning to other birds to stay off his patch.
19:03Now, if Robert was a reta, then his red chest would extend further down his body,
19:07though it can be very difficult to distinguish between male and female.
19:12How excellent! And speaking of, Robin's nest in all sorts of weird and wonderful places,
19:19including kettles, lanterns and even postboxes. But Robert likes to lay low and create his nests
19:25near or on the ground, built from grass, dead leaves, moss and even hair. Harsh winters can
19:32make it difficult for Robert the Robin to sustain his fat reserves. During a particularly cold night,
19:37he can lose up to 10% of his body weight. You can lend a helping hand by stocking a bird table with
19:43bat, cheese, crumbs and dried fruit. Though mealworms are Robert's favourite, most robins
19:49like to eat seeds, fruits, insects and worms. Fun fact! Now, although robins may all look the same,
19:57each one has a completely unique red pattern. Take a look at Robert's. This was Maisie Walker for KMTV.
20:07Now, robins are one of my favourites to be seen in Kent this winter. Now, sites for thousands of
20:13new homes have been set out in the district and borough council local plans across Kent,
20:18as Labour wants 1.5 million homes to be built across the country in the next five years.
20:24Our sister radio station, KMFM, spoke with Chris Packham, who said we need to accept the county
20:29needs more homes, but make sure they're not in the wrong places. Sam joined me earlier today to tell
20:34us more about building plans in Kent and how the communities have been reacting. You can see this
20:40already with the proposal to build 2,000 houses on top of the bleem woodland area proposed by the
20:46University of Kent. This is going to be a large building, with it being over twice the size of
20:51the central wall part of Canterbury. And we know that Canterbury is quite a big place. What is this
20:57going to impact? This project is actually going to threaten the ancient woodlands, the wildlife,
21:03as well as increasing air pollution. A key part of the local residents aren't happy about is that
21:07the roads are going to have to be widened. This is going to increase traffic in the local area
21:11rough commons, as well as again increasing air pollution and just inconvenience in the
21:16residents as a whole. Yeah, and we can see behind us that there's already been protests to stop
21:21this particular building as well, 2,000 houses. How else have the communities reacted to this?
21:27They haven't been happy at all. As I've seen myself, there's been loads of signs in windows
21:31saying, like, save the bleem. They've created petitions, they've created a newsletter to keep
21:36everyone updated. And a key thing even was, like, a big march where the Kent Wildlife Trust
21:43came with the locals and marched up to the university and handed in a document saying about
21:47the condemnation of the building of this local estate. Yeah, and despite all this, there is still
21:52a need for houses, but maybe there's just a better way we can do this. But Chris, Packham spoke more
21:57on it. Kent is an area where lots of people live, and we need houses for more people to live there.
22:05So what we're going to see in the next few years is a lot of proposals for development.
22:10I think we need to be realistic and we need to be critical. We need those new houses,
22:15but we need the right houses built in the right way, put in the right place.
22:18So let's think about right houses to start with. They should all have solar roofs. They should all
22:22be insulated to a very high standard, which currently house building standards in the UK
22:27don't require. What's the point of building a house and then people not being able to afford
22:32to heat it due to an energy crisis? Grey water. We know we're going to face water shortages in
22:36the future, so water storage, where you collect water from the roof to use for flushing your
22:40toilet, et cetera, is really important. We should be transitioning to electric vehicles at this
22:47point. They're not going to save the world, but certainly having a charging point on those houses
22:52where appropriate should be mandatory. And then, you know, considering biodiversity, both, you know,
22:57the impact of building the houses in the first place and also how we can sculpt the gardens and
23:01green spaces amongst those houses to satisfy biodiversity going forward. And that's not just
23:06about Chris wanting lots of wildlife, that's about people having access for dog walking, walking,
23:12mental health, physical health. Now, cattle have returned to wetlands in Canterbury after 60 years
23:20and this week we are celebrating National Tree Week and six bins have been removed from the
23:24River Stour. These are some of the stories from across the county in which Ellie Schofield
23:29explores in this week's Kent Climate Roundup. Hello and welcome to this week's Climate Roundup.
23:35First, cattle have returned to a historical site after not being there for 60 years.
23:40On Tuesday the 12th of November, the Dexter cattle were released at a site in Canterbury.
23:45Kent Wildlife Trust's Wilder Grazing Programme worked in partnership with the National Trust
23:50at Golden Hill to have the herd work as a nature-based solution. These cows are small
23:55but mighty and are known for eating through bramble, creating more light and space for plants
24:00to grow. Their size allows them to help maintain wet woodland sites. The herd will be at Golden
24:05Hill for the next few weeks, with the aim of them helping to restore the lowland grassland area.
24:10Next tonight, this week is National Tree Week. For many tree lovers, this week marks the start of the
24:16annual tree planting season. Trees play many vital roles in our ecosystems, such as removing carbon
24:21dioxide from the atmosphere and creating oxygen. Now, it is estimated that there are around 3
24:27billion trees in the UK, which is around 45 trees per person. However, the UK has an aim to increase
24:35this by 17% by 2050. And did you know, the national tree for England is the oak tree, as it represents
24:42strength and endurance. And finally, rubbish was left to float in the River Stour after people
24:47threw bins into the water. All six bins have now been removed by Canterbury City Council waste
24:52contractors. The team of contractors was forced to spend several hours clearing the waste and
24:57retrieving the bins, with one worker even retrieving a fish from the rubbish before returning it back
25:02into the river. However, many remain concerned about the long-term harm to the river's ecology.
25:09That's all for this week. Ellie Schofield for KMTV.
25:13Well, in celebration of National Tree Week, my favourite is a silver birch. Now, if you want some
25:18more nature news, why not check out our Kentonite special. Local democracy reporter Gabriel Morris
25:24has been finding out what farming inheritance tax reforms might mean for the county. In a special
25:30report, the agricultural community believe the government's decision will damage the industry,
25:35leading to an increase in omega farms, solar farms and new building developments. Here's a quick
25:42preview. The garden of England. There's a good chance that the apples you buy have been grown
25:50in an orchard just like this one. But with government reforms shaking up inheritance tax,
25:55could all of this be about to change? I want to hand it over to my son. We just don't, you know,
26:02we don't make any money out of the place and that's the whole purpose of being here. The
26:05incentive will become to sell off the countryside for housing. My great worry
26:11is essentially that the countryside effectively ceases to exist.
26:18Well, you can find that special on our KMTV website, kmtv.co.uk. Well, that's all we have
26:25time for on this week's episode of Kenton Climate. We'll be back next week with another episode
26:30discussing more matters relevant to environmental issues in the county. In the meantime, you can
26:34check up on all things climate related by visiting Kent by visiting our website, kmtv.co.uk
26:41or following us on Facebook, Instagram and X by searching KMTV Kent. I'll see you soon and for now,
26:47goodbye.
27:04Transcribed by https://otter.ai