Offshore wind farms promise to provide much of the clean power needed for the energy transition. But in their construction and operation, they interact with wildlife above and below the water. In this episode, the second of three on biodiversity and offshore wind, we learn how scientists are developing best practices for protecting birds and…
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Decarbonisation is vital to maintaining a safe and liveable world. Much of the carbon that human industry emits can be avoided through the use of renewable energy and other new technologies. But not all carbon can be handled in this way. Some industries generate carbon emissions not just from their energy use, but as a…
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Offshore wind farms are key to supplying the energy the world needs, sustainably and reliably. We know they are vital to meeting our decarbonisation goals; but we don’t fully understand their impact on ecosystems. With thousands of turbines due to be installed over the next decade, we must build our knowledge of their interactions with…
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In December, Planet Beyond talked to Leon Koning about his ambitious plans to cross the Atlantic with three teammates as Team Row4Cancer, part of the World’s Toughest Row. He set out with four goals: getting to the finish line, beating the rest of the teams, beating the world record, and remaining friends with his fellow…
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Infrastructure projects transform our world. Our ability to travel and to work, our individual health and our community cohesion, are all built upon the successes of infrastructural engineering. But these projects routinely underperform. They are delivered late, and over budget. Around the world, we consistently see projects delayed by unexpected ground conditions. In this episode,…
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How can you build a career with impact? Dan Smith has a simple rule: ‘Follow your interests—when you look back, it will look like you had a plan’. Dan’s first interest was in cooking, and he started his career as a chef. But when he realised that he would not reach the Michelin-starred heights of…
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Samsø, a small Danish island, with a population of just 3,700, has revolutionised its energy landscape. Chosen in 1997 by the Danish government as a social innovation project, the Samsø community has since developed wind farms, solar panels and home grown biofuels that have allowed the island to achieve 100% energy independence, powered entirely by…
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Throughout her career, Jessica Pacifico has always chosen the hardest path: learning Latin at high school, achieving a master’s degree in chemical engineering, then switching to IP law and studying, initially, in Dutch, a language that she did not, at that time, speak. With a life course like that, some failures are inevitable. But Jessica…
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What does it mean to reach for a dream? 18 months ago Leon Koning, a keen cyclist, got to know Mark Slats. Slats was training to complete 10 Ironman triathlons in 10 days. He needed a training buddy as he prepared, and Leon agreed to help. As they trained, the two decided on their next…
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A wave of change has swept through the world of coral reef science, as scientists develop new ways to collect, collate and analyse data. The reefs are vital to the health of the planet, and humanity: while they cover only 0.2% of the seafloor, they support at least 25% of marine species. And they play…
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Olga Nefedova’s career has taken her from the oilfields of Western Siberia, and across continents, to the most senior roles of Fugro, via a role at famed management consultants McKinsey. Along the way, she has developed an approach to strategy that fosters a childlike delight in fearless experimentation and the ‘heart filling joy’ of problem…
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We will all bear the brunt of climate change without a rapid transition to renewables. But as we move through the energy transition, communities hosting new power generation facilities will see the landscape around them change. To ensure that the benefits of the energy transition are shared by all, the Scottish government worked with wind…
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One day, taking a gearbox out of a vehicle in the middle of the night as a 17-year-old apprentice automotive engineer Helen West had a flash of realisation: “I can’t be doing this when I’m 30!” Today, Helen is global director, marine asset integrity, at Fugro. In this episode, she shares how she plans and…
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The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) has a 100 year history of mapping the world’s oceans. John Nyberg, technical director, explains how the organisation’s role in understanding our oceans is evolving. Now, rather than just recording ocean depths for mariners, the organisation is setting standards for how we record environmental data. In Italy, this approach is…
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TreVaughn Ellis is a recent graduate of American University, and winner of the Scott A. Bass Outstanding Scholarship Award. During his studies, he interned as a researcher with the National Marine Fisheries Service, part of NOAA, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in Alaska. In this episode, he describes his research in Alaska, where…
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Young people have the most to lose from climate change, but are not given a voice or a vote in how the crisis is tackled. In this episode, Jon Baston-Pitt speaks to three young women, Raina Ivanova, Chloe McKenna and Paula Garcia Rodriguez, who are taking action to make sure their voices—and those of their…
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In this Planet Beyond episode hosted by Jon Baston-Pitt, experts Irina Mirkina from UNICEF, Marek Kowalkiewicz from QUT Business School, and Pawel Michalak from Fugro discuss the future of AI and its wide-ranging impact on society. Beyond just language models, like ChatGPT, they highlight its role in disaster management, climate modelling, and decision-making processes. In…
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In this Planet Beyond Shortcast, host Jon Baston-Pitt delves into the environmental costs that come along with the transformative potential of AI. Training and serving AI models requires vast amounts of energy, and water used in cooling server farms. Jon is joined by Merouane Debbah, AI researcher, professor at Khalifa University and senior advisor at…
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In this final episode of our International Partnering Forum miniseries, we explore how the dynamic American offshore wind industry is attracting a passionate and diverse workforce of young professionals eager to tackle climate change and make a difference. Jon Baston-Pitt is joined by Samantha Mullen from RWE, Sarah Schwitzer from PEAK Wind, and Darcy Caja…
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At night on May 24, 2024, a devastating landslide hit the village of Yambali, in Papua New Guinea. It took a week for rescuers to just reach the site, with heavy rain, poor roads, and ongoing conflict hindering access. The same factors have made the scale of the devastation hard to assess, but reports suggest…
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The Planet Beyond team has been recording live from the International Partnering Forum (IPF) 2024 in New Orleans. In this episode, host Jon Baston-Pitt is joined by three prominent women leaders in the offshore wind industry in the Americas: Liz Burdock from Oceantic Network, Jennifer Cullen from Vineyard Wind, and Celine Gerson from Fugro. The…
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In this episode of Planet Beyond, host Jon Baston-Pitt speaks with Richmond Quarcoo, founder and director of Plastic Punch. Richmond shares the origins of Plastic Punch, which began after discovering sea turtles tangled in plastic waste along the beaches in Ghana. The organisation uses citizen science to address marine litter and inspire behavioural change. One…
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How will innovation impact the future of the offshore industry? In this fourth episode of the Planet Beyond IPF mini-series, recorded live at the IPF conference in New Orleans, we discuss the cutting-edge innovations shaping the burgeoning offshore wind industry in the US. Jon Baston-Pitt is joined by guests Deanne Hargrave of Atlantic Shores Offshore…
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In this final episode of our Ocean Decade mini-series, released on World Oceans Day, we focus on the last of the Barcelona conference’s five plenary sessions, Resources and partnerships for the Ocean Decade. In the plenary, Alfredo Giron moderated a panel discussing collaborations in support of the Decade’s goal of promoting ‘the science we need,…
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How can we map, model and analyse the impacts of climate change and mitigation actions on oceans and coasts around the world? In this episode, a supplement to Planet Beyond’s Ocean Decade miniseries, Jon Baston-Pitt talks to leading marine scientists about the development of ocean forecasting, and the more recent development of The Digital Twins…
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Every challenge is an opportunity for growth: that’s a key takeaway from Ross MacFarlane and Hidayat Alizada. Both of our interviewees have achieved personal sporting success, while supporting good causes. Ross, Remote Operations Centre Manager at Fugro in Dubai, shares insights into resilience and determination. He discusses his passion for triathlons and marathons, overcoming setbacks…
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The SKAO, or Square Kilometre Array Observatory, will allow scientists to peer through time into the universe’s distant past. Its telescope arrays in South Africa and Australia, along with its HQ at Jodrell Bank in the UK, have been designed to capture a picture of the universe as the first galaxies formed, the so-called ‘epoch…
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What will be the future of our planet? Dakota Peebler, an 18-year-old leader in ocean conservation, emphasises the crucial role of collective youth action in shaping a better future for our planet. Dakota, co-founder of Heirs To Our Ocean, shares her incredible journey from childhood fascination to leading a movement for ocean preservation. She discusses…
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This week, the Planet Beyond team are recording live at the 2024 Ocean Decade conference in Barcelona. At the event, delegates will focus on delivering essential science for sustainable oceans. This episode is the first of three shorts to be released during the Ocean Decade Conference, to bring you the sounds and ideas from the…
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In a little over a week, Planet Beyond will be recording live at the UN Ocean Decade conference in Barcelona. In the run up to the event, we’re considering the value of oceans. In our last episode, we looked at the value of the ocean as a way to store carbon and mitigate the effects…
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How do we innovate? Often, says Femke De Jager, by failing. The keys to success are resilience and persistence. It’s all about trying things out, sometimes failing, but always learning. Throughout her career, Femke has focussed on developing new ways of managing and maintaining assets, at world leading companies including PwC and ConQuaestor, DSM and…
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We need to manage our coast lines to reduce the impact of climate change. But coastal areas, and mangroves in particular, also offer one of the most effective naturebased mechanisms for capturing carbon. At COP 28 in the UAE last November, the importance of the oceans to climate change was a key focus, and the…
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Jeff Richardson is an experienced Remote Operations Centre Manager however, we spoke to him for this episode not about his job but what it is he does in his spare time: he is a dedicated volunteer Coast Guard rescue officer. He shares with us his experiences, and explains what drives him to take on two…
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Earlier this year, Katherine Scrimgeour posted on LinkedIn about her own experiences of dealing with dyslexia. It’s a condition that can undermine confidence at work, but that doesn’t mean it should hold anyone back. It struck a chord with Planet Beyond host Jon Baston-Pitt, who also experiences dyslexia. In this short, Jon and Katherine talk…
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As we travel through the energy transition, we must rapidly develop new forms of propulsion that reduce or eliminate carbon emissions. This has been a key driver of research and development at vessel builder SEA-KIT International. Jon Baston-Pitt first spoke to SEA-KIT CEO Ben Simpson almost two years ago, for Episode 16 of the Planet…
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How does experience in the field inform product innovation? David Tindall trained as a geologist, before working as a cone penetration testing (CPT) truck operator. After years travelling the world, he took up a role as Global Product Owner, Geotechnical Equipment, at Fugro. In this role, he leads innovation in many of the key land-based…
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How can we help the next generation of girls set and achieve their goals? Often, by showing them what other women have achieved, and sharing the expertise they developed on the way. This autumn, championship winning golfer Kylie Henry shared her expertise with young golfers at a Girls Golf Day at Castle Buchanan, near Glasgow….
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Paul Lawrie has had an impressive career as a golf pro, with 19 professional wins to his name. But he was a latecomer to the game. He only focussed on golf once he had accepted he wasn’t going to make it as a professional footballer. The secret to his success was the hard work of…
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We live in a world of unparalleled complexity and risk. The structure of our societies rests upon a stack of services—utilities, communications, banking, transport, among others—that themselves rely on a mix of public services and private businesses, both large and small. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses. All face threats from bad actors, and…
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When catastrophe strikes, the top priority is to get those affected to safety. But almost as urgent is the need to get businesses and utilities up and running again. A rapid response to claims can make the difference between people getting on with their lives, and suffering harm that ripples through their community. Hurricane Ian…
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Denise Swanborn is an expedition manager with Nekton. She recently completed her PhD in marine science, at Oxford. In this episode, recorded on International Women’s Day, she talks to Jon Baston-Pitt about her own path to marine exploration, and describes the excitement and wonder of a career spent exploring the depths. Denise’s work has taken…
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