We eat millions of tonnes of coconuts every year - with the dense white flesh of the fruit making a tasty snack and the juice a refreshing drink.But the inedible husk and shell go to waste – and it’s this part that innovators and entrepreneurs around the world are now putting to work to solve a whole host of problems.In Sierra Leone, a personal tragedy was the catalyst for young entrepreneur Alhaji Siraj Bah to start a business which takes the coconut husk and turns it into an alternative to charcoal - which is good for the forests and could potentially save lives too.And we hear about the start-up using coconut to keep fish, fruit and vegetables cool for longer without using any plastic.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporters: Eric Mugaju
Producer: Craig Langran
Series producer: Tom Colls(Photo: Farmers in Teluk Payo village, south Sumatra are peeling the skin of coconuts to be turned into copra or charcoal, 13 July, 2022. Credit: Sigit Prasetya/Getty Images)
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23:04
Sorting extreme waste
We rely on space for our communications, weather monitoring and security. Yet rising levels of space junk increase the risk of collisions, putting these things at risk.This week we are heading to a space lab in the UK to meet the scientists building a special waste collector that will clean up defunct satellites. We’ll also be heading to the Himalayas to see how an innovative project is training sherpas in Nepal to clear trash off the mountains using drones.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer: Claire Bates
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner
Voiceovers: Diwakar Pyakurel at BBC Nepali, Hikmat Khadka
Editor: Jon Bithrey(Image: Myra Anubi and Anna Nash from Astroscale, BBC)
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22:58
A wheelchair that learns
Powered chairs offer people with limited mobility the chance to be independent, since they can be controlled with an array of switches and pads. For some people though, unpredictable muscle spasms mean that driving can be time-consuming, stressful or dangerous. We try out a new device from Belgium that uses artificial intelligence to quickly learn a user’s profile, filtering out unintentional movements to provide a smooth experience, meaning more people than ever can steer their chairs and live more comfortably. And we find out how clothing can help autistic people communicate their feelings more easily.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/reporter: William Kremer
Reporter: Ben Morris
Editor: Jon Bithrey(Image: Levi Rijsbrack and Ben Morris, William Kremer/BBC)
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23:03
The race to save Madagascar's biodiversity
Madagascar is the second-largest island nation in the world, similar in size to France or Texas. Lying off the coast of southern Africa, it’s home to nearly 30 million people and is a real biodiversity hotspot. Nearly 90 percent of its plants and animal species are endemic, meaning they can’t be found anywhere else in the world. But much of the habitat they depend on is being destroyed, both on land and at sea. On this programme we look at how local communities are fighting to protect their forests and the marine life that that surrounds this unique place.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Sira Thierij
Sound Mix: Hal Haines
Editor: Jon Bithrey(Image: Diver off the Barren Isles, Madagascar, credit Sira Thierij)This podcast was partially funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator.
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22:58
The jails where they do things differently
In 2019 a group of prison officers from Philadelphia in the US spent three weeks working in jails across Scandinavia - in order to see whether their more humane approach to custody could work back at home.Five years on we visit SCI Chester’s ‘Little Scandinavia' to see whether the ‘homely’ environment - where prisoners can order groceries, cook their own meals and socialise with officers – leads to better behaviour.We’ll also head to Panama, where an innovative recycling project is cleaning up a prison and providing inmates with skills they can use once back in the outside world.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer: Craig Langran
Reporters: Jane Chambers, Ben Wyatt
Editor: Jon Bithrey(Image: Inmates playing chess at Chester jail, Pennsylvania, Getty Images)
Ireland