The Truth About Net Zero

Driving Electric

Episode Ep 1

Cars are an essential part of life for many of us. But net zero targets include plans to ban all new petrol and diesel cars from sale in 2030 to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The electric car industry is growing fast, but not without controversy and expense.
The BBC’s Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt investigates electric cars to see if they are good enough to replace petrol. He meets an ex-petrolhead who converts classic cars to electric for a living and puts a converted VW Beetle to the test in the glorious Welsh countryside before heading to Ford’s Dagenham plant to see what the change to electric means for the car industry and finds out why the lack of gigafactories ( factories building batteries ) could be the biggest obstacle to the electric car revolution.
Meanwhile presenter Michelle Ackerley investigates the frustrations people face trying to charge their electric cars. She explores the difficulties in building a charging infrastructure and why it’s not happening fast enough. Michelle meets the companies building the charging network and questions if it’s possible to meet the targets and the needs of electric car drivers. She discovers the future of car charging and the problems of superfast chargers.
Scientist Dr Tara Shine questions the cost of electric cars and meets battery experts to understand the global forces at play affecting prices for decades to come. She investigates alternatives to electric cars such as synthetic fuel which can replace petrol, and puts a hydrogen powered car to the test.

Heating

Episode Ep 2

How we heat our homes is set to radically change as the government phases out gas boilers. But can changing the technology we use every day help us reduce greenhouse gases and stop climate change? BBC Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, presenter Michelle Ackerley and environment scientist Dr Tara Shine, investigate if it’s possible to heat our homes by replacing oil and gas boilers with new green alternatives, and if we are ready to build an entirely low-carbon electricity network - and do it all before the net zero target of 2050.

Justin heads to Salford to explore a futuristic house used to test new home heating technologies in extreme conditions. From minus twelve degrees to the comfort of central heating, he gets to grips with heat pumps, a new technology .
Michelle gets an insight into how heat pumps are installed and what it means for an average family. She questions the installation costs and if the target of 2035 for all our electricity to be generated from renewable and low carbon sources is viable. Michelle meets a community center near Bristol who have built the UK’s largest wind turbine. Then she heads underground to find out how the electricity grid needs transforming to deliver enough power for homes and businesses.
Tara meets the gas company promoting hydrogen as the solution to home heating, and visits residents in Whitby in Ellesmere Port, who are part of a hydrogen trial but have big concerns about costs and safety. She investigates how oil companies are planning to produce hydrogen and if it’s a feasible option. Tara explores cracks in the core of Heysham Nuclear Power station in Lancashire to understand what it means for the lifespan of the plant, and visits Hinkley Pont C to understand the complexities of building new nuclear power stations, and if technology from nuclear submarines is a solution.

Driving Electric

Episode Ep 1

Heating

Episode Ep 2

You May Also Like

The Secret World of Your Rubbish

Drones: Out Of Control?

The World’s Most Beautiful Landscapes

Login