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The Sun, Our Star: Energy

The Compass The Sun, Our Star
Episode 2 of 5

Dava Sobel explores the progress being made in tapping the Sun for its inexhaustible supply of free, clean energy

The Sun, our star, produces its prodigious energy by a process of nuclear fusion at its core. We are unable to mimic that trick here on Earth: our nuclear reactors work by splitting atoms, not fusing them, and generate a lot of toxic waste. With a free standing solar mini grid in Kenya and the problems of the old grid system in California, Dava Sobel explores the progress being made in tapping the Sun for its inexhaustible supply of free, clean energy.

Music composed by Chris O'Shaughnessy.
Co-produced with Tom Roseingrave.

Audio for this programme was updated on 8th September 2020.

(Photo: Solar panels on the Kitonyoni grid are cleaned. Credit: 麻豆社)

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 13 Sep 2020 10:32GMT
麻豆社 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa

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Broadcasts

  • Wed 12 Dec 2018 03:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service Online, UK DAB/Freeview, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa only
  • Wed 12 Dec 2018 05:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only
  • Wed 12 Dec 2018 13:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service except News Internet
  • Wed 12 Dec 2018 23:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Sat 15 Dec 2018 17:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service News Internet
  • Sun 16 Dec 2018 10:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service
  • Wed 9 Sep 2020 01:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service
  • Wed 9 Sep 2020 08:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service
  • Wed 9 Sep 2020 14:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Wed 9 Sep 2020 15:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Wed 9 Sep 2020 19:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Sat 12 Sep 2020 16:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service News Internet
  • Sun 13 Sep 2020 10:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa

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The Sun, Our Star

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