Rethink

Rethink considers how we might take a different approach to issues that affect all of us, asking some of the brightest minds what we could do to make the world a better place.This week, we're rethinking energy. The massive rise in the price of wholesale gas in 2022, and the subsequent rise in our household energy bills highlighted the need for the UK to have a secure, reliable and cheap energy supply. So what choices do we have? UK fossil fuel reserves are dwindling, but we have offshore wind, and sunshine in the south. Renewable power is also cheaper than fossil fuels. In the first three months of 2024, the UK's wind, solar and other forms of renewable power generated just over half of our energy and by the end of September, coal had been phased out completely.But there is still a long way to go before the UK is self-sufficient. It can take as long as 15 years to connect a renewable power plant to the National Grid. A nuclear power station hasn't been completed in the UK for nearly 30 years Do we have enough power storage for cloudy or windless days? And industry and homes are still reliant on gas. So how to we need to rethink energy to keep the lights on, charge our many devices and power our electric vehicles in the future? And if we get it right, what will be the rewards for everyone? Presenter: Ben Ansell Producer: Ravi Naik Editor: Clare Fordham Contributors: Aoife Foley, Professor & Chair in Net Zero Infrastructure at the University of Manchester. Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive, the Climate Change Committee. Sam Richards, a former special advisor on energy to Boris Johnson, and now the Chief Executive of campaign group Britain Remade. Andrew Crossland, Associate Professor in practice at the Durham Energy Institute.

The care system in Britain is creaking at the seams. People who need care aren't receiving it - or if they do it's untenably expensive. There aren’t enough staff for care homes, and unpaid family carers often burn out looking after their loved ones without support.Successive governments have recognised it’s a problem, but they haven’t been able to fix it. Rachel Reeves is just the latest in a long line of chancellors to back away from care reform.How can we reform the care system so it works better for everyone involved? And crucially - how can we pay for it?In this edition of Rethink we look at some of the big ideas that could revolutionise social care in this country. We look at the arguments for a National Care Service to match the National Health Service. We hear about new technological fixes, from robots in care homes to smaller scale initiatives to help with medication or paperwork. Or maybe we all need to think about the whole system differently - and all care for each other a little more.Contributors: Sir Andrew Dilnot, head of the 2011 government review on Funding of Care & Support Kathryn Smith, chief executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence Ben Cooper from the Fabian Society, co-author of their report Support Guaranteed: The Roadmap to a National Care Service Hilary Cottam, designer, social activist and author of Radical Help: How We Can Remake the Relationships Between Us and Revolutionise the Welfare StatePresenter: Ben Ansell Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Clare Fordham

Rethink looks at the issues of our time, and considers how we might approach them differently. Scrutinising the latest thinking and research, we look at what this might mean for policy and society. In this episode: the cost of living has been high, but all too often, we also pay a premium. It's because of dynamic pricing, drip pricing and now personalised pricing. Dynamic pricing is why, after queuing for hours, Oasis fans were offered tickets that were considerably more expensive than the ones advertised. It's also why do you can be offered different prices each time you try and book an airline ticket, or a hotel online. Big data means that companies can figure out exactly what you are willing to pay online and can shift the price you face to match that. AI data-gathering software is causing cartel-like behaviour amongst competitors, who can draw similar conclusions about their market, and set similar prices.The depth of information available to companies means that they know the price a market will bear, rather than how much customers can afford and regardless of interest rates set by central banks. Regulators are playing catch-up, but what other strategies could be used to combat anti-competitive pricing led by algorithms? And what needs to change to ensure buyers can work out if they're getting a fair deal? Presenter: Ben Ansell Producer: Ravi Naik Editor: Clare FordhamContributors: David Dayen, writer and journalist, and the executive editor of The American Prospect magazine. Tom Smith, partner at Geradin, and former Legal Director at the UK Competition and Markets Authority. Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, Professor of consumer psychology at Anglia Ruskin University. Martyn James, consumer rights campaigner and journalist.

Rethink looks again at the issues of our time, and considers how we might approach them differently. Scrutinising the latest thinking and research, we look at what this might mean for policy and society. In this episode, we’re looking at one of the most divisive issues of our time – immigration – and in particular, how we can change the discourse around migration. Polling from the British Social Attitudes survey suggests that the UK is now more divided on immigration, by age, education, and political party, than at any time since 2011. But polling also indicates that there are large areas of agreement between people who are pro-immigration and others who are immigration-sceptic. A majority of people think net immigration is too high. A majority also believe that Ukrainian refugees, Afghans who helped UK forces, Hong Kong Chinese, doctors, nurses and care workers should be allowed to come to the UK. And most people agree that crossing the channel in small boats is not a good idea.So if a majority of people agree on these issues, how have we become so tribal? Why have politicians of all flavours failed us over the decades? How can get them to be more honest about the trade-offs that come with every immigration decision that's made - and how can we change the political discourse?Presenter: Ben Ansell Producer: Ravi Naik Editor: Clare FordhamContributors: Sunder Katwala, Director, British Future Alan Manning, Professor of Economics at the LSE and former chair of the Migration Advisory Committee Dr Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory in Oxford, and a current advisor to the Migration Advisory Committee Robert Colvile, Director, the Centre for Policy Studies

Rethink considers how we might take a different approach to the issues of our time, asking some of the brightest minds what we could do to make the world a better place. This week: billionaires. They are some of the wealthiest people who have ever lived - a tiny group with a large influence on politics, society and the lives of millions. The gap between the super rich and everyone else is huge. According to Credit Suisse, just fourteen billionaires own fourteen percent of the world’s entire wealth. Should we cap the wealth of the super rich? Philosopher Ingrid Robeyns has developed the concept of "limitarianism". This would limit an individual's wealth to 10 million dollars, pounds or euros - or whatever the local currency is - with anything beyond that point confiscated by governments. So is this theft? Socialism gone mad? A good idea? Or something that governments must do? Presenter: Ben Ansell Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Clare FordhamContributors: Ingrid Robeyns, professor of Ethics of Institutions at Utrecht University and author of "Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth"Liam Byrne, Labour MP and author of the book "The Inequality of Wealth" Sam Dumitriu, author and head of policy at campaign group Britain Remade Helen Miller, Deputy Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies and head of their tax sector

One person, one vote - we're all equal in the voting booth, right? But it hasn't always been this way, and just who can vote has changed many times since the Second World War. Until 1951, business owners and some university graduates were allowed multiple votes. 18 year olds could vote for the first time in the 1970 general election, and In 2024 British expats who had lived outside the UK for longer than 15 years were given the vote. There are anomalies too. Irish and Commonwealth citizens who have just arrived in the UK can vote as long as they're registered, but an EU citizen who's lived here for 20 years cannot, unless they become a British citizen. And when it comes to the results, smaller parties say the First Past the Post system leaves them with few seats that don't reflect their level of support. So is there a better way? Quadratic voting, which allows people to vote multiple times could be the answer. Ben Ansell speaks to one of its inventors, and asks, "is it time to rethink voting?"Presenter: Ben Ansell Producer: Ravi Naik Editor: Clare Fordham Contributors Glen Weyl, Microsoft Research Rosie Campbell Professor of Politics at King's College London Dr Hannah White the CEO of the Institute for Government Rob Ford Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester

Rethink examines emerging issues in politics, society, economics, technology and the UK's place in the world, and considers how we might approach them differently. We look at the latest thinking and research and discuss new ideas that might make the world a better place.In this episode, we look at "Enshittification", or to put it more politely - the problem of internet platform decay. Facebook used to be about posts from your friends, but its feed now also includes groups, adverts, reels, and threads posts. Trying to work out if the Amazon product you want is any good can be tricky, because sellers can pay for their product to appear higher in your list of results. Search engines are not immune; German researchers have found that Google, Bing and Duck Duck Go are prone to spam marketing, making it more difficult to find what you want. There's no ill-intent behind this: platform decay is a side-effect of the way these businesses work. So what can governments and individuals do, to try to get a better internet for everyone?Presenter: Ben Ansell Producer: Ravi Naik Editor: Clare FordhamContributors: Cory Doctorow, visiting Professor of Computer Science at the Open University, and co-founder of the UK Open Rights group. Professor Gina Neff, Executive Director of the Minderoo Centre for Technology & Democracy at the University of Cambridge, Marie Le Conte, political journalist and author of the book escape - about the rise and demise of the internet Dr Cristina Caffarra, competition economist and former anti-trust consultant.

What type of leadership does the world need to tackle global warming? Amol Rajan discusses whether people with power are doing enough to solve the climate crisis. Are politicians just too focused on the ballot box to take long term decisions? What about the role of celebrities and business leaders? Graihagh Jackson, presenter of the BBC podcast ‘The Climate Question’ is with Amol alongside guests Lord Deben, Greg Jackson, Monika Langthaler and Professor Daniel Schrag.Producers Nick Holland and Marianna Brain Sound design Graham Puddifoot Editor Lizzi Watson Production coordinators Sophie Hill, Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed

Will technology and innovation slow down or even reverse climate change? Amol Rajan looks at some of the existing innovations that could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and also at some of those still being developed. He asks whether we're relying too much on the promise of technology that either isn’t ready yet or can’t work at scale. Graihagh Jackson, presenter of the BBC podcast ‘The Climate Question’ is with Amol alongside guests the former President of Kiribati Anote Tong, James Arbib, Aoife O’Leary and Dr Jan Rosenow.Producers Nick Holland and Marianna Brain Sound design Graham Puddifoot Editor Lizzi Watson Production coordinators Siobhan Reed, Helena Warwick-Cross and Sophie Hill

Amol Rajan explores what switching to a green economy may mean for the way we live and work and whether it's compatible with financial growth. If, for the sake of the planet we need to cut production, consumption and perhaps profit, then how will we pay for the essential services we need in the future? There are some difficult choices to make that sound particularly tough amid a cost-of-living crisis. However, despite all the difficulties, there are those who foresee a cleaner, fairer and more enriching world. Graihagh Jackson, presenter of the BBC podcast ‘The Climate Question’ is with Amol Rajan alongside guests Professor Tim Jackson, Bernice Lee, Najma Mohamed and Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas Producers Nick Holland and Marianna Brain Sound design Graham Puddifoot Editor Lizzi Watson Production co-ordinators Siobhan Reed, Sophie Hill, Helena Warwick-Cross

What personal lifestyle habits are we prepared to give up to stop global warming and who bears responsibility for changing our behaviour? Is it the state or the individual? Amol Rajan discusses why we continue to live the way we do, despite knowing the planet is heating up. Is it ignorance or denial? Perhaps the problems is with the way we talk about climate change. If so, then how does the discourse need to change?Graihagh Jackson, presenter of the BBC podcast ‘The Climate Question’ is with Amol Rajan alongside guests Tom Bailey, Meghan Kennedy-Woodard and George Marshall.Producers Nick Holland and Marianna Brain Sound design Graham Puddifoot Editor Lizzi Watson Production Coordinators Siobhan Reed, Sophie Hill, Helena Warwick-Cross

In the first programme in this series Amol Rajan and guests examine the pledges that have been made on climate change and how far we have gone towards meeting them. What has worked to reduce greenhouse gasses and what’s not working, including the role of COP. Is the commitment to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees the right one?Graihagh Jackson, presenter of the BBC podcast ‘The Climate Question’ is with Amol, alongside guests Professor Saleemul Huq, Mikaela Loach, Emeritus Professor Bill McGuire and Sarah BellProducers Nick Holland & Marianna Brain Sound design Graham Puddifoot Editor Lizzi Watson Production Coordinators Siobhan Reed, Helena Warwick-Cross and Sophie Hill

Amol Rajan and his guests look for some answers on how to tackle the challenges thrown up by demographic change. From the pressure put on governments by burgeoning populations of young people, to the tactics best adopted by those of us planning to live to a hundred.GUESTSCamilla Cavendish, former Director of Policy for Prime Minister David Cameron, Financial Times columnist and author of 'Extra Time: 10 Lessons for an Ageing World'Professor Andrew Scott, Professor of Economics at London Business School and author of 'The 100-Year Life - Living and Working in an Age of Longevity'Dr Eliza Filby writer and historianProfessor Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford and author of 'Is the Planet Full?'Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Lucinda Borrell Editor: Kirsty Reid

Amol Rajan and his guests look at Japan where almost a third of the population is aged 65 or over. What does that mean for Japan's economy, and its future? And what can other ageing countries learn from its experiences so far?GUESTSKathy Matsui, partner at venture capital fund MPowerCelia Hatton, Asia-Pacific Editor for the BBCBill Emmott, Chairman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, former Editor of the EconomistNoreena Hertz economist and author of 'The Lonely Century'Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Lucinda Borrell Editor: Kirsty Reid

In episode three of the series, Amol Rajan is joined by guests from Africa and the Middle East to look at the challenges and opportunities faced by countries with rapidly growing young populations. Will this mean demographic dividend or disaster for states like Nigeria? GUESTS Dr Wangui Kimari, Junior Research Fellow, Institute for Humanities in Africa at the University of Cape Town Cheta Nwanze, Lead Partner at SBM Intelligence Meray Maddah, Research Assistant, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Dr. Paul Morland, Author of ‘The Human Tide: How Population Shaped the Modern World’ Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Ayeisha Thomas-Smith Editor: Kirsty Reid

Amol Rajan and guests look at why British birth rates have declined so much. Can we - should we - try to reverse this and how will we pay for the health and care needs of our growing elderly population? GUESTS Prof Sarah Harper, Director and Clore Professor of Gerontology, Oxford Institute of Population Ageing Miatta Fahnbulleh, CEO, New Economics Foundation Robert Colvile, Director, Centre for Policy Studies David Runciman - Professor of Politics, University of Cambridge Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Rob Walker Editor: Kirsty Reid

In a new five-part Rethink series, Amol Rajan and guests challenge some of our long-held assumptions about population change. Are there really too many people in the world - or will some countries actually end up with too few? GUESTS Rt Hon. Lord David Willets, President of the Advisory Council and Intergenerational Centre of the Resolution Foundation Professor Anna Rotkirch, Director, Population Research Institute, Väestöliitto, Finland Professor Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, Population Foundation of India Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Rob Walker Editor: Kirsty Reid

During the pandemic many schools and universities relied on virtual lessons using video software. In the final programme of this Rethink on Education, we look to the future and ask what is the role of technology in education? Will students be taught virtually or will online resources only be used to enhance the classroom experience? Amol Rajan and guests discuss.GUESTS:Alex Beard, Author, Natural Born LearnersMatt Hood, Founder, Oak National AcademyDilshad Sheikh, Dean of the Business School, Arden UniversityDr. Elizabeth Gemmill, Department for Continuing Education, Oxford UniversityPresenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Julie Ball Editor: Kirsty Reid

Universities receive double the amount of funding that Further Education colleges get, despite the fact they have twice the number of students, most of whom are in vocational training. If the country is to meet the requirements of new technology jobs, and skills, should we be investing more money in higher education that provides the skills we will need for the future economic prosperity of the country rather than a course in English Literature? Amol Rajan and guests discuss.GUESTS:Professor Dame Ann Dowling, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Cambridge University, Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering David Goodhart, Author 'Head, Hand, Heart: The struggle for dignity and status in the 21st CenturyJude Kelly, Founder WoW FoundationProfessor Steven Spier, Vice-chancellor, Kingston UniversityPresenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Julie Ball Editor: Kirsty Reid

Should we change the current system of examinations for our 16 and 18 year olds? During the past two years pupils across the UK have missed out on official exams like GCSEs, A Levels and Highers. So are official exams no longer needed? The current system was set up as a conduit for the now, 50 percent of students who go to university. But what about those who don't go on to higher education, are they being catered for? Is there a better way to assess what young people have learnt whilst at school that will help them get what they want out of life in the future? Amol Rajan and guests discuss. GUESTSLord Kenneth Baker, Baker Dearing Educational Trust, UTC'sLaura McInerney, Founder, TeacherTapp Dr. Kevin Stannard, Head of Innovation and Learning, Girls' Day Schools TrustAliyah Irabor-York, Student & Founder , Pupil PowerandKiran Gill, CEO and Founder, The Difference Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Julie Ball Editor: Kirsty Reid