Summary
Why can't we use energy from the waves of the sea to create all the electricity that we need? Listener Michael in Kingston, Jamaica wants to know. Living on a Caribbean island means he’s never far from the might of the ocean – so could it power his house?
Presenter Greg Foot heads to one of the world’s leading wave energy test locations, the coast of Cornwall in the UK, to find out. There, he witnesses the challenges of the marine environment, from metre high waves in a giant indoor test tank to being buffeted on a beach where a 25km cable runs beneath his feet to a grid-connected offshore test site. And find out if Greg’s plan to feel the power of the waves first-hand on a research boat works out – in the middle of winter, in the northern hemisphere.
Do you have a question we can turn into a programme? Email us at crowdscience@bbc.co.uk
Picture: Waves, Credit: Oli Scarff/Getty Images
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, podcast listeners. Thanks so much for downloading this episode of Crowd Science from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:06.0 | Bravo, we think you've made a very good choice. I'm Greg Foote, and in this program I get to go on a bit of a scientific adventure. |
| 0:14.0 | If you got a question that you'd like us to tackle, stay tuned. |
| 0:17.0 | All the details for that will be at the end. |
| 0:19.0 | But meanwhile, enjoy the show. |
| 0:21.0 | Hello, I'm Greg Foote and you're listening to Crowd Science, the BBC World Service |
| 0:27.9 | show that answers your questions about life, Earth and the universe. This week we've got a query from a Caribbean island. |
| 0:35.4 | Hi crowd science on the BBC World Service. I'm Michael McFarlane and I'm calling you |
| 0:40.6 | from Kingston in Jamaica. My question for today's program is why can't |
| 0:45.1 | we use energy from the waves of the sea to create all the electricity we need? |
| 0:50.0 | Thanks Michael. Right. how can we get energy from the sea? To find out I think we need to |
| 0:58.0 | head for the ocean. But we're currently nowhere near a beach. producer Jen, where are we? |
| 1:08.0 | We're at my house in Central England, about as far from the coast as you can get in the UK, but I've got a plan. |
| 1:16.0 | I really hope that plan involves A, going to the beach and B going on a boat, yes, please? |
| 1:22.0 | We hopefully can go on a boat. |
| 1:24.0 | One of the world's leading wave energy test locations is Cornwall in the UK, |
| 1:28.0 | so that's where we're headed, |
| 1:30.0 | but it is mid-December in the northern hemisphere |
| 1:32.8 | so I'm not making any promises. |
| 1:34.2 | I've got lots of warm layers, come on. |
| 1:36.4 | Okay, let's give it a go. |
| 1:37.7 | To the car. Let's go. |
... |
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