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Prof. Chris Freeman

Adam Walton meets award-winning wetlands scientist Prof. Chris Freeman from Bangor University to discuss the role of peat bogs as a buffer against climate change

28 minutes

Last on

Sun 18 Nov 2018 06:30

More about the programme

In this week's Science Café Adam is in conversation with Professor Chris Freeman, Head of the School of Biological Sciences at Bangor University.

Chris has devoted his scientific career to the study of wetlands, specifically peat bogs -Ìý those squelchy, bleak places which most of us wouldn’t give a second glance. But peat bogs are a unique environment – and an extremely important one. They cover only 3% of the planet’s surface yet contain more carbon than all the world’s forests put together, which makes them a really important factor in climate change. If we lost our wetlands and all that carbon was released, it would double the amount ofÌýcarbon dioxideÌýin our atmosphere.
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And that’s the focus of Chris Freeman’s research. He recently received an international award from the Society of Wetland Scientists for his work on the 'enzymic latch' which prevents plant decay in peat bogs and allows carbon to be stored.

In a wide-ranging conversation Adam talks to Chris about climate change,Ìýcarnivorous plants, a perfectly-preserved severed human head from thousands of years ago and the Apollo 8 mission to the moon!

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Broadcasts

  • Tue 28 Aug 2018 18:30
  • Sun 2 Sep 2018 06:30
  • Sun 18 Nov 2018 06:30

Adam Walton

Adam Walton

Adam's "other job" - tune in every Saturday at 10 PM for the best new music from Wales.