Deserts and the Nuclear Age
Cultural discussion programme. Andrew Marr discusses deserts and the nuclear age with William Atkins, Jane Kinninmont and Fred Pearce.
One-third of the earth's surface is classified as desert. The writer William Atkins has travelled to eight of the world's hottest, driest places. He tells Andrew Marr about these forbidding, inhuman landscapes.
The Arabian Desert lies mostly in Saudi Arabia but crosses borders from Egypt to Qatar, UAE to Oman. The economic analyst Jane Kinninmont looks at how this shared landscape affects regional politics and culture.
In the 1950s deserts were the preferred places for Britain and America to test their nuclear bombs in secret. The science journalist Fred Pearce explores the human ingenuity - and human error - that has fuelled the atomic age.
Producer: Katy Hickman.
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William Atkins
William Atkins’s first book, The Moor, was shortlisted for the Thwaites Wainwright Prize.
The Immeasurable World: Journeys in Desert Places is published by Faber.
Jane Kinninmont
Jane Kinninmont is Deputy Head and Senior Research Fellow of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House. She contributes regularly to the media, including The Economist, The Guardian and Foreign Policy.
Fred Pearce
Fred Pearce is an award-winning journalist and author, reporting from 87 countries. He is the environment consultant of New Scientist magazine.
Fallout – A Journey Through the Nuclear Age, from the Atomic Bomb to Radioactive Waste is published by Portobello Books.
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Andrew Marr |
| Interviewed Guest | William Atkins |
| Interviewed Guest | Jane Kinninmont |
| Interviewed Guest | Fred Pearce |
| Producer | Katy Hickman |
Broadcasts
- Mon 18 Jun 2018 09:00BBC Radio 4
- Mon 18 Jun 2018 21:30BBC Radio 4
Podcast
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