Science In Action - South Asia heatwave and climate change

Download South Asia heatwave and climate change

South Asia has experienced a heatwave where the monsoon has been delayed and temperatures have reached over 50 degrees. Despite this the extreme heat has led to far fewer fatalities than previous heatwaves; we look at why that is.

Research into the origins of almonds shows they were domesticated in Asia before spreading worldwide. It’s a bitter sweet story, with sweet varieties being selected over bitter ones. In fact the bitter ones contain poisons which can kill..

As with almonds cannabis as a drug seems to have spread via silk routes. The discovery of ancient burnt wooded bowls suggests it was smoked millennia ago in China – as part of funeral rituals.

And we investigate California’s cannabis farming industry, there are concerns over the environmental impact of this now legal cash crop.

(Photo: Indian boatman walks amid boats on the dried bed of a lake at Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary. Credit: Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images)

Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Julian Siddle

Published on Thursday, 13th June 2019.

Available Podcasts from Science In Action

Subscribe to Science In Action

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Science In Action webpage.