In the short film below, Steve went to central London to witness the Convoy to Calais protest on 18 June 2016. The protest was organised by over a dozen organisations, including the Stop the War Coalition, the People’s Assembly Against Austerity, Unison, Humanitas and the Muslim Association of Britain. The plan for the protest was to gather a large number of vehicles, of all sizes, to take aid to the refugee camps in France. Steve asks why the organisers chose central London as the starting point for the protest and why the protest took this form.
Read more articles from Geography Matters
Weather derivatives - the financialization of weather
Is it possible to manage the risks presented by nature, such as too much rain at the wrong time of the year and very harsh frosts?
Listen now ❯Weather derivatives - the financialization of weather
The European Union and the impact on mixed nationality relationships in northern Finland
Carol Brown-Leonardi investigates how Britain’s exit from the European Union has affected the perceptions and decision-making of mixed nationality couples to stay and live permanently in Finland or the United Kingdom.
Listen now ❯The European Union and the impact on mixed nationality relationships in northern Finland
Nature, space and the shifting geographies of human-starling relations
A starling in the countryside is just a starling, but when it enters the city it becomes a pest. Andy Morris discusses how pests exist when nature is ‘out of place’.
Read now ❯Nature, space and the shifting geographies of human-starling relations
Investigating environmental futures through speculative design
How can ‘thinking through making’ facilitate new kinds of geographical enquiry?
Read now ❯Investigating environmental futures through speculative design
Climate Change, Coastal Erosion and Flooding: The Thames Gateway and London
Climate change will lead to sea level rises and this will lead to enhanced coastal erosion. Professor David Humphreys explores the challenges that this will pose for the Thames Gateway in south-east England.
Read now ❯Climate Change, Coastal Erosion and Flooding: The Thames Gateway and London
Can you prepare for Brexit?
With the right knowledge you can prepare for anything. Are you up to scratch on Brexit? Take our fiendish quiz to find out.
Take part now ❯Can you prepare for Brexit?
Kropotkin, anarchism and geography: A discussion
What links geography to anarchism? Dr Philip O’Sullivan finds the surprising connection lies with a Russian prince who died nearly 100 years ago.
Listen now ❯Kropotkin, anarchism and geography: A discussion
Sounds of environmental change
What does environmental change sound like? Dr George Revill argues that sound can be a powerful way of conveying how places are transformed by climate change.
Listen now ❯Sounds of environmental change
Introduction to Environment and society
We live at a key moment in environment and society relations. Take a snapshot of the range of themes and issues explored in the OU module DD213 Environment and society through this introductory video.
Watch now ❯Introduction to Environment and society
The sharing economy
How sharing and caring is the sharing economy? Petr Jehlička takes a critical look at the booming sector and traces its hidden connections and contradictions.
Take part now ❯The sharing economy
From Brexit to the break-up of Britain?
This free course, From Brexit to the break-up of Britain?, sets the experience of Brexit in the context of the UK. It first analyses Brexit as a symptom of the political, economic and social geography of the UK, focusing on its uneven development in a country increasingly dominated by London and the South East of England. It then considers how the divisions within the UK (within England as well as between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) were reflected in the voting patterns of the 2016 referendum. Finally, the course reflects on the implications of these short-term and long-term trends for the UK’s future as a multinational state.
Learn more ❯From Brexit to the break-up of Britain?
Climate change's causes, effects and geographies of responsibility
The idea of climate change is increasingly well-known, but it can be hard to understand its effects in human terms. Professor David Humphreys describes how he experienced Climate Change first hand when working in Bangladesh for The Open University.
Read now ❯Climate change's causes, effects and geographies of responsibility
Was it right to hold a Referendum on Brexit?
Explore your opinions alongside experts and other learners, to see whether a vote to leave the EU should have taken place.
Take part now ❯Was it right to hold a Referendum on Brexit?
International health service: How the NHS has always relied on overseas labour
Potential NHS staff from outside of European Economic Area (EEA) will shortly find it easier to secure permission to work in the UK. Yet doctors and nurses from the EEA may no longer have the right to do so. Dr Parvati Raghuram looks at how the NHS has depended on foreign workers since its creation.
Read now ❯International health service: How the NHS has always relied on overseas labour
Can we live harmoniously with wildlife?
In light of a man-eating tiger being killed in The Nilgiris District, India, we need to address human-animal and human-human conflict in our forests.
Read now ❯Can we live harmoniously with wildlife?
Unfreezing urban infrastructures
In the Five Billion Pound Super Sewer we are given a rare insight into the ways that often ignored urban infrastructures shape city life.
Read now ❯Unfreezing urban infrastructures
Download your free 'A City in the Making' poster
Download your free 'A City in the Making' poster to accompany the OU/BBC series 'The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway'.
Read now ❯Download your free 'A City in the Making' poster
The navigation apps that help the visually impaired
A technological revolution is underway improving the lives of many who may benefit from additional assistance says human geographer, Dr Oliver Zanetti.
Read now ❯The navigation apps that help the visually impaired
Smart cities
This free course will help you to navigate your own path through the complex landscape of smart cities. You’ll hear from smart city innovators and entrepreneurs, city leaders, communities and business, connecting with learners from around the world to reflect on issues facing smart cities of different sizes and situations.
Learn more ❯Smart cities
How do you know you are in a smart city?
Integrated urban technology is less apparent when it is functioning well says, Gillian Rose, Professor of Human Geography at the University of Oxford.
Watch now ❯How do you know you are in a smart city?
Studying Environments and Societies
What does human geography have to do with studying the environment?
Listen now ❯Studying Environments and Societies
How data is making our cities smarter
Data research may lead to more efficient, sustainable and democratic societies says Gillian Rose, Professor of Human Geography at the University of Oxford.
Watch now ❯How data is making our cities smarter
Approaching the break up of Britain?
What does the geography of the referendum vote tell us about the (increasingly dis-) United Kingdom?
Read now ❯Approaching the break up of Britain?
Five smart technologies helping the visually impaired
Cutting-edge research is enabling the development of new potentially life-changing prototypes aimed at serving those with disabilities says, Dr Oliver Zanetti.
Watch now ❯Five smart technologies helping the visually impaired
Can yoga help us achieve sustainable development goals?
Shonil Bhagwat explains the yogic way of understanding how individual actions relate to global challenges.
Read now ❯Can yoga help us achieve sustainable development goals?
Gender, IT and economic growth
Does gender matter to the world's fastest growing economies? Parvati Raghuram explores how the labour driving many Rising Powers is gendered.
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My Interest in Cities is Really an Interest in the Way People Live
How do cities bring places, relationships and networks together, and what sorts of politics do they create?
Watch now ❯My Interest in Cities is Really an Interest in the Way People Live
Non-existent countries
What makes a country count as a country? Andy Morris interviews geographer and broadcaster Nick Middleton about his recent book 'An Atlas of Countries that Don't Exist'.
Listen now ❯Non-existent countries
United Nations Climate Change Conference - COP21
This interactive map is a world first. It gives you the chance to explore a major international meeting on climate change as if you were there.
Take part now ❯United Nations Climate Change Conference - COP21
Earth In Vision: A Collection
The Earth in Vision project explores the BBC archives of environment themed television and radio programmes from the last 70 years, looking at the potential of these archives as a digital resource as well as to illustrate the potential of digital broadcast archives for researchers.
Watch now ❯Earth In Vision: A Collection
Stories of Change - The Interviews
'Stories of Change' interviews with Roger Harrabin.
Listen now ❯Stories of Change - The Interviews
Dropping the population bomb - 50 years of BBC environmental broadcasting, part two
How have the films and radio programmes broadcast by the BBC shaped how we understand environmental change issues? Joe Smith shares his journey through the archives in the second part of a two part podcast series.
Read now ❯Dropping the population bomb - 50 years of BBC environmental broadcasting, part two
Fifty years of BBC broadcasting about environmental change issues
How have the films and radio programmes broadcast by the BBC shaped how we understand environmental change issues? Joe Smith shares his journey through the archives in a two part podcast series.
Listen now ❯Fifty years of BBC broadcasting about environmental change issues
Syria, Spitsbergen and Seeds
How are the civil war in Syria, the remote Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, and the future of the world’s food supplies connected?
Listen now ❯Syria, Spitsbergen and Seeds
The Legacy of Nuclear Power, Part 2
What ethical decisions does burying nuclear waste involve, and how are we responsible to future generations?
Listen now ❯The Legacy of Nuclear Power, Part 2
The Secret Geographies of Finance
How does tax avoidance create links between distant places and people? Why is something legal associated with such secrecy and morally dubious behaviour? Michael Pryke explains.
Listen now ❯The Secret Geographies of Finance
Another spoonful? Understanding the Place of Sugar - Part Two
Steve Pile looks at the changing geographies of sugar.
Read now ❯Another spoonful? Understanding the Place of Sugar - Part Two
One Lump or Two? Understanding the Place of Sugar - Part One
Sugar is a Contradiction - explore the cultural paradox of this ubiquitous ingredient, with Professor Steve Pile.
Read now ❯One Lump or Two? Understanding the Place of Sugar - Part One
Protecting Landscapes and Creating the Right Tools for the Job
How do national parks manage the demands of different users, whilst still conserving natural beauty?
Listen now ❯Protecting Landscapes and Creating the Right Tools for the Job
The Legacy of Nuclear Power: Part 1
How do local communities respond to the risks and opportunities of nuclear power?
Listen now ❯The Legacy of Nuclear Power: Part 1
Researching cycling in the US & the UK
Peter Wood shares his experiences researching cyclists - on both sides of the Atlantic.
Listen now ❯Researching cycling in the US & the UK
Why I believe 'yes' is only a matter of time
Despite voters in 2014 choosing to stay in the United Kingdom, Gerry Mooney believes that in the long run, an Independent Scotland is inevitable. He explains why.
Listen now ❯Why I believe 'yes' is only a matter of time
Family photos and what they mean
What can family photos tell us about households, gender roles and emerging technology? Professor Gillian Rose explores her research on family photography, and how this work interacts with her own experiences.
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Coping on the Coast: moral economies and liminality at the heart of things that matter
Does geography influence peoples’ sense of security and well-being?
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‘Citizen sensing’ and new forms of environmental monitoring
What technological challenges are faced by communities seeking to understand environmental change at different geographical scales?
Read now ❯‘Citizen sensing’ and new forms of environmental monitoring
Should we be worried about the US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement?
The UK government has confirmed that despite the path chosen by the US, the UK would honour the Paris Agreement. Here Shonil Bhagwat looks at the motivations and implications behind the US decision, and how international action on climate change will go on.
Read now ❯Should we be worried about the US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement?
Should Economics and the Environment work together?
The recent UK general election saw many parties pledge to ‘improve’ the environment. Vicky Johnson considers progress can be measured by more closely connecting the environment to economics.
Listen now ❯Should Economics and the Environment work together?
How is Milton Keynes a ‘smart’ city?
What is a ‘smart city’, and how is smart rooted into Milton Keynes’ past and future?
Watch now ❯How is Milton Keynes a ‘smart’ city?
Milton Keynes and the roots of 'Smart' transport
Learn about MK’s unique history of transport innovation, and how The Open University has been a part of the experiment.
Watch now ❯Milton Keynes and the roots of 'Smart' transport
Smart Cities in the Making: Learning from Milton Keynes
Why research Milton Keynes? Professor Gillian Rose introduces a study of how cities are increasingly using digital data to improve their management and create new ways of living.
Watch now ❯Smart Cities in the Making: Learning from Milton Keynes
Sir David Attenborough and The Open University
Sir David Attenborough and The Open University have had a long-standing relationship since the university's birth. David explains how that relationship came about and how it has developed over the years.
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The Curious Geography of Weetabix: A Cereal Tale for Our Times
Where is Weetabix actually from? Prof. John Allen investigates.
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This is not a city: Milton Keynes
What makes a city and why does it matter?
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Europe’s Borders in Question
Stories about migrants, asylum seekers and refugees make media headlines almost every day. John Allen asks, what's the role of borders in this movement of people?
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Introducing Geography Matters
The 'Geography Matters' initative is coming to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
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Brexit and the Irish border
Dr Philp O'Sullivan reflects on the changing geographical relationship between the UK and Ireland.
Read now ❯Brexit and the Irish border
Digital urban infrastructures: Smart cities in the making
Nick Bingham discusses 'smart cities' and how digital technologies are changing the ways in which cities are planned and maintained.
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Privatising Thames Water
How did a public utlity turn into a financial instrument?
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Seeing the internet
How do we see the internet? Gillian Rose explores why some artists and campaigners think it's important that the internet is made more visible.
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Climate change: the kale smoothie of TV
Is climate change the kale smoothie of TV schedules: unappealing but somehow fashionable and even essential to the diet?
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The environmental costs of Trump’s wall
Trump's wall will not only have long-lasting impact on human society, but also severe ecological consequences.
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How national is the NHS?
Parvati Raghuram traces the links between the NHS waiting lists and health care crises elsewhere
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Heathrow third runway: who and where will benefit?
Exploring the costs and benefits of expanding Heathrow, using a geographical analysis.
Read now ❯Heathrow third runway: who and where will benefit?
Change in the West of Ireland
Introducing a collection of articles asking 'How can unique and distinctive regions, like the West of Ireland, retain the qualities that make them unique while continuing to modernise and interact with the wider world?'
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The vanishing snows of Mount Kilimanjaro
According to some estimates the snows of Kilimanjaro could vanish completely by 2030.
Read now ❯The vanishing snows of Mount Kilimanjaro
What is to be done about Lenin? Coping with the relics of past regimes
The question of how Hungary approaches the memories of its Communist past has echoes for all cities with painful pasts.
Read now ❯What is to be done about Lenin? Coping with the relics of past regimes
Scoring the Shoreline
George Revill considers the synergy between sound waves and ocean waves - how the coast of Britain has inspired the nation's musical heritage.
Read now ❯Scoring the Shoreline
Mapping the city, taming the city
As people come to live in urban spaces, how do they come to terms with their surroundings? Gillian Rose explains some of the ways we make sense of our modern surroundings.
Listen now ❯Mapping the city, taming the city
Johanna Wadsley's diary
Johanna Wadsley from Hugging The Coast discusses her interest in environmental issues.
Read now ❯Johanna Wadsley's diary
London inside out
Fifteen years since the 7/7 bombings, we look back at unity in London after the terror attacks...
Read now ❯London inside out
Bicycle enlightenment
OU Researcher Pete Wood and Dr Frauke Behrendt from the University of Brighton blaze a trail through the links between bikes and new mobilities
Read now ❯Bicycle enlightenment
Climate change as a belief system
Shonil Bhagwat discusses how climate change includes the four common tenets of belief systems.
Watch now ❯Climate change as a belief system
What shall we tell the children?
The public have been badly served by politics and the media on climate change. The presence of a David Attenborough blockbuster on the topic in a primetime slot shows things have changed for the better in the past year or two.
Read now ❯What shall we tell the children?
Democracy and sustainability: Can we survive in freedom?
‘Can we survive in freedom?’ The relationship between democracy and sustainability was framed in these terms by a prominent political scientist more than fifteen years ago.
Read now ❯Democracy and sustainability: Can we survive in freedom?
Methods in Motion: Getting on your bike, and looking for answers
Dr Peter Wood, a Visiting Fellow with the Geography Discipline, argues that although methodological choices are often seen as technical decisions, they can actually be key to intellectual creativity.
Read now ❯Methods in Motion: Getting on your bike, and looking for answers
How many lightbulb jokes does it take to save the world?
Humour has a part to play in getting the message about climate change across.
Read now ❯How many lightbulb jokes does it take to save the world?
Predict and provide (and pollute)
Joe Smith considers the environmental cost of a third runway at Heathrow airport
Read now ❯Predict and provide (and pollute)
Nuclear power - yes please?
Are we coming to terms with nuclear power - or is a push for reactors masking a need to reduce consumption?
Read now ❯Nuclear power - yes please?
The truth about climate change
When it comes to the subject of climate change, do you trust the journalists or the scientists?
Read now ❯The truth about climate change
Climate Change isn't special
Joe Smith suggests that we need to think of climate change as an everyday problem - and suggests using tax as a possible solution.
Read now ❯Climate Change isn't special
Copenhagen is the last chance to save the world
As we approach the Copenhagen climate conference, Joe Smith suggests that we put too much emphasis on single events
Read now ❯Copenhagen is the last chance to save the world
The Mumbai bomb attacks
Parvati Raghuram explains why she's uneasy at the media response to the bombings in Mumbai
Read now ❯The Mumbai bomb attacks
The power to make a difference
The response to inequality and unfairness might be to take responsibility rather than feeling guilt, explains John Allen
Read now ❯The power to make a difference
And the award goes to...
In the wake of Oscar success, the film Slumdog Millionaire provokes questions of national identity.
Read now ❯And the award goes to...
Understanding Cities
At the beginning of the 21st century, more than half the world’s population live in cities. Issues about governance, intensification of social relationships, the impact of globalisation, and the way green spaces are utilised become ever more pressing concerns. The tracks on this album explore some of the challenges faced across the world as citizens and administrators adapt to ever increasing pressures on city spaces and resources. The material forms part of the course DD304, Understanding Cities.
Listen now ❯Understanding Cities
‘We live in a democracy’
Watch democracy at work - as the public kept voting to keep John Sergeant in Strictly Come Dancing
Read now ❯‘We live in a democracy’
After Kyoto
The Open University's Joe Smith sets the scene, in the run up to the Copenhagen climate talks.
Read now ❯After Kyoto
Environmentalism at 40: middle age spread or new lease of life?
Greenpeace’s 40th birthday is a good time to stop and ask where environmentalism is going. The OU's Joe Smith does just that in this thought-provoking article.
Read now ❯Environmentalism at 40: middle age spread or new lease of life?
How shall we grieve 'our' dead?
Gillian Rose suggests a new approach to those who die in public
Read now ❯How shall we grieve 'our' dead?
We fell in love with a catastrophe
Joe Smith explains the need to move away from catastrophe narratives when discussing climate change, and looks for something more positive to inspire the public.
Listen now ❯We fell in love with a catastrophe
Climate change: Think risk not fact
Dr. Joe Smith, Senior Lecturer in Environment at The Open University discusses how we should focus on risk when looking at climate change.
Read now ❯Climate change: Think risk not fact
What exactly does 'worthy' look like?
It might be useful to remind ourselves of the qualities that never come to be calculated when we take stock of our own and others’ worth to society.
Read now ❯What exactly does 'worthy' look like?
Valuing teachers
Why do teachers get paid so much less than some other professionals?
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Education in Northern Ireland: segregation, division and sectarianism?
Is education in Northern Ireland a vehicle for social cohesion or for perpetuating community divisions?
Read now ❯Education in Northern Ireland: segregation, division and sectarianism?
Is public spending a drain on the economy or the mark of a civilised society?
Read this article outlining arguements in debate held under the auspices of the Social Sciences Student Connections, Big Conversation.
Read now ❯Is public spending a drain on the economy or the mark of a civilised society?
Taken at the flood: An open letter to Nigel Farage
The sight of UKIP's Nigel Farage in deep water prompted Joe Smith to write a personal note with a generous offer of help.
Read now ❯Taken at the flood: An open letter to Nigel Farage
The Asian doctors who shaped the NHS
A very British institution - but one shaped by migrant labour. Meet the doctors who shaped the NHS
Read now ❯The Asian doctors who shaped the NHS
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