Global News Podcast: The Happy Pod – "Escaping death on a glacier"

BBC World Service | September 13, 2025
Host: Ankar Desai

Episode Overview

This edition of The Happy Pod focuses on uplifting and remarkable stories from across the globe, with the central feature being the harrowing yet inspiring survival experience of a hiker stranded on a Norwegian glacier. The episode also covers scientific discoveries, a traditional matchmaking festival, innovations in food security, wildlife conservation breakthroughs, and a personal crusade for cleaner environments—all highlighting human resilience, ingenuity, and compassion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Escaping Death on a Glacier: Alec Lune’s Survival Story

[01:30–07:48]

• The Incident:
  Alec Lune, an award-winning American journalist and experienced hiker, recounts his near-fatal fall on the Folgefonna glacier in Norway. After losing his phone, food, and water, he survived with severe injuries until rescue six days later.

• Emotional Reflection:
  Lune emphasizes the fragility of life and cherishing personal relationships above all else.

• Critical Factors in Survival:

  • Basic camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad)
  • Approximately twelve granola bars and some peanuts for sustenance
  • Maintaining a survival-focused, task-oriented mindset

• Rescue Details:

  • A previously sent photo to his wife was pivotal for search teams
  • Military helicopter rescue after initial false hope when not spotted
  • A rescuer spent 40 minutes hugging him to keep him warm before evacuation

  Notable Quotes:

  “My only regret really if I die up here is that I didn’t spend more time with my wife and my family. Life is so fragile and you’ve really got to appreciate the small things.”
  – Alec Lune [01:32, 04:29, 07:24]

  “You just don’t think it’s going to happen to you. We’re on this earth temporarily and it could happen to anyone at any time. So safety first and don’t be afraid to turn around.”
  – Alec Lune [07:24]

2. New Source of Fresh Water Under the Atlantic Ocean

[07:48–11:40]

• Discovery:
  Expedition 501, a global project, identified a massive aquifer containing fresh water 50km off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

• Scientific Implications:

  • Unusually large volumes of low-salinity water found beneath the sea floor
  • Offers potential as a future drinking water resource after appropriate treatment
  • Could be vital as global water demand outpaces supply
  • Raises questions about the age, origin, and future of such water sources

  Notable Quotes:

  “We discovered and documented water that had salinity less than one part per thousand, so meeting fresh drinking water criteria below the ocean... significant volumes of it.”
  – Brandon Dugan, Chief Scientist [08:32]

  “It would require standard treatment, but it looks like it would be a viable source after treatment because it’s similar to things that we see in nearshore environments or even onshore.”
  – Brandon Dugan [10:44]

3. Europe’s Largest Matchmaking Festival in Lisdoonvarna, Ireland

[11:40–15:51]

• Event:
  The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival, running since 1857, attracts 20,000+ people yearly seeking love and friendship through dance and tradition.

• Matchmaking Icon:
  Willie Daly, Ireland’s last traditional matchmaker, uses his family’s "lucky book" to help hopeful singles find partners.

• Cultural Insights:
  Despite modern dating apps, the festival thrives on in-person connections, spontaneity, and rural charm.

  Notable Quotes:

  “It’s a kind of a magic…people walk up to girls they haven’t met before…They just say, ‘Will you marry me?’”
  – Willie Daly [12:59]

  “A bird in your hand is worth two in the bush. There’s nothing wrong at the computer…I think it’s good where it works.”
  – Willie Daly [15:27]

4. Koalas and the Fight Against Chlamydia

[19:52–22:59]

• Conservation Problem:
  Half of koalas in Queensland and New South Wales are infected with Chlamydia, a disease causing blindness and infertility, critically threatening populations.

• Breakthrough Solution:
  Professor Peter Timms discusses a newly-approved single-dose vaccine that’s shown to reduce disease rates by over 50% in long-term studies.

• Logistical Challenges:

  • Vaccination starts with those in wildlife hospitals or affected by habitat disruption
  • Wild koalas to be reached via targeted studies and interventions

  Notable Quotes:

  “It causes eye disease, it can lead to blindness, but of course the most important thing is in females where it causes reproductive tract disease or it makes them infertile…can often be the tipping point in whether populations survive or don’t.”
  – Professor Peter Timms [20:23]

  “The vaccine…stops or reduces, at least it’s not perfect, infections becoming disease. So disease is the thing we’re trying to stop here.”
  – Professor Peter Timms [21:06]

5. Parthenogenesis: The Miracle of Eight Cloned Iguanas in England

[22:59–24:33]

• Extraordinary Birth:
  At the Exotic Zoo in Telford, a female casque-headed iguana—without access to a male—laid eggs that hatched into eight healthy babies through parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction).

• Biological Rarity:
  The hatchlings are genetic clones of their mother; such events are exceedingly rare and scientifically fascinating.

  Notable Moments:

  “We weren’t expecting that it was going to happen…When out come eight healthy little, very cute babies. It just reminds us how amazing nature can be.”
  – Scott Baker, Zoo Director & Ankar Desai [23:49–23:52]

6. Solar Tractors and Deep Bed Farming in Malawi

[24:33–28:50]

• Food Security Crisis:
  Malawi, where 80% of the population farms, faces food shortages due to climate change.

• Innovative Solutions:

  • Deep bed farming breaks up hard ground, improving water retention and root growth—boosting maize yield up to 40% for smallholders.
  • Introduction of the Aftrac: a UK-designed, solar-powered, walk-behind tractor prototype, further easing soil preparation.

• Impact on Lives:
  Farmers like Wilfred report harvesting up to 10 times more maize on the same land, allowing for surplus sales and improved livelihoods.

  Notable Quotes:

  “On a small piece of land… I got about 10 bags, 50kg bags, which I wouldn’t have before.”
  – Wilfred, Farmer [25:48]

  “By having this tractor you can increase food yields significantly, meaning you’re moving people from food poverty…to a point where they can grow enough food to also sell surplus.”
  – Toby Williams, Aftrac Engineer [27:47]

7. One Man’s Global Litter-Picking Mission

[28:50–30:34]

• Personal Endeavor:
  Tobias Reich, motivated by feeling powerless against plastic pollution, began cleaning beaches around the world and sharing his progress on social media.

• Community Impact:
  His #LitterPickingCulture movement emphasizes the collective difference small actions can make—if everyone picked up just 2kg of litter annually, the global problem could be eliminated.

  Notable Quotes:

  “With my journey I finally had the opportunity to take action on this problem. I cleaned the whole beach alone. One thing came to another. I keep picking. …If you choose the right project and don’t overwhelm yourself…you save a place, a beach, a lake, a river.”
  – Tobias Reich [29:16]

Additional Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Survival:

  “I just knew that it was probably going to be four days until anybody realized something had gone wrong. And I just kind of went into like robot mode where I just focused on what I needed to do next.”
  – Alec Lune [04:29]

• On Being Rescued:

  “One of the rescuers just hugged me for 40 minutes just to try and warm me up a little bit.”
  – Alec Lune [06:00]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Surviving on the Glacier: 01:30–07:48
• Atlantic Deep Water Discovery: 07:48–11:40
• Irish Matchmaking Festival: 11:40–15:51
• Koala Vaccine Breakthrough: 19:52–22:59
• Cloned Iguanas in UK Zoo: 22:59–24:33
• Deep Bed Farming & Solar Tractor in Malawi: 24:33–28:50
• Global Litter-Picking Efforts: 28:50–30:34

Tone & Style

The episode blends earnest storytelling with light-hearted anecdotes, expert insights, and personal testimonials—a hopeful, sincere, and occasionally humorous tone reflecting the resilience and innovation of people and nature around the world.

This summary captures all key stories and moments from the episode, allowing listeners and non-listeners alike to appreciate its major themes of survival, ingenuity, love, conservation, and the power of individual action.