The Happy Pod: Meet Italy's Tom Cruise and Blake Lively

Summary

Global News Podcast: The Happy Pod – Meet Italy's Tom Cruise and Blake Lively Release Date: December 7, 2024 | Host: Valerie Sanderson

In this episode of the Global News Podcast titled "The Happy Pod: Meet Italy's Tom Cruise and Blake Lively," host Valerie Sanderson delves into a variety of uplifting and inspiring stories from around the world. From the artistry of Italian dubbing to a dog-led political initiative in California, reunions after tragic scandals, environmental innovations, and unique cultural celebrations, this episode offers a diverse range of human interest stories. Below is a detailed summary of each segment discussed in the episode.

---

1. The Art of Italian Dubbing: Roberto Chevalier and Voice Artists

The episode opens with an exploration of Italy's rich tradition in film dubbing, a practice that has elevated voice-over artists to celebrity status within the country. Host Valerie Sanderson highlights how dubbing goes beyond mere translation, requiring actors to deeply empathize with the characters they portray.

Roberto Chevalier: The Italian Tom Cruise At the Voices in the Shadows festival in Genoa, Roberto Chevalier was honored as the star of the dubbing industry. "Dubbing an actor means empathizing with the character [...] It's almost like she's become a family member. I really feel like she's a friend of mine," Chevalier explains at [00:51]. Known as the Italian voice of Tom Cruise, Chevalier brings familiar Hollywood figures to life for Italian audiences.

Phyllis Muller on the Role of Dubbers Phyllis Muller adds, "The dogs love it. They know I can just tell them, hey, we're going to work. And they know what that means," at [01:09], underscoring the personal connections voice actors develop with the characters they voice.

Roberto Pedicini on Dubbing Challenges Roberto Pedicini, the Italian voice of Javier Bardem and Jim Carrey, discusses the complexities of dubbing: "In my opinion, acting and dubbing are different because I don't have the freedom to laugh, to cry or to get angry when I want. What's important is to just do it in a natural way," he states at [04:34]. He emphasizes the difficulty in matching lip movements and maintaining the original actor's style, especially with versatile actors like Jim Carrey.

Benedetta Ponticelli and Francesca Manicone's Contributions Benedetta Ponticelli won an award for her portrayal of Martha in the series Baby Reindeer, capturing the character's complexity: "I mean, obviously she isn't in real life, but I've got to know her. The way that she looks at things, her behaviors, her poses, her facial expressions," Ponticelli remarks at [05:34]. Meanwhile, Francesca Manicone, the voice of Blake Lively, shares: "It's almost like she's become a family member. I really feel like she's a friend of mine."

Roberto Pedicini on Dubbing vs. Subtitling Addressing the debate between dubbing and subtitling, Pedicini argues, "If you watch a film or a series, and you watch it in your own language. It connects with you and provokes an emotional reaction. If instead you hear it in another language and read subtitles, you're less captivated because you don't hear the language of your emotions," he explains at [06:39].

---

2. Idlewild's Canine Mayor: Mayor Max's Peace Initiative

Transitioning to a heartwarming political tale, the podcast covers Idlewild, a mountain town in California where a golden retriever named Max serves as the mayor. Since his election in 2012, Mayor Max, officially known as Maximus Mighty Dog Muller III, has been a symbol of political stability and community spirit.

Phyllis Muller on Leading with a Dog Mayor Phyllis Muller, Max's owner and co-chief, describes the unique dynamics of having a dog as mayor: "When I say the mayor is a dog, it's interesting... We also created Mayor Max's Peace on Earth initiative," she explains at [07:44]. The initiative aims to promote peace globally by encouraging positive energy and respectful communication.

Phyllis Muller's Advocacy and Community Impact Muller shares touching stories of Mayor Max's influence: "The dogs love it. They know I can just tell them, hey, we're going to work... and they jump around and bark," she notes at [08:31]. She highlights the initiatives such as comfort visits to hospitals, which have provided solace to dying patients, and successful fundraisers that have aided families in need.

Facing Political Criticism Despite the positive reception, Muller has faced challenges: "I was attacked for insisting that my dog is non-political, nonpartisan," she recounts at [09:57]. She emphasizes Mayor Max's unconditional love and the importance of respect and love for everyone, regardless of political differences.

---

3. Tamuna Mozaretsa: Reuniting Families After a Baby Trafficking Scandal

The podcast then shifts focus to a deeply moving story of Tamuna Mozaretsa, a Georgian journalist who has made significant strides in reuniting families torn apart by a baby trafficking scandal.

Tamuna's Personal Journey and Discovery Tamuna's journey began in 2016 when she discovered discrepancies in her birth certificate, leading her to suspect adoption. She created a Facebook group called "I'm Searching," which grew to 260,000 members and uncovered a widespread baby trafficking network.

Emotional Reunions and Personal Victory Valerie Sanderson narrates Tamuna's emotional reunion with her biological father, Gergen Karova: "He has been in my friend list for three years," Muller shares at [17:43]. The reunion took place in western Georgia, where Tamuna was introduced to an extensive network of relatives, marking a poignant end to her personal search.

Impact on Others and Future Endeavors Tamuna's efforts have not only reunited her own family but have also brought together hundreds of other families. "From today, my life has great meaning. It is a great happiness that I have found my children," she expresses, highlighting the profound impact of her work.

---

4. Congo Basin's New Species Discoveries: Environmental Significance

A report by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) reveals the discovery of 742 new species in Africa's Congo Basin over the past decade. This segment underscores the region's biodiversity and its critical role in carbon absorption.

Roberto Pedicini on the Congo Basin's Environmental Role Pedicini emphasizes the importance of the Congo Basin in mitigating climate change: "The Congo basin absorbs carbon emissions, 600 million tons of it. That is practically all the carbon emissions that come from American transportation," he states at [19:09].

Indigenous Knowledge and Conservation Efforts The segment highlights the invaluable knowledge of indigenous communities like the Baka people, who have long understood and utilized the local flora and fauna. "They know these species forever and they probably know also, if they have a use," Pedicini notes at [20:42].

Threats to the Basin and Conservation Needs Despite its environmental significance, the Congo Basin faces threats from deforestation, poaching, and mining. "Mining companies are destroying the environment. It is so rich and so diverse," Pedicini warns at [21:03]. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect this vital ecosystem and support the indigenous communities reliant on it.

---

5. Sustainable Innovations: Coconut Husk Coolers in the Philippines

Addressing environmental sustainability, the episode features David Kotler, founder of Nutshell Coolers, who has developed an eco-friendly alternative to traditional polystyrene coolers using recycled coconut husks.

David Kotler's Inspiration and Innovation Living in the Philippines, Kotler observed the waste generated from coconut husks: "We just sort of looked at this pile and said, maybe we should, like, take a closer look at all this material that's just sort of sitting here," he explains at [22:25]. This led to the creation of stackable, collapsible coolers that utilize the natural insulating properties of coconut fibers.

Manufacturing and Environmental Impact The process involves combining coconut husks with recycled polyester and processing them into durable mats: "We layer several of these mats together so that the fibers are kind of cross linked... it's really important that these tough fibers are also soft and malleable," Kotler details at [24:05]. The resulting products not only reduce waste but also provide additional income for local farmers by repurposing their discarded materials.

Adoption and Future Prospects Nutshell Coolers have been adopted by hundreds of fishing boats and are now available in the United States. "We're basically taking straight from the trash pile to make our sort of advanced materials," Kotler emphasizes at [24:58], highlighting the dual benefits of environmental conservation and economic support for local communities.

---

6. Unconventional Celebrations: Alpaca Weddings in China

Concluding the episode, Valerie Sanderson shares a unique cultural event from a kindergarten in Sutian, Jiangsu province, China, where two alpacas were "married" as part of an end-of-year celebration.

The Event and Its Significance Instead of the typical performances, the kindergarten organized a whimsical alpaca wedding, encouraging students and their families to dress in red—a color symbolizing good luck and celebration in Chinese culture. "They watched two alpacas walk down the aisle to be married," Sanderson describes at [25:45].

Community and Educational Impact The event aimed to foster a sense of community and teach children about love and family in a fun, engaging manner. Social media reactions were largely positive, praising the event as an unforgettable way to end the year and a creative approach to celebrating togetherness amidst declining marriage rates in China.

Cultural Reception Despite its unconventional nature, the alpaca wedding was embraced by many as a heartwarming and entertaining tradition, bringing families closer and providing children with a memorable experience.

---

Closing Remarks and Listener Engagement

As the episode wraps up, Valerie Sanderson invites listeners to share their own stories of happiness and inspiration from 2024. She encourages submissions via email or voice notes to engage the community in celebrating the positive moments of the year.

---

Production Credits:

• Produced by: Masood Ibrahim Heal
• Producers: Holly Gibbs and Rachel Bulkley
• Editor: Karen Martin

This episode of the Global News Podcast was crafted to highlight inspiring and heartwarming stories from around the globe, showcasing the resilience, creativity, and kindness inherent in diverse communities.

Transcript

[Valerie Sanderson]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Jackie Leonard]

Hello, Jackie Leonard here from the Global News Podcast. Did you know there is an easy way to get new episodes automatically? Whether it's the Global News Podcast or indeed any of your other favourite BBC World Service podcasts, just find the show on your podcast app and then just click Follow or Subscribe. And if you switch on notifications, you'll get a reminder too. It's that easy. Follow or subscribe and never miss an episode. This is the Happy Pod from the BBC World Service. I'm Valerie Sanderson and in this edition, meet Italy's Tom Cruise and Blake Lively.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Dubbing an actor means empathizing with the character. It's almost like she's become a family member. I really feel like she's a friend of mine.

[Jackie Leonard]

At the awards for actors who become the voice of some of the world's biggest film stars, California's canine mare.

[Phyllis Muller]

The dogs love it. They know I can just tell them, hey, we're going to work. And they know what that means. And they jump around and bark diplomacy.

[Jackie Leonard]

Finnish style in a sauna. And a woman who's helped reunite hundreds of families has finally found her own. I found out that he was my friend.

[Phyllis Muller]

He has been in my friend list for three years.

[Jackie Leonard]

We start with a film awards ceremony that has all the glitz and glamour you might expect, but without an on screen star in sight. While many of us are used to watching films in TV series from around the world with subtitles, Italy has long favored dubbing. The voice over artists take on particular Hollywood stars becoming celebrities in their own right. And earlier this month they were recognized at the Voices in the Shadows festival in Genoa. Isabella Jewell sent us this report from.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The red carpet lanello d'oro va. Ah, Roberto Chevalier. In a 13th century palace in northern Italy, a crowd applauds. Roberto Chevalier, a white haired man in his 70s beams on stage as he's presented with an award. He's been crowned this year's star of the dubbing industry. To Italians, his face isn't necessarily one they'd recognise, but his voice is famous. This is the Italian Tom Cruise. Roberto Chevalier has voiced Tom Cruise in most of his films including Mission Impossible and Top Gun.

[Roberto Pedicini]

I'm the voice of Tom Cruise, Tom.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Hanks, Andy Garcia and a lot of others. Dubbing an actor means empathizing with the character, how it's acted and expressed, both visually and vocally. You need to make your interpretation faithful to what you see and hear. Tiziana Vaorino is the festival's director. It's a sector that's recognised as being especially strong. Italians are known as the masters of dubbing.

[Phyllis Muller]

It's because our dubbers are, above all, great artists.

[Valerie Sanderson]

They are great actors in their own right, proper professionals. Many countries dub films rather than using subtitles, and in Italy, this dates back to the 1930s. Low literacy rates, along with the Fascist regime's laws on censorship, meant that all foreign language films had to be dubbed into Italian. But despite societal changes in the decades that followed, dubbing has stuck around.

[Roberto Pedicini]

I'm Roberto Pedrocini. I'm known as the Italian voice of Javier Bardem and Jim Carrey. The actor I love dubbing the most is Bardem, because in every film he manages to be totally different. He works a lot on character, he's physically different, his voice is different.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Not only do dubbers have to be good actors, they also need to stick as closely as they can to the style of the original voice.

[Roberto Pedicini]

In my opinion, acting and dubbing are different because I don't have the freedom to laugh, to cry or to get angry when I want. What's important is to just do it in a natural way.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Matching up the voiceover with the lip movement can be difficult, as different languages work at varying speeds. And then there's the challenge of capturing the specific style of the character. Voice actor Roberto Pedicini describing how difficult voicing an actor like Jim Carrey is. His comic timing, the way he speaks and projects, his voice is so particular. And then there's the task of portraying complex characters. Benedetta Ponticelli won the award for best female Voice for TV for her portrayal of the stalker Martha in the hit series Baby Reindeer. It was so hard because Jessica Ganning is a brilliant actress and the character Martha is very complex. You both love and hate her. She makes you laugh and cry all at the same time. Francesca Manicone is the voice of Blake Lively, the star of Gossip Girl, and most recently, the film It Ends With Us. Her quirky laugh that you just heard has become synonymous with Blake Lively in Italy. It's almost like she's become a family member. I really feel like she's a friend of mine. I mean, obviously she isn't in real life, but I've got to know her. The way that she looks at things, her behaviors, her poses, her facial expressions. The talent and passion in this industry is clear. But is dubbing really better than subtitling? It's a question I asked Roberto Pericini, Italy's Javier Bardem and Jim Carrey. When you watch a film or a.

[Roberto Pedicini]

Series, and you watch it in your own language. It connects with you and provokes an emotional reaction. If instead you hear it in another language and reads subtitles, you're less captivated because you don't hear the language of your emotions.

[Jackie Leonard]

And that report was by Isabella Jewellery. As politics in the US continues to be a divisive topic, one mountain town in California has experienced more than a decade of political stability. After making a bold decision with the choice of mayor, Idlewild in the San Jacinto Mountains outside Los Angeles voted in. Wait for it. A golden retriever named max back in 2012, and members of his family have ruled ever since. The current mayor is Maximus Mighty Dog Muller iii, also known as Mayor Max. And his owners Phyll and Glenn Muller serve as his co chiefs and his policy advisors. Now Max is pushing a new initiative that extends outside his borders. The Mayor Max Peace on Earth Initiative. Stephanie Prentice spoke to Phyllis.

[Phyllis Muller]

When I pull into town, I already have people waiting for me and sometimes it's hundreds. And if I were the mayor and I said, hey, I'm the mayor of Idlewild and I'm going to be downtown at 2:00 every day, come talk to me. I don't know if anybody would come, but when you say the mayor is a dog, it's interesting. And so he could meet thousands of people in one day. We also created Mayor Max's Peace on Earth initiative. And that is an initiative that we implement globally to the best of our ability to help everyone in the world understand what they themselves can do to create Peace on Earth, the active role that they can take.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And you mentioned there that you get such a good reception wherever you go. Can you describe it to me? Are people just overjoyed to see you?

[Phyllis Muller]

They are. And when I pull into town, I hear people cheering and I look over and the people in the car next to me are clapping and waving their hands and taking pictures and videoing us. It's constant and I love it. And the mares love it. The dogs love it. They know I can just tell them, hey, we're going to work, and they know what that means and they jump around and bark.

[Valerie Sanderson]

You mentioned that amazing global initiative. Are there any other bits of policy that you've pushed through?

[Phyllis Muller]

What we do is what a dog can do. They can attend events, they can uplift the spirits. And we even Mayor Max II was so well trained that he could lie on a hospital bed with a dying patient and give them comfort and joy in death. And I don't Even talk about it too much because sometimes it'll actually make me cry. But the value of uplifting spirits, giving people who've lost hope the will to live. But a family in town whose child has brain cancer and the family had run out of money to pay the hospital bills. And so we create a fundraiser and raised over $10,000 in one. And we do all kinds of work like that. I mean, every day there are things going on. My main policy in everything is I encourage people to use only positive energy in all their communications and don't take the bait on hate.

[Valerie Sanderson]

As we know a week is a long time in politics and you guys have been in charge for more than a decade. Have you come up against any issues and how did you overcome them?

[Phyllis Muller]

I was attacked for insisting that my dog is non political, nonpartisan. And so there were three political group that attacked, attacked me for not taking a side. And I had to explain it. Look, he. You're asking me to take a side. I do have a side, but I represent the mayor. And so I'm not going to verbalize my side. But I am going to tell you that the mayor loves you unconditionally. He will always love you. And he. But he is a dog and he doesn't understand sides. He just loves everybody. He can't wait to see everybody. And I think no matter what issue inside we might be on, I think we need to have respect and love for everyone.

[Jackie Leonard]

Phyllis. With high stakes negotiations, long working hours and the unpredictability of world events, foreign diplomacy can be a very stressful job. But those representing Finland on the world stage have a unique and quintessentially Finnish way of relaxing. The sauna. All their embassies and consulates are equipped with one and it seems they can be useful places for informal, shall we. Less heated chats about world events. The BBC's Matt Charlie met Marcus Hippie at the Finnish embassy in London.

[Roberto Pedicini]

And then usually you would shower before going to the sauna. So I suggest that's what we do. Yeah. Well, welcome to our embassy sauna. So we have, at the moment it's, it's quite mild when it comes to the Finnish standards. I think it's roughly, roughly 60 degrees over here at the moment. Yes. Sauna is such an integral part of the Finnish culture. If you look at what Finnish people have been doing over centuries. You know, we have been emigrating to other countries, we've been collaborating in peacekeeping missions and so forth, and we've always taken sauna culture and saunas with us. What do you use it for in the embassy? Obviously it's for staff use. A great asset for our staff members who may be missing Finland and kind of like missing their own soreness. Sass. We do run the London diplomatic saty at these premises. So we meet people, we talk about things. It's a great way of networking and talking about everything. So do you have politicians in here? Yeah, we've had politicians, yeah. Not naming any people because obviously it's confidential. So the first rule of London diplomatic sonic societies, you don't talk about London diplomatic sort of society. Well, presumably it's a bit of a novelty because the sort of diplomatic circuit can be, what, working Breakfast, maybe lunch, maybe a jinx reception. You can offer something different. Absolutely. This is a great way of doing diplomacy differently. And it's been noted that we have a long history of sauna diplomacy in different environments. For example, we have all these stories from the 1960s and 1970s. The Soviet Union tried to constantly challenge Finland's neutrality between the east and the west, for example, and our then president, Urho Kekkonen invited the Soviet leader Nikita Ruschov to sauna once and they stayed. According to the story, they stayed in the sauna until 5 o'clock in the morning. Some drink was taken in the end. After that, Moscow declared that they were willing to support Finland's integration and collaboration with the West. So it's been said. I don't remember who said this, but it's been said that the heat of a sauna does melt away your political or any other, you know, differences. It's easier to talk about things. I suppose there's something so informal if you are having a comment. You know, normally it's politicians sitting across a table from each other in their suits with their entourages and all that, sitting as you and I are in our swimming chunks in the heat. It just creates a different environment and it's much more, I suppose, levelling. That is so true. That's a really good observation. I mean, you are experiencing this yourself at the moment. It's very hard to be formal when we're both actually getting ripped. We literally met five minutes ago. We're barely wearing anything. We are wearing swimming trunks. And the point is that when you throw water to the stones, this space feels hotter. But actually you can also breathe better because this creates an oxygen flow. So actually it's really. It's really good for you. Maybe one more round. One more. Do you know what? It's absolutely lovely doing it in a sauna. Sauna. It's Very nice, Marcus. Thanks so much for having me.

[Jackie Leonard]

Marcus. Hippie at the Finnish Embassy Sauna here in London. Coming up in this podcast, find out about the marriage between two alpacas in China. Hello, Jackie Leonard here from the Global News Podcast. Did you know there is an easy way to get new episodes automatically? Whether it's the Global News Podcast or indeed any of your other favourite BBC World Service podcasts, just find the show on your podcast app and then just click Follow or Subscribe. And if you switch on notifications, you'll get a reminder too. It's that easy. Follow or subscribe and never miss an episode. And now to an inspiring story about a Georgian journalist called Tamuna Mozaretsa. Temouna reunited hundreds of families after uncovering a baby trafficking scandal. She began her campaign after realising she was adopted and earlier this year learnt the name of her biological father, only to realize they had been friends on Facebook for years. The Happy Pod's Holly Gibbs has this report.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The sound of Tamuna Muzuretza meeting her biological father for the first time after eight years of searching in 2016, Temouna was clearing out her mother's house after she died and found a birth certificate with her name but a different birth date. She began to suspect she was adopted and set up a Facebook group called I'm Searching in the hope of finding her birth parents. Instead, she uncovered a baby trafficking scandal that had affected tens of thousands of people. Her group now has 260,000 members, and earlier this year Temouna featured in a BBC documentary about her success in reuniting hundreds of families, including twins Anno and Amy and their mother. From today, my life has great meaning. It is a great happiness that I have found my children. Temouna learnt nothing about her own family until this summer when a member of her Facebook group contacted her with a possible name for her birth mother. That woman's niece then came forward and a DNA test confirmed they were cousins. Unlike those she'd helped, Tumouna was not part of the baby trafficking scandal and her birth mother didn't want to meet her, but did give her the name of her biological father.

[Jackie Leonard]

My father didn't know about me. He didn't even know that biological mother was pregnant.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Gergen Karova had a brief relationship with a woman 40 years ago and had no idea that she'd given birth. When Temouna searched for him on Facebook, it turned out he was already in her friends list. Following her work reuniting other families, I.

[Roberto Pedicini]

Found out that he was my friend.

[Phyllis Muller]

He has been in my friend list for three years.

[Jackie Leonard]

I couldn't even imagine that this was happening to me.

[Valerie Sanderson]

They soon arranged to meet in his hometown in western Georgia, about 160 miles from where she lives in Tbilisi. Gergen invited his entire family, introducing Tamouna to a large group of new relatives, half siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles. After reuniting so many other families, Temuna has now found hers.

[Jackie Leonard]

Do you remember when I said that.

[Roberto Pedicini]

I would found my family?

[Phyllis Muller]

I did.

[Jackie Leonard]

Tamuna Mozareza. A groundbreaking report by the wwf, that's the Worldwide Fund for Nature, has revealed the discovery over the last 10 years of 742new species of animals and plants in Africa's Congo Basin. The area spans six Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of Congo. It's home to incredible animals like forest elephants and rare plants. But for the indigenous communities who've lived there for generations, some of these so called new discoveries are part of their everyday lives. Aubrey Brown presents our sister podcast, BBC Focus on Africa. And she told Oliver Conway more about this part of the world.

[Roberto Pedicini]

The Congo basin absorbs carbon emissions, 600 million tons of it. That is practically all the carbon emissions that come from American transportation. So essentially we need the Congo Basin. The species that have been discovered are found in a new report called New.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Life in the Congo Basin.

[Roberto Pedicini]

A decade of species discoveries from 2013 to 2023. They've captured it all. And essentially it's not so much the discovery because those species have been there, it's the identification. And it's become more broadly known through dissemination that we know it now. So there are things like more than 400 different plants, 140 invertebrates, 96 fish species, 22amphibians, 42 reptiles, two new bird species and 10 mammals. Some of these species are sort of canaries in the coal mine. If they go, we are in danger of going.

[Valerie Sanderson]

We're calling them discoveries. But as you pointed out, they've already been there all this time and were known to the local indigenous communities. Now that there's a wider knowledge of these things, what will change?

[Roberto Pedicini]

I think I should leave that to Jaap van de Varde, who's the head of conservation for the Congo Basin because.

[Jackie Leonard]

He speaks about it with such passion.

[Roberto Pedicini]

And in this case we were talking about the Baka people who know and love these animals and plants because it is their home. Here's yap for the local communities and certainly the indigenous people. They've known them forever and they probably.

[Phyllis Muller]

Know also, if they have a use.

[Roberto Pedicini]

If it's an animal, they might eat it. But some certain plants, they might know medicinal use of these plants, and we know nothing about that. And it's just now that pieces are being written down, they get a name, and once they have a name, then you exist.

[Valerie Sanderson]

How under threat is the Congo Basin, and can anything be done to keep it safe?

[Roberto Pedicini]

There's still deforestation, there's poaching, mining, and all of these activities are bringing about climate change. And the people of the forest are under threat as well because their stewardship of this precious, beautiful area is undermined by governments that are destroying their homes and their claim to the forest. So mining companies are destroying the environment. It is so rich and so diverse.

[Valerie Sanderson]

That people only see profit.

[Jackie Leonard]

Audrey Brown and you can hear more about that story in BBC Focus on Africa, wherever you get your podcasts. Around the world, we consume millions of tons of coconuts every year, but the husks and shells are often dumped or burnt, emitting greenhouse gases. Now, though, some of that waste in the Philippines is being combined with recycled polyester to produce a greener alternative to polystyrene or Styrofoam to keep food cool. The coconut coolers are already being used by a few hundred fishing boats, and a version is going on sale in the United States. Craig Langren has been talking to one of those behind the idea.

[David Kotler]

Coconuts are an amazing material, and there's still so much more to learn.

[Valerie Sanderson]

That's David Kotler, who runs a company called Nutshell Coolers, making cool boxes with a difference for fresh fish, fruit and vegetables. It was when David was living in the Philippines and studying for a Masters in Product Design that inspiration struck.

[David Kotler]

It wasn't exactly a coconut that fell out of a tree and hit us on the head, but it was sort of like the next best thing.

[Valerie Sanderson]

He'd worked with local fishermen before, and he'd noticed that much of their catch was often spoiled before it even reached the shore. He already knew that he wanted to design something that could keep the fisherman's fish cooler for longer.

[David Kotler]

My co founder Tamara and I were in this really rural area and we just passed like, the 10th pile of coconut husks on our walk home. And we just sort of looked at this pile and said, maybe we should, like, take a closer look at all this material that's just sort of sitting here. We had drank our fair share of coconuts over the months beforehand, so we knew that there was something about coconuts that was keeping that nut fresh in the tropics.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The Something was in fact, the husk.

[David Kotler]

Cut a coconut open sideways, there's the hard shell, and then outside of that, there's a few inches of kind of scratchy, hairy coconut fibers. And it's those fibers that we work with. So basically, inside every fiber are these little trapped air pockets serving as a barrier between, you know, the baking tropical sun on one side and the cool flesh of the coconut on the other. If you look under a microscope, the trapped air in the coconut fiber actually resembles the sort of closed cell architecture that scientists have reinvented with plastic foams to do the exact same thing.

[Valerie Sanderson]

In order to make the cool boxes, the coconut husk is combined with some other materials and processed at a local factory.

[David Kotler]

We start with these long, sinewy fibers, and the first step is to turn that into a pretty strong mat. We layer several of these mats together so that the fibers are kind of cross linked. And then we use a combination of heat and pressure to sort of activate and stick a lot of these fibers together. It's really important that these tough fibers are also soft and malleable when they're all put together inside of one of the coolers.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The resulting product is a stackable orange box that can be used to keep fish cool while the fishermen are out at sea, even under the baking tropical sun. The coolers are collapsible when not in use and now even come in different shapes and sizes for fruits, vegetables, and basically anything that needs to be kept cool. David buys the coconut husks, which would otherwise be thrown away from local farmers in the Philippines.

[David Kotler]

We're basically taking straight from the trash pile to make our sort of advanced materials, and that's great for our prices, but it's also great for the farmers because they get a little bit of extra income from their waste material, and it's also great for the environment.

[Jackie Leonard]

And you can hear more about innovative ways of using waste coconut shells on people fixing the world. That's wherever you get your podcasts. At this time of year, many children around the world will be taking part in end of year performances, usually singing, dancing, or in some countries, perhaps appearing in a nativity play. But a kindergarten in eastern China had a somewhat unconventional event. Our China media analyst Kerry Allen told us more.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Rather than being a nativity or a Christmas performance, which wouldn't really be expected anyway, given China's an atheist state, it decided to host a wedding. And it was a wedding between two alpacas. Parents and students at the school in Sutian, in East China's Jiangsu province, were asked to bring a wedding present and many turned out dressed in red as the colour is a symbol of good luck, fortune and celebration. They then watched two alpacas walk down the aisle to be married. The event featured a banquet and some of the children put on dance performances for their mums, dads and grandparents. It was a somewhat unconventional way to end the year, but it's obviously had many people in China talking. Social media users have said that they think it was an unforgettable way for students to end 2024. Despite being a bit out there in terms of end of year performances, some have embraced the fact that it's been a way of bringing families together in celebration. Marriage rates have been falling in China in recent years and it's been seen as a way of teaching young Chinese the importance of love, family and of course, having a bit of fun.

[Jackie Leonard]

Let's hope they've all packed for their honeymoon and that's it from the Happy Pod for now, but with the end of the year five approaching, we'd love to hear about the things that have made you happiest or most Inspired you in 2024. It can be something personal to you and your family, a story from your community or around the world. Just send us an email or a voice note to globalpodcastbc.co.uk and if you have any unusual resolutions or life changes planned for next year, we'd love to hear about those too. This edition was made by Masood Ibrahim Heal. The producers were Holly Gibbs and Rachel Bulkley. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Valerie Sanderson. Until next time. Bye bye. Hello, Jackie Leonard here from the Global News Podcast. Did you know there is an easy way to get new episodes automatically? Whether it's the Global News Podcast or indeed any of your other favourite BBC World Service podcasts. Just find the show on your podcast app and then just click Follow or Subscribe. And if you switch on notifications, you'll get a reminder too. It's that easy. Follow or subscribe and never miss an episode.