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With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change announcing that we need to keep global warming under 1.5 掳C above pre-industrial levels, we explore the impact of food production on the environment. A new study calculates the current and predicted impact of land and fresh water use, fertiliser pollution and the change to more Western meat and dairy-based diets by 2050. It has concluded that our current mitigation measures are not going to be enough. Roland Pease speaks to lead author Marco Springmann.

Acanthamoeba Keratitis
Experts at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London have collected data from patients affected by a devastating eye condition called Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). It is caused by an amoeba and although rare, it can affect eyesight and even lead to blindness. Claudia Hammond talks to Professor John Dart, lead author of the research.

Drugs from Fingerprints
Illegal drug-use often has a contributing factor in cause of death. Testing for drug-use in both living and dead people relies on detecting the breakdown products (metabolites) for drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, opiates or amphetamines in bodily fluids (blood, urine and saliva) or tissue samples. These are invasive and take time. Now a University of East Anglia spin out company 鈥淚ntelligent Fingerprinting鈥� have developed a device called the fingerprint drug screening cartridge that can detect metabolites of illicit drugs in the sweat found in fingerprints. And further more they can do this on dead bodies as well as living people. Developer, Professor David Russell from University of East Anglia explains how this works to Roland Pease.

Wind Farms and Warming
A study of wind power generation across the continental United States calculates that the warming effect of wind turbines, due to possible circulatory changes in the atmosphere at night, could be enough to cause a 0.24 掳C rise if the US switched to wind power for all their energy demands. It is a small change, but coupled with other environmental impacts of sustainable energy production it has to be factored in. Roland Pease talks to David Keith from Harvard University.

Headaches
Headaches are for some a minor inconvenience and for others a debilitating pain that can stop them going about their daily life. They are very common and affect people of all ages, everywhere in the world. But what causes them and how they can be treated? The 大象传媒鈥檚 Katy Takatsuki went to find out more.

UK鈥檚 First Ever Interactive Film
The UK鈥檚 first ever interactive film, entitled Bloodyminded, will be broadcast live in cinemas and online across Europe this weekend. Reporter Madeleine Finlay has had a sneak preview.

(Picture credit: Local market in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka 鈥� credit: Getty Images)

The Science Hour was presented by Roland Pease with comments from freelance science journalist, Dr Claire Ainsworth.

Producer: Katy Takatsuki

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