NPO Radio 1 in Delft: More focus on the climate

“Everybody Happy?” The voice of Jurgen van den Berg echoes through the Co-Creation Centre of The Green Village at TU Delft on Wednesday afternoon. The radio presenter is warming up the listeners who have come to the live broadcast of his radio programme Villa VdB. They certainly are warmed up because he is answered immediately with an enthusiastic ‘Yeah!’

It’s National Climate Week, so NPO Radio 1 has descended on The Green Village at TU Delft. The co-creation centre – a glass structure placed squarely in the middle of the terrain of the green open-air laboratory – has been renamed the NPO Radio 1 Climate Studio for the occasion. Every day, one or more radio programmes are broadcast from Delft. Along with their usual topics, they are all paying attention to possible solutions for the climate crisis.

National and TU Delft climate week

TU Delft press officer Inge Snijder and communication advisor Caitlin Eagles of The Green Village have been working with the NPO for about a month on all the preparations. “I am extremely proud that we managed to cobble it all together in such a short time,” said Snijder. About a month ago she was called by a news coordinator from NPO Radio 1 who wanted to focus on this topic during the National Climate Week. “I was already working on organising a climate week, so it was quite serendipitous. The idea for a Climate Studio at The Green Village developed from that. Once the NPO proposal was finalised, I went to The Green Village the same day and said, ‘Listen and quiver, because I have great news’. Luckily, everyone was immediately enthusiastic.”

‘This is too much fun to miss’

For the occasion, Eagles and Snijder are working this week from an office set up next to the co-creation centre. That is where they put on the final touches. “Monday we did the first broadcast,” said Eagles. “We were on site from 06:00 to ensure it all went smoothly.” The NPO set up the Climate Studio technology. Facility services staff from TU Delft took care of the decor. “For example, they put in place all the chairs, benches and banners,” explained Eagles. She and Snijder personally attended every broadcast transmitted from Delft. “This is too much fun to miss,” exclaimed Eagles. Snijder added, “All week I have not been able to sit still because of the adrenaline.”

Uncharted territory

Although NPO Radio 1 often sends out live broadcasts with a public audience, the Climate Studio is uncharted territory for both the station and TU Delft. “It is the first time that seven broadcasters – each with their own radio programmes – are focusing jointly on one topic,” explained Snijder. For example, Villa VdB highlighted the topic of food on Wednesday. Under loud applause from the public, Van den Berg and his co-host Astrid de Jong introduced the two studio guests: culinary historian Lizet Kruyff discussed with the co-founder of the Vegetarian Butcher and MP Nico Koffeman (Partij voor de Dieren; Party for the Animals) the question of how we could change our eating habits to reduce the impact on the climate. Kruyff has a special link to Delft, stated De Jong while looking at the audience. Her great-grandfather, father and husband all studied at TU Delft.

So far, 250 listeners have sent in a solutio

VFor Van den Berg and De Jong, the Climate Studio has another dynamic than presenting from a small studio of NPO Radio 1 in Hilversum. While the presenter keeps the discussion going, De Jong walks through the room with a microphone. Anyone who has a question can ask it live during the broadcast. “That is what we call the forgotten question,” said Van den Berg. “Because I sometimes forget to ask something.” And there certainly are questions. One person asked Koffeman whether he incorporates the herbs that cows normally eat in vegan cheese. Koffeman explained that this certainly was the intention.  

^{Jurgen van den Berg (right) and Astrid de Jong address the audience before the broadcast begins. (Photo: Justyna Botor)}

TU Delft staff on the radio

In the studio TU Delft scientists are often guests alongside those from outside. Green Village director Marjan Kreijns kickstarted the week on Monday morning during the live broadcast of Spraakmakers by giving a tour of The Green Village. Scientists Andy van den Dobbelsteen and Ruth Mugge have a daily recurring rubric in which they discuss climate solutions proposed by listeners. “So far, 250 listeners have sent in a solution,” stated Eagles.

In other programmes TU Delft scientists were and will be present:

• On Tuesday Martine Rutten spoke with Sebastian Hartgring in ‘Bureau Buitenland’ about the floods and drought in Limburg and the importance of international collaboration and commitment of students.
• Later on Tuesday climate psychologist Gerdien de Vries explained in ‘Geld of je leven’ why consumers find it so difficult to buy fewer things (or more sustainable ones).
• On Thursday Andy van den Dobbelsteen and Ruth Mugge will answer climate questions between 12:00 and 13:00 in a broadcast on YouTube. They will also be presenting daily in the ‘Zoden aan de dijk’ rubric, where they discuss solutions offered by listeners.
• On Saturday Marjan Kreijns is back again. This time she will be a guest of ‘In de Kantine’ which is broadcast from 17:00 to 19:00.

Throughout the week people can attend the broadcasts live. This is a new dimension for radio producers as well because they usually do their work without a live public. Around 40 people were present at Villa VdB. “You were a great audience,” said Van den Berg at the conclusion of his broadcast.  

• Would you like to attend a broadcast live? That’s still possible. You can register on the website of NPO Radio 1. You can find a list of which programmes are still to be broadcast from Delft here.