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Environment

26th Oct 2021

Radio presenter tells Insulate Britain protestor you can “grow” cement

Ava Evans

TalkRadio presenter, Mike Graham, cuts off climate protestor after telling it’s possible to grow cement

Earlier this morning, presenter Mike Graham invited Insulate Britain spokesperson, Cameron Ford, onto the TalkRadio breakfast show.

Graham, currently covering for host Julia Hartley-Brewer, offered listeners some valuable insight into the sustainability of concrete.

Ford had been invited onto the programme to discuss Insulate Britain’s latest protest action.

10 seconds into the exchange, Graham asked Ford how “safe” for the climate his job was.

Ford, a carpenter who works with wood, explained it’s a sustainable building practice, as “wood is regenerative, you can grow trees” before adding “you can’t grow concrete”.

Graham, perplexed, said: “Yes you can”.

A period of stunned silence followed.

Graham ended the one-minute interview concluding: “That was Cameron, he grows trees, cuts them down and then makes things from them.

“I don’t think I ever want to talk to any of those people”.

A spokesperson from Full Fact confirmed concrete is made, not grown

Twitter users have been reacting to the interview.

Political sketch-writer at the Independent Tom Peck described Graham as “one of the all time greats of the genre”.

Writer Mollie Goodfellow called out to Twitter hive-mind gardeners. She said she had been “watering my concrete for weeks, but it’s just not thriving, do you have any advice’

Michael Volpe, Director of Opera Holland Park questioned why TalkRadio would want to “amplify this interview, thus humiliating the host further”.

Journalist Alex Goy commended Graham, who by pointing out you can grow concrete, might have solved the housing crisis.

Presenter Mike Graham described the segment as “proper news”

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