Every Thursday, a new episode of Living Planet brings you environment stories from around the world, digging deeper into topics that touch our lives every day. The prize-winning, weekly half-hour radio magazine and podcast is produced by Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster - visit dw.com/environment for more.
What's better: E-readers or paper books?
Do you ever find yourself stumped by a seemingly simple choice between two things because you're not sure which would be better for the environment? Like plastic or paper packaging, cotton or polyester pants? We're going to try to find some of the answers in a new segment exploring these everyday environmental dilemmas. In this episode we tackle our reading options: electronic books vs paperbacks.
2/22/2024 • 14 minutes, 33 seconds
The comfort of a tree
How often do you stop to really look at the trees in your neighborhood or in your local park? Though you mightn’t have really noticed them – they certainly notice you. They might even be listening in on your conversations. Journey with us to Berlin to meet a special tree that is as majestic as it is ordinary.
2/15/2024 • 14 minutes, 9 seconds
We need to talk about farmers and mental health
Recent studies say mental health is in decline among farmers, and they say climate policy is partially to blame. We spoke with German farmers and experts from different EU countries to find out more. And what they had to say was eye-opening.
2/8/2024 • 29 minutes, 33 seconds
The truly amazing world of fungi
When you hear the word fungus, what comes to mind? Maybe you're thinking about those semi-circular growths on tree trunks in the forest, or some mold on a piece of fruit. Estimates suggest more than 90% of all fungal species are still unknown to science - and that new discoveries are happening all the time. Join us for a deep dive into the world of fungi.
2/1/2024 • 27 minutes, 49 seconds
If you love salmon, you might want to listen to this...
From farmed salmon with open wounds and lice-infested bodies, to the dangers of mating between wild salmon and its farmed counterpart after thousands of fish escaped from a fish farm - we take you to Iceland's aquafarms. And: why it's a good idea to pay close attention to the Southern Right Whale.
1/25/2024 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Why this 3D-printed house could be a gamechanger
This week, a deep dive into the fascinating story behind a 3D-printed house made entirely of bio-based materials. We spoke with people behind BioHome 3D to find out why Maine was almost a fateful setting for this project, and what its effect might be on the US housing crisis.
1/19/2024 • 21 minutes, 41 seconds
Is recycling really the answer to the plastic crisis?
Globally only 9% of all plastic waste is recycled. But why is that rate so low? On this week's episode of Living Planet, we're airing an episode from a special on the plastics age which was produced by the DW podcast On the Green Fence.
1/11/2024 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Bioplastics: The good, the bad and the ugly
One way to curb the world's plastics problem would be to use bioplastics. But not all bioplastics are created equal.
1/4/2024 • 30 minutes
Bugs that eat plastic
What if there were a way to curb plastic pollution using enzymes? That's what scientists are exploring. On this episode, we'll take a look at how realistic this solution might be.
12/28/2023 • 30 minutes
The everyday Americans tackling climate change
Americans across the United States are grappling with unprecedented extreme weather events. And if you travel across the country, you'll meet all manner of people, from winemakers to aviation experts, who are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work to find sustainable solutions.
12/21/2023 • 30 minutes
What kind of world is possible?
Some major climate records were broken this year that paint a grim picture. But what we hear less about are the climate trends heading in the right direction. Dr Hannah Ritchie wants to help us see them.
12/15/2023 • 33 minutes, 36 seconds
Cooling amphibians & carbon-capturing mollusks
Come on a journey from central America to France, to follow the story of the quirky, feathery-gilled Mexican axolotl with a key role in regulating Mexico City's temperature, to meet climate-conscious clam and oyster fishers in Italy, and to visit the backyards, vineyards and fun parks in France replacing their lawn mowers with sheep. Originally broadcast July 2023.
12/7/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Whisky's peat problem, the repair cafe & climate skeptics cashing in on the green economy
Is indulging in a wee dram bad for the climate? We investigate whisky's peat problem from the Isle of Islay in Scotland. Later, we drop into a repair cafe in Manchester doing its bit to reduce the millions tons of fixable items we throw out every year. And lastly, we visit the Republican US state of Georgia where the electric vehicle business is booming.
11/30/2023 • 30 minutes
Amitav Ghosh on colonialism & the climate crisis
Did climate change start with the industrial revolution, or was it earlier than that? And how can the story of an everyday spice help us better understand the climate crisis gripping the planet today? Renowned Indian author Amitav Ghosh on the link between colonialism and climate change and how his perception of the crisis differs from that of most Western experts. Originally broadcast July 2023.
11/23/2023 • 30 minutes
War & warming
The military isn't exactly known for sharing its secrets. But what about when that information has huge consequences for the world's fight to limit deadly warming? Kept behind closed doors, military emissions and pollution have long avoided proper scrutiny. Climate researchers are determined to uncover it.
11/17/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Holding on: Holland's farmers, California's salmon & Germany's Ahr valley
As Holland continues to battle dangerously high nitrogen levels, its farmers grapple with drastic crisis measures and how to shift to more sustainable farming. In California, the salmon have disappeared from an important river, but one radical change could bring them back. And one man's quest to get a new fruit to put down roots in western Germany.
11/9/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Is it time to end biofuels?
Making fuel out of food. Sounds like it could be pretty sustainable, right? But then again, does it make sense to be growing crops for fuel that could otherwise be food? We travel to the US, Kenya and Germany to interrogate how biofuels came about, their promises and drawbacks and why it is we're still using them. This episode originally aired in December 2023.
11/2/2023 • 29 minutes, 58 seconds
Rethinking conservation
We head to South Africa, Kenya and Namibia to look at different ways conservation has taken root to sustain some of the region's most iconic species. And we talk to carnivore ecologist and author Mordecai Ogada about some of the problems with classical models of conservation and what alternatives are out there. This episode originally aired in July 2022.
10/26/2023 • 30 minutes
The business of bogs
Peat bogs are enormous carbon sinks. They store twice the amount of carbon dioxide compared to the planet's forests. But ever since people discovered peat was useful for gardening, farming and heating, they've been digging it up, selling it, and releasing gigantic amounts of CO2 in the process. Now, Germany wants to keep its peat in the ground and is on the hunt for more sustainable alternatives.
10/19/2023 • 30 minutes
Out with the old: European cities & climate change
They're beautiful. They're historic. But they're not really built for this new era of extremes. From Paris to Venice to Rotterdam, how European cities are trying to adapt — and what's standing in their way.
10/12/2023 • 30 minutes
Tweaks for the environment? From pills for burping cows, eyes on cows' butts & more
Wait, what? From a "cow-burp tax" to painted eyes on cows' rear ends to help stave off predators, surprisingly helpful chickpeas and tweaks to save mangrove forests from being burned up — this episode has it all!
10/5/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Introducing: The Big Switch on Europe's energy crisis
Putin's assault on Ukraine triggered an energy crisis that sent Europe's economies into a tailspin and put the European clean energy transition to the test. But how did the European Union, a leader in climate action, become so dependent on Russian oil and gas to begin with?
9/29/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Reenvisioning the restroom (rebroadcast)
It's perfectly natural and something we do every day. Whether you use a squat toilet, a pit latrine or a water closet, humans need to go. But the ways we do so are often not very efficient, useful or good for the environment. So we're taking a look at the history of human excrement and some creative solutions to dispose of and repurpose our waste.
9/21/2023 • 30 minutes
The growing microplastics problem
Microplastics have been found everywhere — from the deepest parts of the ocean to the heights of Mount Everest. A problem that is set to intensify as we produce over 400 million tons of new plastics every year. But just how dangerous are microplastics? And what can we do about them? We share an episode from our On the Green Fence colleagues, who delve into the plastic problem in their new season.
9/14/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Insuring ourselves against the inevitable
We hear from people in California whose home insurers have left them in the lurch as weather extremes intensify in the state, and talk to an expert on disaster risk and adaptation about what we need to help protect our homes against the inevitable. And from high up in the Austrian alps, we get a reality check from climate scientists about the future of our alpine glaciers.
9/8/2023 • 30 minutes
Giving up fast fashion
Writer and stylist Aja Barber on the imperialism of the fashion industry and how to kick your shopping addiction. And how Kenya's dealing with your unwanted clothing.
8/31/2023 • 30 minutes
Water woes & how to combat water scarcity
What do you do if there isn't enough fresh drinking water around? According to the World Resources Institute, a quarter of the world's population doesn't have enough water to meet demand. DW explores ways to combat water scarcity.
8/24/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Life in the Arctic & Russia's exiled environmentalists
We hear from Russian climate activists and environmental organizations working in exile. And we take you to Svalbard in the Arctic to learn about life on this remote archipelago and hear from the climate scientists studying its unique ecosystem.
8/17/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
How did we become planet plastic?
Each year, the world produces 430 million tons of plastics – and that figure is set to triple by 2060. How did plastics become such a big part of our lives? And what can we do reduce the harm they cause? Today, we share an episode from our colleagues at On the Green Fence, who delve into the plastic problem in their new season.
8/10/2023 • 30 minutes
Extreme heat & mass tourism
As the northern hemisphere's summer heat intensifies, wildfires burn from Greece to Algeria to California, and climate scientists admit that even some of these extremes were beyond their predictions, we talk drought, heat, fire — and what happens when that collides with mass tourism.
8/4/2023 • 30 minutes
Leaving coal, not people, behind
We visit the state of West Virginia in the United States to hear from people grappling with the phase out of coal mining. What's next for this poor state where the coal industry has dominated for more than 100 years? Julia Kastein investigates.
7/27/2023 • 30 minutes
The power of solar
Solar energy is about to get a push in Croatia which has a lot of sunshine, but so far hasn't really done much with that potential. Food waste is a global problem. In many countries of the global south, it's often down to being unable to keep produce cool. Could solar power help? And we check in with a low-lying coastal community in the US that's already feeling the effects of sea level rise.
7/20/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Cooling amphibians & carbon-capturing mollusks
Why the survival of the Mexican axolotl matters for keeping Mexico City's temperature down. The special carbon-capturing capacities of clams. And a new, all-natural woolly lawnmower taking off in France.
7/13/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Where your dirty old cars end up & Norway's bid to mine the ocean floor
We hear about how used cars from wealthy countries are getting a new lease on life in Ghana. And we talk to a transport sustainability researcher about why that kind of upcycling isn't as good for the environment as it might seem, as well as what reform could look like. And we visit Norway, where we meet those for and against the idea to mine its deep sea for critical minerals.
7/6/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
The world on fire: How to deal with wildfires
As fires are burning in Canada in what's been called an unprecedented wildfire season, with smoke drifting over to the United States and even across the Atlantic Ocean over to European countries, we talk fires and drought on the show. How should we deal with wildfires? What can we do to prevent the worst? And do controlled fires have a place when it comes to prevention?
6/29/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Whale speak, nature's opera & tidal marshes (rebroadcast)
How do sperm whales express their cultural differences? And what kind of music would birds and the wind make if you gave them the chance? In today's episode, we listen to some curious soundscapes, as well as hear from the climate scientists in Maryland trying to figure out what the future will look like if we change one of Earth's hardest working carbon sinks: saltwater marshes.
6/22/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Bill McKibben on power & the climate emergency (rebroadcast)
We talk to author & environmentalist Bill McKibben about the link between power, Russia's war and the climate crisis, and what people often overlook in the fight against it. We also travel to a place bearing the consequences of Germany's exit from Russian coal. And, from Lithuania, we ask: how is climate change altering the way we understand seasons?
6/15/2023 • 30 minutes
Amitav Ghosh on colonialism & the climate crisis
We talk to renowned Indian author Amitav Ghosh about the origins of the climate crisis, the story of one very important spice, and why he prefers the term "planetary crisis" to the climate crisis.
6/8/2023 • 30 minutes
Introducing: Drilled on ExxonMobil's oil colonialism in Guyana
This week we're sharing an episode of Drilled, a true-crime climate podcast we love that describes itself as Law & Order meets the climate crisis. This is episode one from their new season that follows the story of a Guyanese reporter as she tries to find out what kind of deal was struck between ExxonMobil and the Guyanese government after they discovered oil reserves off the country's coast.
6/1/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Critical minerals & decarbonization: Can we have our cake and eat it, too?
We hear from people in Puchuncaví, Chile, who want to reclaim their region from industrial exploitation. And we talk to author and expert Saleem Ali about how to reduce the harm of mining and refining the minerals critical to harnessing renewable energy and powering electric vehicles.
5/25/2023 • 30 minutes
Climate misinformation: How do we tackle it? (rebroadcast)
In this special episode, three experts on climate mis/disinformation discuss the way factually inaccurate and misleading information about the environment travels around the web. Climate journalist Stella Levantesi, climate communication researcher John Cook and Wikimedia strategist Alex Stinson join Sam Baker for an engaging round-table discussion, which originally was broadcast in 2022.
5/18/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Genetic modification divides Kenya, swapping coca for biodiversity in Colombia & Ghana's eroding coastline
We hear why Kenyan farmers are rejecting genetically modified seeds, meet the biodiversity guardians protecting peace in the rainforest region of Caquetá, Colombia, and find out how Ghana's coastline is at severe risk of being swallowed by the sea.
5/11/2023 • 30 minutes
Introducing: Heat of the Moment on what a 'just transition' really means
This week we're sharing an episode from Heat of the Moment, a podcast from Foreign Policy in partnership with the Climate Investment Funds. In Season 3, they explore the idea of a "just transition" away from fossil fuels — not only what that means for the coal miners whose jobs are going away, but also how the opportunity can be used to address wrongdoings such as racism, sexism and colonialism.
5/4/2023 • 30 minutes
Conflicting priorities: The cost of cobalt, dealing with deer in Scotland & fighting heat and air pollution in India's slums
On Living Planet this week, too many deer in the Scottish Highlands are leading to community disputes over how to deal with them. As India works to clean up its air, scientists have realized there may be a surprising trade-off: even higher temperatures. And we venture into the heart of the humanitarian disaster that is cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo with author Siddharth Kara.
4/27/2023 • 30 minutes
Fake electronics lead to e-waste, the pitfalls of compostable packaging and a greener refugee camp
This week on Living Planet, we hear how refugees in Cameroon are creating shade and fresher air, as they connect their tree-planting project to the Great Green Wall of Africa. We also unpack Uganda's electronic waste problem, which has been made worse by a flood of cheap, counterfeit mobile phones on the market. And we learn about the promise and drawbacks of compostable packaging.
4/20/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Hawaii: Paradise in peril
We head to the Hawaiian Islands to hear how climate change and the touristic obsession with a dreamy island getaway is steadily eroding the archipelago, driving local people, flora and fauna to extinction. And we learn from South African scientists and teachers trying to protect 200 species of shark off the country's coast.
4/13/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
A change of taste: Coffee, wine & flying
Are two of the world's most beloved beverages – coffee and wine – viable in a world warped by climate change? And how's the world going with the whole 'sustainable aviation' thing?
4/6/2023 • 30 minutes
Preventing the next pandemic
We hear how the next zoonotic disease could be brewing in Kenya, and speak to a non-profit group trying to save the world's rainforests, who may have just struck upon a way to ward off the next deadly virus while they're at it.
3/30/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
The Way of Water
From the water shortage in the Western United States to changes in floodplains in the Amazon, how is climate change impacting our water supplies? We explore solutions to these problems. We also hear what it's like to experience the world through the ears of a whale (yes, whales have ears)! And in France, one town is trying out some natural, glow-in-the-dark lighting.
3/23/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Searching for home on a hotter planet
We follow Australians battered by climate catastrophes, a walrus devoid of its ice floes and Indians from the eastern state of Odisha as they grapple with migration amid the climate crisis.
3/16/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Climate in the classroom
How should we talk to kids about climate change? From Belgian teens interacting with climate change on a philosophical level to an eco-bank in Peru where kids can open their first bank account to a new primary school climate program in Ghana, this week on Living Planet, we find out how schools and organizations are engaging young people on one of the most important issues of our time.
3/9/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Profits, peaks & climate-proofing islands
At a time when many people are struggling to pay their energy bills, we hear how oil and gas giants are raking in the profits, while quietly scaling back their emission reduction targets. And we head to Micronesia, via the Caribbean, to find out how small island nations are faring amid the climate crisis.
3/2/2023 • 29 minutes, 57 seconds
Back to basics: Hand-pollination, ancient grains & organic hope
Today on Living Planet — more farmers around the world are turning their backs on industrial agriculture in an effort to shore up food supplies. In Georgia, ancient wheat varieties and breadmaking traditions are making a comeback, while farmers in Kenya have been forced to pollinate their crops themselves. And Lebanese farmers are ditching expensive chemical fertilizers for more natural options.
2/23/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Flower power, cloud catchers & green cobalt
We head to the Canary Islands, where scientists are devising novel ways to squeeze every last drop of moisture out of the air to revive forests destroyed by wildfires. From Morocco, we hear about the potential for building batteries with 'green cobalt'. And, in India, we learn how to turn a flood of flower waste into something useful.
2/16/2023 • 29 minutes, 58 seconds
Europe is destroying ancient forests in the name of 'green energy'
Is burning wood to generate energy sustainable? It is according to the EU's renewable energy strategy — a policy that was meant to help the block reduce fossil fuel usage and lower greenhouse gas emissions. But in order to profit from EU subsidies, more and more coal-fired power plants have switched to burning firewood instead, which is having devastating consequences for Europe's forests.
2/9/2023 • 30 minutes
The nature around us: Permafrost science breaks down in the Russian Arctic, building a library of species, biopiracy and brown hyenas
This week on Living Planet, we hear from climate scientists whose work has been disrupted by the war in Ukraine. We visit an ambitious project in the Netherlands, which shows us that living things really are all around us. And we look into the exploitative practice of biopiracy.
2/2/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
How do we shake fossil fuels? Petrochemicals in beauty products, Uganda's pipeline battle and evaluating EVs
Today on Living Planet — a controversial oil pipeline in Uganda stirs up strong reactions. We ask what fossil fuels have to do with our beauty routine. And if you've wondered about the environmental and economic trade-offs of getting an electric vehicle, we've got answers.
1/26/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Finding the cold on a warming planet — balmy winter sports, chilly supermarkets and ancient ice cores
Today on Living Planet, we're traveling to some cold (and not-so-cold) places. We're asking how Europe’s snow-starved winters are affecting winter sport enthusiasts. We visit a French supermarket that's keeping things especially chilly. And we head to the lab to find out how climate scientists study the world's oldest ice.
1/19/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Too far or not far enough?
In recent months, climate activists have thrown food at famous paintings and glued themselves to roads. In the German town of Lützerath, protestors are resisting eviction to stop a coal mine. Today on Living Planet, we ask: Are activists going too far, harming their own cause? Or are they not going far enough, in light of climate realities? And are their efforts leading to any meaningful change?
1/12/2023 • 30 minutes
Assault on the Amazon's guardians
This week on Living Planet — as Brazil welcomes its next president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, we reflect on the destruction the Amazon has experienced over the past few years, as a criminal system has moved in. What does this mean for the Indigenous people who've inhabited this famous rainforest for millennia, and are often its greatest defenders?
1/5/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Another spin around the sun
This week on Living Planet, we look back at a few of our favorite stories and interviews from the year. From conversations about conservation colonialism and fossil fuel despots to investigative stories into illegal activities and hopeful tales of returning wildlife, we covered a lot in 2022.
12/29/2022 • 30 minutes
Maintaining tradition: Growing chestnuts & tasting the weather
This week on Living Planet, we're getting a little festive – venturing to chestnut groves in Italy and to the Swiss Alps for an old-school weather forecast. We also visit the Canary Island of La Palma to hear how locals are living with the long aftermath of an unwelcome volcanic eruption.
12/22/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
A betrayal of resources: Namibia's Fishrot scandal and a First Nation view of the global biodiversity conference
This week on Living Planet, 21-year-old Ta'Kaiya Blaney from the Tla'amin Nation shares her perspective on the current biodiversity summit in Montreal and the shortcomings of such UN conferences. And in Namibia, fall-out from a scandal known as 'Fishrot' — where fishing rights were illegally given to an Icelandic company — is still rocking the country, its government and its fishermen.
12/15/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Into the wasteland: An investigative special
Do you really know what happens to the stuff you throw away? In this episode, we follow the dirty trail of British waste, from the moment households toss their trash into the wheelie bin and diligently sort their recyclable goods, to where it actually ends up — revealing shocking illegal dumping and the farce of recycling.
12/8/2022 • 30 minutes
Is it time to end biofuels?
As energy prices go sky-high this winter, any source of affordable energy may seem like a welcome reprieve. But does it make sense to be growing crops for fuel that could otherwise be food? This is the conundrum of biofuels. Today on Living Planet, we travel to the US, Kenya and Germany to explore biofuels – how they came about, their promises and drawbacks, and why it is we're still using them.
12/1/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Planting the seeds of change
As the dust settles on COP27 climate talks in Egypt, we reflect on what was and what wasn't achieved to help the world avert catastrophic warming. But as we hear from people living in South Africa's coal belt — we’re not just headed for a world made worse by burning fossil fuels, we're living in one. And we meet the seed savers taking matters into their own hands — one tasty bean at a time.
11/24/2022 • 30 minutes
Climate justice: Who’s gonna pay for climate change?
In this special episode, five experts talk about how the world might pay for the harm that's been inflicted on poorer nations by burning fossil fuels. Director of the Loss & Damage Youth Coalition Ineza Umuhozo Grace, climate economist Gernot Wagner, the Dominican Republic's Vice Minister of Climate Change Milagros De Camps, and two International Red Cross representatives share their insights.
11/18/2022 • 30 minutes
Headed in the wrong direction
What responsibility do rich, high-emitting countries have towards poorer, low-emitting countries? And will western citizens commit to coughing up for the climate crisis? As the world gathers in Egypt to hash out a plan to limit warming, we ask some important questions in today's show. Plus, how Cameroon is faring amid the energy crisis and what it means to ignore climate change when city-building.
11/10/2022 • 30 minutes
Where there's smoke...
This week on Living Planet, we're tackling fire and ice. As wildfires get worse in a warming world, we venture to the Western United States to hear what it's like to live with this smoky season every year. And ahead of the annual UN climate conference, we speak to Arctic ecologist, Sue Natali, about thawing permafrost and just how much it has in store for climate change.
11/3/2022 • 30 minutes
Faster fashion – online returns, social media hauls and pashmina in peril
The fashion industry has a lot to answer for — in 2018, it was responsible for 4% of the globe's total emissions. We delve into the world of fast fashion spurred on by social media and find out what happens to clothing you buy online and return. And in the Himalayas, we travel the historic Silk Road to learn what has become of the wool and textile industries that once sustained empires.
10/27/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Living with nature: Kampala's conundrum, river accidentally rerouted to the Amazon and the world's biggest baobab
We hear how human activity transformed the mighty Araguari River in Brazil. We also visit Uganda's capital, which has been designated as a 'Tree City of the World', but also deals with extreme air pollution — are trees enough to clean its air? And speaking of trees... in South Africa, there's one so big, it's home to hundreds of birds and bats, and it even houses a cave within it!
10/20/2022 • 30 minutes
Low emissions, high consequences
We take a listen to how the climate crisis is affecting people's lives in different parts of Africa — from profound societal impacts in Maasai communities in Kenya, to the mental health challenges people are enduring in South Africa, to threatened tropical peatland ecosystems in the Cuvette Centrale basin in the DRC.
10/13/2022 • 30 minutes
Thaw in the Arctic: Difficulties researching ice at the North Pole
Climate scientists agree that the Arctic is ground zero for climate change. In the past, international teams of climate scientists have studied the sea ice here, but since the war in Ukraine, collaboration with Russia has been off-limits for Western researchers. The icebreaker and cruise ship, the Commandant Charcot, invited some of them on its maiden voyage to the North Pole.
10/6/2022 • 30 minutes
Whale speak, nature's opera & tidal marshes
How do sperm whales express their cultural differences? And what kind of music would birds and the wind make if you gave them the chance? In today's episode, we listen to some curious soundscapes, as well as hear from the climate scientists in Maryland trying to figure out if tidal marshes will continue to be carbon sinks, or if rising sea levels will turn them into dangerous carbon emitters.
9/30/2022 • 30 minutes
Stopping monumental melting
Glaciers may only exist in certain cold corners of the world, but just like tropical rainforests, peatlands, wetlands and oceans, they support life on Earth hundreds of thousands of kilometers away; regulating ocean temperature, freshwater supply and our climate. In this episode we hear why ice is so integral to the planet as a functioning ecosystem, and some radical ideas to stop it from melting.
9/22/2022 • 30 minutes
What keeps you up at night?
Can't sleep? You're not alone. A recent report highlights how much sleep we'll lose each year as temperatures continue to rise. Climate change is also drying up water supplies — from North America to East Africa to Europe. We travel the Rhine in Germany where low water levels are killing fish and halting trade. And in Mexico, residents rely on water deliveries due to drought and mismanagement.
9/15/2022 • 30 minutes
Reenvisioning the restroom
This week on Living Planet, we explore a topic that's perfectly natural and something we do every day. Whether you use a squat toilet, a pit latrine or a water closet, humans need to go. But the ways we do so are often not very efficient, useful or good for the environment. So we're taking a look at the history of human excrement and some creative solutions to dispose of and repurpose our waste.
9/8/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Scotch whisky, drinking seawater & the 'green Bitcoin' wave (rebroadcast)
As the climate heats up, we hear about the dry future predicted for one of Scotland's best known exports. We travel to East Africa, where Somalians — desperate for climate aid — are taking the salt out of seawater to solve worrisome water shortages. We also ask how — indeed, if — clean Bitcoin could fix the currency's carbon footprint, and learn how to zap the methane out of cow dung.
9/1/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Frog love songs, rocky reef revivals & avocado farming done right (rebroadcast)
We hear how the once decimated rocky reefs off the coast of Scotland have been replenished, travel to East Africa where farmers are cashing in on the Global North's avocado obsession without destroying the environment, and a professional frog nerd takes us through the bizarre and bountiful world of frog sounds.
8/25/2022 • 30 minutes
Nature's inspiration: Citizen science in the Gambia, preserving giraffes in Namibia and creating music from the natural world (rebroadcast)
Where do nature and art meet? From the vast majesty of the Antarctic to the neat symmetry of a beehive, environmentally-minded artists find inspiration in the sounds of the natural world. And from the Gambia to Namibia, outreach programs show the importance of citizens and scientists working together to conserve some of Africa's most iconic plants and animals.
8/18/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Who speaks for the trees?
We travel to the Brazilian Amazon, where the forest is disappearing at an alarming rate and the trees' last line of defense are the Indigenous communities that have lived among them for millennia. We also visit Ghana, where high oil and gas prices have led to a worrisome revival of cooking with charcoal and firewood. And experts from Scotland share secrets learned from their reforestation efforts.
8/11/2022 • 30 minutes
Living Planet trailer
Every Thursday, a new episode of Living Planet brings you environment stories from around the world. The prize-winning, weekly half-hour radio show and podcast is produced by Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster.
8/11/2022 • 1 minute
Drilling in the name of: Fossil fuels & the 'green tech' revolution
In the Congo, new oil and gas permits are being offered up in endangered gorilla habitats and giant tropical peatlands to finance forest protection and reduce poverty. Meanwhile in Zambia, mining for EV batteries has citizens concerned about the price they'll pay for the world's renewable revolution. And, underwater, the secret race to buy the ocean floor.
8/4/2022 • 30 minutes
Earth Overshoot Day, desert hydroponics & tilling with the tides
We explore how rich Gulf countries can gain more control over their food supply as climate change and political insecurities threaten their decades-long reliance on imports, hear about how an ancient way of farming with the tides is seeing Tunisians through modern water crises, and travel to Valencia to learn about their old-school water tribunal.
7/28/2022 • 30 minutes
Return of the dugong, seaweed farming & oysters' charm
We're plunging into the oceans this week on Living Planet with stories of algae, bivalves and dugongs! Seaweed farmers in Zanzibar are adapting to climate change while Indian fishermen are facilitating one marine mammal's comeback. And mussels, clams and oysters contain mind-boggling secret uses — from cleaning waterways to providing low-carbon building materials.
7/21/2022 • 30 minutes
What will it take to save species from extinction?
As scientists warn that the world is hurtling toward mass biodiversity loss, we think about how to reverse that trend. We talk to Colombian ecologist Brigitte Baptiste, who's been part of a team tasked with creating international guidelines for governments on the value of nature. And we journey to South Africa to hear how the country is restoring ecosystems warped by invasive trees.
7/14/2022 • 30 minutes
Rethinking conservation: Tourism, conservation colonialism and community management
This week on Living Planet, we head to South Africa, Kenya and Namibia to look at different ways conservation has taken root to sustain some of the region's most iconic species. We'll examine some of the problems with classical models of conservation and what alternatives there are to meet the needs of people who share space with these animals.
7/7/2022 • 30 minutes
Going places: How to tourist right & the magic of the underground
As the world opens up to tourism again, we hear from one place in the world that is being visited to death, and talk about why a lot of tourism — including the "eco" kind — needs a rethink. But don't worry, we also chat to a responsible travel expert about what we can do. Then, we go underground to explore how life down there supports life up here in all manner of complex, vital and magical ways.
6/30/2022 • 30 minutes
Too hot to handle? Heatwaves and droughts around the world
This week on Living Planet – As Europe and North America deal with record-breaking heatwaves, we look at how cities from Ahmedabad, India to Athens, Greece handle the heat. When drought makes water a mere mirage – what are communities to do? Italy and Somalia are both struggling with diminishing water supplies. And in an odd twist, drought is also revealing some hidden secrets of the past.
This week on Living Planet – In India's cold desert, farmers have found ways to grow food year-round, but climate change is creating new obstacles. Our CO2 addiction is making living conditions worse for women around the world. And a volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands shows that what nature may need isn't always what humans want to deal with.
6/16/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Africa Climate Podcast: Early warning systems save lives and economies (special episode)
This week, Living Planet brings you another podcast we think you'll enjoy: the Africa Climate Podcast. As the climate — and the weather — changes, early warning systems are crucial to communities' safety and even to countries' economic growth. But how do these services work and who still has yet to get them?
6/9/2022 • 30 minutes
Bill McKibben, dirty deals & unrecognizable seasons
We talk to environmentalist Bill McKibben about what the war in Ukraine really shows us about the climate crisis and a key aspect people have been missing in the fight against it. We also travel to a place bearing the consequences of Germany's exit from Russian coal. And, from Lithuania, we ask: how is the climate crisis changing the way we understand seasons?
6/2/2022 • 30 minutes
Fuel on the fire
We unpack the science of climate attribution, as scientists find South Asia’s extreme heatwave was made significantly more likely by climate change. In India, we hear how the record temperatures are inflaming the country's waste problem — literally. And, how transforming transport in Kenya could help the country cut emissions fast.
5/26/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Toxic: Coal ash, pesticides & politics
Australians are heading to the polls in what many see as a last-chance climate election, as the fossil-fuel-friendly country reels from years of extreme weather worsened by climate change. In India, a lesser-known consequence of burning coal is hurting people and ecosystems. And in Uganda, farmers are finding the chemicals they're putting on their crops are far more dangerous than they thought.
5/19/2022 • 30 minutes
Mysteries of the seas — humpback whale calls, turtle police & warming oceans
In today's episode, we dive underwater to visit creatures great and very, very small. Some of them are vocal, some are vital for the air we breathe and, sadly, many of them are threatened. How can we better protect life in the oceans? Plus — the environmental toll of your monthly bleed, and how menstrual products tell the story of the modern world, from capitalism to patriarchy to pollution.
5/12/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Russian nuclear rods, refugees relying on recycling jobs, and what's a dome school?
On Living Planet today – European countries have been scrambling to find new energy sources to reduce their dependence on Russia, but some countries still need Russian exports, and not just for oil and gas. In India's thickly polluted capital, engineers are building special schools so that students can focus on their studies. And we tag along with refugees doing the work of recycling in Turkey.
5/5/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Unpunished ocean pollution, searching for 'Lithium Valley' & when hydrogen dries up
We reveal an environmental crime that is contaminating the world's oceans and going largely undetected. We also hear about California's bid to turn an environmental disaster zone into a lithium goldmine. Plus, how extreme drought is thwarting Morocco's plans to become a pioneer of green energy.
4/28/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Nature's inspiration: Citizen science in the Gambia, preserving giraffes in Namibia and creating music from the natural world
Where do nature and art meet? From the vast majesty of the Antarctic to the neat symmetry of a beehive, environmentally-minded artists find inspiration in the sounds of the natural world. And from the Gambia to Namibia, outreach programs show the importance of citizens and scientists working together to conserve some of Africa's most iconic plants and animals.
4/21/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Climate misinformation: How do we tackle it?
In this special episode, three experts on climate disinformation discuss how factually inaccurate and misleading information travels around the web. Climate journalist Stella Levantesi, communication researcher John Cook and Wikimedia strategist Alex Stinson join Living Planet host Sam Baker for an engaging round-table discussion, which originally was broadcast as a live discussion.
4/14/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Cleaning up crabbing, gold mining in a national park & the latest climate science
This week on Living Planet — a unique approach to dealing with illegal gold mining in Mozambique, how Indigenous crabbers in the Pacific Northwest of the US are greening their fishing fleet, and what you need to know from the latest IPCC report on climate change.
4/7/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Food waste laws, a conversation with Luisa Neubauer & Costa Rica running dry
Today on the program, we speak with Fridays for Future activist Luisa Neubauer, who reflects on four years in a movement for climate action. California has a new law targeting food wasters, but it's not without a few hurdles. And why is tropical Costa Rica facing water shortages?
3/31/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Out There: The Right to Complain (special episode)
This week, Living Planet brings you another podcast we think you'll enjoy: Out There. When we move from one place to another, sometimes our standards and perceptions of the environment around us can change. Our baselines shift. In this story of air pollution, one journalist finds that comparing himself to others isn't always helpful.
3/24/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Scotch whisky, drinking seawater & the 'green Bitcoin' wave
As the climate heats up, we hear about the dry future predicted for one of Scotland's best known exports. We travel to East Africa, where Somalians — desperate for climate aid — are taking the salt out of seawater to solve worrisome water shortages. We also ask how — indeed, if — clean Bitcoin could fix the currency's carbon footprint, and learn how to zap the methane out of cow dung.
3/17/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Megafloods in Australia, cutting off Russian gas & ethical slaughter
We ask a climate economist if Putin’s war in Ukraine could see the world fast-track a switch to renewables. From the Southern Hemisphere, we hear about the record-breaking "megafloods" devastating Australia's east coast and the twin threat of flooding and rising sea levels engulfing Indonesia. Plus, the Italian farm that wants to save its animals from setting hoof in the slaughterhouse.
3/10/2022 • 30 minutes
Is it already too late?
In a week of landmark environmental announcements, we ask: is it too late to halt the climate crisis? We also hear about plastic recycling in Nairobi, as a groundbreaking UN resolution is passed in that same city that could ban global plastic production. Plus, the slimy, green future of plant-based protein.
3/3/2022 • 30 minutes
Climate change's encroaching toll
Climate change can seem far away from our daily lives. But behind headlines about melting ice sheets, devastating droughts and the collision of wildlife and agriculture are ordinary people. This week we meet the Indian farmers, the Greenlandic sled dog owners and the average South Africans facing mental health struggles who are all living with the effects of climate change.
2/24/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Climate catastrophes facing India, positive tipping points and our right to repair
We get a sobering breakdown on the extreme weather events facing most Indians amid the unfolding climate crisis. A climate scientist tells us what "positive tipping points" are and how understanding them can help us get out of this mess. Plus, what's going on with France's new electronics right to repair regulations?
2/17/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
The nitty-gritty of nuclear, illegally traded house plants & Congo's peatland potential
This week, we tackle a few thorny subjects. In South Africa, we look at poaching – not of animals, but of plants! Plants that could be sitting on your windowsill right now. We also take up the divisive topic of nuclear energy. And why protecting forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo is so crucial.
2/10/2022 • 30 minutes
Saving the Winter Olympics and the forever chemicals inside us all
This week on Living Planet, we take a look at harmful chemicals that stay in our bodies, forever. Where do they come from and what risks do they pose? And we ask what the future holds, for athletes and winter sport enthusiasts, as the 2022 Olympic Games open in Beijing, China.
2/3/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Mount Kilimanjaro: 'Eternal ice' no more?
The highest peak on the African continent has inspired locals and travelers alike over the centuries. But climate change is melting its ice cap and impacting those whose livelihoods are tied to it – from tour guides who regularly climb the 5,895 meter dormant volcano to Maasai farmers who live around its base.
1/27/2022 • 30 minutes
Vulture cuisine, Ugandan super bananas and a city designed for rain
How a vulture restaurant is helping bring the bird back from the brink in Nepal. The quest to make a "super breed" of the beloved Ugandan banana so it can withstand the pests and diseases that farmers have fought for decades. And how the residents of Gothenburg in Sweden are redesigning their city to make it the best in the world when it's raining — which is pretty often.
1/20/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Bitcoin's carbon footprint, South Africa and Europe's energy transitions
The cryptocurrency Bitcoin consumes a huge amount of energy. We take a look at why this is and what can be done about it. And how do lawmakers ensure a green energy transition actually reduces fossil fuel use? South Africa is planning to move away from its reliance on coal, but plans are afoot to extract natural gas from the ocean. In the EU, new regulations make exceptions for nuclear and gas.
1/13/2022 • 30 minutes
The future of water: Floating cities, geothermal power and water scarcity
We live on a watery planet — nearly three-quarters of the Earth's surface is underwater. As climate change raises temperatures, water is being pushed in new and more extreme directions. But are there ways we could use water to our advantage, environmentally? This week, we hear from communities trying to push back the seas and others suffering from diminishing water supplies.