Living Planet
As humans' impact on the planet becomes more evident, there is a need for independent reporting. Living Planet looks at new technologies, visits innovative projects and keeps you up-to-date on the state of the earth.
Whisky's peat problem, the repair café & 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 café in Manchester doing its bit to reduce the millions tons of fixable items we throw out every year. And lastly, visit…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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!
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?
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…
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…
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…
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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…