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.
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
Bill McKibben on power & the climate crisis (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…
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.
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…