Deutsche Welle Living Planet

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.
Weekly English Germany Society & Culture · Health & Fitness
50 Episodes
12 – 32

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.
28 Dec 2023 30 min

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.
21 Dec 2023 30 min

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.
15 Dec 2023 33 min

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…
7 Dec 2023 29 min

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…
23 Nov 2023 30 min

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.
17 Nov 2023 29 min

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…
9 Nov 2023 29 min

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…
2 Nov 2023 29 min

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…
26 Oct 2023 30 min

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…
19 Oct 2023 30 min

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.
12 Oct 2023 30 min

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?
29 Sep 2023 29 min

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…
21 Sep 2023 30 min

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…
14 Sep 2023 29 min

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…
8 Sep 2023 30 min

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.
31 Aug 2023 30 min

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.
24 Aug 2023 29 min
12 – 32