Living Planet - reports | Deutsche Welle

The largest glacial cave system in the contiguous United States is melting at an alarming rate. The complex system has been studied by cavers and glaciologists since the caves were first discovered in 2011 in mountains near Portland, Oregon. But scientists may be running out of time, as the warming climate means the glaciers could be completely gone in a few years.

In Nigeria’s oil producing Niger Delta, women are the breadwinners in many homes, doing traditional jobs like farming and fishing, while men often head to cities to work. After decades of oil pollution, women especially have suffered the consequences of serious pollution, and the health problems associated with it. But they are now leading the movement to change that.

In parts of the Caribbean, it is not unusual for faucets to run dry — the region is facing drought linked to climate change. During the COVID-19 pandemic, that means many people lack the water they need to wash their hands. Aging infrastructure that wastes this precious resource is among the main problems. But locals in Trinidad are seeking solutions.

In much of the world, clean water is taken for granted. But in parts of the Global South, drought and flooding connected to climate change are making water scarce. And that is hitting kids the hardest. DW reporter Jennifer Collins chats about a Global Ideas project that investigated the impacts of water inequality on the health of children in South Africa and India.

Despite its location straddling the Andes and the Pacific Ocean, Chile is facing water scarcity, due in part to climate change-related drought. Water was privatized under the Pinochet dictatorship in the 1970s — limiting access for farming communities and city dwellers alike. In 2020, citizens voted to rewrite the constitution. And water is looming large in the debate.

In Italy, trees are under attack from a tiny, round, reddish-brown invader. The pine tortoise scale latches on to its victim, excretes copious amounts of sugary liquid and waits for black sooty mold to take over. The nonnative pest from the Americas first showed up here in 2014, and it's threatening to decimate Rome's 1 million umbrella pine trees. Angelo van Schaik tells us how they can be saved.

Forests capture and store about one of every four tons of carbon dioxide we spew out, slowing global warming. And though trees are increasingly likely to suffer from warmer temperatures and drought, there's hope: plants need carbon dioxide, and the ever-growing amount could help them. Reporter Dan Grossman, funded by the Pulitzer Center, followed researchers at an active volcano in Costa Rica.

Over the past 40 years, around 1 million square kilometers of the rainforest have been destroyed across South America. Two famous Brazilians want to end deforestation and bring rainforests in their homeland back to life. Sebastiao Salgado, a well-known photographer and forest champion, and musician Gilberto Gil hope to plant 1 million trees a year. Sonya Diehn presents a report by Ivo Marusczyk.

The Latur region of the western state of Maharashtra in India is notorious for water scarcity, and farmers there have faced drought for some time. But over recent years, they have been shifting cultivation methods to conserve water, turning toward nature-oriented farming to restore the land and rivers. And those efforts are making the communities more resilient to climate change impacts.

It's about the most underrated superfood out there: the humble legume. Loaded with nutrition, legumes — or beans — are barely eaten in some parts of the world, although some experts see legumes as the best option for sustainably ensuring food security. Plant scientist Chris Ojiewo in Nairobi spoke to DW about the Tropical Legumes Project, an initiative seeking to put beans on tables across Africa.

Nutritious and delicious, avocados have conquered palates across the globe. Business is booming — in the past 20 years, avocado production has tripled. But this is also causing a massive strain on resources in places where the water-intensive tropical fruit grows — in particular, Latin America. Is it possible to keep eating our treasured avocados with a clear conscience?

Protesters in London have just wrapped up a month-long action inside an illegally dug tunnel intended to stop construction of a new high-speed rail line. While trains have an eco-friendly repute, protesters say lost trees and construction emissions make the project a losing equation. Since the UK set its net-zero emissions goal two years back, the protest has put the topic back in the spotlight.

China is big on coal — it's the world's largest producer and consumer. Despite that, China is presenting itself as a leader in climate protection on the world stage, recently announcing plans to go carbon-neutral by 2060. It's massively invested in wind and solar power, and has finally launched an emissions trading scheme. But can China meet its ambitious promises?

More than 70% of India's electricity comes from burning coal, and much of that is imported. Imported coal lands in Goa — a coastal state famous for its white sandy beaches and biodiversity. The government plans to transform the region into India's coal hub. But citizens are pushing back in a bid to prevent pollution and protect the state's glimmering green hills.

The ways we get around are changing – and that's especially true in big cities. Vehicle and bike-sharing services are booming, making it easier to leave cars at home or forego car ownership altogether. Barcelona has the highest vehicle density of any city in Europe. But it's now breaking ground on a transport and urban planning initiative that will grow its innovative public spaces for residents.

They’re Australia’s climate change refugees and they’re looking for somewhere to roost. But their smell and nocturnal shrieks have made them unpopular with locals. Scientists warn against trying to get rid of flying foxes, calling them the ‘canaries in the coal mine’ for what will happen to other species as temperatures rise. Their disappearance would spell disaster for forests and woodlands.

All of our food waste has to go somewhere. But how our trash is disposed of can actually have an impact on climate change. In the US's largest metropolis, there's a simple way New Yorkers can reduce their methane emissions, and maybe even spruce up their gardens in the process.

Experts estimate that we will produce more than 50 million tons of electronic waste globally by 2021 – and the precious metals this e-waste contains often aren't recycled properly. But a promising research project at the University of Cape Town in South Africa aims to change this.

Philadelphia, one of the biggest, poorest and most violent cities in the US, is seeking to expand its green spaces by planting more trees. Besides combating sweltering temperatures in summer, there's evidence increased tree cover may also help bring down levels of gun violence.

How can our economies keep growing when we live on a planet with finite resources? The short answer, according to some, is they can't. Ecological economists say it's time to instead embrace "degrowth." But what does this mean, and how do we change? DW's Ruby Russell explains.

Economic growth is often the main measure for human progress and development. But Achim Steiner, head of the UNDP, says that's a narrow view that fails to take into account the impact of environmental damage. In an interview with DW, he lays out how we can get to the green economy of tomorrow.

A symbol of fertility and prosperity, the stork has been making its summer home on European fields and rooftops for millennia. European white storks typically migrated to Africa when the seasons turned to winter up north — but warmer winters due to climate change, along with a steady new food source are convincing the birds to stay put in Europe over the winter.

People from all over the world come to observe the striking African crowned crane in its native habitat. Worldwide, birding is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and a vital source of income in many communities. The bird lives across East Africa — but it is declining in Kenya. And some volunteers have made it their business to take care of grey crowned cranes — starting with the local community.

Scavenger birds like the vulture play a critical role in ecosystems, eating decaying flesh and returning that energy to the food web. But the fact that these birds are reliant on eating dead animals also puts them at risk. Though vultures don't exactly capture the hearts and minds of the general population, some people have made it their mission to lobby for these undesirables.

Eagles and hawks have found themselves a new competitor for their prey: Well-to-do hunters on the Scottish moors. A threat to human hunters of red grouse, these raptors have become targets themselves. The problem has gotten so bad that new laws are being brought in to restrict hunting, while new technology is helping pinpoint where those protected predatory birds are being illegally killed.

It's no secret that flying isn't great for the environment. Those who don't want to give it up and still feel guilty about it can choose to "offset" the carbon emissions from their flights. But what does this actually entail? Where does the money go and how can you be sure it’s doing anything useful? We follow one couple's offsetting donation all the way to Kenya to find out.

A new UN-led deal — nicknamed CORSIA — is designed to stop the aviation sector's emissions from rising. But instead of limiting flights or imposing a carbon cap, it gets countries to buy credits for carbon offsetting schemes once they reach a certain level of emissions. But DW found no one will have to pay up for another six years and it will cost airlines less than 1% of operating costs.

Wild salmon, the so-called king of fish, is fighting for survival across much of the Northern Hemisphere. Many salmon populations are in steep decline in the face of dams, fish farming and climate change. And in Scotland, one project is focusing on forests to ensure survival of wild salmon at a crisis point. As it turns out, forests feed salmon just as salmon feed the forests.

Sometimes, what appears dead is merely dormant. In an interview, award-winning agronomist Tony Rinaudo describes "farmer-managed natural regeneration," a special tree restoration technique he pioneered it in the arid Sahel of Africa in the 1980s. The method has restored around 200 million trees in the region, bringing increased resilience and prosperity to local farmers.

Romania is home to the largest area of primary forest that's left in Europe. But apart from the old-growth forests being valuable for biodiversity, those large trees are also valuable to the timber industry. In Romania, a "wood mafia" is being described, involving corrupt networks that enable illegal logging. And forest campaigners trying to save the trees have sometimes become targets themselves.

The Eurasian lynx, vital to the health of forests, is protected in the EU. And though lynx may be hunted in Latvia, conservationists are sounding the alarm since accurate numbers for the wild cat population there are not clear. The hunting lobby seems to be exerting undue influence over species management in Latvia. DW hears from all sides, including hunters — while they shoot down an elk.

With all the anxiety and restrictions, who could be blamed for imagining getting away from it all? As people put their holidays on hold, many have used lockdown to explore their local surroundings. Ecotourism, typically involving smaller groups in open spaces, is gaining fresh appeal during the pandemic. In Spain, where tourism is central to the economy, the coronavirus is spurring a rethink.

While we've been holed up during various lockdowns throughout 2020, new generations of locusts have been breeding. Heavy rains created ideal conditions for the insect, which is having a field day. Locusts can eat their weight in vegetation — and in arid regions of East Africa, this can devastate the land.

It's the biggest shake-up to English agriculture in a generation. As millions of pounds of EU farming subsidies come to an end, English farms will now have to apply for grants to help with carbon capture, improved animal welfare and implementing environmentally-beneficial projects. But will the new scheme work?

In recent years the internet has been crucial in organizing climate activism. Movements like Fridays for Future have utilized social media to spread awareness about climate change and connect across the world. But from the Philippines to Brazil to Germany, activists are reporting increased online abuse. So what impact is this online harassment having on their work, and on them personally?

When we talk about waste, we usually think of household trash — the stuff we throw in the bin. But that pales in comparison to all of the waste generated to make the stuff we buy. So what makes up this waste stream that's invisible to most of us?

In many parts of Africa, insects such as termites and grasshoppers are an important source of protein in people's diets. But in South Africa, edible bugs are facing increasing threats due to changes in their environment. Now, scientists are racing to log the DNA barcode of these insect species before they disappear.

Botswana's government has promoted beekeeping as a strategy to combat poverty and loss of biodiversity. But climate change including many years of drought mean beekeepers are facing an uphill battle to keep their hives healthy.

Asian giant hornets — also known as murder hornets — have invaded parts of the northwestern United States. According to Chris Looney who vacuumed out a nest earlier this year, that's bad news for the hornets' main prey: honeybees. He says that unless the invaders are contained, it's just a matter of time before they spread across the US. They could even reach Europe.

President Donald Trump formally pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement just last month, making it the first and only country to do so. President-elect Joe Biden will reverse that decision. What damage to the US's environmental reputation will remain? Rachel Cleetus, Policy Director for Climate and Energy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, explains what we might expect.

In Germany, the Greens have been gaining momentum and political power in recent years. With Chancellor Angela Merkel stepping down next year, might the Green Party have an even bigger role to play in shaping Germany's future?

The Kingdom of Morocco is one of just two countries (along with Gambia) on track to meet its Paris commitments, according to the Climate Action Tracker. In 2009, King Mohammed VI called for a makeover of the country's energy sector. So, what achievements have the north African country made since then? The first solar airplane, Green Mosques and the world's largest solar plant, to name a few.

Being in nature calms and rejuvenates adults and children alike. And kids who have contact with the natural world end up caring more for the environment, as well. But as more of our lives are spent indoors, we may be losing this vital connection. And as it turns out, kids having a strong connection with nature also has a dark side.

You may know that women and children are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and pollution. And, how communities of color often bear the brunt of environmental hazards. Well, new research shows that climate impacts puts pregnant women of color at higher risk for having premature babies, low birth weight, or even stillbirth.

Earlier this year, thousands of barrels of black sludge contaminated the Ecuadorian Amazon after a landslide damaged oil pipelines. Environmentalists say it was the region's worst oil spill in decades. It's not only threatening the health of a uniquely biodiverse part of the Amazon, it's also taking a massive toll on local villagers who depend on clean river systems for survival.

Osman Salih was horrified when, earlier this year, he discovered an abandoned zoo in war-torn Sudan. Inside the cages there were animals starving to death; some were already dead. The photos he snapped of emaciated lions soon went viral on social media, sparking a campaign that has since turned the animals' situation around.

Each year, millions of second-hand cars that have been relegated to the scrap heap in Europe, the US and Japan end up on African roads. That's a problem - not only because these vehicles fail to meet safety standards in the countries exporting them, but also because they're an environmental hazard.

Since the pandemic started, face masks have become a key tool in the fight to curb COVID-19 infections. But with countries ramping up production of a largely disposable product, a new environmental problem is emerging. At the same time, so are some solutions.

Plastic pollution is a big problem in many countries. But Indonesian scientist Nory Mulyono is developing a way to limit the amount of waste ending up in the ocean. She's turning seaweed into an alternative to plastic packaging.

Petrochemical and recycling companies in the United States are lobbying their government to push Kenya to relax strict anti-plastic measures. Environmental campaigners say that if these firms have their way, Africa could become a dumping ground for plastic.

The United Kingdom uses 5 million metric tons of plastic every year, and only about a third of that ends up being recycled. In a bid to find out just how widespread plastic pollution is, British campaigner Laura Sanderson has decided to test the waters — quite literally — in the UK's wildest rivers.