Latest in Environment Highlight
Latest in Environment
Solar power in a bottle brings light to remote communities in Brazil
Renewable technology is bringing light into the lives of Kalunga people, descendants of slaves living in remote communities in Brazil. Now, solar powered lamps made from recycled bottles are extending their evenings.São Domingos' church is the most modern structure in a village otherwise made up of traditional adobe buildings. Its size means it also serves …
Germany's atomic phase-out: How to dismantle a nuclear power plant
Germany now has just seven nuclear plants left in operation, but what becomes of those that are already decommissioned? Bits of them are recycled, and could ultimately end up in our kitchens.When Egbert Bialk looks at the giant demolition robot perched on top of the cooling tower at the Mülheim-Kärlich nuclear power plant, it makes …
God and the earth: Evangelical take on climate change
Conservative Christians have long opposed climate science, saying human induced warming goes against God’s omnipotence. Opinions divide on whether that thinking might slowly be changing.When Reverend Mitchell Hescox organized an environmental stewardship conference for evangelical Christians in Missouri in 2014, only five people showed up. This past September, he said, the same conference attracted 500 …
Can Stradivarius violins weather climate change?
The forest where the wood for Stradivarius violins comes from has been used for 300 years to build some of the best string instruments in the world. Climate change might change that. Angelo van Schaik reports.Back in the 17th century, Antonio Stradivari traveled for two days from his hometown Cremona to the Paneveggio forest in …
Can renewable energy save Uganda's Rwenzori glacier?
The people at the foot of the Rwenzori glacier in Uganda want a switch to renewable energy to save the snow on the mountaintop, which is melting fast. Their goal: 100 percent green energy by 2020. Will they succeed?Project goal: 100 percent green energy in Uganda's Kasese district by 2020. Project implementation: Encouraging households, hospitals …
In Mexico, ecotourism helps traditional agriculture survive
The people of the Mexican state of Oaxaca earn their living making pulque, a traditional drink made with Agave. But the beverage, considered sacred, is under threat. Ecotourism is part of the solution to save it.Project aim: Save the tradition of making pulque, a drink made from the sap of the agave, reclaim eroded soil …
FAO warns of desert locust raids in Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen
Egypt in danger of migratory pest, as groups of mature winged adults, few swarms moved north along coast to southeast Egypt
Hard-hit by climate change, Bangladesh finds solution in floating gardens
Bangladesh is on the front line of climate change, as its low-lying delta farmlands face surging floods. But floating gardens – a traditional form of hydroponics – is offering a lifeline to some farming families.In summer 1988, a surging flood hit Bangladesh. Then, it was the worst the country had suffered for years. Hari Podo, …
In Colombia, locals fight to save a unique, disappearing habitat
Millions of people living along the Rio Magdalena are feeling the sting of climate change, as fish stocks — and the river itself — dries up. But they’re taking action to preserve their unique landscape and way of life.Project goal: Helping wetland communities living along Colombia's most important river adapt to climate change Project implementation: …
Spain's vast network of illegal wells exposed after death of toddler
The death of a Spanish toddler who fell into an illegal borehole has put the country’s water crisis on the spot. It’s estimated there are over one million illegal wells in Spain.Rescue teams dug for two weeks in the Andalusian countryside to try to save a boy who fell down one of Spain's many illegal …
High-rise mania overshadows Moscow's suburban dream
In 2012, the territory of Moscow more than doubled with the stroke of a pen. Rapid construction is underway to accommodate the a burgeoning population, putting a strain on the environment and rural communities.Aleksei Zakharinsky shares his modest wooden house just outside the town of Moskovsky with 10 cats. Not long ago, the 51-year-old and …
Environment Minister, SEMED’s managing director discuss COP14, recycling projects
Fouad praised level of collaboration between bank and ministry in several environmental projects in Egypt
In Peru, Inca descendants restore forests
In the Peruvian Andes, villagers travel from far and wide to take part in a special tree-planting ceremony each year. They want to restore once lush forests and protect their villages from landslides.Project aim: Restoring the polylepis forest in the Andes with the help of the indigenous community there Project implementation: Villagers in the region …
Fouad stresses importance of education in raising environmental awareness
Minister announced launching cultural event for environmental topics
Developing reserves, increasing revenues, reducing pollution priorities in 2019: Environment minister
Greenhouse gases in Egypt are 1% less than global level
Water wars: Are India and Pakistan heading for climate change-induced conflict?
Across the world, climate change is sparking conflict as people struggle over dwindling resources. The fight over water could quickly escalate between India and Pakistan — and both have nuclear arms.Yemen, Somalia and Syria are just some of the places where climate change is increasingly regarded as a root cause of violent conflict. But while …
African Youth Conference for Environmental Sustainability in Industries to be held in April
Event comes within Egypt’s presidency over African Union
Stanley Aneto: "Art is a powerful way to speak about climate change"
Nigerian eco-artist Stanley Aneto is on a mission to use his work to engage younger generations in environmental issues.DW: You work across many different mediums including painting, poetry, photography, music and film. What made you want to explore environmental themes? Stanley Aneto: As a child I loved being beside the seaside in Nigeria. I would …
Plastic pollution: Do beach clean-ups really make a difference?
Picking up trash from river beds and beaches has become a popular activity around the world. But do clean-ups really help tackle the growing problem of plastic pollution? DW’s Brigitte Osterath reports from Honduras.It could be paradise. On the Honduran island of Roatan in the Caribbean, sandy beaches lined with palm trees stretch as far …
Climate change: Governments don't act? We do!
From activists risking their liberty to block coal, to US businesses sticking with the Paris accord regardless of Trump, ordinary folk fed up waiting for change have outshone the big political players at COP24.Averting catastrophic climate change is a task for the world. And the main players in the struggle break down into three groups: …
COP24: Frustration and hope in the fight against climate change
Failure at this year’s climate conference would be “suicidal,” said the UN secretary general. DW’s Louise Osborne and Jennifer Collins have seen frustration over slow progress. But young people are stepping up.Every morning for the past two weeks, we've dropped by Austria for a coffee, popped across to the Pacific islands for a bit of …
Can Europe go carbon neutral by 2050?
The EU wants to become carbon neutral by 2050. That means abandoning coal, oil and gas completely. But is it possible? Experts say it is, energy won’t become more expensive and it will even create more jobs.For many people, a life without fossil fuels still seems inconceivable. How would we heat our homes without oil …
Could soil save our climate?
Soil is second only to the ocean in the service it provides as a CO2 store. When in the ground, carbon enriches the soil and is good for the climate, but misuse of land has already led to the loss of large stores.
Waste food and emissions: Landfill or the plate?
Millions of people in South Africa don’t know where their next meal will come from. Meanwhile, much food ends up in the garbage, and ultimately causes climate-harmful emissions. WWF wants to tackle both problems at once.Project goal: Finding ways to reduce greenhouse emissions from food waste and improve food security for the malnourished. Problem description: …
Climate protection: Germany falls farther behind
A decade ago, Germany was a pioneer in fighting climate change via the expansion of renewable energies. But now, like many G20 nations, its climate protection is stagnating as global emissions rise again.As greenhouse gas emissions increase, the Climate Change Performance Index 2019 shows that only a handful of nations have implemented strategies to limit …
Greens: Don't delay ambitious climate action
The European Union plans to go carbon neutral by 2050. Rebecca Harms, climate spokesperson for the Green group in the European Parliament, told DW it’s a worthy goal but we need focus on the decades in between.Deutsche Welle: Ahead of COP24 next week, the European Commission has said the European Union will be carbon neutral …
Crunch time for the climate at COP24
There’s a lot at stake at the UN climate conference in Poland. Delegates will be scrambling to save the Paris Agreement — and the multilateralism of the United Nations.It was just three years ago. But the euphoric celebrations in Paris now seem a distant memory. The United Nations' 190-plus states had finally wrestled together an …
'Our consumption choices are driving biodiversity loss'
Humankind is decimating plant and animal species, with alarming consequences for the planet. From the UN biodiversity conference in Egypt, Cristiana Pasca explains why preserving biodiversity is key to our survival.Biodiversity is the cornerstone of our existence — a fact many of us seem to forget in our daily lives. And biodiversity is not just …
India's camel nomads compete for a place in the modern world
The humble camel’s hump can easily overshadow the animal’s other characteristics — such as the health benefits of its milk. Efforts are underway to change that, and keep an old tradition alive in the process.Project goal: Keeping camels in Rajasthan and the creation of rural sources of income Implementation: Establishment of a camel value chain …
Can a wall protect Tangier Island from rising seas?
A small island in Chesapeake Bay is drowning due to erosion and rising sea levels, but most of its residents don’t believe in climate change. Instead, they hope US President Donald Trump will build a wall to save them.Tangier is a marshy island in the Chesapeake Bay — an estuary 90 miles (145 kilometers) south …