Podcast
Living Planet
Hosted by DW · EN
Looking to reconnect with nature? Want to make better decisions for the health of the planet? Every Friday, Living Planet brings you the stories, facts and debates on the key environmental issues of our time.
21episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
How one German village escaped the energy crisis
2w ago00:27:40Tap to summarizeWind turbines, pig manure, people power – and one radical idea. Feldheim may look like an ordinary farming village, but it’s become world famous for its unique energy system, where residents pay far less for power than most Europeans. So what can the rest of the world learn from the German village that decided to go it alone?
Transcribe →Rats, revisited
3w ago00:30:39Tap to summarizeWe thought we were done talking about rats. Then your questions came in. From plague myths to poisoned predators, population growth and climate change to urban allotment gardens in Helsinki, this bonus episode follows the threads we couldn't fit in the first time around, and digs deeper into the surprisingly emotional world of humans versus rats.
Transcribe →Prescription for a superbug crisis
4w ago00:28:58Tap to summarizeAfter a life-changing accident, Vanessa spent years fighting a dangerous infection that kept coming back. Eventually, doctors discovered why: the bacteria fueling it were resistant to antibiotics. Her story leads us far beyond the hospital, into waterways, soils, and a hidden world where the medicines meant to save us may be helping create the next superbugs.
Transcribe →The dirty truth about laundry (Rebroadcast)
May 100:30:20Tap to summarizeLaundry seems harmless - but it’s not. Chemicals, microplastics, and energy use add up fast. Are we overwashing just to feel "clean”? Discover how to clean your clothes smarter - and greener.
Transcribe →War-proofing Ukraine's power grid with solar
Apr 2400:31:57Tap to summarizeWhen Russia targets Ukraine's energy system, it's not just turning off the lights — it's creating conditions for nuclear disaster. Each attack forces a rethink: more solar, more batteries, more distributed, harder-to-hit systems. For Ukrainians, this isn't about climate — it's about survival. What can the rest of the world learn from this?
Transcribe →Something is wrong in the Arctic – Narwhals can tell
Apr 1700:29:41Tap to summarizeAlex Ootowak grew up watching narwhals, the "unicorns of the sea", frolic in Canada’s Arctic waters. Then a nearby mine changed everything. In this episode, hear how underwater recordings reveal a decline in narwhals — and why scientists couldn't research these enigmatic creatures without the Inuit community.
Transcribe →Why cities keep losing the war on rats
Apr 1000:30:29Tap to summarizeIn cities around the world, rats aren't just surviving; they're thriving. Despite decades of poison, traps and control, they keep coming back. So, what is it about modern city life that suits them so well? From Berlin to New York, this is a story about what happens when urban systems start feeding "the rat problem".
Transcribe →Pray or act? Churches at a crossroads
Apr 300:30:00Tap to summarizeClimate change is reshaping the world - but inside many churches, it’s barely spoken about. So what’s behind the silence? One believer whose passion for God’s creation started as a kid surrounded by manatees and mangroves, is urging US churches to reconnect faith with stewardship of the land.
Transcribe →Geothermal could be huge, why isn't it?
Mar 2700:33:58Tap to summarizeBrock Yordy once helped extract fossil fuels; now, he’s using the same skills to tap the Earth’s heat for clean energy. His journey from oilfields to geothermal puts a new spotlight on a big question: can the industry that drove emissions now lead the way in reducing them? And if there’s so much power beneath our feet, what’s holding geothermal back?
Transcribe →Houston, we have a plastic problem!
Mar 2000:29:18Tap to summarizeChemical recycling promises to transform plastic waste, and Houston is at the center of this big experiment in the US. While industry touts it as a breakthrough, activists are finding that much of the plastic doesn't get recycled after all. Is Houston leading the way to real change - or revealing the limits of the latest recycling fad?
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