Down to Earth

By FRANCE 24 English

Down to Earth episodes

December 16, 2022 Noise pollution: A not-so-silent killer?
The constant rumble of traffic and people brings cities to life. But is it also making us sick? The ill-effects of noise pollution are now well documented, with cities declaring open war on the not-so-silent killer. The Down to Earth team takes a closer look.
12 min
December 02, 2022 Marine heatwaves: A sea in flames
This summer, an unprecedented marine heatwave hit the Mediterranean Sea, causing mass die-offs of marine life. Will ecosystems ever recover? The Down to Earth team takes a closer look.
13 min
November 18, 2022 France's energy mix in turmoil
Rising gas and oil prices have plunged Europe into its worst energy crisis in decades. France has been hit hard, but perhaps not for the reasons you would expect. Nuclear and hydroelectric power, the country's main sources of electricity, are both running out of steam. Has the French energy mix hit a breaking point? We take a closer look in this edition of Down to Earth.
13 min
November 04, 2022 COP27: North-South, a growing divide
This weekend, the United Nation's climate change conference COP27 kicks off in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Losses from climate-related disasters are on the rise, and the question of who will foot the bill is likely to dominate discussions. Developing nations, bearing the brunt of the crisis, won't shy away from demanding that richer countries pay up. In this special edition of Down to Earth, we take a closer look at the growing rift between the North and global South.
13 min
October 14, 2022 Off the road: Imagining car-free cities
Over the past century, city streets have been optimised for motor vehicles. In Berlin, for example, nearly 60 percent of the traffic space is devoted to cars, which account for just a third of journeys, while only 3 percent is set aside for bicycles, even though they make up 15 percent of journeys.
13 min
September 30, 2022 Toxic algae: Blooming danger?
Tiny and insidious, microalgae are multiplying along our coastlines. Although vital to our survival, some 200 out of 5,000 species studied are harmful to people and ecosystems. As global warming intensifies the problem, our oceans may be growing ever more toxic. The Down to Earth team investigates.
12 min
September 10, 2022 Burning crisis: The era of the megafire
Between July and August, the south-western French region of Gironde was hit by major wildfires, destroying nearly 30,000 hectares of forest. The magnitude and fury of the blaze shocked the country, with many now using the term megafire to describe the disaster. So has France entered a new era of megafires? We take a closer look in this edition of Down to Earth.
13 min
September 02, 2022 Crippling drought, rising tensions
The summer of 2022 has seen unprecedented droughts that have ravaged crops, threatening the livelihoods of millions across the world. France wasn't spared, with almost all departments facing water restrictions. Increasingly, farmers are turning to water reservoirs, a method decried by environmentalists. In this episode of Down to Earth we travel to western France, where tensions are mounting over the management of water supplies.
13 min
July 22, 2022 Why are Paris' iconic sparrows disappearing?
Nearly a quarter of Paris' house sparrows have vanished in less than 15 years. It's a global phenomenon that baffles scientists and conservationists. In London, Hamburg and Amsterdam, the species is also in free-fall. We take a closer look.
13 min
July 08, 2022 Planting trees: Climate cure-all?
It sounds like an effortless solution to one of humanity's greatest challenges: using trees as a tool to capture carbon dioxide. As the climate crisis deepens, countries and companies have embarked on a global tree-planting spree. But could they end up doing more harm than good?
13 min