It's an environmental issue that's become a thorny political problem. Iran has been experiencing severe drought for several years. A growing population, increased water consumption and government mismanagement are all to blame. Scientists warn that if nothing is done, Iran could reach a state of extreme water stress by 2040. So will Iran's drought be a catalyst for change? The Down To Earth team takes a closer look.

Across France, fields have gone quiet… In 20 years, one-third of the country’s birds have disappeared. Meadow Pipits and Partridges have nearly been wiped out. It’s a biodiversity crisis triggered by intensive agriculture. The Down To Earth team met with ecologists and bird watchers who are sounding the alarm and working to help bird populations take flight once again.

In the remote town of Longyearbyen, in Norway’s Arctic region, the ground is permanently frozen. As temperatures rise, the thawing permafrost could open a Pandora's box, with unpredictable consequences. The Down to Earth team reports.

It's probably part of your daily life, even if you don’t notice it. And yet, it kills an estimated seven million people each year. Around the world, countries are waking up and taking steps to tackle air pollution. Governments are cutting back on diesel fuel, getting cars off the street and people onto public transport. But what if all this actually made global warming worse?

France is Europe's top agricultural producer and also its top consumer of glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in history. Each year, nearly 8,000 tons of it are used in French fields and vineyards. The chemical is cheap and effective but critics, including the World Health Organization, have sounded the alarm over its dangers.

France is Europe's top agricultural producer and also its top consumer of glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in history. Each year, nearly 8,000 tons of it are used in French fields and vineyards. The chemical is cheap and effective but critics, including the World Health Organization, have sounded the alarm over its dangers. The EU recently - and controversially - extended glyphosate's licence in Europe for five years. France was opposed to that decision, and says it wants to ban it in the next three years. But can French farmers kick their addiction to the chemical? Down to Earth went to the fields to find out.

The planet may have found its newest and perhaps greatest ally: the law. In the past three years, the number of climate-related lawsuits across the world has tripled. In 2017, there were 900 cases in 24 countries, two thirds of them in the United States.

The planet may have found its newest and perhaps greatest ally: the law. In the past three years, the number of climate-related lawsuits across the world has tripled. In 2017, there were 900 cases in 24 countries, two thirds of them in the United States. The number one target of these lawsuits is big businesses, particularly the fossil fuel industry. Saúl Luciano Lliuya, a Peruvian farmer, is suing Europe’s biggest polluter, German energy giant RWE, for causing a glacier to melt near his home. In the US, cities and counties are leading the battle. New York City is the latest to join the fight, suing the world’s five largest oil companies. The idea is to hold them responsible for present and future damage to the city from climate change, demanding financial compensation for their loss.

But it’s not just a question of money. A green revolution is underway. Citizens are suing their own leaders in order to get them to implement real climate policy. The Urgenda case in the Netherlands has become a symbol of a growing movement. In 2015, 900 Dutch citizens got their government sentenced by a District Court in The Hague. According to the verdict, the Dutch government isn't doing enough to protect its citizens from severe but avoidable harm and must cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25% by 2020.

In Germany, one of Europe’s largest coal mines is gaining ground, destroying dozens of villages in its path. Some 35,000 people have already been relocated and 24 new villages have been created to make way for the Garzweiler mine, spanning more than 30 square kilometers.

In Germany, one of Europe’s largest coal mines is gaining ground, destroying dozens of villages in its path. Some 35,000 people have already been relocated and 24 new villages have been created to make way for the Garzweiler mine, spanning more than 30 square kilometers. Officially, Germany is in the middle of an energy transition, replacing nuclear energy with renewables. But that doesn’t mean the country has kicked its addiction to coal, which remains its primary source of energy. Extracting more coal means having to relocate the people whose villages are being swallowed by the growing mines. The Down to Earth team travelled to Rhineland to meet those who have been displaced by coal mining, and forced to abandon their homes, shops, churches and even cemetaries.