Down to Earth

By FRANCE 24 English

Down to Earth episodes

October 09, 2020 Hunters: Enemies or allies of the environment?
Hunters claim to be France's leading ecologists. Yet the tradition divides opinion and has pitted hunters against nature conservationists. As the debate continues to rage, we're asking: does hunting hurt or help the environment? We travelled to the Camargue region of southern France to find out more.
7 min
September 25, 2020 Food waste: Scraps for good
If food wastage was a country it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions, trailing only behind China and the United States. It's time to rewind and rethink the way we treat our food waste. We take a closer look at two initiatives.
7 min
September 11, 2020 Sowing seeds of security
How do we ensure that the seeds which grow the food needed to nourish the rising number of people on the planet are safe and productive? This week Down to Earth explores the challenges of securing a seed system for the long term.
7 min
August 28, 2020 A greener way to die?
Cremation or burial? In France, there are only two legal ways to be put to rest, both with a hefty environmental footprint. What if there was a greener way to leave this planet? This week Down to Earth explores eco-friendly cemeteries and the possibility of human composting.
7 min
July 17, 2020 Urban heat: How to keep a city cool?
Often dubbed a silent killer, heatwaves claim more lives than any other natural disaster. Cities bear the brunt of the pain, heating up twice as fast as the global average. Buildings, transport, pollution and few trees all contribute to an "urban heat island" effect, making cities typically 3–8 degrees warmer than rural areas.
7 min
July 06, 2020 Oil pollution: A 'hairy' situation
Exxon Valdez 1989, Deepwater Horizon 2010, Russian Arctic 2020 — these oil spills will forever be remembered as exceptional environmental disasters. Yet, each year, our waters suffer from oil-based pollution on a smaller scale. One hairdresser in the south of France is using one of the most overlooked, renewable, natural resources to change things: human hair. How can hair be used to help save our oceans?
6 min
June 22, 2020 With coronavirus found in water systems, is it safe to swim this summer?
With traces of the virus responsible for Covid-19 found in human sewage, scientists are studying whether there's a risk it will spread to beaches and rivers this summer. How does the virus evolve in a marine environment? We take a closer look in this episode of Down to Earth.
6 min
June 08, 2020 Masks: The new plastic epidemic
Designed to shield us from the health crisis, the number of masks and gloves discarded in public spaces are contributing to another epidemic: plastic pollution. France has just doubled fines for littering face masks from €68 to €135. This comes after disheartening underwater images of surgical masks and latex gloves on the Mediterranean seabed.
6 min
May 29, 2020 Covid-19: The race for self-sufficiency
For many people, Covid-19 has triggered a yearning for change: a slower pace, a lighter footprint and an existence more connected to nature. And now – perhaps the first time – a life more resilient to future shocks. This week Down to Earth explores why the coronavirus outbreak has prompted so many people to consider a change in their production and consumption habits.
6 min
May 18, 2020 Food waste: Turning trash into treasure
As people across the globe stay home amid the coronavirus pandemic, residential trash has increased dramatically. While on average households used to cook once or twice a day, many are now making at least three meals on a daily basis, generating along the way an abundant yet unexploited resource: food waste.
6 min