Living Planet

Why the survival of the Mexican axolotl matters for keeping Mexico City's temperature down. The special carbon-capturing capacities of clams. And a new, all-natural woolly lawnmower taking off in France.

We hear about how used cars from wealthy countries are getting a second life in Ghana. And we talk to a transport sustainability researcher about why that kind of upcycling isn't as good for the environment as it might seem, as well as what reform could look like. And we visit Norway, where we meet those for and against the idea to mine its deep sea for critical minerals.

As fires are burning in Canada in what's been called an unprecedented wildfire season, with smoke drifting over to the United States and even across the Atlantic Ocean over to European countries, we talk fires and drought on the show. How should we deal with wildfires? What can we do to prevent the worst? And do controlled fires have a place when it comes to prevention?

How do sperm whales express their cultural differences? And what kind of music would birds and the wind make if you gave them the chance? In today's episode, we listen to some curious soundscapes, as well as hear from the climate scientists in Maryland trying to figure out what the future will look like if we change one of Earth's hardest working carbon sinks: saltwater marshes.

Environmental journalist & author Bill McKibben helps us understand the link between power, Russia's war in Ukraine and the climate crisis. We then head to Columbia to hear from people on the ground suffering the consequences of Germany's reignited coal deal. And, from Lithuania, we ponder how climate change is altering the way we understand seasons. This episode originally aired in June 2022.

We talk to renowned Indian author Amitav Ghosh about the origins of the climate crisis, the story of one very important spice, and why he prefers the term "planetary crisis" to the climate crisis.

This week we're sharing an episode of Drilled, a true-crime climate podcast we love that describes itself as Law & Order meets the climate crisis. This is episode one from their new season that follows the story of a Guyanese reporter as she tries to find out what kind of deal was struck between ExxonMobil and the Guyanese government after they discovered oil reserves off the country's coast.

We hear from people in Puchuncaví, Chile, who want to reclaim their region from industrial exploitation. And we talk to author and expert Saleem Ali about how to reduce the harm of mining and refining the minerals critical to harnessing renewable energy and powering electric vehicles.

Climate journalist Stella Levantesi, climate communication researcher John Cook and Wikimedia strategist Alex Stinson join Sam Baker for an engaging round-table discussion on how factually inaccurate and misleading information about the environment travels around the web - and what to do about it. This episode was originally broadcast in April 2022.

We hear why Kenyan farmers are rejecting genetically modified seeds, meet the biodiversity guardians protecting peace in the rainforest region of Caquetá, Colombia, and find out how Ghana's coastline is at severe risk of being swallowed by the sea.