Living Planet

Climate scientists agree that the Arctic is ground zero for climate change. In the past, international teams of climate scientists have studied the sea ice here, but since the war in Ukraine, collaboration with Russia has been off-limits for Western researchers. The icebreaker and cruise ship, the Commandant Charcot, invited some of them on its maiden voyage to the North Pole.

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 if tidal marshes will continue to be carbon sinks, or if rising sea levels will turn them into dangerous carbon emitters.

Glaciers may only exist in certain cold corners of the world, but just like tropical rainforests, peatlands, wetlands and oceans, they support life on Earth hundreds of thousands of kilometers away; regulating ocean temperature, freshwater supply and our climate. In this episode we hear why ice is so integral to the planet as a functioning ecosystem, and some radical ideas to stop it from melting.

Can't sleep? You're not alone. A recent report highlights how much sleep we'll lose each year as temperatures continue to rise. Climate change is also drying up water supplies — from North America to East Africa to Europe. We travel the Rhine in Germany where low water levels are killing fish and halting trade. And in Mexico, residents rely on water deliveries due to drought and mismanagement.

This week on Living Planet, we explore a topic that's perfectly natural and something we do every day. Whether you use a squat toilet, a pit latrine or a water closet, humans need to go. But the ways we do so are often not very efficient, useful or good for the environment. So we're taking a look at the history of human excrement and some creative solutions to dispose of and repurpose our waste.

As the climate heats up, we hear about the dry future predicted for one of Scotland's best known exports. We travel to East Africa, where Somalians — desperate for climate aid — are taking the salt out of seawater to solve worrisome water shortages. We also ask how — indeed, if — clean Bitcoin could fix the currency's carbon footprint, and learn how to zap the methane out of cow dung.

We hear how the once decimated rocky reefs off the coast of Scotland have been replenished, travel to East Africa where farmers are cashing in on the Global North's avocado obsession without destroying the environment, and a professional frog nerd takes us through the bizarre and bountiful world of frog sounds.

Where do nature and art meet? From the vast majesty of the Antarctic to the neat symmetry of a beehive, environmentally-minded artists find inspiration in the sounds of the natural world. And from the Gambia to Namibia, outreach programs show the importance of citizens and scientists working together to conserve some of Africa's most iconic plants and animals.

We travel to the Brazilian Amazon, where the forest is disappearing at an alarming rate and the trees' last line of defense are the Indigenous communities that have lived among them for millennia. We also visit Ghana, where high oil and gas prices have led to a worrisome revival of cooking with charcoal and firewood. And experts from Scotland share secrets learned from their reforestation efforts.

Every Thursday, a new episode of Living Planet brings you environment stories from around the world. The prize-winning, weekly half-hour radio show and podcast is produced by Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster.