Living Planet

As young people all over the world take to the streets to demand climate action and the United Nations Secretary General hosts a special climate summit in New York, the UN Environment Programme's Executive Director, Inger Andersen tells us people power is proving pivotal. And we look at new ways of getting the climate message across.

The dilemma of our times — our fast-moving, convenient lifestyles are polluting the planet and heating up the climate. Could a plastic-free supermarket — or a recycling app help solve some of our problems? Author Edward Davey says there is hope and suggests "Ten Ways to Change the World" in his book "Given Half a Chance."

This week on Living Planet, we tackle stories of environmental change. Fires are burning throughout the Amazon, but what does this mean for the world's largest tropical rainforest? We also see how gardeners in Spain are adapting to a changing climate and explore what climate insurance looks like in Uganda.

DW's Neil King, Gabriel Borrud and Vanessa Fischer drop by the studio to talk about the new DW podcast On the Green Fence. They discuss how making this 5-part series that explores issues like climate change, water pollution, biodiversity loss and food sustainability has affected their outlooks on the world. And we hear what chaos ensued when Neil and Gabe shared a tent with a few mosquitoes.

From Scotland to South Africa, the Himalayas to Hawaii, this week we feature stories from around the world about how we deal with all the stuff we create, and discard. We're taking a look at waste's big problems and some of the inventive and pragmatic solutions to deal with it.

From natural sounds to artificial ones and even something in-between — this week's show is all about the indelible link between sound and the environment. We hear how plastic waste can be used to make a new kind of noise, and how kids in Colombia are learning to record animal sounds for conservation. And we meet a Polish composer who has created a unique soundwalk through Berlin's botanic gardens.

This week on Living Planet, we take a look at forests and how we use land. What benefits do trees provide? What happens when we lose them in places like the Amazon? And how do we make sure we have enough forested land? Also, a landmark report from the IPCC warns that we have to change the ways in which we use land if we are to mitigate climate change and achieve global food security.

We look at some unusual ideas surrounding the protection of the environment. From using donkey dung to help save an endangered bat to brewing beer from an old loaf of bread, we profile some of the strange and innovative ways people are saving the planet.

In the aftermath of natural disasters, decades of political crisis and facing an increasingly unpredictable climate, farmers in Haiti are turning to ecological farming methods to hold onto their livelihoods. Some see it as the only way to feed their families and continue farming in the face of climate change.

Summer is a time of sun, sea, and sand. But sand isn't just the stuff of beach holidays — we hear how it's being used in East Africa and with what impact. We also pay a visit to a town in Italy that is inundated by cruise ships, and we join a scientific expedition studying warming temperatures in the deep ocean.