Biodiversity blooms in cities when green spaces go wild

From Dublin to Dessau, cities are leaving once manicured green spaces to rewild with native flowers and grasses that attract more diverse insects, birds and wildlife. Such a paradigm shift will take time, however. What would happen if we stopped curating green spaces in cities, if we locked away the ... Read full article »

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Record heat wave in Siberia has far-flung consequences

Oil spills, intense heat waves, smoldering wildfires and thawing permafrost: Siberia is experiencing the destructive effects of climate change. And scientists say if action isn't taken soon, it's only going to get worse. In late May, a massive fuel spill flooded waterways and a freshwater lake near the ... Read full article »

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Nigeria's Bayo Akomolafe: We aren't 'in control' of climate crisis

DW talked to Nigerian philosopher Bayo Akomolafe about climate, coronavirus, the problems with Western thinking on nature and why looking for solutions might be precisely the problem. When Bayo Akomolafe was growing up in Lagos in the 1980s, his teachers would beat pupils for speaking their own language, ... Read full article »

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Italy's melting glaciers face new threat: Pink ice

Glacier scientists are investigating the appearance of pink ice at Italy's Presena Glacier, an Alpine region known for skiing and outdoor sports. Research suggests the algae could contribute to increased glacial melt. Striking photos and videos have been making the rounds on social media in recent days, ... Read full article »

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How sustainable are 'eco' brand high street fashions?

There's a new trend among popular fashion brands: "eco friendly" collections. Organic cotton is everywhere this summer, but is the label just a marketing strategy? This summer's high street fashions have more in common than styles and colors. From the pink puff-sleeved dream going for just €19.99 ... Read full article »

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Coronavirus and climate change: Collective action is the only way forward

When faced with a crisis, coming together is the one vehicle of change humans have when it comes to fighting for their future, says social psychologist Stephen Reicher. Human beings all over the world agreed to strict limitations to their rights when governments made the decision to enter lockdown during ... Read full article »

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Europe's raptors and fish hit by poaching under lockdown

COVID-19 lockdowns have seen a spike in poaching of Europe's protected wildlife, with birds of prey and the critically endangered sturgeon at particular risk. Falco and Carlo get excited when they find what they're after. It might be a rotting eagle corpse, a chunk of poisoned meat, or eggs smeared ... Read full article »

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Panama: Fairer chocolate from the forest

Cocoa farmers in Panama are prone to poor working conditions and low pay. Meivis Ortiz is trying to improve their lot through an agroforestry project that pays women farmers a fair price. Meivis Ortiz knows just about all there is to know about chocolate and its natural origins. She studied agroforestry ... Read full article »

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Five ways mega-dams harm the environment

As the conflict over a new dam on the Nile River heats up, DW examines the ways such mega-dams hurt the environment, and looks at a few alternatives. Dams are often touted as environmentally friendly. Although they do represent a renewable source of energy, a closer look reveals that they are far from ... Read full article »

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'Humans are not prepared to protect nature'

Why do we find it so hard to change our behavior? German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk explains how this is connected to the climate crisis. Peter Sloterdijk describes change as the modern name for something that classical philosophy called becoming, because everything that is, is not given in stable, ... Read full article »

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