Living Planet | Deutsche Welle

Today on the show, we're taking a look at our plastic world — from the oceans, to its place in our homes, to its original source. What can we do now about our plastic problems and what do we still need to figure out?

This week we hear stories about different species in the animal kingdom: nutria, pangolins, the golden lancehead pit viper. According to the United Nations, one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction, many within the coming decades. But as famed primatologist and conservation advocate Jane Goodall explains, animals aren't so different from us humans.

The purity of global water supplies faces numerous threats. To mark World Water Day, we hear about pressures on a freshwater lagoon in Spain, pharmaceutical contamination spawning something sinister in India, how the Rhine River in Germany cured its contamination problem, and how climate change endangers the Rio Grande in the southwestern United States.

As governments strive to wean themselves off fossil fuels, we visit Sweden to find out why wood could be key for a net-zero carbon future. We'll also head to Brazil, where activists are replanting trees obliterated by last year's catastrophic fires. Plus, Rob Greenfield, a self-proclaimed "dude making a difference," tells us how he started foraging for food to live a more sustainable existence.

Plastic — it’s forever, quite literally, as it only breaks down into ever-smaller pieces. Worldwide, communities are seeking solutions to this persistent problem. Rome is rolling out an inventive idea for how to manage used plastic bottles in its subways. A Rwandan DW journalist talks about how Africa's plastic bag bans are faring. Plus, single-use plastic in the medical sector — what can be done?