planet e.

The world is in a state of emergency. The Corona virus has everything in its grip. It originated in the Chinese province of Wuhan. From a market where, amongst other things, wild animals are sold, the Corona virus spread at breath-taking speed. But infectious diseases can have various causes. In many cases they are the result of pathogens being transmitted from animals to humans. Such diseases - like bird flu, Ebola or COVID-19 are known as zoonoses. But how do zoonoses originate?

On air March 29, 2020

Pandemic: The World of Viruses

SARS CoV-2 is literally taking the world’s breath away. Health systems are collapsing. We’re in the grip of a global crisis. And it won’t be the last. Only a vaccine against COVID-19, it’s hoped, can end the nightmare. The feverish search for a vaccine is underway.

On air May 03, 2020

Pandemic: Corona - The Feverish Search for a Vaccine

The fashion world is spinning faster and faster. One trend chases the next. More and more collections are launched onto the market. And more and more is bought. Then came Corona. Shutdown. The temples of fashion were closed. And the fashion world collapsed like no other industry. It is sitting on mountains of clothes.

On air June 14, 2020

Pandemic: How the Fashion Industry is Suffering

Over the last few years sea-level rise has been accelerating. And this is only the start of a development which will change our coastlines dramatically. What does the “worst case scenario” look like? How much time do we have left to find solutions? And how are we supposed to defend ourselves against the sea?

On air Oct. 04, 2020

Climate Change - The Threat from the Sea

There is something almost infernal about these foul-smelling fumes rising up from the bowels of the Earth. Burning coal seams leave their devastating traces over hundreds of square kilometres, destroying the environment and endangering people’s lives. Despite costly extinguishing operations. Excavators have removed entire mountains, but so far to no avail. Coal seam fires are regarded as one of the biggest ecological disasters to affect our planet.

On air July 12, 2020

Coal Seams on Fire - Climate Killer Coal

In July 2019, researchers at ETH Zurich University published sensational news. Their thesis: Trees can save our climate. We just have to plant enough of them. And we have to do it worldwide. According to the researchers, an area the size of the USA would have to be added to the existing forests. But the initial excitement quickly fades away and criticism is voiced.

On air Nov. 01, 2020

The Billion Tree Plan

On the Sleipner gas platform in the North Sea the Equinor oil concern is doing something quite extraordinary: it is pumping millions of tons of carbon dioxide under the seabed. The greenhouse gas which is causing the Earth so many problems is simply being bunkered. And there are plans to store even more CO2. The technology exists, but will this really take climate protection a step further? Or are we merely buying time?

On air April 5, 2020

A Safe Store for CO2

Global warming is changing our world with ever- increasing speed. But a new movement is putting up resistance - with money. In a certain way investors determine what happens in the world. Influential millionaires of the next generation plan to put the world of business and finance on a green footing.

On air March 15, 2020

Is Green Money Changing the World?

Furniture is a mass product. The major chain stores try to outdo one another with giveaway prices. Throw out, and replace. Who cares if bulky waste piles up by the roadside? As a result, vast amounts of wood are incinerated. The furniture industry’s demand for timber is huge. Above all, the furniture they sell has to be cheap.


On air Nov. 15, 2020

Fast Furniture – Deforestation for Furniture Madness

The rainforests of Ecuador. A treasure trove of biodiversity. However, the harmony is getting out of step. Companies are greedily drilling for oil in the rainforest more and more. A group of courageous women decided to fight back. With a small radio station they fight against the exploitation of their homeland. They raise their voices - for nature conservation and justice.

On air Aug. 2, 2020

Radio Women from the Rainforest

Insects are fascinating. We marvel at their shapes and colours. But their survival is threatened. Now, politicians, scientists, and even the chemical industry want to save them. But time is running out. We need to take action - not just carry out research into insect decline but find out what we can do to stop it.

On air March 01, 2020

The Insect Rescuers

With one million types of plant and animal endangered, species extinction is at its highest level since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. If we don’t act, by the end of this century more than half the forms of life on our planet will have been lost. Conservationists are treading new paths in the fight to save biodiversity. But to what extent should we interfere in natural processes? And how much money should be spent on preserving one single species?

On air Feb. 23, 2020

Preserving Biodiversity - No Matter What the Cost?

CrisprCas - The so-called gene scissors alter the genome of plants, animals and humans. Simpler, more precise and cheaper than ever before. But where are the risks?

On air Sept. 09, 2019

Playing With Genes

Is this the future of agriculture? Vegetables and lettuce heads stacked on several floors, artificially lit. Fully automatic breeding. Protected from drought, frost and storm. This is no future vision, but already reality in Japan.

On air Sep. 24, 2019

When Food Gets Scarce

Our power grids are targeted by hackers, the energy supply is in danger. Data warriors turn ones and zeros into weapons. It is a fight against invisible opponents from the digital world.

On air Jun. 16,2019

Blackout – Attacks on our Electricity Grid

The prices are low, the offer is huge. Up to 24 new collections are launched by the major fashion chains every year. The problem: Fast fashion causes mountains of clothes. The resistance against it is growing.

On air Sep. 29,2019

Fast Fashion – The Consequences of Fashion Madness

Super-fast, powerful, fail-safe - the new 5G generation of mobile phones is regarded as a network of superlatives: data transfer with ultra-short loading times. Industry is driving the wireless future: smart fields, the Internet of Things, self-propelled cars… Soon it will all be possible with 5G. But antennae density increases for 5G. Scientists warn of the consequences.

On air Jul. 28, 2019

5G – Caught Between Data Speed and Fear of Radiation

A new food trend conquers Germany: Fresh, hip and very trendy - Superfood. Quinoa, goji berries, chia seeds… Superfoods are supposed to contain a lot of nutrients. But what does the hype about superfood mean for the people in the countries of origin? Does the ever-increasing demand even destroy entire ecosystems?

On air Jul. 07, 2019

Superfood - The Hype for Healthy Food

Insect mortality. Since the dramatic results of a trial, a change is happening. Referendums, a great deal of media attention and new research. When it comes to researching the causes, the focus is increasingly on agriculture. But there are not enough reliable figures yet. Research is underway. Without insects, the colapse of ecosystems is imminent.

On air May 5, 2019

A World Without Insects?

Europe's agriculture: A disaster for the environment in many places. The landscape, climate and biodiversity suffer. But the EU continues to pump huge sums of money into an obviously ill system. While an environmentally friendly agricultural policy is not in sight. Why?

On air May 19, 2019

Money by the Hectare - Europe's Billions for Agriculture

Is this the future of mobility? Air taxis and manned drones are no longer utopias. Or could cable cars be the solution? Like here in Bolivia. It's the same picture all over the world: congested inner cities, permanent noise, polluted air. The fight against mega-congestion has begun worldwide.

On air Mar.10, 2019

Cable Car and Air Taxi - How to Stop our Traffic from Collapsing

Our industry consumes an enormous amount of energy, coming from oil, gas and coal. But more and more industry bosses are demanding to finally take energy revolution seriously now. But when it comes to expansion of solar, wind and water power, other countries have long since overtaken the former model pupil Germany. Only if energy transition succeeds, can prosperity be secured and new technologies bring new jobs.

On air Nov. 3, 2019

Energy Revolution 2.0 - Climate Protection of the Companies

Happy animals, healthy vegetables, fair prices and sustainable agriculture. That’s the vision of the organic movement. The reality today: Organic is booming. Discounters are tempting with bargain prices, which has consequences.

On air Oct. 20, 2019

All Organic, all is Well? The Disastrous Consequences of the Organic Boom

The German Bayer group is under pressure. The price of shares is at rock bottom. The controversial issue: pesticides. With fatal side effects.They have been on the market for decades. An early suspicion: Bayer's pesticides do not only poison bees. But there is an environmentally friendly alternative: threadworms. Just as effective, but without side effects.

On air Oct. 27, 2019

Organic Protection Instead of Field Poison - How Worms Save our Crops

As if out of nowhere, objects are created. A machine can build them layer by layer. Made of plastics or metals. Building plans from the computer become immediate reality. From digital design to the finished product, the path has never been so short. Three-dimensional printing processes make new designs feasible. Their production requires less material, labour and energy.

On air Feb. 24, 2019

3D - I Will Print my World

People from all over the world are threatened by the changing climate. The affected people do not know each other, yet some of them take an unusual step together: ten families and a youth organisation are suing the European Parliament.

On air Sep. 22, 201

Lawsuit for Climate Protection

They are pioneers. They experiment and research in their hunt for sustainable raw materials that can be used reliably in industry.

On air May 6, 2018

The Raw Materials Pioneers

The Internet: smart and ever-present. Huge volumes of data are moved. Huge, too, is the Internet’s hunger for energy.

On air September 23, 2018

The Internet’s Hunger for Energy

Cigarettes harm and kill - and not only human beings. They also destroy the environment. In filters especially, toxic dangers lurk.

On air August 26, 2018

How Cigarette Butts Poison the Environment

Donald Trump and the environment. Economy versus nature. Where is America heading?

On air October 28, 2018

America first - Nature last

The demand for vanilla has risen dramatically in recent years, as have prices. In order to get the best brown pods, traders go difficult ways.

On air November 25, 2018

Vanilla - The Hunt for the Brown Gold

Infrasound occurs where large masses are in motion. This happens in nature - with avalanches and earthquakes, for instance. But infrasound also arises through technology and industry. It’s caused by large machines and blasting. Even wind turbines generate infrasound - whenever their blades rotate.In a densely populated country like Germany, where wind farms border on residential areas, many people are robbed of their sleep or even get sick

On air November 04, 2018

Infrasound

Our Earth is changing. The Arctic is melting. Vast areas of permafrost are disappearing. Habitats for animals and plants are being lost.Coastal cities threaten to sink into the ocean. Hurricanes are getting stronger, causing ever more damage. 70-year-old Angaangaq, shaman and elder of the Greenland Eskimos, has dedicated his life to rousing humanity from its slumber.

On air Nov. 05, 2017

The climate at tipping point

Our climate is tipping. And unbalancing many things: The sea and its inhabitants. Peace and security. And the global economy. A young climate activist from Colorado is setting off to alert people around the world.

On air Nov. 12, 2017

The climate at tipping point

Ethiopia in Africa has a rich variety of animal life.Some twelve million people are dependent on the rivers that rise in the Bale Mountains. If they are not to dry up, the National Park must be saved. But how?

On air November 04, 2018

The Value of Biodiversity - Ethiopia

Peru in South America: a country with an abundance of natural treasures. Located in an isolated part of south-eastern Peru is the Manú National Park. But even this largely inaccessible region is threatened.

On air November 11, 2018

The Value of Biodiversity - Peru

Every year, more than 2 million animals are used for experiments in Germany alone, including many monkeys. Nationwide, opponents draw attention to animal suffering in the laboratories. They demand an unconditional stop. Science is in a dilemma. But are there really no alternatives for animal testing?

On air April 29, 2018

Animal Testing on Trial

Penniless and without a chance. There's misery in Africa. 50 years of development policy didn't alleviate poverty. A German-African start-up wants to do the impossible now, with a revolutionary business idea.

On air April 1st, 2018

The Solar Power Makers

The small Indian state of Sikkim dares to do a unique experiment: agriculture without pesticides or artificial fertilizers. 100 percent organic. In Germany, on the other hand, organic farming doesn't gain momentum. Why is that? Could Sikkim be a role model for us?

On air October 14, 2018

The Eco-Rebels of the Himalays

In recent years, especially in the Mont Blanc area and others under surveillance, we have seen a significant increase in rockfalls at certain altitudes. Boulders on the highway, destroyed houses. The experts are very concerned. Because the climate is changing. Is the living environment in the Alps in danger?

On air August 19, 2018

Rockfall in the Mountains

Meat that does not come from animals that have to die for it - that's the vision of scientists working on cultured meat. Can this idea help to replace industrial livestock farming with all its negative impact for the planet?

On air January 21, 2018

Steaks from the incubator

They’re beautiful and there are many of them. They’re dangerous. Not least to humans. They spread fear on beaches around the world. Are their numbers in the world’s oceans increasing?

On air June 11, 2017

The Jellyfish Invasion

Pythons: both threatening and fascinating. Their leather is extremely sought-after. As a luxury product in the world of fashion. Behind the scenes: an industry that is almost uncontrollable. Opaque business deals to the detriment of the environment. Could a genetic fingerprint protect these snakes?

On air May 21, 2017

Snakeskins for Luxury Goods: The Python Code

Germany is a country of bombs. Every day new ordnance with deadly poison gas is discovered. More than five thousand bombs from the Second World War are recovered and dismantled in an elaborate process every year. In addition to that there are hundreds of thousands of poison-gas shells that were sunk off the German coast.

On air April 30, 2017

Unexploded Ordnance

Access to clean water and sanitation is a human right, according to the United Nations. Empty words for the people living in the slums of Dar Es Salaam. They have neither. It’s a vicious circle of poverty and disease.

On air March 19, 2017

Living with Waste Water

Untouched and wild. River landscapes – in many places they’re things of the past, but not in the Balkans. But nowadays these last habitats are endangered. Hydropower stations are threatening to destroy this natural treasure. More and more people are offering resistance.

On air September 25, 2016

Hydropower Madness

Our water. Quite naturally a mix, containing lots of different substances. One of them is arsenic. It’s a life-threatening element and it can be found in German groundwater too. Scientists from Germany have decided to investigate this toxin.

On air October 02, 2016

Arsenic – The Creeping Killer

The Beznau Nuclear Power Station in Switzerland. The oldest nuclear power station in the world. Problems have become an everyday occurrence. Tihange in Belgium. Despite its major problems, this nuclear power station is still allowed to continue running. Europe’s largest nuclear power station: Zaporizhia in Ukraine. There’s fighting nearby, with dangerous weapons. Three examples that show: The continued use of nuclear power is a constant worry.

On air April 24, 2016

The nuclear threat – Europe’s accident-prone reactors

The king of the beasts is going through a difficult time. His kingdom is shrinking. There have never been so few lions as there are today. Now scientists are going down new avenues to protect the last lions together with the Maasai.

On air January 31, 2016

The silent death of the lions

Up until the middle of the 19th century our forests were home to the lynx. But the big cat was hunted and virtually wiped out. Now the lynx is going to be re-introduced into the Palatinate Forest.

On air August 14, 2016

On silent paws - the return of the lynx

Storms, floods, drought - climate change has many faces. What few people realize, however, is that the effects of climate change long since reached our supermarkets, too - because many foodstuffs come from far-off countries where drought and freak weather destroy entire harvests.

On air November 06, 2016

Climate Change in the Supermarket

On air on Sundays, 4:30  pm with various repeats on further public channels
Regular duration: 28’30”