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Face of a miner in the darkness, deep down in a coal mine (Getty Images/S. Gallup)

A fair deal for Polish coal miners

Poland needs to phase out coal for the climate and the economy, while protecting miners' livelihoods, say activists.  

Web videos
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02:03 mins.

Environmental friendly houses – new home in Moldavia

A German NGO is helping Moldova to increase energy efficiency, one home at a time.  

More videos

Environmental friendly houses – new home in Moldavia

Indien Nomaden mit Kamelen (DW/Cornelia Borrmann)

Saving Rajasthan's Camels

DW Global Ideas | Energy from the Heavens (DW)

Philippines: Energy from the Heavens

The Seaweed Invasion

The Mosquito Factory

Treating trash in the Dominican Republic

Über hunderttausend geteilte Fahrräder stapelten sich in Xiamen (Getty Images/W.Dongming)

The dark side of China's bike-sharing boom

Saving medicinal plants in South Africa

Green Technology
Different components of a Shiftphone

Smartphones: Live longer, be greener

The short lifespan of smartphones causes massive environmental problems. Can more modular designs offer a solution?  

Environmental issues in images
  • A river flanked by grass, with a collection of white houses in the distance

    Tangier, a sinking island

    Slightly elevated strips

    The remaining habitable parts of the island are narrow elevated strips surrounded by marshes and connected to each other by several bridges.

  • A small patch of land with trees and three houses, one of them on stilts, is seen from across the water

    Tangier, a sinking island

    Flat as a pancake

    Even from a distance, it is easy to see the vulnerability of Tangier and the buildings on it. At its highest point, the island is just 1.2 meters (4 feet) above the water.

  • Two hands holding several crabs

    Tangier, a sinking island

    Blue gold

    Blue crabs are one of the reasons that people have been living on this remote island for centuries. Many locals harvest them in Chesapeake Bay.

  • Marsh grass soaked with water, white houses in the background

    Tangier, a sinking island

    Not a lot to live on

    After a massive loss of land over the past century, there are only about 3 square kilometers (1.1 square miles) of Tangier Island left. Much of that is uninhabitable marshland.

  • A drain on the road surrounded by water

    Tangier, a sinking island

    Nowhere to run

    Since much of the island is so low lying, it is not uncommon for water to push up through the sewers at high tide. There is nowhere else for it to go.

  • Tombstones and concrete graves that protrude above the ground.

    Tangier, a sinking island

    Bury them high

    The unusual geography of Tangier has also affected treatment of the dead. Far from being buried "six feet under," those interred on Tangier are laid to rest above ground.

  • A wooden jetty seen from a boat

    Tangier, a sinking island

    Unique culture, far removed

    Tangier has become increasingly popular with tourists. Some come because they want to experience the local culture, others want to see the rapidly disappearing island before it's too late.

    Author: Harald Franzen, Sandy Hausman


Climate change hits the Bavarian Alps

In prison for a pebble

Inside an attempt to live without plastic packaging

Conservation
People walking on the beach beside piles of brown seaweed

Combatting a seaweed assault in the Caribbean

Could a protective barrier fight back the foul-smelling seaweed overwhelming the picturesque Caribbean?  

Animated explainers
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02:19 mins.

Is 'superfood' really all that super?

Superfoods are supposed to make us happier and healthier. But what are the consequences for people and the planet?  

More videos

Superfood DW (DW)

Is 'superfood' really all that super?

Is climate change making us ill?

Global 3000 - Infofilm Stadt (DW)

Video explainer: Green cities, better climate

Jaenschwalde Braunkohlekraftwerk Symbolbild CO2 (dapd/O. Lang)

Can CO2 be stored?

Why do oceans turn acidic?

How climate-damaging is a climate summit?

Was ist Wald? ( DW)

What is a forest and what is it for?

How to tighten up your home

Human impact
Tourists on Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze

Climate change alters the Bavarian Alps

Disappearing glaciers, less snow and more landslides — Germany's Alps are already contending with climate change.  

Plastic pollution
A plastic bag floating in water

Taking on plastic pollution with molecular recycling

Two young entrepreneurs are trying a new kind of recycling that could help deal with plastic waste.  

Learning packs
Global Ideas Lernpaket Logo

Global Ideas

In Focus Learning with Global Ideas

Are you looking for engaging ways to explain complex environmental issues to high school children? Global Ideas learning packs are full of ideas and guidance.  

Interactive specials
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Biodiversity
Workers cultivating medicinal plants in South Africa

A life-saving prescription for plants

Medicinal plants are big business in South Africa. Can conservationists find the right remedy to protect them?  

My favorite
Watch video 01:56
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01:56 mins.

The steppe

Like the ocean, the steppe seems endless and sometimes empty. But it's surprisingly full of life.  

More videos

Kasachische Steppe (DW)

The steppe

Afrika Pinguin Brillenpinguin (picture-alliance/dpa/M. Woike)

My favorite: The African penguin

My favorite: The polo pony

Flamingo Deutschland Bayern Chiemsee (Imago)

My favorite: The flamingo

globalideas Teaser – Saiga1_ohne Logo (Axel Warnstedt)

My favorite: The saiga antelope

My favorite: The howler monkey

25.05.2016 DW GLO Favorit Didos (DW)

My favorite: The didos

My favorite: The potato

Special: Into the forest
Photo: Lush green forest (Source: DW/T. Walker)

Learning to love the forest

When you live in Germany, you may as well cultivate a love of the forest.  

Global Ideas explainer

At Global Ideas, we focus on "best practice" climate and biodiversity protection projects that offer solutions and inspire others to take action. Each week, an international team of television and online reporters produce films and features that offer an insight into how developing and emerging countries are dealing with the impacts of climate change. Global Ideas is supported by the German environment ministry within the framework of its International Climate Initiative. 

Twitter (Reuters/B. McDermid)

Global Ideas @ Twitter

 

Facebook Symbol (picture alliance/AP Photo/M. Rourke)

Global Ideas @ Facebook

 

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