Episode 1: Towards a green economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic

As Latin American faces rebuilding their economies from the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic, the calls for economies to transition to green are louder than ever. Argentina is one country where the green movement is gradually gaining momentum. Learn more. 

 

 

Episode 2: Educators work to improve climate change literacy

Teachers in the U.S. say making students “climate literate” is essential for a generation that will face the effects of climate change in years to come. However, the politicization of the climate debate threatens to hold back the country’s efforts to fight global warming.

 

 

Episode 3: Explained: The history and meaning of Earth Day

Thursday marks Earth Day, an annual event aimed at highlighting efforts to protect our planet.

Since its inception more than half a century ago, the pressures on the environment have become more severe – as has the need to save it.

CGTN’s Gerald Tan reports.

 

 

Episode 4: Colombia’s government struggles to fight environmental destruction

Colombian legislators are working to pass a bill that will help fine those responsible for damaging the environment. But experts say much more is needed to help right environmental wrongs.

CGTN’s Michelle Begue reports.

 

 

Episode 5: Cuba pushes ongoing environment-friendly initiatives

Cuba is marking Earth Day with ongoing environment-friendly initiatives which favor healthy interaction between man and Mother Nature.

CGTN’s Luis Chirino reports.

 

 

Episode 6: Pinheiros River cleanup

For decades the people of São Paulo – Brazil’s biggest city – have been hearing about project​s to clean up the ​long-polluted Pinheiros River. But ​today, they’re finally ​seeing some signs of progress.  Environmentalists however warn that much more still needs to be done to restore health to the Pinheiros.  Our correspondent Paulo Cabral has this report.

 

 

Episode 7:  Sean Callebs lessons learned, climate change in Louisiana

Louisiana is at the epicenter of what could be landmark improvements, and a significant improvement in the effort to restore its marshes along the coast. A 50-billion dollar plan. The state run program would divert a significant portion of the Mississippi River, so sediment rich water is once again funneled into wetlands that are being destroyed. As the world focuses on climate change, CGTN’s Sean Callebs takes a look at how Louisiana got to this point and what change could mean.

 

 

Episode 8:  Most vulnerable groups bear the brunt in New Orleans

Around the world, when it comes to climate change, the elderly and the poor ​arguably suffer more than ​most other group​s. This is especially true in the U.S. Gulf Coast state of Louisiana. Nearly 16-years ago, Hurricane Katrina made landfall, ​ultimately claiming more than 1,800 lives. But right now in Louisiana, days are getting hotter, and storms more brutal and the highly vulnerable demographic is growing more and more concerned as weather patterns get more unpredictable.

 

 

Episode 9: Louisiana’s seafood industry depends on a healthy coastline

Louisiana, perhaps the U.S. state suffering most from climate change, has an ambitious 50-billion-dollar plan, to slow the destruction of its coastal wetlands. But this widely heralded effort would come at a cost.

Thousands of fishermen, oystermen, shrimpers, and those who harvest crab could be put out of business. It’s a multi-billion dollar dilemma as CGTN’s Sean Callebs explains.

 

 

Episode 10: Mexico brings the handmade touch to high-tech cars

Attitudes towards the environment are ​ever-changing, as people seek greener solutions to preserve the planet. And ​one measure of that is the growing popularity of electric cars. 

In Mexico, one ​innovative car company is seeking to tackle not only the country’s environmental problems, but important social issues at the same time. CGTN’s Alasdair Baverstock reports.

Episode 11: Louisiana aiming to fix wetlands with ‘river divergence’

Louisiana is gaining international attention for a costly plan that would slow the massive destruction of its coastal wetlands.

It is a 50-billion-dollar measure, that would be phased in over the next half century.

The cornerstone of the Coastal Restoration plan would divert a large chunk of the mighty Mississippi River into the bayous– the hope is, the river would breathe new life into the marshes by depositing sediment.

It’s considered the first real battle against climate change for the U.S. this century. But, there is a drawback. CGTN’s Sean Callebs explains what’s at stake.

Episode 14:The environmental costs of consumer products

A podcast by environmental non-profit Fair World Project, For a Better World, is examining the environmental and social cost of common consumer products and goods.

The first season focuses on Nestle’s KitKat bars and investigates the company’s decision to abandon fair trade certification for the UK version of the candy, taking a look at who is being affected by this practice.

Anna Canning, the Campaigns Manager for Fair World Project, talks more about the podcast and what consumers should know about the environmental and social impact their favorite consumer products have.

 

Cutting back on what you eat can cut back your carbon footprint

Sweta Chakraborty, President of U.S. Operations for climate advocacy group We Don’t Have Time and as well as a Risk and Behavioral Scientist, discusses how the food we choose and the places we buy it from have a major impact on the environment and climate and how average people can improve their diets to make it more friendly to the planet.

Episode 15: Bicycle advocates pushing California to promote more e-bikes

The U.S. state of California is making huge investments to boost electric cars, but electric bike advocates are asking if e-bikes can also be prioritized.

A recent study has shown that e-bike use can have a significant effect on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

And now a coalition of climate and bicycle advocates are pushing for a state law that would put $10 million into the wider adoption of electric bikes.

CGTN’s Ediz Tiyansan reports.

Episode 16: PPE pollution on the rise, endangering wildlife and environment

Two new studies are warning people about the dangers that PPE waste is having on wildlife and the environment. See how.

Episode 17: Fighting pollution in China

See how China won its battle against air pollution.

See how #China won its battle against air #pollution. #environment #climatechange pic.twitter.com/BnhYLb6VxZ

— Pandaorama (@PandaoramaLink) March 12, 2021

Episode 18: Heat is leading weather-related killer in U.S.
Florida is a clear flashpoint of the climate change crisis in North America.

Sea levels are rising, beaches are disappearing, Atlantic Hurricanes are getting stronger.

But, until recently, little attention has been paid to a more direct and lethal threat to humans: Heat.

Episode 19: California’s governor plans state ban on fracking by 2024
The state of California has never been shy about taking on environmental challenges.

In an effort to phase out fossil fuels, Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced California would ban fracking by 2024 — a drilling process that involves injecting toxic chemicals into the ground.

Labor unions are now worried that the move could leave thousands of people without jobs, while environmental groups see it as only a small step in the right direction.

Episode 20: Keeping oceans clean

Did you know an estimated 12.7 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean from land each year? World Oceans Day falls on Tuesday, June 8, and we are looking at efforts across the globe that promote action and awareness for protecting our waters. CGTN’s Mark Niu took a look at how one initiative called the Clean Current Coalition is using technology to take on plastic waste.

Episode 21: What happens to all the plastic in the oceans?

This week tons of nurdles, white plastic pellets about the size of a grain of rice, cover the beaches of Sri Lanka after leaking into the sea from a sinking tanker. What happens to all the plastic that enters the world’s ocean systems?

Episode 22: Archipelago off the coast of Brazil named “Hope Spot” by Mission Blue

Brazil is considered to be the most biologically diverse country in the world, and while the COVID-19 outbreak continues to hit the country hard, Rio de Janeiro has something to celebrate.

A small archipelago on the city’s coast has been declared a “Hope Spot” by the international conservation nonprofit Mission Blue.

CGTN’s Lucrecia Franco reports.

Episode 23: Conservationists warn of the growing dangers of plastics to rivers

Conservation groups are holding various events around the world to remind people of how vital it is to take care of our oceans.

One new initiative has pulled together resources to focus on a key source – rivers.

Episode 24: Project Earth: The hazards of e-waste and how to reduce it

E-waste is quickly becoming a more devastating problem for the environment around the world.

Episode 25: Project Earth: Rio opens Brazil’s first “recycling park”

Brazil only recycles about 1% of its garbage. Most of that recycling is done by waste pickers. A cooperative created the city’s first recycling park, to help the jobless amid the COVID-19 pandemic. CGTN’s Lucrecia Franco reports.

Episode 26: How the financial institutions impact climate change

Have you thought about how your banking habits could impact climate change? Take a look at recent data that shows the links of lending from some of the world’s biggest banks and oil companies and how it is contributing to the climate crisis.

Episode 27: Saving Mexico’s ancient canal gardens: Xochimilco

Mexico’s ancient canal gardens, Xochimilco, once belonged to the powerful Aztec empire. 

Fast-forward 500 years, nature resides, along with trash.

As Taliban solidify power, climate change worsens Afghanistan’s crises

The climate change crisis has had a complicated impact in Afghanistan – it is currently exacerbating an ongoing food insecurity crisis for millions of Afghans, but it also allowed the Taliban to gain a foothold in rural parts of the country. See how.

Amazon rainforest losing 200K acres daily

A staggering 1 million sq kilometers of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed over the last three decades – about 200,000 acres a year. Here’s what that means for the environment, the people that live there, and the global climate crisis.

Millions face increased threat from climate change and poverty CMS

132 million people are at threat of falling into extreme poverty due to the impact of climate change and environmental disasters. And there’s more the impoverished are facing because of global warming. Here are some of the biggest threats millions around the world face.

Environmentalists concerned about carbon footprint of NFTs

They’re one of the biggest trends in crypto technology, but despite its popularity, “non-fungible tokens” have been linked with high greenhouse gas emissions. Are the popular online files a danger to the environment or are they not that big of a threat to the climate crisis? We take a look.

Hurricane Sandy: 10 years on

It’s ​been nearly 10 years since Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast of the United States.

Since then, billions of dollars have been spent rebuilding and adding flood defenses along vast stretches of waterfront.

But local communities say they will not know how well they work until they are hit by the next big storm.

 

California’s Joshua trees struggle to survive extreme weather conditions

Some may be surprised to learn that the iconic Joshua trees of America’s Mojave desert are not actually trees at all, but succulents, part of the yucca family. ​​

Their dominance of the desert landscape won them naming status for California’s Joshua Tree National Park.

But that dominance is increasingly in question, under threat on multiple fronts ​and prompting California to consider special protections for the species. 

CGTN’s Ediz Tiyansan reports.

 

Climate change affects whale migration patterns in the U.S.

Whale watching is a popular tourist activity in many parts of the world, especially on the Northern California coast.

But due to climate change, experts are noticing some peculiar changes in whale migration patterns and even in the way they look.

CGTN’s Mark Niu reports.

 

UN warns of global water crisis

March 22 marks World Water Day, highlighting the importance of fresh water resources and sustainable management. According to a new report released by the United Nations on the eve of its Water Conference, a global water crisis is imminent. Jody Jacobs reports from UN headquarters in New York.

 

Colorado River drought crisis

It’s been a rainy and snowy first few months of the year for parts of the U.S. West, and that’s putting it mildly.

But that doesn’t obscure the fact that the region remains in a severe drought, one that’s seen the Colorado River, which provides water to 40 million people, slowly begin to dry up.

The U.S. government has ordered seven states which rely on the river to sharply cut their water use but coming up with a plan to do that is proving extraordinarily difficult.

CGTN’s Hendrik Sybrandy reports.

 

Experts turn to the skies in search of green aviation solutions

Some experts are looking to the skies for solutions to climate change, searching for ways to make aviation more environmentally friendly.

CGTN’s Jim Spellman reports.