Friday, December 9, 2011
Living Planet: Prosperity vs preservation
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Podcast Episode Summary
Energy giants in Brazil tap deep-sea oil fields; South Africa investigates the connection between climate change and social instability; the EU lifts a ban on stevia; and music event organisers try to preserve festival fun while keeping their green credentials intact.You can listen to the show online or subscribe to Living Planet as a podcast. Click on the links below for the individual items. Oil still fuels Brazil's dream for a prosperous futureA deep-sea oil well off the coast of Brazil leaked more than 2000 barrels of oil into the ocean last month. The incident is turning into an important test for the country as it prepares to become one of the largest oil producing nations on earth.Work is underway to tap vast deep-sea oil fields off the coast of Brazil. It's believed there are billions of barrels of oil below the seafloor. This could be Brazil's chance to cement itself in its position as a global power.
But the oil lies beneath shifting sand and a thick layer of salt. And the process of extracting it carries huge environmental and financial risks.
Report: Milton BragattiSouth Africans torn between prosperity and preservationAs South Africa hosts the UN climate talks, the nation is forced to examine its own energy policies and commitment to a greener future.South Africa is one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases in the world. As South Africans grapple with energy shortages, economic worries, and the social problems those bring, it remains unclear what kind of commitment the country can make to a greener future.
Report: Johannes BeckEU lifts ban on plant extracts that taste like sugarOn a trip to the fertile farmlands of France, DW's reporter meets a farmer who is cultivating a crop of Stevia rebaudiana. The stevia plant has sweet leaves that have long been used as a natural sweetner in South America and Asia.Stevia extract has already cracked the US market, replacing artificial sweetners in some of the most popular diet colas. The EU has just lifted a ban on the plant's use in food and drinks, opening up the market for fake sugar to all kinds of changes.
Report: Dany MitzmanMusic lovers green upOur reporter hits a popular music event in Hamburg, Germany to find out if it's possible to enjoy festival fun while keeping your green credentials intact.Music festivals often wreak havoc on the environment. Mountains of waste left behind by revellers ends up in landfills, pristine natural sites are trampled and travel to and from festival sites produces tonnes of CO2. But an increasing number of music festivals are greening up their acts.
Report: Jessie Wingard
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