Chain reactions - How the green revolution can reshape sustainable development
We research new opportunities that may arise as a result of the transition to a green economy in Germany, such as food and energy, and the types of secondary effects this will have on local communities in other parts of the world. Together with Perspective Daily, we use cross-border solutions journalism, to look at all sides of the story.
Stay tuned for what we will find in the next months!
“Back door privatization”? Global South’s Share of Deep-Sea Mining Profits Under Scrutiny
The International Seabed Authority is supposed to ensure that profits from the deep sea are shared with all mankind. But so far, a few companies seem poised to take a majority share.
Genetic engineering against malnutrition: Does Golden Rice live up to its promise?
For the first time ever, large quantities of the genetically modified “golden rice” were harvested in the Philippines. It is supposed to save children’s lives. Rice farmers, nutrition experts and mothers report on their experiences.
By land or by sea: will Chile open the door to deep sea mining?
After the international negotiations on deep sea mining, it is worth asking whether this activity could be developed in the future in Chile, a mining country whose sea is almost five times larger than its continental surface. While some say that “it does not make sense”, others suggest that it could be an alternative to reduce land-based mining conflicts.
Where sun pays the bills: how a village in India is testing the limits of solar power
In Modhera, no one pays for electricity any more. Instead, villagers look at their electricity bills every month to see how much money they’ve earned from selling solar-generated electricity to the main grid.
A new crop of farmers fight stereotypes and food insecurity in Asian and African metropoles
“We are farming sustainably and extremely efficiently, we use 95% less water than traditional farming, and we are net carbon negative, because we use renewable energy,”
Deep sea dilemma: to mine or not to mine?
Proponents say that mining the deep seas will provide a nearly unlimited resource of valuable metals, solving the problem of where to get the materials needed for the green energy transition, with the profits shared by all mankind. However, the pressing question remains: Can we justify the costs?
Is green hydrogen an electrifying idea for Namibia?
Namibia is poised to turn its sun-soaked weather into a hydrogen-fueled solution for Germany’s energy problems. But what problems will green hydrogen solve for Namibians?
Germany’s hydrogen economy: Where tomorrow’s energy will come from
Germany already consumes more hydrogen than it produces, and leaves a significant carbon footprint. For the energy transition, the country will need to import cleaner green hydrogen, but from where?
How indigenous women farmers in Mexico are using agroforestry to save the world’s favorite drink
In Buenavista, every woman we talk to has some family member on the other side of the northern border. La Mixteca region in Oaxaca has some of the poorest regions in Mexico in general and migration has for decades been a strategy for families to make ends meet. As men migrate, women are often the ones passing on the knowledge as to how to grow coffee.
Can green hydrogen tackle Nigeria’s persistent energy poverty?
With the rising urgency of the Climate Crisis, green hydrogen is the shiniest newcomer in global conversations on energy production. However, with sub-Saharan African countries contributing less than 3% (0.2% for Nigeria) to global carbon emissions, the more pressing question is how the continent can harness its existing resources to sustainably meet its own energy demand for economic development and poverty reduction
Will hydrogen be the answer to Germany’s future energy needs?
Heating, driving, storing electricity: Hydrogen could replace oil, gas and coal in a completely climate-neutral way. The fact that this will probably not happen is due to a better alternative.
Can plastic bricks pave a road out of Kenya’s plastic waste problem?
In a month, Nzambi Matee is able to turn between 10 to 20 tonnes of plastic waste into pavers of different colours, with Gjenge Makers managing to produce 1,500 every day.
Is plastic waste the building material of the future?
“We’re not just about building houses and reducing plastic pollution. We want to change people’s awareness of plastic.”
This man wants to revolutionize what’s on the menu for school children
According to a study in the journal Nature Food, our food system is responsible for 1/3 of global greenhouse gases, especially our agriculture and land use. The latest report of the environmental organization WWF, “Europe eats the world” shows: The EU is the world’s second-largest importer of products related to rainforest deforestation. What we eat not only heats up the planet but also destroys habitats and reduces the diversity of animal and plant species.
A new culture: How technology is freeing meat from a guilty conscience
In Singapore, you can already order chicken from a bioreactor in the restaurant. The rest of the world could soon follow. That could save billions of animals from suffering, protect the climate – and change our diet forever.
This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. This fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.