The state of the world’s environment is one of the most important stories of the new century. Debates over the impact of climate change reverberate throughout the globe. So do disputes about what actions might be necessary, both to preserve the environment and to develop sources of energy for a growing global community.
The World’s environment coverage, led by environment editor Peter Thomson, examines the health of the planet and explores the impacts of human activity on everything from the earth’s ecosystems to the food we put on our plates.
Environment
Radiation from Fukushima Nuke Plant More Than Expected
Japan says the radiation from the Fukushima plant was double the initial estimates.
First Large-Scale Solar Field Could be a Model for Israel-Palestinian Partnership
Israel’s first solar field has some hoping the project can be a model for Israel-Palestinian cooperation.
Contamination Risks Near Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
A discussion about the contamination risks near the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
E. Coli Outbreak: Source Still A Mystery
With customers scared of E. coli, vegetable vendors in Germany are having trouble selling their produce.
Sanitation Solution Wins Innovation Prize
A group of MIT business students’ plan to help solve the global sanitation crisis by converting human waste into energy, fertilizer and profit wins $100,000 entrepreneurship award.
Waste Not: Composting Toilets in Haiti
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The World’s Amy Bracken reports from Haiti on efforts to use composting toilets to address a host of public health and environmental problems. The story is the third part of this week’s Toilet Tales series. Download MP3
An Indian Toilet Museum’s Public Health Mission
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The World’s Rhitu Chatterjee reports on a small museum in New Delhi that is at the center of an effort to improve sanitation for the 600 million Indians without access to modern toilets. Download MP3
New Dangers for Clownfish
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For our Geo Quiz, we’re looking for the world’s largest coral reef. It’s actually made up of about 3,000 smaller reefs and 900 islands, and it stretches over 1,500 miles. It’s located in warm waters of the southern hemisphere. The reef is home to an abundance of marine life: starfish and sea turtles, eels and at least a thousand species of fish, including clownfish. And clownfish seem to be facing new dangers lately… Download MP3
The Benefits of Eco-Sanitation
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Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Arno Rosemarin about the potential of dry composting toilets to help solve the world’s sanitation crisis. Rosemarin runs the ecological sanitation project at the Stockholm Environment Institute. Download MP3
Join the discussion with Arno Rosemarin in the latest science forum.
Toilet Tales: Water and Waste
The humble flush toilet is a technological wonder that carries our waste safely away from our homes and workplaces. Yet roughly 2.5 billion people don’t have access to decent sanitation. And even for those who do, the toilet is an imperfect solution that often creates problems of its own. The World’s special five-part series “Toilet Tales” examines efforts to solve those problems around the world, from China to India to Haiti to Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Download the entire series as a podcast:
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Toilet Tales: China
The World’s Mary Kay Magistad reports on an effort to save water and recycle nutrients in an arid part of China by building an apartment complex with dry, composting toilets. It’s the first installment of our four-part series this week on sanitation issues, called “Toilet Tales.”
Interview with ecological sanitation specialist Arno Rosemarin
Toilet Tales Series Page
E.Coli Worries in Germany
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Anchor Lisa Mullins talks to science reporter Jörg Blech, who writes for the German weekly “Der Spiegel,” about the outbreak of E.Coli infections in Germany. Download MP3
Fukushima Cleanup Plan in Question
The fall-out from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan has been not only the radioactive kind. It’s included a warning about the dangers of nuclear energy. Several countries have been reviewing their policies on nuclear power since the March disaster. The World’s Marco Werman has had an opportunity to talk with Eisaku Satu, former governor of Fukushima Prefecture.
Germany Announces Plan to Abandon Nuclear Power
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Anchor Lisa Mullins talks to reporter Susan Stone in Berlin about the news that Germany will phase out its nuclear power plants by 2022. Download MP3
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