Bangladesh has one of the largest number of solar home systems in the world, reaching over 20 million people. Thirty percent of the electricity these generate is wasted each year, while over six million people in the country have no access to power. A dynamic startup called SolShare has developed a renewable energy solution that connects solar-powered homes to the houses of neighbours who cannot afford a panel themselves. In this film by Pelican Pictures, Sohara Shachi visits the company’s...

Being in tune with nature used to be instinctive for all humans. It was a matter of survival. But over the centuries, as we urbanised and industrialised, the connection has become weaker. But Indigenous communities around the world have not forgotten what it means to live in harmony with Earth. They make up around 5 percent of the world’s population and yet safeguard 80 percent of the planet’s biodiversity. The natural wealth they defend makes them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. We...

As populations grow and incomes rise, we are eating more and more meat and dairy. Intensive livestock farming, however, requires huge amounts of resources and is highly polluting. Yet, animal protein is essential to the 1.3 billion people who depend on livestock to survive. So, what is the solution? To forego animal protein? Eat less of it? Or get it from sustainable and ethical sources? To find out, we go to Santiago, Chile, where a pioneering company is revolutionising the food industry...

The world is in the middle of the biggest economic transition since the Industrial Revolution. The hegemony of fossil fuels is being challenged as the price of renewables comes down. But there is still a long way to go. Global greenhouse gas emissions must be halved by 2030 to have any hope of reaching net-zero by 2050. From a solar testing station run by the Qatar Environment and Energy Institute, earthrise travels to Orkney in the UK where scientists are developing one of clean energy’s...

Our global food system is topsy-turvy. It fuels climate change, degrades land, pollutes soil and water supplies and wipes out wildlife, including the pollinators we need for our crops. So it is actually robbing us of the ability to feed our growing population. At the same time, we are wasting what we have: 1.3 billion tonnes of perfectly edible food are binned each year while nearly 700 million people go hungry. There are, however, simple fixes; above all, producing food sustainably and not...

Covid-19 is just one of many illnesses that have spilled over to us from wildlife. Its exact origins are unknown but investigations have been carried out into the likes of bats and pangolins. Some species of these mammals are amongst the one million plants and animals threatened with extinction. We look at efforts to save them before it’s too late. In southern India, locals are safeguarding the only remaining home of one critically endangered bat. In Vietnam we meet the conservationists...

Every year, up to 12 million metric tonnes of plastic waste enters our oceans. And this is set to triple in the next decade. In Cameroon's economic capital Douala, the scale of the plastic problem is clear. Some 1,300 tonnes are generated every day, and so much of it is thrown into the city's rivers that you can't see any trace of water. But one local man, Ishmael Essome, has made it his mission to deal with it head on. Together with a small team of volunteers, they collect used plastic...

"There's 150 million trees that disappear every year into the clothing that we all wear," says Nicole Rycroft, a conservationist amd founder of Canopy, a non-profit dedicated to protecting the trees that remain. "It's slated to double within the next decade." So-called fast fashion is incredibly resource-intensive and one of the key drivers of deforestation and biodiversity loss across the globe. The destruction of forests not only devastates surrounding land but also releases tonnes of...

Three-quarters of all land on Earth is now significantly affected by human activity and the few remaining pockets of wilderness are themselves at risk of becoming ecological deserts. Agriculture, industry, urbanisation, climate change - all these are decimating ecosystems and destroying biodiversity. Some 60 percent of the world's animals have been wiped out since the 1970s. In response, a worldwide movement is under way to "rewild" the countryside. Rewilding is the restoration of an...

The explosion of plastic waste across the globe is threatening the very survival of life on the planet. Every year, up to 12 million metric tonnes of plastic enter our oceans, and plastic waste in the environment is set to triple in the next decade - poisoning marine life, littering landscapes and clogging waterways. "The scale of the plastic problem is huge ... If you look at our current economy it's predominantly linear. We take a material out of the ground, we make something out of it...

With global demand for food set to increase by nearly 70 percent by 2050, sustainable food production is one of the biggest challenges for the future. The food industry is one of the most ecologically damaging industries and we will need to completely rethink its approach if we are to keep meals on the table for generations to come. "Food is the single biggest impact that humans have on nature. We are deforesting the earth to grow more food. It's by far the biggest user of fresh water, the...

earthrise looks at ways of healing one of the silent and often forgotten casualties of war – the environment. In conflict, one of the silent and forgotten casualties is often the environment. From the chemical contamination of soils with chemicals, and the collapse of water and food supplies, to the habitat damage caused by displacement, war has devastating consequences. Not only man-made infrastructures but also natural ecosystems are destroyed and lives lost. But even amid the most...

As the adverse effects of the climate crisis intensify, many believe governments around the world are responding too slowly. It is now unlikely that the Paris Agreement target of keeping the global temperature rise below two degrees will be met unless there is immediate action taken to prevent further warming. In this episode of earthrise we visit those putting themselves on the line and pushing for urgent climate policy reform before we reach a point of no return. Officially launched in...

For centuries, mankind has been hooked on the concept of a mysterious continent at the end of the world. Ancient Greeks and Romans called it "the unknown southern land" and a century ago, Captain Robert Falcon Scott paid the ultimate price on his famous South Pole expedition. Antarctica, the planet's southernmost continent, is home to spectacular biodiversity - from emperor penguins and blue whales to krill. But climate change, plastic pollution, oil drilling and an ever-expanding commercial...

With a long history of habitat loss and industrialised farming, Europe has seen some of the worse cases of insect decline and extinction in the world. "For some species, it's too late, some have gone extinct. But for the majority, they're still here and we need to make sure we look after them," says Professor Dave Goulson, who has been studying insects for over 20 years and understands just how damaging their rapid decline could be. "We should be absolutely terrified about this, it should...

It is estimated that 300 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, with at least eight million tonnes ending up in our oceans. Each piece of plastic will take hundreds of years to decompose, taking up space in landfills, poisoning bodies of water, land, and both marine and land-based animals alike. The European Union (EU) is allegedly working on a ban of all single-use plastics, including straws, takeaway cups, balloons, plates and even cotton buds, in order to tackle the issue of...

There are approximately 268,000 tonnes of plastic floating in our oceans, which equates to an average of five trillion individual pieces. It is now believed that plastic waste can be found on every beach in the world, from the busiest beaches to the most isolated and uninhabited islands. The plastic debris not only harms ocean ecosystems but also find its way to the world's coasts and into the food chain. More than one million seabirds and over 100,000 marine mammals die every year from...

New Zealand is rich in wildlife and, because of its isolation, there are hundreds of plants and animals that evolved here that cannot be found anywhere else. But human-introduced pests have threatened and even wiped out many species. One of those is the native wetapunga which has been around for 190 million years and used to be found all over New Zealand. But now these big insects are on the brink of extinction. In a bid to save the species, the Auckland Zoo has launched a set of projects...

Cheap and versatile, plastic is used for everything. The problem is, it's also indestructible. As a result, it piles up in landfills where it leeches toxic chemicals into soil and groundwater, or ends up in the ocean affecting wildlife and getting into food chains. Approximately 268,000 tonnes of plastic float in our oceans - that's five trillion individual pieces. If nothing changes, it is estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic by weight than fish in our oceans. earthrise...

Insects make up 80 percent of all species on Earth. They play a vital role pollinating crops, decomposing waste and supporting food chains. But a recent study shows that, in some areas, flying insect numbers have fallen by a staggering 75 percent in the last 27 years - and humans are to blame. If development and pesticide use continue, we could soon face what some experts are calling "insectageddon" - the ecological collapse of the insect population. And this could change life on Earth as...

For centuries, mankind has been hooked on the concept of a mysterious continent at the end of the world. Ancient Greeks and Romans called it "the unknown southern land" and a century ago, Captain Robert Falcon Scott paid the ultimate price on his famous South Pole expedition. Antarctica, the planet's southernmost continent, is home to spectacular biodiversity - from emperor penguins and blue whales to krill. But climate change, plastic pollution, oil drilling and an ever-expanding commercial...

Cremation is the traditional method of disposing of the deceased in India. However, with 8.5 million Hindus dying each year, funeral pyres exact a huge environmental toll: felling over 50 million trees, polluting rivers and emitting eight million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the air, and adding to India's already critical air pollution problem. The Indian government recognised the environmental impact of cremation in the 1960s. They tried to address the problem by introducing an...

Samso, an island off the east coast of Denmark and nestled in the Kattegat Sea, is home to a population of 4,000 people committed to living a green life, using and producing only 100 percent renewable energy. In 1997, the Danish government organised a contest to create a model community for renewable energy; the Samso community came together and won that contest. "The beginning of it was very interesting. It was a top-down decision. We had a very ambitious minister of the environment and he...

Food production is facing challenges that require new, more creative and sustainable solutions. Companies involved in various segments of the industry, including agriculture and fishing, are looking at revolutionising the current systems, which have left bodies of water overfished and land in terrible condition. On Long Island in New York, locals are tackling overfishing by using a new system that brings industries together. Fishermen and scientists have collaborated to realise and improve...