Most urban centers around the world are designed for cars, with significant chunks of space dedicated to roads and parking spaces. But what if our infrastructure was geared towards pedestrians and cyclists instead? Advocates say shifting away from car-centric cities could bring huge benefits to our health and climate.

On The Green Fence

The benefits of a car-free future

Lithium is a critical component of e-car batteries. As demand for electric cars soars, this raw material could be heading for severe bottlenecks very soon if lithium production isn't ramped up dramatically. But what does this mean for the environment and just how far can we get with the 86 million tons of lithium resources identified globally?

Could lithium shortages derail Germany's e-mobility drive?

If Germany wants to meet its target of getting 10 million electric cars on the road by the end of the decade, the country's car industry needs to change gears fast. Faced with ever stricter EU regulation and CO2 limits, Volkswagen Group has announced plans to roll out 70% of the core brand in Europe as e-cars by 2030. But just how sustainable is their new e-car strategy?

Is Volkswagen's accelerated e-car strategy a game changer?

There are 1.5 billion cars in the world today. These combustion engine vehicles are major polluters, and governments are hoping to meet their climate targets by replacing them with lower-emission alternatives, such as electric cars. But this transformation is going to be a massive challenge, and it's already proving to be extremely divisive in Germany — one the world's leading car producers.

What is Germany's road map for climate-friendly cars?

Humans have long been driven by a desire to explore the planet and visit faraway places. But with tourism's toll on the environment now calling our globetrotting habits into question, some say it's time for change. But just how realistic is this given that people are itching to travel freely again once the Covid-19 pandemic is over?

Is eco-guilt changing the way we travel?

The accommodation you book as a tourist has a major impact on how eco-friendly your holiday is. A Bavarian hotel owner in one of Germany's most popular tourist destinations promises carbon-neutral stays. But how does this work?

What does a green hotel look like?

The iconic cove from "The Beach" movie is slowly starting to recover from the onslaught of mass tourism. Thai authorities had sealed it off to the public in 2018 after almost all the coral was destroyed. Now tourism operators and local stakeholders struggling under the pandemic are urging the authorities to reopen the beach. But how can the environmental recovery be secured if this happens?

Saving a Thai beach paradise from mass tourism

Flying is one of the most polluting and privileged forms of travel. The aviation industry is facing growing pressure to wean itself off fossil fuels to bring down CO2 emissions. Can it succeed? Or do we need to stop flying altogether?

Does air travel have a green future?

Cruises are among the most carbon-intensive ways to travel, and the sector is growing fast. Cruise ships are also a testing ground for new technologies and alternative fuels, and could help drive change in the shipping industry as a whole. Neil visits Lucienne Damm from TUI Cruises to find out how the German company is planning to meet its target of going climate neutral by 2050.

Can cruises kick-start the decarbonization of shipping?

Global meat production is predicted to grow 85% by 2050. If this happens, it will have a cataclysmic effect on the environment. So how are we going to feed 10 billion people - who desire meat - without using more land and increasing atmospheric emissions? The answer to this question will have to include meat alternatives. But which ones have a chance? And what's standing in the way?

S3: Epilogue - Overcoming our meat addiction

Global meat production is predicted to grow 85 percent by 2050. If this happens, it will have a cataclysmic effect on the environment. So how are we going to feed 10 billion people - who desire meat - without using more land and increasing atmospheric emissions? The answer to this question will have to include meat alternatives. But which ones have a chance? And what's standing in the way?

Locally hunted game has the smallest environmental footprint of all meat. The downsides of factory farming don’t apply to animals roaming free in the forest. This is why huntress Alena Steinbach won’t eat meat unless it’s killed in the wild. The former vegetarian with a degree in green business management takes Neil and Gabe deep into Europe’s largest forest for a hunt. What will they discover?

S3E4: Hunting for sustainable meat

Hunting for sustainable meat

A vegan diet can cut your food-related emissions by 70 percent, but can you really grow big and strong without meat? Bona fide vegan Patrik Baboumian, once Germany’s strongest man, invites meat eaters Neil and Gabe to his vegan gym in Berlin to prove you don’t need chicken breast to grow muscle. But will this be enough to shake their deep-rooted skepticism towards veganism?

S3E3: Of vegans and men

Of vegans and men

Thrown into the green end, hosts Neil and Gabe make sense of some of the most divisive environmental concerns of our time. Their inquisitive, entertaining and occasionally absurd adventures take them across Germany, talking with climate protesters and wolf psychologists, sorting through household rubbish and fighting mosquitoes.

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On The Green Fence

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