Living Planet | Deutsche Welle

From natural sounds to artificial ones and even something in-between — this week's show is all about the indelible link between sound and the environment. We hear how plastic waste can be used to make a new kind of noise, and how kids in Colombia are learning to record animal sounds for conservation. And we meet a Polish composer who has created a unique soundwalk through Berlin's botanic gardens.

This week on Living Planet, we take a look at forests and how we use land. What benefits do trees provide? What happens when we lose them in places like the Amazon? And how do we make sure we have enough forested land? Also, a landmark report from the IPCC warns that we have to change the ways in which we use land if we are to mitigate climate change and achieve global food security.

We look at some unusual ideas surrounding the protection of the environment. From using donkey dung to help save an endangered bat to brewing beer from an old loaf of bread, we profile some of the strange and innovative ways people are saving the planet.

In the aftermath of natural disasters, decades of political crisis and facing an increasingly unpredictable climate, farmers in Haiti are turning to ecological farming methods to hold onto their livelihoods. Some see it as the only way to feed their families and continue farming in the face of climate change.

Summer is a time of sun, sea, and sand. But sand isn't just the stuff of beach holidays — we hear how it's being used in East Africa and with what impact. We also pay a visit to a town in Italy that is inundated by cruise ships, and we join a scientific expedition studying warming temperatures in the deep ocean.