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PODCAST

Down to Earth

FRANCE 24 English

We meet the people behind fascinating environmental, health and technological innovations in a bid for sustainable solutions to our changing world.

science & medicine

All Episodes

00:07:54

Diving: Can coral reefs survive mass tourism?

Down to Earth ·

2025/06/16

On the French archipelago of Guadeloupe, thousands of snorkellers visit the Pigeon Islands every year, putting the reef under huge stress. Despite warnings not to touch or stand on the coral, many corals are bleaching and dying due to rising sea temperatures and overtourism. Despite limited rangers and amid growing environmental pressure, diving clubs and new regulations are hoping to protect this fragile ecosystem.

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00:09:35

Ocean warriors: The race to save seahorses, seagrass...

Down to Earth ·

2025/06/09

As the UN Ocean Conference kicks off in Nice, we're focusing on seagrass meadows: vital climate allies that are among the least protected ecosystems on Earth. They store more CO2 per hectare than land forests and are home to vulnerable species like seahorses. Yet nearly 30 percent of these underwater plants have already disappeared worldwide due to pollution, rising temperatures and harmful fishing techniques.

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00:03:12

French company upcycles old shipping containers

Down to Earth ·

2025/06/03

Shipping containers usually last 15 to 18 years at sea. Their durability and structure make them ideal for transformation. Around the world, these big boxes are being adapted into social housing, restaurants and even shopping centres. In the French region of Normandy, we meet Tony, who repurposes old shipping containers into unique spaces like chip shops, coworking hubs and laundromats. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Catherine Viette.

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00:08:34

Chemical-free farming brings life back to rural France

Down to Earth ·

2025/05/26

Faced with widespread chemical pollution and a dramatic collapse in biodiversity, farmers and scientists in western France have been testing a revolutionary farming model for over 30 years. No pesticides, no synthetic fertilisers – just nature. And it works: steady yields, stable incomes, and a thriving ecosystem. A one-of-a-kind collaboration in Europe.

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00:03:43

In Guadeloupe, local pesticide-free farming restores...

Down to Earth ·

2025/05/26

Fed up with pesticide pollution and bland produce, Steve Salim is teaming up with farmers in the French overseas region of Guadeloupe to bring back healthy, local food. With clean, tested soil and old-school farming methods, they’ve set out to prove that local tastes better and costs less than imports.

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00:07:02

Arctic foxes: A comeback against the odds

Down to Earth ·

2025/05/12

Once on the brink of extinction in Scandinavia, the Arctic fox is slowly returning. Threatened by hunting and climate change, the animals' population had dropped to just a few dozen individuals in the 2000s. Today, thanks to a long-term reintroduction programme, their numbers have grown to 550. Researchers are now hoping to see the Arctic fox population double within the next 25 years. Down to Earth and our France 2 colleagues follow the journey of these snow-white survivors.

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00:04:29

🌟The Bright Side: Beer waste? You might be eating it...

Down to Earth ·

2025/05/03

Beer is Europe’s most consumed alcoholic beverage – but what happens to the waste it creates? In France alone, breweries generate over 600,000 tons of spent grain every year.

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00:03:47

Indonesia: The dark side of the nickel powering our...

Down to Earth ·

2025/04/28

Indonesia leads the world in nickel production, fuelling the global shift to electric cars. But this rapid growth comes at a steep environmental cost. Nickel mining is driving deforestation, polluting rivers and endangering local communities. Our France 2 colleagues have been to Weda Bay, at the heart of Indonesia's mining boom. They bring us this report, with FRANCE 24's Jennifer Ben Brahim.

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00:05:16

From killer grass to flesh-eating worms: The invasion...

Down to Earth ·

2025/04/21

What do a colonising plant and a carnivorous worm have in common? Both come from South America and threaten our ecosystems. They are among invasive exotic species that have contributed to nearly half the world's animal and plant extinctions. In southwestern France, locals, scientists and officials are trying to stop the invasion. The Down to Earth team reports.

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00:05:14

Oceans vs cities: France's beaches are shrinking

Down to Earth ·

2025/04/16

Roughly 40 percent of the world's population live in coastal areas. What once felt like a privilege — living close to the sea — is becoming increasingly risky. ️Climate change is speeding up coastal erosion. Rising sea levels and storms are threatening coastal towns like Lacanau, in southwestern France, which is considering moving inland by 2100. FRANCE 24's Aurore Cloé Dupuis, Alexandra Renard, John Walsh and Carlotta Poirier report.

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00:03:13

Global wildlife trafficking: Endangered felines found...

Down to Earth ·

2025/04/07

Wildlife trafficking is one of the most profitable criminal activities in the world, after drug trafficking, human trafficking and arms smuggling. At the end of last year, an international operation uncovered 20,000 live, wild animals, including reptiles, felines, turtles and monkeys. Some 365 people were arrested in connection with six different illegal networks. Here in France, French authorities recently found endangered felines in Parisian apartments, far from their natural habitats. Some of

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00:02:34

Turning unrecyclable trash into heat: French district...

Down to Earth ·

2025/03/31

In northern France, an entire district is now heated thanks to waste that was previously unrecyclable. Every day, Le Havre converts 300 tons of trash into energy, providing enough heat for more than 37,000 households. This green energy system reduces the local carbon footprint and provides cheaper and cleaner heating to residents. We take a closer look.

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00:05:11

From fast fashion to fair fashion: The denim revolution

Down to Earth ·

2025/03/21

Jeans are the most popular trousers in the world. Every year, over 2 billion pairs are made. But most travel one and a half times around the planet before reaching your wardrobe. With toxic dyes, chemical pollution and massive water waste, denim’s carbon footprint is anything but small. But change is happening. From cutting-edge tech to natural dyes, ancient weaving to local production, innovators are rethinking jeans for a more sustainable future. The Down to Earth team takes a closer look.

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00:02:40

Want to ride an e-bike? No batteries needed!

Down to Earth ·

2025/03/14

Tired of carrying your electric bike's battery with you everywhere you go? The good news is that you can now buy electric bikes without batteries. This French invention is already seducing cyclists across the country.

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00:05:26

French fishermen 'talk' to dolphins to save them

Down to Earth ·

2025/03/11

For the first time ever, fishermen in the Bay of Biscay are testing new high tech fishing gear that "speak dolphin language" to warn them of danger. The aim : reduce bycatch, after tens of thousands of dolphins drowned in fishing nets in recent years. Could ultrasound beacons save marine life and support the fishing industry ? FRANCE 24’s Aurore Cloé Dupuis and Alexandra Renard explain.

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00:08:12

Fancy an avocado? Try a French one!

Down to Earth ·

2025/02/24

Celebrated as a superfood, avocados are so popular in Europe and North America that global production has tripled in two decades. But their farming and transport worldwide raise environmental concerns. As Europe's top consumer, France is now growing its own, a surprising move given that avocados are a subtropical fruit. The Down to Earth team reports.

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00:08:26

Sewage scandal: The dirty secret polluting England...

Down to Earth ·

2025/02/17

Since Brexit, the UK is no longer subject to European water quality standards. In England and Wales, floods of untreated wastewater have been discharged into rivers and seas, harming the health of residents and destroying ecosystems. FRANCE 24's Down to Earth team reports.

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00:04:20

Could dead leaves turn into green gold?

Down to Earth ·

2025/02/07

Imagine a world where we could make paper, cardboard and packaging without cutting down a single tree. Today, that dream is becoming reality. The start-up Releaf Paper turns fallen leaves into value. It was founded by a Ukrainian scientist, who moved to France before Russia's full-scale invasion to set up a pilot factory in the suburbs of Paris. Production only started a few months ago, with promises of greener goods and a circular economy. FRANCE 24's Aurore Cloé Dupuis, Alexandra Renard and

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00:06:32

Would you live in a cardboard house?

Down to Earth ·

2025/01/28

The construction industry is one of the biggest polluters in the world, consuming half of the planet’s natural resources, 40 percent of its energy and 16 percent of its water, as well as generating greenhouse gas emissions and waste. But here in France, the company Bat'Ipac has found an alternative: building with recycled cardboard instead of concrete. FRANCE 24's Alexandra Renard and Aurore Cloé Dupuis report.

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00:03:32

'We're keeping them safe': Scientists build 'Noah's...

Down to Earth ·

2025/01/10

Coral reefs rank as some of the planet’s most vital ecosystems. Although they cover just 0.2 percent of oceans, reefs are home to a quarter of marine biodiversity. Scientists warn they could vanish in as little as a decade, unless we rapidly slow the rate of global warming. In Monaco, a team of scientists have decided to create a "Noah's Ark" for coral reefs, hoping to collect and preserve all species known to humankind before it's too late. Our Down to Earth team reports.

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68 results

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