Living Planet | Deutsche Welle

This week on the show, we're taking a look at our cities. From our food systems to transportation and urban planning to our waste streams, we dive into the ways in which urban life can be environmentally-friendly. We also get to hear from some little critters who are taking unwelcome refuge in cities.

As our planet faces unprecedented environmental crises, it's becoming clear that piecemeal solutions can't fix the problem. We hear about transformational change, and how we might get there. UNDP chief Achim Steiner speaks to whether it's possible to decouple progress from environmental damage, and we look at "degrowth" as an alternative. Plus, the trees of Philadelphia.

Whether you consider yourself a birder or find the avian kind tend rather to ruffle your feathers, there's no denying birds are a critical part of the natural world. But in too many cases, birds are under threat. We visit the moors of Scotland, where eagles get illegally killed; and Kenya, where vultures and the African crane are in decline. Plus: Storks in Spain addicted to junk food.

Is it possible to fly with a clear environmental conscience? And, if not, what is being done to make this a reality? We follow one couple's journey to find out where carbon offsetting donations from flights actually end up. We also get into the nitty-gritty of a new United Nations emissions deal for flying that has been criticized as being too weak to make a difference.

We find out how we can feed forests so they can sustain us. Forest defenders in Romania are standing up to the so-called "wood mafia" — and paying a high price for that. We hear about a unique method to regenerate "underground forests" in Africa's Sahel. And helping salmon in Scotland recover — by planting trees.