N1BOS — broadcast
20260909 020000 UTC
326 transcript segments
Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API (Chirp) + Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking
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[00:03:34] From building with wood to recycling
[00:03:37] concrete, the construction industry is looking for ways
[00:03:41] to reduce its massive carbon
[00:03:43] footprint,
[00:03:46] but it's still early days for change in the
[00:03:48] sector.
[00:03:52] One new sustainable approach and much more coming up
[00:03:56] tomorrow today.
[00:04:02] Could this soil be the answer to the construction sector's dirty little
[00:04:05] secret? We have to really speed up things
[00:04:09] and we have to drastically transform the way that we handle
[00:04:14] different ways to improve it. One of and consume resources on all levels.
[00:04:17] Every week, a truck load of soil lands in an old aircraft hanger in
[00:04:20] Berlin. It looks just like regular dirt because it
[00:04:24] is, but squashed into blocks it becomes something
[00:04:27] potentially revolutionary compared to digital. or clay bricks,
[00:04:30] making the soil blocks emits 97% less carbon
[00:04:34] dioxide. A revolution is needed because in environmental
[00:04:37] terms, the construction industry is filthy. The building
[00:04:41] sector is the world's biggest polluter. According to the UN, between
[00:04:44] 2024 and 2025, it accounted for
[00:04:48] 34% of total global CO2 emissions. Over the same
[00:04:51] time period, that's more than the automotive and aviation sectors
[00:04:55] combined. One reason is the way traditional building
[00:04:58] materials are made. To make them strong enough to use, clay bricks are
[00:05:02] baked in furnaces that hit temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees celsius
[00:05:06] and they have to spend several days in the oven. Those
[00:05:09] kilns are typically powered by fossil fuels and released. massive amounts of
[00:05:13] suit and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
[00:05:17] It's very cheaply and very fastly built with no intention
[00:05:21] of lasting longer than 40 to 50 years, which is
[00:05:24] insane.
[00:05:28] As soon as they're no longer wanted, buildings are often raised to the
[00:05:31] ground, and lot of that debris just ends up in
[00:05:33] Landfill.
[00:05:38] Christian Gater Earthbound hopes his blocks could change this.
[00:05:42] "the soil for them is taken from excavation waste a construction site on the
[00:05:46] outskirts of Berlin. Germany's federal environment agency
[00:05:50] reports demolition and construction waste like this comprises the country's biggest
[00:05:56] different destiny. We were very interested in this uh
[00:06:00] sort of devalue chain of excavation material being moved from the
[00:06:03] construction side and then just deposited in landfield as a
[00:06:07] waste. So we thought there was great potential in actually using this
[00:06:10] resource. After reaching..."
[00:06:12] christian site, the soil is first dried and broken up, then
[00:06:16] mixed with a tiny bit of water and
[00:06:18] compressed.
[00:06:22] there's two things that really come together here, one is that the production
[00:06:26] process doesn't use any other chemical binders, which on
[00:06:30] the one hand means that it's very, very low in terms of co2 emissions,
[00:06:34] and on the other hand it also means that there are no toxic gases or any
[00:06:38] toxic substances released in the process when a building is constructed from the
[00:06:42] material. the eco bricks compete with their traditional
[00:06:45] counterparts in terms of their ability to bear loads and can support
[00:06:49] building of up to 17 m tall, four or five stories
[00:06:52] high. each brick can withstand roughly 29 metric tons of
[00:06:56] pressure before breaking. that's roughly the weight of 15
[00:07:00] cars. the blocks can be laid with mortar and plaster
[00:07:03] also made from earth. rooms in houses made from them a cooler and more
[00:07:07] humid. i really hope that we can sort of take on the
[00:07:11] conventional maisonry. um construction sector and substitute a
[00:07:14] significant share of what nowadays built with carbon
[00:07:18] intensive and also materials that are not recyclable at the end of the
[00:07:22] life cycle with the earth blocks that we are producing which are
[00:07:25] 100% made from waste materials uh very low in terms
[00:07:29] of co2 emissions during the production and at the end of the life
[00:07:33] cycle most importantly we can recycle them to new earth building
[00:07:36] products without any loss of value or without having to add any new
[00:07:40] materials
[00:07:43] This is Sinanen, a researcher at the Natural Building Lab at Berlin's
[00:07:47] Technical University. She helped design Germany's first building to
[00:07:51] use recycled wood in load-bearing capacity, but
[00:07:57] the picture. Every part of construction is always
[00:08:00] needing, um, you always extract new materials, you always invest more
[00:08:04] energy, you and we invest um
[00:08:07] resources and and you also cause emissions, and that's something I think we have
[00:08:11] to, we have to keep in. back of our heads that even the most sustainable
[00:08:15] construction
[00:08:17] um is still causing all these things and um the
[00:08:21] the actually most sustainable kind of construction is not constructing at
[00:08:24] all. scenas project will be a minerals museum for her
[00:08:27] university. she hopes the use of secondh wood will spare property
[00:08:31] developers to follow
[00:08:32] suit.
[00:08:36] i think what is also good about circular economy is that it's
[00:08:39] it's it's supporting also maybe the development of business
[00:08:42] models that are focusing more on refurbishment and more on
[00:08:46] transformation instead of new construction and
[00:08:49] demolition, so this may be also then an opportunity to
[00:08:53] drive um industries and and econom
[00:08:56] economies into more sustainable
[00:08:59] direction.
[00:09:01] preventing demolition, repurposing buildings and using eco-friendly
[00:09:05] materials a hallmarks of circular
[00:09:07] construction.
[00:09:09] at scale, the practices could help sustainably. house the
[00:09:13] 2.5 billion more people, the UN says will live in
[00:09:16] urban areas by
[00:09:17] 2050.
[00:09:21] But what about air quality in those cities? There are
[00:09:27] them, surprisingly
[00:09:28] simple.
[00:09:33] Ja Chenn from the Technical University of Munich and her
[00:09:36] colleague Lijun Way are in one of the city's
[00:09:39] parks. Over the course of several months. They've been
[00:09:42] taking measurements here and elsewhere in Munich to
[00:09:46] verify their calculations.
[00:09:48] They showed that urban green spaces can absorb
[00:09:52] surprisingly large amounts of
[00:09:54] carbon.
[00:09:58] We found that urban vegetation in Munich offsets about
[00:10:02] 2% of the annual human induced
[00:10:05] carbon emissions
[00:10:06] produced
[00:10:09] by the city's inhabitants.
[00:10:25] Using this device, the researchers can, for instance, measure
[00:10:28] photosynthesis activity in grass. In other
[00:10:32] words, how much CO2 it absorbs? At the same
[00:10:35] time, they look at how much of the greenhouse gas is released
[00:10:39] back into the atmosphere through soil
[00:10:41] respiration. Their findings show that over the
[00:10:45] course of year, lawns are actually a net source of
[00:10:48] CO2, contributing more emissions than they
[00:10:52] remove. Trees are more effective. carbon
[00:10:55] stores, while shrubs and bushes can also offset at
[00:10:58] least part of a city's
[00:11:00] emissions.
[00:11:03] we also developed a model to determine the flow of
[00:11:06] CO2, in other words, where carbon
[00:11:09] dioxide is absorbed and where it's emitted. you can
[00:11:13] think of it as map showing exactly where in the city
[00:11:16] CO2 is being taken up and where it's being
[00:11:20] released. where CO2 is absorbed and
[00:11:23] released. based on
[00:11:55] always happier when they're outside in green
[00:11:57] spaces,
[00:12:01] her recommendation, city planners should pay more
[00:12:05] attention to urban greenery, it improves
[00:12:08] the quality of life for residents and also helps
[00:12:12] improve a city's carbon
[00:12:13] balance.
[00:12:18] Barcelona showed it can work,
[00:12:21] Paris, Vienna,
[00:12:23] London and... in Belgium followed
[00:12:26] suit, now it's the German city of Nurenburg's turn
[00:12:29] to experiment with Super blocks, when standard
[00:12:33] city blocks are grouped into zones that emphasize car-free public
[00:12:36] spaces,
[00:12:39] a jungle gym going up a playground in
[00:12:42] Nurenburg, gan feda is member of an
[00:12:45] initiative to reshape the Gustenhof neighborhood,
[00:12:49] the city supports the project and in the summer of
[00:12:52] 2025 introduced street.
[00:13:04] The goal is to significantly improve quality of life for
[00:13:07] everyone in the neighborhood by keeping out through traffic
[00:13:11] and creating little oasis for the people who live
[00:13:14] here.
[00:13:18] A year ago a community picnic in the middle of the street
[00:13:22] would have been impossible.
[00:13:56] Superblock projects exist across Europe, social
[00:14:00] scientis from the German Institute of Urban
[00:14:03] Affairs has studied
[00:14:05] them.
[00:14:11] Superblocks ir restrict vehicle traffic within a neighborhood, especially
[00:14:14] through traffic. At the same time, it creates more
[00:14:18] space for active mobility, such as walking
[00:14:21] and cycling, while often making them nicer places to spend.
[00:15:37] fell by 60% while cycling increased by the same
[00:15:41] amount, public transport use rose by
[00:15:44] 12%.
[00:15:49] in gent, car ownership declined over several
[00:15:52] years, from 1.2 cars per household to
[00:15:56] roughly one car per household. these are
[00:15:59] effects that emerge when people rethink their habits in the medium
[00:16:02] to long term, and then decide they may not actually need a car
[00:16:06] anymore because
[00:17:08] Maybe six months a year after that it grows too
[00:17:11] cold, so for half the year the super block will
[00:17:14] probably just empty
[00:17:16] out.
[00:17:26] We need to look at what different social groups make up
[00:17:29] society here and perhaps set up a round
[00:17:31] table, one where families, seniors,
[00:17:35] singles and people with. heads
[00:18:39] up Nurenburg's urban development department, he wants to see
[00:18:43] fewer cars and more buses, bikes and pedestrians, to
[00:18:46] him, the super block is a forward thinking
[00:18:49] experiment. if we want our cities to remain
[00:18:53] livable and to ensure a high quality of life, even 50 years
[00:18:56] down the road, will have to change the physical structure of those
[00:19:00] cities. we still have too much asphalt and concrete and too much
[00:19:04] parking, projects like this cre
[00:19:15] In September 2026, the decision will be taken on whether the
[00:19:19] temporary changes will be made permanent, its
[00:19:22] proponents will do all they can to ensure this new public
[00:19:26] space will in the future remain filled with
[00:19:29] life rather than
[00:19:30] cars.
[00:19:34] And how are landscapes changing outside cities?
[00:19:37] Germany's countryside is no longer devoted just to
[00:19:40] farms. Renewable energy is now
[00:19:43] harvested there as well, and that can be
[00:19:46] controversial.
[00:19:48] Around 60 kilometers east of Berlin, you'll find the Merkisher
[00:19:52] Schweiz, an adilic nature park that's a popular
[00:19:55] recreational destination for the city's residence. The
[00:19:58] question is, for how much longer renewable
[00:20:02] energy developers are moving aggressively into the region
[00:20:05] if investor plans. move forward, large
[00:20:09] solar farms will be built along the park's edges.
[00:20:12] opposition has been growing in the nearby town of Muntiabag,
[00:20:16] where an initiative has stepped up its campaign against the
[00:20:20] project.
[00:20:22] we need the energy transition and we need to protect the climate, but we shouldn't
[00:20:26] be doing it everywhere and regardless of the cost.
[00:20:29] some gems like nature parks need to be
[00:20:32] preserved, kept free of large technical installations in the
[00:20:36] landscape.
[00:20:38] Though understanding the concerns, the local chapter of nature
[00:20:42] non-profit warns that pitting climate protection against
[00:20:45] nature conservation is a bad idea.
[00:20:49] Yan Zama is also active in the
[00:20:52] initiative, his farm borders one of the sites
[00:20:55] being considered for solar
[00:20:57] park.
[00:21:01] He's harvesting kale today. Together with his
[00:21:04] partner, Zama grows produce for the Berlin
[00:21:07] market. The farm was their dream,
[00:21:11] and one they had long pursued. The couple
[00:21:14] moved to Munchag 17 years ago to be as close as
[00:21:17] possible to nature. They... use horses instead of
[00:21:21] tractors, that keeps the soil from compacting,
[00:21:24] allowing it to retain more water.
[00:21:28] organic farming on 70 hectares, sustainable
[00:21:32] practices that work, but plans for
[00:21:35] solar parks could now change
[00:21:37] things.
[00:21:41] it was indeed the case that our landlords have
[00:21:45] been approached and asked whether they were interested in rededicating the
[00:21:49] land we lease.
[00:22:20] "the farmer fears for his livelihood. We
[00:22:23] tried to speak with the investors about his accusations, but
[00:22:27] received no response. The
[00:22:29] utility company initially agreed to an interview, but
[00:22:33] later told us it had withdrawn from the
[00:22:35] project. For Yanzama, the playing field
[00:22:39] is anything but level. According to
[00:22:42] him, the investors offered his landlord 20 to 30
[00:22:46] times more than he could ever afford as a farmer."
[00:22:52] the nature park itself is it
[00:22:53] stake.
[00:22:57] When farmland is repurposed from food production to electricity
[00:23:00] generation, farmers stop being partners. Young people
[00:23:04] will no longer have the opportunity to cultivate this land in a meaningful
[00:23:08] way. That doesn't bring us together, it'll drive us
[00:23:11] apart.
[00:23:14] Henrik veindorf also understands how profoundly Germany's
[00:23:18] energy transition is changed.
[00:23:50] Economist Ralph Michel Markwart says the issue goes beyond just
[00:23:54] changes to the landscape, it's also about
[00:23:56] the energy transition creating winners and
[00:23:59] losers.
[00:24:03] For example, if someone leases land for a win
[00:24:06] turbine, they can earn around 50,00 to
[00:24:08] 70,00 euros per turbine each year,
[00:24:12] simply by allowing the turbine to stand
[00:24:14] there.
[00:24:20] are beneficiaries of the energy transition, but someone also
[00:24:23] loses out, the farmer who doesn't own land and has to
[00:24:27] lease it. yanzama hopes his
[00:24:31] landlord will reject the investor's offer and allow him
[00:24:34] to stay on the farm, and he'll continue fighting to leave the
[00:24:38] nature park as it is. why? he
[00:24:41] asks should solar arrays be built in a protected
[00:24:44] area? the beauty of solar power
[00:24:47] is that the panels don't care where the...
[00:24:50] are, they just need to face the sun. That means
[00:24:53] renewable electricity can be generated on sealed
[00:24:56] surfaces, rooftops and parking lots. There they
[00:25:00] don't cause problems, on the
[00:25:01] contrary.
[00:25:04] Officials in Müncheberg say they're carefully reviewing all the
[00:25:08] arguments and that decision has yet to be
[00:25:10] taken. Conservationist
[00:25:14] has seen similar disputes elsewhere, and how they
[00:25:17] end.
[00:26:38] has to just wait and see what the authorities decide, land ownership plays a crucial
[00:26:42] role in the issue, both for him and for Germany's
[00:26:45] energy
[00:26:46] transition.
[00:26:51] Speaking of renewable energy, here's a
[00:26:54] great question from our viewerd in
[00:26:57] Ghana.
[00:27:01] How do solar? panels
[00:27:03] work:
[00:27:05] solar panels, also called solar modules, are made up of
[00:27:09] number of solar cells linked together. about
[00:27:12] 95% of all solar cells are currently made from
[00:27:16] silicon obtained from quartz sand. it's melted and
[00:27:20] cleaned in a complex process. the resulting
[00:27:23] silicon is cut into thin slices called
[00:27:26] wafers. to make the cell electrically conductive, the
[00:27:29] silicon is intentionally contaminated or dop
[00:27:33] some wafers with boron, others with
[00:27:36] phosphorus.
[00:27:39] when the wafers doped with boron and phosphorus are placed
[00:27:42] together, excess electrons migrate from the
[00:27:45] phosphorus silicone layer into the boron silicone layer.
[00:27:49] this leads to a surplus of
[00:27:53] them at the top. similar to battery, solar cells have
[00:27:57] positive and negative poles. when
[00:28:00] sunlight strikes the cell, electrons... released in the silicon boron
[00:28:04] layer, since they're negatively charged, they're drawn
[00:28:07] to the positive pole. Solar cells also have metallic
[00:28:11] conductors at their top and bottom. The free
[00:28:14] electrons travel along these tracks, generating an electrical
[00:28:17] current as long as the sun is
[00:28:19] shining.
[00:28:25] When more lights strikes the surface, more power is generated. To
[00:28:29] increase yield, solar modules are usually connected. in
[00:28:32] series and linked up to form larger
[00:28:35] systems, but even small modules can generate
[00:28:39] enough electricity for everyday needs, more than
[00:28:42] 11% of all renewable energy already comes from solar
[00:28:46] energy, increasing trend, it's a form of
[00:28:50] energy with almost infinite