in the art of climate change. for most of. what's in store. for the future. pretty major cities. inside. i'm sure. planet earth will soon be home to a 1000000000 people and they'll all be room to live that will come at a cost to nature and with as many wild animals. how is the coronavirus pandemic related to the way we live and how might we avoid pandemics in the future. that and more coming up on today's program.

well that's you tomorrow today the science show on d w. in january 2021 an international team from the w.h.o. went to china to investigate the origins of the sars kovi 2 pathogen. but their mission did not uncover anything new. the prevailing theory is still but the virus most likely jumped from animals to humans at some point but how do animals pos diseases to people. like. this song to virus emerged seemingly out of the blue and up ended the whole world it was a huge shock to most people but scientists and politicians knew it was probably just a matter of time before the next pandemic in my. the news about on monday if we carry

on like this we'll probably careen from one crisis to the next in the coming decades. we can't rule out that we will encounter pathogens that are much more very real and and will kill many more people for even the current coronavirus. as humankind grapples with this pandemic further threats looming. last june researches in china discovered a new strain of swine flu with pandemic potential the g 4 strain resembles the variants that killed almost 20000 in 2009 and 10 g. 4 can also be transmitted from animals to humans from person to person and then there's severe fever with from both side to piña syndrome or s f t s discovered in china in 2009 it's carried by takes and is considered an emerging infectious disease with a high mortality rate it's also viral and there's no vaccine transcona hearts is an

epidemiologist at germany's federal research institute for animal health. humans are some of the responsibility because we're going to be poor and deep into the preserves of wild animals areas that were before now reserved for animals on their natural habitats. but now agriculture is encroaching because more and more animal protein is needed to feed more and more people. and this means more opportunities for contact with wildlife or. the transmission of pathogens can occur directly from animal to human or via intermediate species known as vectors in epidemiology it's estimated that 60 percent of diseases in humans are not sick have jumped to us from animals including ebola. 2 that causes kovac 19. viruses invade cells in their host. whether animals or humans

and then replicate producing lots more virus particles. the cells often die as a result the virus spreads in the hosts body and hosts can infect others many viruses don't actually make you sick others of course do cases can range from mild to severe and even fatal as with covert 19 viruses also mutate and adapt all the time and at high speed. a study from 2012 found that just 130 in arctic diseases kill 2200000 people a year and that has to do with human actions the way we live. as humans invade animal habitat such as virgin forests they wreak havoc clearing the land to make way for fields and settlements. one study estimates this raises the risk of 0 in arctic diseases by more than 70 percent that's because such

interventions tend to displace species that can carry pathogens dangerous to humans past the rain birds rodents and bats. as their traditional habitats are destroyed many animals show up where people live and if they are indeed carrying pathogens they can pass them on to humans as we've seen with the novel coronavirus bats a believed to have been a vector of the disease but with at least one other species is it to meet every. wet markets where wild animals are kept slaughtered sold and eaten a considered a key site of transmission of pathogens to humans the conditions are often on hygiene and many zone out it diseases have emerged in asia. strains of influenza viruses emerge there. is one example of the regional bird flu virus h 5 n. one is another it's just that and we've got sars cough to her and before it was

the earlier sars virus and but so we're not sick pathogens also emerge in other regions. and. it's often areas where many people live close together. at germany's federal research institute for animal health the free trade institute scientists are studying the transmission paths of zone arctic diseases as well as such diseases themselves including ebola and covert 19 global travel plays a major role in spreading pathogens to the current pandemic holidaymakers became super spreaders last march after they got infected at the austrian ski resort of. consumer society has created conditions that ease the transmission of 7 arctic diseases. can reach just about any place on earth without a means of transport within the incubation period of certain pathogens. that means

we can get there without noticing anything we're not sick we're already infected and can carry disease vast distances and spread them from continent to continent for. what can be done to curtail the geographical spreading of disease really embolden hi my research a sustained ability at the phone who for institute for systems and innovation research a list of. everything nowadays is focused on maximizing efficiency and profit that's not sustainable in our systems are not at all resilient a disruption in one area can cause the entire system to fail to prevent a pandemic as a major undertaking so many factors are involved. that we make less likely if we use fewer resources and curtail the destruction of ecosystems. she recommends working at home and video calls rather than business trips and commuting and if one

has to travel using public transport ride sharing more cycling rather than driving alone in one's own car and electric power is better than combustion engines a miss to conserve resources and slow climate change that plays a. role in the spread of so when i take diseases. came up under can i make a change can have an influence especially on vector borne diseases or for disasters diseases transmitted by insects or takes their cold blooded in 1st subject to environmental conditions. if the climate gets warmer they can move to new regions and spread any pathogens they're carrying there as well. as sustainable relationship with the environment would involve changing our consumption habits trying to source food and closing locally boden hummus says we should conserve resources. consuming less doesn't mean they're simply making do

with less it also means finding creative approaches to consumption. for example sharing lending repairing things like buying 2nd hand. in many areas there are viable alternatives to buying everything new children's clothing bicycles your own clothing phone. call from. everybody has a part to play in this. says a comprehensive common strategy is crucial in trying to prevent pandemics in the future. i want to see a one health approach to zone or think diseases. and one on health means looking at the health of humans and animals and the environment as a whole and. they all affect each other. and we need to view it holistically working if we want to come up with meaningful solutions.

so there are things humankind can do to prepare for possible future crises and perhaps prevent them experts say if we carry on as usual things can only get worse . in the oceans to human behavior interferes with sea life ports offshore drilling rigs wind farms they alter the currents and disrupt marine ecosystems overfishing is another problem breeding fish and i could farm seems like a good alternative but the food used in most commercial fish farms also comes from the sea and munich start up ones to replace this conventional fish meal with one made of insect larvae. this insect could be the solution to a common problem in fish farming or aquaculture originally from south america the black soldier fly is now at home all over the world. when mature the flies don't

have a mouth or a stinger so they can't spread diseases they also reproduce very quickly if conditions are right a female lays around a 1000 eggs. the resulting larvae could become an excellent substitute for fish meal. first the eggs have to be harvested before being left to grow on a nutritious substrate last i looked on 300 grams of eggs can yield one tonne of larvae is there extremely resource efficient use of grow very quickly and they can produce regionally so they're very economical source of protein. a lot of the protein and fish water is currently sourced in the scene every year 30000000 tons of fish are taken from the oceans just to make animal it's an ecological disaster such overfishing is causing widespread devastation to marine habitats.

farm insect is a start up spinoff of munich's technological university that aims to produce regionally sourced fish feed its 3 founders have set up their pilot project on a trout farm. feed for the larvae is waste from a nearby flour mill. the young larvae are sprinkled on it and the trains are then stored in a warm and humid climate controlled unit as the larvae grow they turn everything into compost they're not picky don't eat anything. and he chose the black soldier fly because it's larvae are able to process the broadest range of food on this particular important for our aim of creating a regional nutrient cyclist is the 1st she able to eat practically anything makes an imperfect is a go if it guy. after a week the larvae are one and a half centimeters long and ready to be harvested just $1.00 kilos of feed one whole kilo of larvae. an efficient and decentralized way to produce protein.

tomo skin and both gone best of my i have spent over a year on their mission to make fish fodder on a regional and resource efficient basis but they do have one concern fish have an excellent sense of smell and can be rather choosing and their kaleri tastes. is the new design of the fish mind refused to eat the larvae which would be awful after all that hard work you know it will be applied to. predatory fish like these trout need plenty of protein which is why fish beef and tames up to 20 percent mayo from deep sea fishing. elmore vedic and hence the various institute of fisheries he would welcome the prospect of a less fish meal on the feed and not just for ecological reasons.

you should remark to india where the feed is the largest cost factor in modern agriculture and goes up to 70 percent was there because you were so interested not only in the quality of the deed he does for but also its cost effectiveness of his music as a monster and to some. vilhelm bendish is also keen to see the results of the pilot project he's an expert in animal nutrition and has been advising the black soldier fly farmers from the outset. we can do it in 6 fish if you're here a lot about feeding live insects to fish so let's see if it actually works that's the acid test not appropriate not here goes it's feeding time and the 1st scoop of larvae is served. but the fish just ignore them no response. perhaps the larvae aren't to their liking.

and suddenly there's a fear. eating frenzy. on that it was a movie but it was basically this is are going to be if it needs to. be because because i saw it as a prest course the fish are hungry and we've given them a longer so they're getting full. but it clearly worked i don't. over the next few weeks hellmuth vidic and will be checking to see how well the fish thrive on this new feat that means measuring their weight and assessing their state of health. and. that's important information because the larvae is nutritional value changes shortly before they reach the people stage. design with it's crucial to harvest the love of just the right moment just to make them especially appealing to the fish

which is. if all goes well and the project is a success larvae could end up replacing fish meal and saving fish farmers up to 40 percent of their feed costs. sustainable fish food is a good stylist. but agriculture which is becoming more popular around the world also pollutes the seas. algal blooms triggered by chemicals and livestock manure on hold for for the earth's water cycle. but even everyday products we use on a regular basis poison our water. dishwasher tabs a small convenience and bad news for all water supply most brands contain benzo trials all corrosion inhibitor added to protect silverware from rust and losing.

so try as all doesn't degrade easily and accumulates in the environment it suspected of causing hormonal imbalances 100 using fertility points and the fish and other aquatic life. the german environment agency has been sounding the alarm since 26. we talked to various manufacturers about removing it from their products they said it was very important they retain the silver protection because consumers wash silver in the dishwasher which i don't actually because there's not that much silver kultury on the market these days because going to market modern you're phosphate free products the silver protection doesn't work properly anyway. just a sliver which comes british rule. meaning the benzo trans all is of 0 use and the nightmare for sewage some dishwasher discharge seeps into the groundwater via leaky sewer pipes while the rest does make it to the treatment plant but even that benzo

trans old can sneak past based the mechanical and biological processing stages the chemical that makes its way into rivers and streams some 20000000 people get their drinking water from the river rhine and bends or try as the levels go up the further downstream you go. and this is how an ineffective yet hazardous chemical makes its way from dishwasher taps into our drinking water. for parents with. the amounts of benzo trials all aren't that big but it's accumulation in the environment can lead to problematic threshold values that's why we want our european regulations banning those chemicals from detergents and cleaning products. and there are other household products posing a threat to our water supply everything from water proofing spray and carpet fibers to outdoor clothing and teflon frying pans. per floor in $88.00

compounds or p.f.c. comprise around $800.00 chemicals for carbon compounds are extremely stable as well as grease and water repellent and they're virtually non biodegradable after we wash and clean items coated with p.f.c. s. they end up in our sewage and likewise accumulate while their levels remain within acceptable limits p.f.c. said been found in our bloodstream as well as in mother's milk to particular compounds p.f. o. s. and p f o a have been banned in europe animal research has shown that they can cause liver damage and cancer. since the ban toxicologist marie cocco last has observed a decrease in both p.f.c. in the blood but the concentrations found still dangerously high. there are several studies showing

a negative impact on vaccination and immunological responses and with children over the age of one the body's response to influenza different area and tetanus vaccines was reduced to. manufacturers immediately started marketing their products as p.f.c. free instead using other fluorocarbons that could be just as dangerous. this is what they do is replacing substances with others we know far less about it we don't know enough about the toxicology of these short chain substances to be able to make an assessment about the health impact but from initial studies it looks like they have a fairly similar effect. in the trough. something else that should cause an industrial fragrances that can increasingly be found in fish they end up in the water supply don't biodegrade easily and they can be found everywhere from food to detergents

and cosmetics every year gem and manufacturers alone add around $10000.00 tons of the stuff to their products to give them a pleasant smell even glasses cleaning wipes. there are around 2000 different fragrances currently in use and only a fraction of them require labeling as hazardous. could produce this for some fragrances are suspected of affecting our hormones and reproductive system some affect various organs and are suspected of causing cancer and there are fragrances that are believed or proven to lead to contact allergies. through. and that's why we have $26.00 fragrances that have to be declared on products because they've been shown to be allergenic it doesn't mean that other fragrances are not allergenic just that there's been less research going to use it goes into.

industrial fragrances p.f.c. and benza trials old would it be technically possible to filter out these hard to degrade pollutants from all waste water some so each council already testing an additional treatment stay. comp an active filters for example can bind some of the chemicals. and have the option currently being examined is. gas these are all costly procedures that could make waste water up to 20 percent more expensive while still treating the symptoms rather than the cause that's the simplest of who are in favor of sticking to the polluter pays principle meaning these chemicals should not be in use or the cost should be borne by the polluter was offered it for purification stage wouldn't necessarily help and it would just result in costs for the public good my life in fear. unnecessary water pollution 3 redundant additives with consumers left to pick up the tab perhaps it's better to think twice

about the genuine benefits. if our plan is red white flag and even give it. to you the science question you'd like us to answer. send it in as a video text over or smile if we featured on the show you get a little surprise from us as a thank you. can just ask. for more science stories check out our website d.w. dot com slash science or look for us on twitter. this week's question comes from a new fucking tonia from el salvador. what causes ocean currents they flow like vast rivers with no water driven near the shore by the rise and fall of tides at high tide water flows towards the coast at low tide it flows away from it . surface currents of the ocean are propelled by strong persistent winds.

while further down variations in temperature and salinity drives deep ocean currents. cold salty water is denser than warmer water with a low salt content so it sinks towards the bottom of the ocean. the speed of the water flow depends on the topography. of the seabed. the variations in temperature and salt content also cause a phenomenon known as the global conveyor belt it's a system of currents that transports water around the world. ocean currents crucially affect climate for example the humboldt current brings cold water teeming with nutrients from man top ticked to the galapagos islands for 6 months of the year. they feed the tiny plankton on an alkie that form the base of the food chain

providing sustenance for swarms of fish and also for the marine in quanah the only lizard that lives and forage is in the sea. on land meanwhile life in these months is hard there's hardly any rainfall wildlife including the galapagos giant tortoises have to embark on perilous journeys in search of food but in the other half of the year food is available in abundance that's when the wet season comes with a panama current bring in warmer waters. this current isn't nearly as rich in nutrients so much of the island's marine life heads off to colder climes aquatic animals that remain have to make do that finally climate change is taking a toll on ocean currents exactly how is the subject of intense research.

that's it for this edition of tamara today d.w. science but we'll be back again next week until then take care and by.

dreaming of your next major. issues i talked to richard. roth some sharp image on a. road trip to come on. any fighting discovery in the. triggering. coming

up to your. body art that advocates for more freedom. for greater self-determination and for more rights. special portraits for. international women's day. 21. 30 minutes one d w. how does a virus spread. why do we panic and when we'll all miss a country just 3 of the topics covered and the weekly radio program. if you would

like any information on the chrono lara's or any other science topic you should really check out our podcast you can get it wherever you get your podcasts you can also find us at dot com look for an slash science. they were forced into a nameless mass. their bodies near tools. the history of the slave trade is africa's history. describes how the greed for power and for profit plummeted and entire continent into chaos and violence the slave system created the greatest planned accumulation of wealth the world had ever seen up to that moment in time. from its very beginnings until this very day schuman tragedy has shaped the more. this is the journey back into the

history of slavery i think we will truly be making progress when we all accept the history of slavery as all of our history. our documentary series slavery routes starts march 10th on d w. this is news and these are our top stories in central africa the president of equatorial guinea says at least 15 people have been killed in blast said a military base in the city of basra hundreds more injured television quoting the president says the explosion was ju-ju negligent handling of dynamite in military barracks. the saudi led coalition has launched

a series of air strikes on yemen's.