[000:00:00;00] ah, [000:00:00;00] ah, toxic chemicals has little substances, boys. these come from pollutants are everywhere. even often in the air, the breed can cause huge problems, put, i hope, and also for the health of the planet. luckily, the actions we can take to reduce the solution. that's what we'll be looking at today on eco india. some of that. let's start with air pollution. it's a major problem in india. in 2017, it was the cause of over

a 1000000 deaths. to clear the air that's still a lot we need to understand about the way pollution spreads new monitoring systems in delhi promise to help with that. let's see how the ah marine granddaddy was born in delhi. she grew up here and played on the streets, something that had gotten very liter unable to do because of the pollution. studies show, the air quality and the new capital has steadily deteriorated. its air quality index on why is among the worst. and the 120 years ago, one of the leading doctors, he said that ok bobby. and if you are okay with your children playing basketball in the so if you, i then remember that between the 2 of them, one will be fighting cancer in their early twenties and the dam. i goes already. so, so these things, you know, they, they hit do,

i mean every time i say that i get simple hovering cannady regularly test the air in her neighborhood. the 49 year old join forces with other mothers to establish warrior moms for 20 years. the nationwide association has been campaigning for clean it and against the use of fossil fuels, environmental experts, and only that only georgia 3 has spent decades campaigning on the issue. delhi has more and quality meters than any other indian city of the town status don't in the regular nation. wide sensors, few collect any data at all. if you look at the number of sensors sounds that we have and that's more than 4000 trends that we had it, india, we are barely able to monitor it in about 10 percent of the cities and towns of india as up to date shall, less than 400 to teach today have air quality monitoring systems. daily

started measuring air quality 50 years ago. the levels were already extremely poor due to industry and diesel emissions. the city then pass laws and installed air filters. there are now 40 large, extensive measuring stations in you all is not allowed in daddy, daddy fields have been banned. ok. much more pigs show data than sure. does that, would it be due to time daily has been able to reduce pollution by this quarter percent, but now this will not, because the i monetary that yes we have taken action. so the pollution levels in delia now not going the long don't pollution trend is are not increasing further but we had bent the pollution their days helping us to understand that but the same game days also helping us. you understand that even after the tubing, while this dentist, dennis took i to pollution and you measuring technique using more laid we'd sensors

is designed to help installing several intersections in a neighborhood and recorded the air quality daily and different games. the city of global omnia delhi has already installed each of the sensors. if the air values address are on high, the traffic is regulated differently. the devices can be moved to different locations as necessary. the company behind the sensors save the business world is also digging and interest doesn't play with companies. we're having solar system for lamina in the campuses. just to ensure that the ad in the campuses is good and it is good for the workforce. late. i have heard that a company they have listed in the you the legal incentive limited for bears on they are going to be there is an order they often available it in the fed gone up. and if i didn't even bicycles, and now the elevator global it index, which is good for our than $11.00 and good for the new sensors are up to 20 times

deeper then conventional devise is another argument for local authorities to invest in them. daily is now planning to use the sensors at 13 locations in the city where air quality, specifically bad environmental activist marine godaddy can hardly read for denison liter. anything that you don't see a leg. i figured you'd end up saying that it's not happening. so it's very important to bring in the data and the, the issue i monitors and i lead should be something that a very easy and all with the real dime daydar management. you know, it can be a totally different o contribution going and offered critical ah, marine and heidi and had organization warrior mom's wanted to become a matter of course that people in india monitor the air quality just like they look up the bees weather forecast,

clean renewable energy is good for the environment or so we pink bio mass in wards re growing resources and using best to make energy. and it sounds like a perfect, we'll turn a dive, power source. it's currently responsible for 5 per cent of energy globally. but how clean is it really? let's find out all the non appeals, not shells and other left over foods can actually power the device you're watching this on. it's called biomass energy. not just left overs would plants all animal theses can also be a source of electricity or heat. we are surrounded by biomass and as such by opportunities, trash from the dump as well as waste from homes. restaurants all forms all provide suitable organic matter. the collected waste is cleaned at a processing plant, a temperatures of around $55.00 degrees celsius. the waste is sealed off from

oxygen and eaten up by bacteria in a, by a reactor. this process called anaerobic digestion generates gas that contains high quantities of me. they, it's a powerful source. we're generating electricity and heat once it's fed into the gas grain. oh, it can also be used to power natural gas vehicles. the left over bio mass can be used as composites for farming, for example, taking the whole process circular by a gas plants of this time exist all over the world. in europe, there are around 20000 there are 2200 bio gas plants in the u. s. and about the same in thailand, malaysia and indonesia, combined by a gas plans produce only a quarter of the c o. 2 emissions that coal plants emit. and bio mass energy has

one mortgage advantage over solar and wind in that it's on demand. so you don't care if the wind's glowing, sun shining. but there is a catch by a me sane can leak from these facilities. this gases ability to wound the planet is much greater than that of c o. 2 and bio gas facilities are only sustainable as long as waste is used. if crops are cultivated for the purpose, it's not viable. the same is true of biofuels produced from bio mass like bio ethan all by a diesel. the crops will them need to be grown and that takes away space will food crops, or even to plates, forests, and biodiversity. as is happening with palm oil, trees in indonesia, sugar cane in brazil and rapes seed in germany. would pallets are an alternative and increasingly popular biofuel. but researchers say there is strong evidence that natural forests and habitats in eastern europe and north america are being

destroyed by the rising demand for would pellets through illegal logged. u. s. e. u and british policy makers have classified woody bio mass as renewable, and therefore, governments are subsidizing the production and burning of wood pellets. produces are required to reforest areas. so the c o 2 that is released while burning pellets is re absolved. but a study found that depending on the type of forest it could take between 44 and 100 full years until nearly planted trees can absorb the same amount of carbon sucked up by the ones that were cut down over a 100 year period. hands down, trees or pine anyway, climb any these egg cross arm or a good source of energy over a 100 years. over 25 years over 40 years. frankly, they probably more especially when forests play another crucial role.

countries are spending money, they should be spending on true renewables like wind and solar, on this energy source. ah, that's not going to get us where we need to be asked to plan and fast growing plans could be another option because the carbon emitted could be absorbed again, much more quickly than in trees. can you make bio mass, a sustainable and a have you make sure it has a positive carbon impact answers? yes. but then you have to get into the details of what kind of bio mass, what kind of lan? ultimately, most forms of biomass pretend to be better than they are burning would alone, for example, is not a solution because even if it's sourced sustainably, it's still produces emissions. would waste can however be digested by the tyria at

a bio gas facility and organic products like that. banana peel powering your phone can help manage waste the cycles to de bio mass, energy covers, and he is small part of our world wide demand. it can work in combination with other renewables, but it's not scalable to be our main energy source in the future. from renewable energy, electric vehicles, many countries of encouraging a transition to electric mobility. it will move the world away from harmful fossil fuels like gasoline and oil, but it still means a compromise for the environment as far as a walk to go are figuring out. every morning nelson, comas walked through his barn with a heavy heart. he wonders how much longer he will be able to keep his cattle many who live here in cova stiletto. so in northeastern portugal farm for a living. but that could soon change because of a lithium mine, them to fly them without getting the msm that we added on. we're talking about

meaning on a huge scale for that a school but a all the rocky debris will find out what the volumes of water that will be consumed. nobody the noise boulevard. would you pull up and we're right next door. would a sound equinox, them won't bross him an entire village feels threatened and is intent on blocking the project? this banner reads no to the mine. yes. to life. these signs say together we resist . yeah, no son gomez. and his neighbors have founded a citizen's initiative. carlos gone 5 as is also on board. he's a beekeeper concerned about the impact on his $450.00 hives. what i mean, the rosalie? yes, not the mind here will use as much water as the whole community. so where's or that water supposed to come from the yeah, we don't have it. sure. we can redirect a stream from what streams have already been drawing up more in recent years. guess went circles. this is

a consequence of climate change. yet lithium mining is part of a solution to fight global warming. these pictures show what lithium mines look like. the harmful alkaline metal is used to produce batteries. in turn, these are used to store electricity, also from renewable sources. portugal is thought to have the largest lithium reserves in europe. test drilling has already been conducted near cova sto, but also for most people here. however, this wealth is a curse. even in boutique us, the regions mean administrative town. we only found one person in favor of the project you both gave with them, but i think it's important that we facilitate the lithium my all the do. we can't always just think about the environmental to my. and we've also got to think about the economy that that may make one me it would appear the portuguese government is

also intent on extracting the lithium, the ministry of environment and climate action informed us. it was committed to the european green deal and wanted to help ensure that europe could meet its own lithium needs. the light metal could soon be extracted just over 100 kilometers to the south of co vestal, but also in vila garcia where courts mines already exist and where there's less resistance from the largely older population. get it also, all people here are used to mining rehab ludo, horror. and i'm not sure what the plan is or whether it will be beneficial to us. murphy acc? indeed again, oh, some say it will create jobs and we need those jobs. the ill this makes their job all the more difficult. josi alameda and his friends are raising awareness or would birth in neighboring trend causal. they want to inform locals. their argument is that lithium mining represents

a dramatic encroachment on the natural world. not they see the moon to the full gobble. there's not been enough information about will still mean for people living close to the minus the also to some extent it fight is being pushed through behind people's back or leave us liberal blossom. 20 kilometers away and pin. yes. the mayor even has plans to sue the portuguese government. louis ventura says, just the years of preparatory exploration on 40 percent of the land unsettled investors. he expects europe to look for less aggressive alternatives. told us i remembered the ticket then we all know how important listeners go for him. but we also know that there are other options without lithium. i thought of as the lead you. but we should continue to investigate those others, but cannot bullish in the thought thought a hug we have to let the scientists do their work. it always europe's always saying that, but doesn't do it. opa, avella in lawsuit. no son,

gomez. the farmer from cove us, the letter whistle also knows that for now, lithium is crucial for meeting climate targets. but he says the price is just too high. they will not be the so law. we have a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. here he said, the boys on it leading fools in our land and destroy everything walks. then i wonder what will become of our region after the minds of lou leanne good should have been then as i was young, the boy that brought us on that means just 4 years ago, the you enlisted his home region as a globally important heritage system because people live in harmony with nature. those here are not willing to give that up. they're also fighting climate change in their own way. multi layer plastic is widely used for wrapping in packaging. in india, it accounts for some 50 percent of plastic pollution. one initiative is trying to

make sure this plastic waste gets collected and recycled in the process. it's helping disadvantaged women and living upon the cong is working on a typical indian hand. but it is not so fred, for a sorry that is on her spindle. she is reading a strips of plastic into fabric. she works at eagle curry, social, and broaden put on the trans women from disadvantage background to op cycle single use plastic. me godaddy guy. before i joined equal guardy, i had no idea that we could make things from plastic potato chip backs. i was so learned that they had to be cutting a certain v to bd wednesday. right? you know, the, my la the west come from all over india work and segregate and wash it before cutting it into strips to handcraft fabric that is used for items like bags, cushion covers, and blunders. since it was founded in 2020,

the company's team of 25 has up cycle close to 2000000 plastic bags. eco cardi works with a specific type of refused, multi layered plastic or m l. b. in addition to plastic, m b includes layers of other materials like paper and maggie, that's on it. a reputation as an un recyclable material. y m l fees. i'm ordering this i believe because they are people fall is in a plastic. and each and every layer has different mo, mailing points. so, oh, in the traditional we offer recycling, they put it, i made it under mcdaniel's, old of everybody else. what with this kind of placing a can not do it, because uh, aluminum foil and everything, as in mary and the same point i'm of these are widely used by manufacturer was of ready to eat foods, toiletries and pharmaceutical products. they're lightweight,

easy to cross boat and cheap to produce in india and the account for some 50 percent of plastic pollution. simply about a growth has been collecting plastic and the garbage in tune the since you were the child with speakers in india and have long faced economic exploitation and socialist digging in buena though there is growing recognition of their contribution to waste management in 2008 their union and the city deemed up with the grassroots organization swatch cooperative to build a network of 4000 west, because most of them in the segregate waste for 2 thirds of boone as households sought, has also partnered with id, seen one of indiana's largest conglomerates, and develop a program to incentivize the collection of multi layered blasting but buying vis, refused directly from best workers and channeling it into recycling. to this project, we are able to actually create

a market value using support from the project or to buy this kind of waste from waste. because in doing so, we are able to not only pick up the plastic oh, that's causing a problem for waste management. but we're also able to pass on that benefit directly through the waste because of from the city. so far, the project has diverted around 1000 metric tons of emerald be away from landfill. that's more than 200000000 packages of chips where speakers monthly earnings have increased due. now that they have buyers for emily be rubbers hot. now we can sell all the plastic rappers and not just a selection japanese on biscuits. it's jessica jet ne parcel packaging everything is the he did the this factory marashi says it's

a myth that multi layer plastics gone be recycled. the material accounts for 40 percent of the raised that has been processed here or the past 50 years. actually m l p hugley lake out about i got and gather is yet what caused did auntie lot of people doing emily processing because it is costly and lengthy process. once the aml be processed, it can be used to make not just fabric, but items like benches, dustbins and even diamonds. but i will be recycling is a labor intensive process that also uses a lot of water and pop. most of the amine be risk that is collected still ends up and landfills or gets in some a rated which adds to the air pollution in years. it's still a long way from facing out multi lead plastic, but initiatives like thought and he could gaudy a, creating a part for positive change. pollution isn't always just that sometimes possibilities to find a useful it like the greenhouse gas,

carbon dioxide, for example. once captured, it can be used to make something very useful. our reporter was thrilled to learn about a new use from canada. hey, ever heard of this? you can build houses with god. ah, no joke. you can make concrete out of carbon dioxide. well that's what i heard from a start up in canada. wait, did i hear that? hey madison, can your company really make concrete out of thin air? we can, it's actually me concrete out of out of been here. what we do is we have a c o 2 embedded or enhanced supplementary material, the very long word. but essentially it's an additive that can replace a portion of cement in a concrete met, okay?

not really concrete odyssey or to but something that replaces a part of the cement confused. let's break it down. concrete is basically made out of 3 ingredients, cement, sand, and water. and it seems to me that it is everywhere. right madison colgate right now is the 2nd house you substance on earth, other than water. currently, the rate of growth emitted the built environment is about equivalent to building one new york city every month while building houses and infrastructure. the great thing with a little problem. this is the bad guy. the production of cement, emits enormous amounts of c, o. 28 percent of all greenhouse gases are caused by the construction industry. that's huge. madison said her company has a solution. a substitute made out of surprising ingredients,

industrial waste like ashes and c o 2. when you have time to process technology and that kind of comes in the form of a very large reactor, especially how it works is we put our solid heat into the vessel. and then we pressurized that with c o 2. and we rotate the vessel for a number of hours. okay, let's go industrial risk like ayesha and you are to ah, okay. what's happening in a chemical process? the c o 2 molecule men of the lives with the industrial ashes. it is as if the greenhouse gas fossilize is a completely different material comes out and it can replace up to 40 percent of the cement the production does not emit greenhouse gas,

it absorbs it. in other words, the climate damage in greenhouse gas is trapped in the concrete madison. you want to build the future with the waste of today me project that i 2030 will be able to achieve 600, make tons of carbon reduction. good luck. using human substitutes can to make the construction industry completely green, but it can at least make it a bit greener with so much pollution in the world. it's easy to feel overwhelmed and do nothing. but there are people looking for ways to tackle this problem. and every small solution is a step forward to a better world, if you will. one of them let us know on eco, india a d, w dot com until next time from all of us in india and germany,

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