>> hello and welcome to "global 3000," your weekly roundup of the key issues that affect us all. here's what we have coming up for you today. off the street, how a natural i canian organization assists the jobless known as the men on the side of the road. the roof's one's own, we meet the social entrepreneur who helps mexicans get affordable housing. and life's a kindergarten and in mongolia, it's a nomadic one. >> crisis or not, china is growing, and it's growing fast. heavy industry and an increasing number of cars on the roads are two major factors that pushed china's co2 emissions past those of the united states only a few years ago. per capita, the chinese are still relatively modest co2

sinners, but beijing has recognized that it needs to make major investments in new, climate-friendly technologies. some 12 billion euros have been earmarked to develop electric mobility alone. as the next generation of e-cars are already waiting in the garage, china's main form of transport, the bike, is also seeing an electric overhaul. >> business is good at fu lei's shop in beijing. electric bicycles are a popular way to get around in chinese cities, especially in places where regular motorcycles are prohibited. an estimated 20 million electric bikes are sold in china each year. fu's customers come from all walks of life. migrant workers who can't afford cars buy his e-bikes, as well as members of china's new middle class, who want to steer

around the traffic. >> 10 years ago, electric bicycles weren't popular at all. most people back then complained that they were much slower than motorcycles and not as sturdy as bikes. but that's changed in the past few years. there are some really environmentally-conscious people out there, and, of course, the price of fuel has gone up, too. >> but electric bikes are just the beginning. china sees electric mobility as a solution for a number of problems, from urban pollution to the country's dependency on oil imports. christian hochfeld works in china for the g.i.z., germany's international development agency. hochfeld rides an electric bicycle himself, and he wants to promote e-mobility in china as an environmentally-friendly approach to everything from power production to waste disposal. >> today this bike uses lead or lead acid batteries that are

poorly recycled. and, unfortunately, most of the power comes from coal plants that aren't very efficient. g.i.z. wants to help see to it that these scooters run on recycled lithium batteries and renewable power in the future. >> one of hochfeld's main jobs is meeting with chinese government ministries and agencies, catarc, china's automotive technology and research center, is g.i.z.'s main partner on the e-mobility front. catarc also sees a chance for china to be a leader in the emerging market for e-mobile technology. >> we're not far from the international standard when it comes to developing electric cars. we have deficiencies when it comes to classical engineering, but lesser so with electrical technologies. >> thousands of chinese companies are already involved

in the e-mobility market. this factory in tianjin makes electric motors. the santroll company has been in the business for a decade. they start out producing accessories for electric cars. then they started making electric motors for bigger vehicles. now the company wants to sell its products abroad. chinese entrepreneurs already have a strong foothold in the e-mobility industry, and china's large consumer market and lack of regulations leave them plenty of room to test new ideas. >> in china, we benefit from being able to try out our products in small towns to start with. products don't have to be of such high quality. but we learn from that, and we can improve our products. and one day we'll be able to go from making electric bicycles to making really good electric cars. >> the next factory is run by a joint chinese-japanese venture. here, hochfeld takes a look at

how lithium batteries are produced. the battery is the core of e-mobility. without batteries that are both high-performance and affordable, it will be a challenge to bring a large number of electric cars on to the market. more research is needed, and that means it will take years before electric cars are a mainstay on chinese streets. shenzhen is about 2,000 kilometers south of tianjin. hochfeld is on his way to visit chinese carmaker b.y.d., and he's making the trip in an e-car. 300 of these e-6 vehicles are being used as taxiing in shenzhen as part of a pilot project by the government. they can go nearly 100 kilometers before needing to recharge. b.y.d. employs tens of thousands of workers in its factories, but chinese companies have fallen behind in the production of conventional combustion engines.

they're anyway hoping their electric models will be able to compete on the global market. the g.i.z.'s mission in china isn't about technological development. it's geared toward helping companies like b.y.d. develop industry standards and adopt an eco-friendly approach. b.y.d. has its own charging station, which looks a lot like a gas pump. but filling up the battery takes much longer than filling a tank, at least 40 minutes. and charging stations like this one wouldn't be sufficient to accommodate thousands of electric cars on the road. each parking space would need to have its own power outlet, and making that happen won't be easy. the last stop is at a factory that recycled batteries, in changsha, in china's southern hunan province. the plant is a leader in an industry that's still largely unknown. in the past, batteries were simply thrown away or

inadequately disposed of. the lead acid batteries used in electric cars are especially bad for the environment. still, sustainability is a relatively new concept in china. back in beijing, the market for mobility is huge. hundreds of millions of people dream of owning their own cars one day. the government hopes they'll turn to electric bicycles and cars, even if they're powered by coal-fired plants. >> you can't completely prevent emissions. we're not talking about zero emissions. but they're being shifted to the place where the power's being generated, to the power plants. it's easier to filter them there than it is here in road traffic. >> the chinese government has identified e-mobility as a key industry in its current five-year plan. despite those goals, pollution and high co2 emissions will

still be a part of daily life here in the years to come. >> now, we all know how misleading statistics can be. so, when i tell you that namibia has one of the highest per capita incomes in africa, that sounds like the country could be a potential role model for social development. but the money it makes from its rich diamond and uranium deposits goes right into the pockets of a very small group of people. so, while being one of the richest countries in africa, the united nations has singled out namibia as one of the greatest offenders in terms of income eke wagity. unemployment is at around 50%. against this backdrop, one small organization tries to make a difference by supporting the jobless men on the street to help themselves. >> amutenya simon is hoping to get some work today. this parking lot in namibia's capital, windhoek, is a

gathering place for day laborers, men on the side of the road, m.s.r., is a nongovernmental organization that helps people like simon find work. >> hello. >> today is his lucky day. he gets a call from m.s.r. the n.g.o. has found him a job to the day and tells him where he has to go. he sets off in a taxi, leaving the other men still waiting in the parking lot. his task today is to clean out this yard. simon is unskilled. he left school at 16, and his chances of finding a steady job are slim. as a day laborer, he earns the equivalent of about 10 euros a day. >> i'm in a good mood today. i'm making money, and money is the solution to most of my

problems. so, i'm very happy to be here today. >> at m.s.r.'s headquarters, simon is learning how to use a computer. that would make it possible for him to put together job applications. it takes simon a while to learn basic computer skills. m.s.r. has 600 members in windhoek. not only does it find people jobs, it also helps them get training. today simon is trying to find out about skilled trades he could learn. the n.g.o.'s goal is to help people help themselves. >> is anybody interested? >> they're spending eight or nine or 10 hours a day looking for work, but in quite a passive way. we are trying to get them to be more proactive and to take control of their job search and to use the facilities that we

offer, the photocopying, the c.v. writing, the use of the telephone, the use of the fax, to actively seek work. compared to other countries in subsaharan africa, the per capita income in namibia is relatively high. before the global financial crisis, its economy was growing by 5% per year. but about 50% of namibians do not have steady jobs. >> that is, unfortunately, a typical problem, not only for namibia, but for southern africa as a whole. we have the same pattern in zimbabwe, south africa, some in malawi. the region is characterized by that. what it means is the economic growth focus on a small formal sector which is normally mining, retail, hospitality, and a bit of manufacturing. but the vast majority that makes ends meet in the informal economy and in the rural ago couple yalt economy is not

counted in at all. >> the township of katutura, on the outskirts of windhoek, was not during the apartheid era. amutenya simon shares this hut with his two sisters. his wife lives with their daughter in the north of namibia, where he originally comes from. they see each other only every three months or so. simon is hoping to train as an electrician. he got a place on a training program once before, but didn't take it. now m.s.r. is giving him a second chance. he repaired this radio himself. >> if all goes well, i'd like my child to come to windhoek, at least for a vacation or go to school. but for the time being, that's not possible because this hut is so small and there would be no one to look after her.

but once i get a steady job, i'll send for her. >> one day simon would like to run his own business. but for now, he wakes up every morning not knowing if he'll get work that day or not. >> nobody should have to sleep outside just because they can't afford a roof over their head. that's the conviction of frances co-piazessis, a mexican entrepreneur who wants all his fellow countrymen and women to have access to basic housing and services, no matter how poor. he brings microcredits and building know-how into some of the most forgotten corners of his country. there he encourages people to build your own home, and he literally gives them the tools to do exactly that. >> buenos aires. coma esta?

>> fran chess co-piazessi is visiting the yucatan peninsula in southeastern mexico. he wants to convince the people there to build new houses. >> do you know how our program works? you should ask. hello. what's your name? >> he carefully tries to draw people into conversation. most of the local residents can't even imagine being able to afford a new home. they have no bathroom, so this is where they have to wash. norinda imenez is a single parent. she says she'd like to have a new house. >> they're nice, yes, but i have to be able to pay for it. >> if you start saving money and join the program, you could pay for the house a bit at a time. you don't have to pay a thousand pesos every month. you just pay as much as you

can. do you want to join? >> yes, that would be good. >> norinda and her brother live in xpujil, a village of 1,500. the project has already built 120 new houses here. francesco piazessi founded the organization eight years ago. before that, he ran a construction firm. as a father, he's also interested in helping children have a better future. >> i want everyone to have the same start in life. it's a question of justice. we can't have a sustainable society when families of nine live in a room with a dirt floor in extremely unhygienic conditions. what kind of a future will that family, that child have, when nine people sleep on the floor every night? that's just hellish.

>> the residents get microfinancing from the state government to build the homes. a house costs just under 7,500 euros. no one here thinks they'll manage to pay back the entire loan on their own. that's why they're helping out themselves with the construction. >> when the people here help build the house, they make it their own. producing the materials themselves and using them to build their house, that means they're becoming a part of the house, and that's the important thing. >> francesco piazessi invented a machine that uses cement and sandstone to make the bricks for the walls. he's often approached by politicians who ask him to bring his project to underdeveloped areas. the politicians then arrange for financial support.

>> mexico has a shortage of nearly six million homes. 30 million people live under plastic or cardboard roofs. all the money in the world can't solve that on its own. we also have to work on social integration. they should only have to pay a small amount toward the cost of building a house. we need a new social community, to re-create a sense of community. >> we head 100 kilometers to the northeast. this is an impoverished region. people here survive on sub cyst ens farming and raising a few animals. we're in the middle of the jungle, and the road ends here. it's 50 kilometers from the nearest town. the project has helped nine

families here build homes. francesco piazessi is checking it out six months after the completion of construction. >> come here. it's fine. that's the camera. >> the villagers are still a bit reticent. >> i'm happy, because now i have a solid roof over my head. it's better. what more could i want? >> they greet us like friends, everyone who helped here. and that's the most satisfying part, the best thanks we could get. the houses are here now, and the people have shelter for themselves and their belongings. >> now the parents and their 10 children are living in their new house. they sleep in hammocks due to the humidity. and they have a proper toilet now. it took them about five years to save up the deposit, about

170 euros. unlike the old houses, the new ones have ecologically-friendly features, like a scistern to collect rain water. francesco piazessi has to say goodbye. he's heading for a new construction site near cancun. >> how to deal with globalization has become one of the most central challenges of our time. what do you think? is globalization a problem in itself, or is it part of the solution to many problems we face today? we'd like to hear your views. and today we get some answers from the united states. >> my name's eran phillips. i'm 20 years old. i live in southeast washington, d.c.

i'm in college. this is my second year. this is a summer job, but advertising is great. it's a great way to stay in shape in the summertime when you don't have the time to go to a gym. you got to please the people. you got to give the people a show while they're at a red light. this climate change is really getting worse. i mean, the way the heat is, harsh summers and brutal winters, it's really something people want to look out for.

globalization is just everybody working together, moving towards one common goal to help the earth. just like every other kid in my spare time, i like to go out and have fun, play basketball or football, video games here and there, just go to the movies. nothing too special, you know, just whatever suits me. what mix me happy is that i can actually go outside and provide for myself. there's a way that i can support myself without always asking my parents to help me out. i would actually want to go to italy, yeah. it's foreign, it's across the

waters. it's a new experience, different people, just a great chance to broaden my horizons. >> and finally today, we would like to take a long to a very unusual kindergarten. it's in a tent in mongolia. and for many of the children, it's the first time they get to play with any other kids besides their siblings. that's because around a third of mongolians still live as notice mads, and their children mostly grow up on the steppe. so the mobile kindergarten becomes their first group experience. see for yourself. >> a traditional mongolian dance. the children here are practicing together. many of them have never played with children outside their families before. in a few days from now, they'll be performing in public.

>> the children come from notice in addition i can families. they've never seen the dances before. it's all completely new to them. >> this man used to be a professional dancer and instructor. but his real goal isn't teaching the dance itself. it's more about learning how to learn. most of the children have never seen a classroom before. this mobile kindergarten wants to change all that. the 30 children came here three weeks ago to learn together as a group. >> many of the children were excluded from school, and kindergartens in town have also seen enrollments decline. the parents asked for help. that's how we got started. >> like almost 70% of mongolia's nomads, orgil's family moves on to new grazing land several times a year.

orgil has never been to kindergarten and has had little contact with other children. >> winter camp can be heard. he has just one friend and his little sister. summer is the only time he can play and meet other children. >> fortunately, the mobile kindergarten is stationed near where his family grazed their herd. now the parents can focus on their work, and their children can get a head start on school. >> children who have gone to kindergarten tend to be better at learning once they go to school. that's one of the main benefits of the mobile kindergartens. >> the children learn how to read and do arithmetic. nearly 100,000 families have sent their children to kindergartens like these. the parents get a chance to see how valuable education can be for their children.

each mobile kindergarten session ends with a talent show. after final preparations, the show is underway. this little 4-year-old isn't entirely convinced that performing should be fun. but the parents are won over by the show. they're impressed with how much their children have learned in just a few weeks. and once the show is over, the mobile kindergarten packs up to move on. they're in a hurry because they want to reach as many children as possible. and here on the mongolian steppe, summer will soon be over. >> and as always, you can find plenty more information online at dw-world.de/global3000. and that's all we have time for on this edition of thanks for watching watching. bye-bye.