host: welcome to “global 3000.” in caracas, a rooftop cinema project connects communities. monkeys are on the loose in a city in thailand. and nuclear power stations -- climate saviors or dangerous relics? zaporizhzhia, in war-torn ukraine, is the location of europe's largest nuclear facility. since the russian invasion it

has repeatedly come under attack. officials in moscow and kyiv blame each other. according to the international atomic energy agency, the situation is serious. if the shelling continues, it could result in a nuclear disaster with effects that would reach far beyond ukraine. radiation knows no borders. there are currently 409 active nuclear reactors in operation worldwide. the usa has the largest number of them, followed by france, china, russia, south korea, and india. on average, they have been in operation for around 31 years. in the past year, nuclear power accounted for just under 10% of worldwide energy production. many countries are continuing to rely on nuclear power, and even want to expand its use. their motivation is climate change and the threat of an impending blackout. reporter: a terrifying threat to the planet. but for others, a risk worth taking. nuclear power is divisive. china and india have been

mping upheir capities to get electrity to hundreds of millions more people without chiraising emissions.been other countries from germany to japan have been switching off plants because they're worried about safety. do we need nuclear energy to stop climate change? and should we risk it? we've probably all heard of the infamous chernobyl disaster in 1986. a reactor went out of control and blew up after overheated uranium melted through protective barriers. the disaster at chernobyl was the worst in the history of nuclear power generation. let's fast-forward 25 years. in 2011, an earthquake and tsunami struck the coast of japan, killing more than 19,000 people and sending three nuclear reactors at the fukushima plant into meltdown. with disasters like these, it's no surprise people find nuclear power apocalyptic. but take a look at the numbers

and that fear doesn't hold up. compared to renewable sources of energy, nuclear has killed more people for each terawatt hour of electricity than it's generated. but let's put that in the context of fossil fuels. the death rates from burning gas, oil, and coal make nuclear seem almost as safe as solar or wind. that's because burning fossil fuels releases toxic particles that damage our lungs and hearts. the air pollution they cause kills an estimated eight million people a year. comparing nuclear and co is like comparing planes and cars. while we obsess about plane crashes, far more people die on the road than in the air for every kilometer they travel. but plane crashes make the headlines and so they seem even scarier. same goes for nuclear disasters. sama: if you compare the nuclear industry with all the other industries, certainly fossil fuels, the number of fatalities is really minimal.

reporter: but so far, there have been few nuclear disasters in history. a new catastrophe could change the entire discourse. beyond that, radioactive waste could claim many lives in the future. more about that later. the fact that nuclear energy is safer thanossil fuelis one reason why some people are changing their minds about nuclear power. the bigger one is that, in terms of climate change, nuclear is clean. its co2 emissions are about as low as solar and wind over its lifetime and it also provides a pretty constant supply of electricity. as countries kick fossil fuels out of their energy grids, nuclear could provide steady baseload for when the sun isn't shining and the wind's not blowing. michael: 10 years ago, i changed my mind about nuclear energy, i realized that we needed nuclear energy to solve climate change. reporter: but does quitting nuclear mean burning more fossil fuels? let's look at germany.

it's been shutting down nuclear plants for decades. ms. merkel: i want to say completely openly here, as a supporter of the peaceful use of nuclear ener, my view on nuclear energy has changed since the events in japan. repter: shortly after the fukushima disaster, german chancellor angela merkel announced a nuclear phase-out. a decision that may have proved costly. a study in 2019 estimated that quitting nuclear slowed germany's coal exit so much that it led to 1100 more deaths than expected from breathing dirty air each year. the annual social cost is $12 billion. but that's only half the story. germany's electricity emissions actually later fell as renewables pushed coal out of the mix. and energy experts say the massive expansion of renewables was only politically possible because the government agreed to quit nuclear. murielle:

you can argue it both ways. probably, germany would have been able to reduce its emissions a bit quicker a bit fferently, but also that supported really the uptake of renewabl, also not oy in germany but globally. reporter: this is muriel gagnebin, an expert on nuclear power. she says renewable energies are cheaper than building new nuclear plants. it's not the same as keeping existing nuclear plants online for longer. murielle: building new nuclear capacities, as it looks now, is very expensive. it's at least twice as expensive as prolonging nuclear. reporter: but there'a catch here -- old reactors are more dangerous and need to be retrofitted to stay safe. and what about the nuclear waste? spent fuel rods stay radioactive for tens of thousands of years. and it's not only the rods -- all the concrete and metal exposed to radiation can't just be thrown away. decommissioning a nuclear plant can take decades. the problem is, even after 70 years of nuclear power generation, nobody has found a proven way to get rid of the waste for good. jan:

my name is jan haverkamp, a nuclear expert for greenpeace in eastern europe. reporter: this is haverkamp on a boat in 2018 trying to stop a nuclear plant he fears could end up dumping radioactive waste into the ocean. nuclear waste is something even nuclear advocates are sometimes unsure about. it's toxic, radioactive, and, in the wrong hands, could even be used for radioactive or dirty bombs. jan: all these things come together in highly radioactive waste that needs to be kept out of the environment for roughly up to a milon years. that's a really big challenge. reporter: the industry solution for nuclear waste? to bury it deep underground, isolating the waste inside rock or clay to stop radiation reaching the surface. finland is set to open the world's first deep geological storage facility in 2023 to permanently deal with its nuclear waste. pasi: we think that deep in the finnish bedrock, 450 meters deep, in a kind of concret

pa of bedrocis the saft place to put them down there. it's always better than in temporary storage at the ground level. reporter: this is pasi tuohimaa from posiva, the company that designed the facility. but if the site posiva is building at olkiluoto in western finland is the only one in the world, and it hasn't even been built yet, can we really trust that the technology will work forever? pasi: well of course, if it hasn't been started there hasn't been a prototype. but even in olkiluoto we have been doing 30 years of research, and all kinds of possible leaks and things that might happen, they have been considered. reporter: that might not convie environmentalists worried about contamination and even potential terror attacks in the distant future. but even they agree the idea needs research. the world already has half a

century's worth of nuclear waste to deal with. so what does this all mean for us? do we really need nuclear power to stop climate change? well, it can clearly help. nuclear is as safe as renewable energy in terms of lives lost and could balance out a clean energy mix, but we still can't be sure the waste won't come back to hurt us in the future. host: animals -- and not just pets -- are part of daily life in cities. disappearing habitats and the search for food have drawn them closer to humans. the noise of the city doesn't bother them, and the conditions can be perfect for them to thrive. but when animal populations explode, it can lead to conflicts between man and beast. that's what's happening in a city in thailand. reporter: monkeys everywhere.

>> they come inside and steal stuff from the shelves. reporter: they devour everything they can find. >> here in the town there's no natural food source for them, there's no fruit growing anywhere. reporter: the monkeys have become a scourge. many of them are actually sick. >> they have similar problemsh blood pressure, obesity. reporter: the evening rush hour in lopburi is a perfect opportunity for these long-tailed macaques. anyone who hasn't stashed their groceries away doesn't stand chance. the monkeys are nimble and completely brazen. not to mention very hungry. hunger has made them unafraid

of crowds and traffic. the macaques collect around the town's ancient temple complex and are traditionally seen as sacred. that's why there are reservations about reducing their numbers. plus, they've always been a tourist magnet. the visitors who like to feed them bring the town a lot of money. but since the pandemic, tourists are staying away. videos posted to social media show what's happening in lopburi as a result -- hordes of monkeys rampaging through the streets, fighting for scraps of food and defending their patches. residents are feeling increasingly terrorized by the gangs of marauding macaques. small business owners in particular are suffering. taweesak srisaguan runs a paint and varnish shop. it's been ransacked by monkeys

more than once. these days he''s taken to keeping stuffed toy tiger heads in the store to frighten them off. taweesak: otherwise the monkeys steal from the store and cause havoc. so putting out the tiger heads helps, at least a bit. some of the monkeys realize they aren't real, but they still scare some of them away. reporter: the store next door has the same problem. patiphan and suthip tantiwong sell car parts. the business has been in the family for generations. the couple actually like animals, and even feed the monkeys now and then. but still, they say they've become a plague, and are a growing problem. patiphan: they come inside and steal stuff from the shelves. the older ones listen to me when i tell them off, and i like them. but the young ones are cheeky.

i don't like them and i shoo them away. reporter: she's even installed a grid to keep them out. the trouble is, most people in lopburi who feed the monkeys do so out of kindness, but it doesn't do them any good. locals often give them cartons of juice and all sorts of other sugary snacks. the monkeys snatch it all up, but none of it is filling, and it makes them hyperactive. manus wimuktipan works in animal welfare and is one of the few people in lopburi who understands how their diet is affecting the monkeys' behavior. his organization raises money to buy them fresh fruit such as melons instead.

manus: here in the town there's no to buy them fresh fruit such as natural food source for them, there's no fruit growing anywhere. they depend on people for their food. as soon as they see a human, they expect to find food. that's why their behavior has changed. reporter: no one knows the exact size of the macaque population in the town. according to some estimates, there are 6000 of them, while others suggest the number is closer to 20,000. this is where many of them live, an abandoned cinema in the middle of lopburi. manus wimuktipan shows us what the building used to look like. outside, the monkeys are busily chomping on corncobs. this vendor didn't manage to sell everything, so let them have the leftovers.

>> i feel sorry for them. they have nothing. and they're part of the town. reporter: many here agree with him. but clearly, this is no life for them. even if it is the only life they've ever known. this could be one solution to the problem -- an enclosure on the outskirts of town. it would be a refuge for the macaques, and they'd be properly fed. but unfortunately, tre are delays to its construction, and the plan is proving expensive. neighbors are also protesting. they don't want monkeys living delayson their doorstep.on, and tveterinarian juthamsa supanam was born in lopburi and also sees the monkeys as a piece of local tradition. but for years she's been seeing a decline in their health, and an increase in accidents.

juthamsa: many are obese and therefore less nimble when they cross streets. in general, they have many of the same problems as humans. they have very high cholesterol levels in their blood. that's because of what they're eating. reporter: today, she looks after monkeys that have been injured. but she also regularly sterilizes them, as per the authorities' instructions. the plan is to reduce their numbers that way, but it's an uphill battle. juthamsa: we need a sterilization quota of 75%, otherwise their numbers will keep rising. we've managed just 15%, so there's a long way to go. it's a problem in other towns in thailand too, not just here. reporter:

this macaque's life has been saved. but there's no sustainable long-term plan to look after the monkeys of lopburi, and the animal welfare workers believe they deserve better. host: the coronavirus caused massive damage worldwide, to peoples' health, the economy, and society as whole. according to the world health organization, w.h.o., during the first year of the pandemic, the number of people struggling with psychological problems like anxiety and depression increased by 25%. but there are creative projects underway to help fight the mental health crisis. reporter: the redbrick shanty homes rise steeply on the hills of petare, in the east of caracas. home to jimmy perez, petare is

one of the largest slums in the world. the flat rooftops here are called platabandas. these open spaces gained new significance during the covid-19 pandemic. jimmy: it's a place on the roof of a house made with construction materials. in the populated areas, the platabanda is a social space where people celebrate birthdays, fifteenth-year birthdays. carnival activities take place here. the platabanda holds people's memories. it guards a family's most treasured feelings. reporter: the rooftops became the base for the project cine platabanda. launched in the first months of the pandemic, it used outdoor cinema to relieve residents confined to their homes. the events have continued beyond the quarantines and lockdowns, and expanded to

include live music. more than 200 screenings have now been held, with several scheduled each month. the project was a reaction to the increased level of violence and suicide experienced during the pandemic. the project's co-organizer and jimmy's twin brother jaime explains the program. jaime: there are children's films and documentary films, one imrtant film which deals with the fight against depression. this is for a population that is living through trauma and going through the process of mourning and sadness. also, the scars left by venezuela's social situation. all of that was projected onto our platabanda cinema screens, which was welcomed by the community, and generated awareness. the result was the level of violence was reduced. reporter: as the film ends, residents

flash their lights to applaud. and not only for the entertainment. they're grateful for the connections throoftop events have created. maria: sometimes there may be events which i can't see from my house. we speak with our neighbors who are watching, and we move to their house and sit together, because they have a big balcony with a good view. we already knew each other, but now we share more. this rooftop project allows us to share more, have more contact, and now we are more integrated. reporter: the pandemic intensified the social problems which have plagued petare. gangs used the lockdown to step up criminal activity. petare, known as venezuela's

most dangerous place, became even more insecure. through cine platabanda, the community reclaimed public space. the organizers say their initiative showed pere's residents how to take action where public services fail. jimmy: i aspire to see violence reduced in petare. it's the only way. if there aren't people like us who take care of important topics, necessary topics, then we will be in a petare without hope, and without a future. we aspire to have a more humane community, with better education, with better opportunities, where people feel useful. and we are showing that without a government, without being part of structures, we have demonstrated great achievements, significant and important achievements for the people, for the community, for children, for caretakers, and for parents.

reporter: the cine platabanda team drive their equipment to one of the poorest parts of the giant settlement, where their excited audience awaits. this screening is for the children who hardly get to visit a real cinema. donors have signed up to provide food to kids who frequently go hungry. glenda: many parents are without work, they can't take care of their families. there are children who go to bed without eating. when i started coming here, they told me, glenda, i've gone two days without eating. two days without food. it's something he has experienced. >> they give us a lot, and now we are bigger and stronger. reporter: this cinema project is shining

a light on how a community can come together even in the darkest moments. host: our global living room this week is in italy. patricia: my name is patricia. i come from courmayeur in the aosta valley. i've lived here all my life. follow me, i'll show you the house. this is my living room, where i relax.

and this is my favorite place. my glasses, i can't read without them. it really is my kingdom, with all my books. i love reading, i read so much. that's why everything is so full of books. this is courmayeur and mont blanc. these were the rooms when we opened the hotel, in 1972. they've been renovated over time.

i collect photos of mountains, and especially of courmayeur. i've been doing that since i was little. now i'm 60. i started when i was 12 or 13 years old. i love the mountains, they mean a lot to me. they're just so beautiful. bye, take care, see you soon in courmayeur. host: that's all for this episode “global 3000.” thanks for watching. remember, we love to hear from you, so feel free to get in

touch. you can send us an email at global3000@dw.com, or visit our facebook page, dw global ideas. see you next time. bye-bye. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

berlin. the u.s. hit with more snow, wind, and ice. millions of americans face bone chilling temperatures, a massive arctic storm leads to power outages, flight cancellations, and warnings across the country. a deadly shooting sparks unrest in central paris. three people were killed,