the organic fertilizer's nutrients help keep the greens green. in the capital, santo domingo -- a three-hour drive away -- such environmental protection schemes are sorely lacking. it's a concrete jungle with chronic traffic jams. and 85% of the country's economy is reliant on fossil fuels -- mainly coal and oil. so, with the help of german development aid, the government of the dominican republic formed its own climate council. it's devised a national climate plan. >> we're one of the few caribbean and latin american countries to have such a development plan. we hope to significantly improve our carbon footprint every five years -- with the goal of reducing emissions 25% by 2030.

>> that's a pretty ambitious goal as the country's co2 emissions have been rising for years. so, the government is pinning its hopes on a project that has its origins on the streets. the combination of caribbean sun and torrential rain is hard on the roads. as a result, the streets of santo domingo are full of potholes -- causing drivers here to go through lots of tires. the gomeros, local tire dealers, can be found on almost every corner in santo domingo. reynaldo lara tries to repair damaged rims and tires as best he can. >> every time a car drives over a pothole, the tires get damaged. and up to 70% of the tires on the road are used, as few people can afford new ones. but when the tires are damaged beyond repair, reynaldo stores

them in his courtyard. every few days people pull up in their old trucks and collect them. they later sell them to the cement industry for around 12 cents a piece. cemex is the dominican republic's largest cement maker. every day several truckloads of old tires are delivered to its plant. their high petroleum content makes the tires a good source of fuel. >> the tires are a waste product that if you do not use, they will be left on the street, plagues will grow up and the tires will take about 1000 years to disintegrate. so, each time we use a tire, we are reducing our primary fuel consumption, meaning that it is going to be less emissions, less co2, and more environmentally friendly. >> close to 80 tires can be burned per hour in the largely enclosed incinerator, which releases only a small amount of pollutants. but, overall, the project does

little to change the company's carbon footprint. the firm's main energy source is still coal, making the cement factory one of the country's largest emitters of co2. still, there's no shortage of creative ideas here. the dominican republic is trying to reinvent itself as a pioneer of environmental protection in the caribbean. it wants to be seen as a country with white sandy beaches and green credentials. >> now when you think of cartoons, you probably think of superman or other superheroes. but comic strips can also help children understand the complex challenges of our time. sebastian jenal is an illustrator on a mission. he feels strongly about climate change and focuses his work on getting the green message across. >> hello! >> hello! >> i'll sit here.

do you know my name? >> özi's real name is sebastian jenal. the cartoonist is visiting a public school in bonn. >> i thought you'd have short black hair. >> black? what gave you that idea? >> jenal wants to talk to the children about protecting the environment. he hopes to show them that change begins at home with simple things like saving electricity and water and using recycled paper. that's why jenal has created a climate license -- a workbook illustrated with comics. in it, polar bear bo tells bonni the lion how he can save the planet. >> what did you learn? >> at home, gemma checked if electrical devices were switched on when they weren't needed. after completing all the tasks

in her workbook, she'll be able to call herself a climate ambassador. >> because they work on it at home, they ask themselves how their family could help the environment. it's important that they get their families on board. >> jenal came up with all the exercises himself. he purposely chose to use a polar bear, because it's a symbol for climate change that children already know. in the comics, bo comes from the arctic to germany. he meets bonni the lion, who knows nothing about climate change. >> so he left all the lights and the tv on, even though he wasn't home. >> but, thanks to the climate license workbook, these children know better. jenal educates some 300 children

each year with his project. the 35-year-old also practices what he preaches. he gets around without using a car. ♪ jenal likes to listen to music while he works. he earns his living as a freelance artist and mainly draws for environmental organizations. currently he's trying to illustrate how the greenhouse effect functions. >> it's very important that the pictures have a positive effect. the topic is pretty heavy and serious, so you don't need to have gloomy pictures, too. >> jenal taught himself to draw cartoons. it's been his profession for the last 12 years.

one of his employers, the oroverde tropical forest foundation, is nearby. he often does drawings for them. linda rohnstock is an environmentalist, as well. her latest project is designed to explain global warming in a way everyone can understand. the foundation consciously chooses to use comics and illustrations in its publications. >> i think adults also shy away from long texts. it's not just children. grownups also enjoy simple things. and they like to look at pictures. there's a child in every one of us. so, when there's a comic in front of us, everyone likes to look at it. >> soon sebastian jenal's heros bonni and bo will be helping children outside germany get interested in preserving the environment.

he's currently working on brazilian and bolivian versions of his climate license. and he's received inquiries from asia and africa, too. >> now what does fashion have to do with political freedom? quite a bit according to a fashion designer in myanmar. following decades of military dictatorship, the country has just experienced its first year without pre-censorship. an important step - but the struggle over a new media law shows that much more is needed to establish freedom of expression as a cornerstone of society. and yet, particularly among the younger generation, there is a lot of hope that the current climate of change will last. yangon's creative scene was fast to fill the new space suddenly granted by the military dictators. we meet a young fashion designer determined to make the most of whatever lies ahead. >> a model who helps set things up and a photographer who falls down.

it's all part of a photo shoot taking place at a park in yangon. everything still seems a bit improvised, but these young people are testing out their newly won freedoms. change is in the air in myanmar's fashion scene -- and people are now doing things that were previously forbidden. the editor of this young fashion magazine is just 30 years old. in these rapidly changing times, it's possible to climb the career ladder quickly. every photo shoot is like a mini revolution. but people here are still unsure just how far they can go. >> in the west, you have more freedom, you can show more. that's still not possible in myanmar. we have our own traditions. and, at the same time, we must remember that many of our readers aren't yet prepared for so much openness. we have to go slowly -- step by

step. >> but the changes are conspicuous. skirts are getting shorter, necklines are plunging and details are more playful. for e designer, thwin su, the new freedoms are a dream come true. she no longer needs to censor her ideas. thwin su learned her trade in europe. her aunt, who lives in italy, made it possible for her niece to study fashion design there. now, thwin su can finally create the styles she likes. >> two years ago, you weren't allowed to show such skimpy outfits in magazines or films. it was forbidden by the government's media censors. as a designer, you could never really present your work. now we're free to let our imaginations run wild. >> her designs are influenced by american and european fashion trends. it's a combination that's in

demand for tv commercials, print ads, and catwalks traditionally one piece of apparel has dominated the streetscape of yangon -- the longyi, a skirt-like garment worn by both men and women. but times are changing. myanmar is undergoing a transformation and the big global brands want a piece of the action. with the prospect of 60 million potential customers, the burmese market is enticing. women with flawless white skin are plastered on billboards. the companies hope the ideals of beauty popular in other asian countries will catch on here. but, for the moment, the top model on myanmar's fashion scene is opposition leader aung san suu kyi. a traditional longyi, paired with a simple blouse, is her trademark style.

she buys some of her longyis from ma nwet's store. it's been doing a booming business ever since the icon of the democracy movement returned to the political stage. ma nwet is convinced that as long as aung san suu kyi is helping to shape myanmar's future, the longyi won't go out of style. one of her most popular models is one aung san suu kyi wore in oslo, when she was there to receive the nobel peace prize. having a book of photos ready helps win over customers. >> as soon as aung san suu kyi wears one of these designs, many other women copy it. even young women wear the longyi and blouse just like she does. it's very, very elegant. >> up-and-coming designer thwin su also admires the opposition leader -- though more for he life's work than her fashion sense. while she's excited about the new freedoms, she's worried that the influence of the big global brands and western trends will

prove overpowering. she's concerned that myanmar's traditions might simply disappear. >> for me as a young designer, i love to see the fashionable people. but i don't want the burmese tradition to disappear. so i would like to be together, to mix it together. >> venturing down new paths without forgetting where you come from -- that's the tough balancing act facing myanmar's fashion scene. >> and from myanmar, we head to guatemala some 16,000 kilometres away where our reporter was lucky enough to be invited into a home-made home. maría candelaria gabriel created her unique house mainly out of recycled materials. take a look.

>> hello, my name is maria candelaria gabriel. welcome! come and look at my home.

i like the bottles in the wall, the colors -- it's very different. i'm very proud of my home. >> it's nice and warm and has three rooms. now we're in my work room. we spend all day here, and sometimes the nights, too. we weave this material. i make it together with my children. this is my bedroom. i sleep here with my two daughters and my little son josué.

thanks for visiting me at my home in comálapa! iós! >> thanks for having us. have you ever heard of someone who grew up in a township going on to become an opera super star? well, our reporter in south africa has just met a couple of young singers who are on track to do just that. their parents weren't even allowed to buy an opera ticket, but now linda nteleza and thesele kemane are working hard to make classical music their ticket to a better future. see and hear for yourself. ♪ >> arias are her world. >> when i'm singing, i feel different, like a new me. >> linda nteleza studies opera

in cape town.♪ so does 26-year-old thesele kemane, a promising bass- baritone. >> i grew up in difficulty. i grew up in poverty. there was a time that both my mom and dad didn't work. but they tried to make sure there was something on the table for us to eat. >> thesele was raised in a township -- like some one in four black south africans. high unemployment and lack of access to health care lead some here to turn to a life of crime. linda hasn't had it easy either. she's only able to study opera because she received a scholarship. she's the first one in her family to attend university. and she's studying at the renowned university of cape town. >> when i heard that the uct college of music took me, i was

screaming my lungs out.>> 1, 2 -- ♪ >> scholarships are allowing more and more young people from the townships to get a university education. this is the first time thesele's parents have been to cape town. they always wanted their son to get a good education, one which would provide financial security. they never imagined he'd be a singer. but now they're impressed. >> i've seen some things i never thought i'd see. >> thesele introduces them to one of his teachers. >> they'll be able to feed you. he'll be able to provide some bread home. because times are changing. it's just a matter of keep on believing in him, because this is talent. i'm telling you he's a superstar in the making. thesele has even sung at the united nations.that is one of

the big offices. >> during the apartheid era, blacks weren't allowed to attend performances in cape town's opera house. they couldn't even dream of performing there. but today, in this very building, thesele's parents are about to experience another debut. they're attending their first opera -- and the lead roles are being played by none other than thesele and linda. >> this is my first sort of big role. this could be my chance to show them what i have. ♪ >> performing at the cape town opera house is part of the singers' studies. and it's helped to launch the international careers of some past graduates.

[applause] >> i'll probably be in the united states, but i also want to go audition in places like london, in europe. i want to work so that my parents could be the children and i could be the parent. >> one day, i'll be able to sing for you, to send the message of being a girl who grew up in the township and then made it to the met in new york. one day it will come true, i know. [applause] >> and they certainly have the passion it takes. and if you want to see this or any of our reports again, you can find us on youtube or on our website. and that's all for this week, thanks for watching and bye-bye. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> our guest is the ambassador

from the republic of india to the united states. formerly thought she served as ambassador from india to china, peru, bolivia and sri lanka and formerly served as well as foreign secretary to the republic of india. >> madam ambassador, it is an honor to sit with you. >> thank you so much. i'm very happy to be here. lex tell all of our viewers three things.

three things they should know about india. >> first of all, it is the world's largest modern democracy. it is a country of 1.2 ilion people. and it is most of all defined by unity in diversity. >> what does that mean? fax if you look at india and consider the diversity of the population, the number of religion and languages, at least 28 to 29 listed in the constitution of india, and much more. , that is the there diversity of india. and the diversity of geography. you begin with the north and go down to the peninsula part of the country which is very tropical. makesst coastline is what

india a key indian ocean nation. that's what i mean by diversity. >> when i read 1.2 billion people and put it in the same sentence as democracy, i say how is that possible? >> it is possible. we have demonstrated to the world in the last six gates that we have been an independent country and we are a very vibrant mocker see. election,successive democracy has grown stronger and has taken even more strong roots in the country. >> does the fact that the predominant group is hindu, 80% am i gather, does that make things easier? i would like to recast that statement. >> please great >> it is true

that the majority of india's population is true, but it's also a very important muslim country because we have almost 100 18 million people who are muslim. that's a huge minority by any standards. which makes us only second to indonesia in terms of the number of muslims we have in our country. india is first and foremost a secular democracy. regardless of which religion is in the majority, we regard everybody has equal. it is the conscious policy of the government not to discriminate on the basis of religion. >> is very clear in the constitution that was written in the 1950s, as i recall, that the majority rules, but the minorities are very careful -- very carefully protected.

>> i would like to tell you an antidote about the constitution. we are sitting in the residence of india.assador house we bought in 1945. when the constitution of india was being formulated by our founding fathers, we had people come over to washington to discuss with your supreme court justices and constitutional experts the future framework of our constitution. that wen this very room had those discussions. >> how in the end did it turn indiaat the government of became either similar or dissimilar from the government of the united states? >> i think there are a lot of similarities. we are a union of states, just as you are. we have a federal structure. the state governments have a great