Living Planet

Summer is a time of sun, sea, and sand. But sand isn't just the stuff of beach holidays — we hear how it's being used in East Africa and with what impact. We also pay a visit to a town in Italy that is inundated by cruise ships, and we join a scientific expedition studying warming temperatures in the deep ocean.

This week we hear stories about different species in the animal kingdom: nutria, pangolins, the golden lancehead pit viper. According to the United Nations, one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction, many within the coming decades. But as famed primatologist and conservation advocate Jane Goodall explains, animals aren't so different from us humans.

Dangerous heat waves and raging wildfires across Europe and Alaska have destroyed huge areas of land. Droughts in other parts of the world have pushed people to the brink of their existence and led to climate migration. As temperatures are soaring, so is the demand for air conditioning which creates its own vicious cycle. One solution: harvesting wastewater to help cool down buildings.

This week on the show, we visit the Pescadero Basin off Mexico's Pacific coast and shipwrecks in the cold waters of the Baltic Sea. Exploring the oceans – from tube worms to sea turtles – we look at the rich life they sustain. We'll also be asking what impact we humans have on our seas.

Bolivia has been dealing with torrential rains and landslides, but is suffering from a lack of drinking water as glaciers melt away. That's why the mostly indigenous people of the highland cities decided to take matters into their own hands and start their own local water supplies. Thomas Kruchem went to explore and began his quest in the metropolis of El Alto. His report is presented by Sue Cox.

The Amazon Basin is the largest rainforest area in the world. Countless animal and plant species are at home here as well as several indigenous peoples who still avoid any contact with the outside world. But the Amazon region is under threat from deforestation and development. The situation has become even more critical since the election of Brazil's new President, Jair Bolsonaro.

On this week's Living Planet we'll meet the Indian fishermen's wives who flexed their muscles to start their own rowing-boat mangrove tours. We'll find out why short-lived clothing could soon be out of fashion, whether local currencies help the environment and what sounds insects make.

How might Hazelnuts be damaging the planet and its residents? What about sardines? On this edition of Living Planet, we look at the unexpected impact of some foods and what our diets could look like in the future.

This week on the show, we're talking about the environmental impacts of being born, as well as dying. What strain does our current population of over 7.6 billion people put on the earth? How much is our population expected to grow, and how will this growth further stress natural resources and the climate?

Twice a year, our feathered friends make a marathon migration for warmth and food. We take some time to celebrate these birds, as well as meeting one woman who is making marathon journeys of her own - running 100 marathons in 100 days to raise awareness of the scarcity and waste of our most valuable resource - water.