Decarbonize: Can We Cool the Planet?

Decarbonize: Can We Cool the Planet?

Decarbonize: Can We Cool the Planet?

A Film by Marvin Entholt, 52min, 2023

Our planet is getting warmer – that’s clear. But how can we cool it down? Worldwide, research is being carried out into different ways of getting climate-damaging carbon dioxide under control. The film shows eight of these methods and has three leading minds in climate research evaluate them. One is the application of ground rock dust to our fields, which is currently being tested in Bavaria. Does the natural process of weathering really bind Co2 long-term? Direct air capturing is very promising: can the huge filter systems like those in Iceland extract enough gas from the air? Or is the reforestation of mangrove forests, which is being advanced in Bangladesh, the key to lowering the temperature? Or is it products made from algae, produced in a climate-friendly way, that will bring us a decisive step forward? Still others rely on pyrolysis, which binds greenhouse gases in biochar that end up as fertilizer on our soils or are mixed into concrete as a cement substitute. Can this help the climate-damaging construction sector to reduce CO2 emissions? Or is building with wood the key?

Each of these methods offers advantages, yet none is without its pitfalls. But which ones are promising, which ones are still too vague? Three climate researchers evaluate the methods for us: Prof. Jan Minx from the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), the US American, Prof. Jennifer Wilcox from the US Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, and Prof. Julia Pongratz geoscientist at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich.

“Decarbonize” is an inventory of the options that humanity currently has at its disposal to cool the climate. It clearly shows how urgent the need for action is and – it gives hope. We can still suceed.

Music ex machina – Artificial intelligence in classical music

Music ex machina – Artificial intelligence in classical music

Music ex machina - Artificial intelligence in classical music

A film by Bernard Wedig and Stefan Pannen, 52min, WDR, 2023

Music created with the assistance of artificial intelligence is a well-established secret in the world of pop. Today, AI is also making serious inroads in the classical domain, bringing us to the threshold of a new era in classical music. From the recording of the first samples to the premiere performance at the Semperoper in Dresden, the film accompanies the creation of the opera “Chasing Waterfalls”, which was co-composed by artificial intelligence.

We follow the AI as it reconstructs Beethoven’s 10th symphony and watch it perform with Robbie Williams, and we see how pianist Dirk Maassen at the Sony Science Lab in Paris and saxophonist Asya Fateyeva at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg interact with AI in real time, and how Spanish professor Eduardo Miranda in Plymouth is using quantum computers to create music entirely from scratch.

Experts Kenza Ait Si Abbou and Christian Mio Loclair comment on these fascinating developments as well as the currently highly topical Chat GPT platform.

BioNTech – Project Lightspeed

BioNTech – Project Lightspeed

BioNTech - Project Lightspeed

A film by Michael Schindhelm, 52 min, ZDF/ARTE 2021

Available in the online ARTE media library until 18.04.2025

 

With the BioNTech vaccine, medical scientists Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci achieved a breakthrough after years of research.

The mRNA technique, which has been an important component for cancer research for many years, is now making history as a vaccine against Covid-19. But where does cancer research go from here? Can the mRNA technique also help to fight malaria? The film shows the incredible achievement of a start-up company from Mainz for global health.

 

Planet of the Sheep

Planet of the Sheep

Planet of the Sheep

A film by Marvin Entholt, 2 x 45min, NDR/ARTE 2021

Sheep are probably the most underestimated animal in the world. Without them, mankind would not be where it is today. Food, clothing – the unpretentious ram has been providing man with all this for eleven thousand years. The animals have made societies grow, they prepared people for culture and to this day they guarantee life and prosperity in many parts of the world. ‘Planet of the Sheep’ goes on a search for traces and clues among shepherds and breeders all over the world.

In Europe, the traditional shepherding profession is on the verge of extinction. In the Lüneburg Heath, only a few shepherds are still on the road with their herds of Heidschnucken to preserve the cultural landscape. Though some old shepherding cultures are still alive, in Sardinia as well as in northern Macedonia living the tradition of transhumance of many thousands of animals. In Scotland, a young, female generation is breaking new ground to save the ancient culture of sheep farming into the 21st century. And in Spain, too, new forms of sheep farming are becoming established: shepherd schools are training a new generation of shepherds.

China is going its own way: here, sheep are kept intensively by the hundreds of thousands to satisfy the population’s hunger. But on a smaller scale, quality of life and often human survival are directly linked to the existence of the sheep – as in Ethiopia, where farmers can finance their children’s schooling thanks to just a few animals. The undemanding sheep is a master of adaptation to almost any environmental condition – and thus probably also a helper in climate change.

Part 1:   Out into the World

Part 2:   Out into the furture

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Roots – The Marvel under the Earth

Roots – The Marvel under the Earth

Roots – The Marvel under the Earth

A film by Stefanie Fleischmann and Christina Gantner| 43 min, 2021

Roots account for more than half of a plant’s mass, yet they are mostly invisible. Their special powers help to overcome problems of climate change and environmental protection.

It is precisely the invisible part of plants that has the potential to help with the challenges facing humanity: securing food for a growing world population, stopping climate change, and extracting resources such as rare earths in an environmentally friendly way.

To do this, however, plants must be able to withstand periods of drought and heat and survive floods. Roots are crucial to this. And they actively search for nutrients in the soil and ward off dangers such as pathogens and toxins.

Scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich are studying root growth using high-tech methods. The goal: to breed stress-resistant seeds for plants with robust roots. In Sweden, Prof. Linda Maria Mårtensson is conducting research on a perennial wheat variety that will ensure higher yields while protecting the soil. And on the coasts, roots are saviors in times of need. Coastal ecologist Prof. Tjeerd Bouma has discovered that if special grasses are planted in front of the dikes, a salt marsh can be created that acts as a natural breakwater. Geochemist Dr. Oliver Wiche from the Technical University of Freiberg, on the other hand, is researching what is known as phytomining. He wants to know which plants are best suited for mining metals such as germanium or rare earths from the soil. Could this give rise to a new, environmentally friendly branch of industry?