The olympic winter games kick off in sochi in southern russia. They are russia toss firstever winter games, and they are president Vladimir Putins pet project. Building the infrastructure costs roughly 40 billion euros. The idea is to establish sochi as a Winter Sports hub, but the citys geographical location might hamper that plan. Its not far away from the northern caucasus, an islamist suicide bombers from the region have been carrying out terrorist attacks all across russia or years. Thats why the organizers of the sochi Olympic Games are stepping up security even further. Click the mountains surrounding sochi have been turned into a highsecurity zone. Tens of thousands of soldiers and police are on duty. Security cameras are everywhere in the city. Fears of a terrorist attack are high. But most of sochis residents have other worries. This family used to live from there vegetable garden and fruit trees. Sochis unique subtropical climate provides excellent growing conditions, but when the city was chosen or the winter games, the family had to move. Their land, just 700 square meters, was on the site of the olympic park. We used to harvest five times a year. Crops like potatoes, radishes, carrots, beets. Some people even planted peanuts. Of course we had cucumbers and tomatoes. Sochi has changed. The black sea resort city at the foot of the caucasus has seen nonstop Construction Since it was nominated to host the Winter Olympics. This, despite the region being designated a unesco Natural World heritage site unesco world Natural Heritage site. Since planning for the games began, hundreds of protected trees have been felt. A quarry was also opened in the mountains nearby to feed the Olympic Construction booms hunger for building stone. And ill legal docs have sprung up everywhere, often containing toxic construction waste. There is one in the quarry. The greatest danger is yet to come. The rock here is like a sponge, and everything that ends up in the quarry will eventually seep into the ground water, which feeds into the river. It in turn supplies the city with its drinking water. He used to be very clean. Now, unfortunately, it has become extremely polluted. Things are busy in the quarry. Even here, Border Patrol guards keep a close eye on who comes and goes. The recent attacks have underlined that terrorist activity is a real threat. At the end of last year, two suicide bombers killed more than 30 people. Dangers like this are nothing new, according to this human rights activists. Terrorist attacks take place on a regular basis in russia. The country possibilities usually assume islamist rebels from the northern caucasus are responsible and respond with violence in kind, but that in turn spawns fresh violence. None of it changes anything for the terrorists. As we know, they have enough money to buy any policeman they want to. The Police Department is corrupt through and through. And the terrorists can also get any valid documentation they need. They have enough money for that as well. At first, the residence of sochi hoped the Winter Olympics would provide a stepping stone to a better life. That it would mean new streets and possibly gas and water connections in every home, but now, even their wells have run dry. Once a week, tanker trucks bring clean water for washing, cooking, and drinking to this village of 150 up in the mountains. All of the heavy Construction Equipment has crushed the bedrock beneath us. Its like a sponge that absorbs and stores water, and they drove over it again and again with these huge machines. Then the water disappeared. Hotels for athletes and fans now tower over the river. Corporate horse corridors have been cut through virgin forest. Organizers of the games are not concerned about their Environmental Impact. The amazing thing here, the positive point here is that four years ago, we had nothing here, and now you have seen that we have beautiful slopes, beautiful facilities, and this is nothing. New access routes for trains and cars between the slopes of the mountains have been ill write in the middle of the valley. Russias first Winter Olympics will soon begin where the river flows into the backseat. Surveillance will be tight with special forces on land and water. A kind of restrictive zone where hundreds of families used to raise vegetables. For a long time, she refused to leave her land. Together with neighbors, she took the government to court and even went on a Hunger Strike to try to save her home. In the end, though, the residents lost, and she cannot produce a enough on her home property to sell enough of her produce, but at least she is not far from the sea. At first 22 resettle us up into the mountains. We did not want that at all. Its scandalous that they tried to force people to move from the sea up into the mountains. He has rented rooms to three construction workers. That gives her enough to live on for now, but she does not think tauris will continue to come after the games are over she does not think torus he does not think tourists will continue to come once the games are over. When you talk about protecting human rights, here in europe, you tend to talk about protecting your car to see or freedom of speech. Most people probably think access to hygiene, which is also a human right, is a given on our content, but basic things are becoming basic for people in these times of economic crisis, and that includes taking a shower at home. Some are more than 100 years old. Public showers in paris. Once a luxury reserved for the rich, nowadays, they are used by thousands of parisians grateful for a hot shower offered free by the local authorities. I write up what time people go into the shower. They are allowed 20 minutes inside. He is a regular here. For him, its more than just a place to wash. Its good for my soul. Every time, i start the day with fresh energy. Hundreds of thousands of people use public showers in cities across france. You have to book early to ensure a place. We have between 300 and 400 visitors a day. People like you and me come, too, people with jobs. Many apartments in paris still do not have a shower even in 2014. It is a disgrace. One of the few poor people who live in the district recently struck it lucky, receiving a subsidized apartment in one of the smartest areas of paris. I live right over there in the corner between the trees. Im really lucky to live here. I often go for a walk on the hill. The apartment is very small, just 15 square meters. The french capital has out and like it. I sleep right there in the corner. I just spread out the blanket night and folded away again in the morning. This is the living area. Maybe one day i will have a sofa. And this is the kitchen. On the free market, even a tiny apartment like this would rent for 700 euros a month. He has to save where he can. He uses heat sparingly and saves on hot water by using the public showers. Many apartments in paris have no bath or shower. If the building is old, landlords are not obliged to install them in small apartments. Demand for real estate is so great, even those without a shower go quickly. People take what they can get. Who should be blamed . The state . Municipal authorities . Regional authorities . The mayor after the mayor is responsible for the land, but we have some 36,000 mayors in france, which means we have to convince each one to build more welfare housing. Is easier for authorities to provide free public showers than to ensure that every single apartment is fitted with a bathroom. The number of people using such facilities has tripled over the past 20 years across france. Low and even mix of middle income earners can dream of luxury apartments. Such residences are only affordable for an elite group becoming ever smaller. The future owner of this apartment will have three bathrooms and a view of the plaza. The price tag 7 million euros. We have sold a number of apartments like this recently. They cost 30,000 euros per square meter. We have a number of people interested in this one, too south americans, but europeans as well. Austrians are among the interested parties, for example. Since the french president drove away several thousand wealthy parisians with his tax for top earners, apartments like these have usually gone to buyers from abroad, particularly from the ever world. They pay less than 1 tax per year on a luxury apartment. Local people, in the meantime, our worst to move to less expensive areas. Even in the areas that are traditionally cheaper, prices are rising. They are actually rising faster than in the expensive areas. A family wanting to buy an apartment in paris needs it or chin. You cannot pay off an apartment in paris with just a normal salary. Most parisians make do with something small. He enjoys the view he has, but he does not spend much time cooped up in his apartment. When he goes out, he meets up with old friends. Croatia has been a sovereign state for more than 20 years now, and it has quite successfully made the transition from the yugoslav republic to a western democracy. Croatia is still struggling to complete its economic transition. Few sectors are properly developed, with the big exception of torus is him. The adriatic coast is particularly popular, but it is now coming under threat because croatia wants to produce its own oil and gas off the coast. It is a clear win tuesday on croatias adriatic coast. Perfect weather to go dolphin watching. The waters here are ideal for the marine mammals. Its just a matter of knowing where to look. The homeland is pretty wide, so there is not just one place where they are. After a short time scanning the sea, we spot them. Dolphins. Our guides tell us that the dolphins and their habitat are seriously under threat. [inaudible] the croatian government has been heavily lobbied by the oil and gas industry. There have been Oil Refineries on the coast for decades, but now the government wants to go one step further and permit offshore drilling, complete with platforms just off the picturesque coastline. This is the vessel that will decide where the northern explorer. The british Norwegian Company spectrum is using it to conduct seismic surveys of the adriatic seabed since september with what is known as an air got. Dolphin specialists have been monitoring the prospecting and are concerned about the effects of these sonic last. Surveys are using these areas to produce highly intense sound underwater. They get the information about the structure of the seafloor, and this information is used by gas and Oil Companies to and or stand eventually where to build their platforms. The head researcher of the adriatic dolphin project is convinced her croatia is breaking eu laws by not conducting a study of the Environmental Impact of the survey. Now that we enter the European Union, because we obviously did not obey the commitments they track the boat through the internet. The northern explorer is heading north. The owners do not want us filming on board, so theres only one way to get a closer look. We head out to record the first such aerial footage of the northern explorer at work, dragging it sonic gun array across the adriatic. Far from the public gaze, this ship is mapping out where the best oil and gas reserves are. The mission is said to cost almost 8 million euros, but the project was awarded without a legal bidding procedure, probably in violation of eu laws. The surveying company will not say who is paying for it, and neither will croatias economics minister. I have names, but i do not want to share that with you. Why is that . The government says the drilling is in croatias interests. I expect croatia will be the country selling the gas. The industry of croatia will have the cheaper gas in the region because if you have five times more gas on the territory then you need. Croatia has been battling an economic recession for five years. Joining the du in the summer of 2013 has not provided the hope for boost joining the eu. Many people fear the oil and gas lobbies. Croatias best known environmentalist we meet him along with the latest addition to his family, a young deer he nursed back to health after it was hit by a car. The way to nurse croatias economy back to health is not with a rush back to oil and gas, according to him. It is not allowed. It is not legal. You must understand how people in government now function. You gave us power, so we control everything. The campaigner warns that careless development of the coastline could cause serious damage. The threat of oil spills in these Pristine Waters is just one of the dangers. The researchers at the adriatic dolphin project say theres a more immediate threat the surveying and drilling activities themselves are changing the environment. Soon there will be no more dolphins in the area. With its push for oil and gas, croatia could jeopardize its greatest resource one of the most beautiful coastlines in the eastern mediterranean. Greece took over the Council Presidency of the European Union a few days ago, and that means that over the next six months, greece will officially be at the helm of the eu and will be responsible for projects like the banking union, amongst other things. It is not an easy task for the country that still has massive problems at home. The greek government says its optimistic that Economic Growth is returning and that unemployment will go down. The greek Prime Minister is even expecting his country to soon be able to cope without financial help from its international partners. Some greeks have meanwhile taken matters into their own hands with a little help from brussels. They call saffron red gold. Harvesting saffron is a long and painstaking process. The precious spice is in the stamens of the flowers. The women here work hard all day, but not one of them is complaining. Many here in the macedonian plane have been given a new future. So this is how it should look all three stamens must remain intact. It takes 150,000 flowers to glean one kilo of saffron. We dont want to deliver damaged goods to our cooperative. The head of the cooperative is a saffron farmer who volunteers his time to advise the others on how to get the most out of their land. This past year was especially dry, so we will not be able to produce as much, but the main thing is to retain the high quality. That has given Us International success. The young owner of this field used to be a mechanical engineer. Now he is a saffron farmer. Some of the women help with the harvest to earn a little extra income. For others, its the only job they have. They earn 50 euros a day and are grateful for the work. Their boss treats them like family. Up until a few years ago, their lives were very different, but times have changed in greece, so they are making the best of it. Before the financial crisis, i had a cleaning firm. I have brandnew machines standing unused because i had to grow the business. Now i pick crocuses. Thats just how it is. The women have a positive attitude and take everything in stride. I have just been stung by a bee again, but i always have this cream with me. That allows me to keep using my hand. Saffron crocus has been grown in this village for more than 300 years. The village is named for the flower and has earned well from the spice. Now its offering a fresh source of hope in the crisis. Even young people are returning from the cities to work in the village. Once the harvest is in, the work continues. Every flower is processed by hand, the stamens carefully removed. The saffron will later be dry, cold, and freed of bacteria. The exact process is a company secret. The bosss neighbor also helps. We used up a saffron in our drinking water, but young people today do all kinds of things with it. Im not that keen on it, myself. She is very deft with her hands and works fast. So do the workers in the factory run by the cooperative. Only relatives of the farmers are allowed to work here. The idea is to ensure those who invest in the project benefit most from it. The cooperative is introduced a number of new saffron products to the market. One of the keys to its success. Saffron tea is the latest thing organic, of course. It has become an immediate hit and sells all over europe. 90 of the profit made from these products goes directly back to the farmers. Like everyone here, the head chemist in the cooperative has his own fields. Its a Success Story that everyone is glad to be part of. The head of the cooperative is grateful for the European Union. Im a fan of europe. We are a european project. Our bulbs come from austria. Weve won a number of european awards, and we have benefited from subsidies from brussels. Without europe, we would be nothing. Saffron has long been prized by top chefs all over the world. The chef uses the spices and many of his creations. Helping to raise Awareness Among his fellow greeks of just how precious it is. Many here hope their success will encourage other greeks not to lose hope but to believe they can take their future into their own hands. That report brings us to the end of this edition of european journal. From all of us here in brussels, thanks for watching. Tune in at the same time next week if you can. You can watch all of our programs online. The address is dw. De europeanjournal. Until next time, auf w iedersehen and bye for now. Captioned by the National Captioning Institute www. Ncicap. Org a7guc . A7guc what are we doing today . Today we are looking for roger ridley. Hes a street musician that plays down here in santa monica. I was walking by the promenade the other day and i heard him singing the song stand by me. Such an amazing version, such an amazing voice, you know. And a couple days before that i had heard the john lennon version. So i approached roger and i said, hey man, if we come back down here with some recording equipment and some cameras, wed love to record you and film you playing stand by me. Why roger . Well the thing about music is that sometimes the best music in the world is just in the moment. Its not always famous musicians or things you hear on the radio or
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