Millions of homes will need to be built for booming city populations in the coming decades. Given that the construction sector is a major greenhouse gas emitter, that could pose problems for curbing CO2 emissions.
Buying a family home is a major life milestone in many countries. But a lack of affordable housing and a desire to curb carbon footprints has led to the rise of alternative forms of accommodation, including "co-housing." Just how does this model work? And how difficult is it to get people to share their living space?
Three months after deadly flash floods tore through Germany's Ahr Valley, residents in the village of Dernau are looking to the future. For many, that means rebuilding homes destroyed in the deluge. But how do you build back in a sustainable way? What needs to change to make buildings more flood-resilient? And when does it make sense to move away altogether?
This time On the Green Fence is bringing you an episode from our friends at Outside/In, an American podcast about the natural world and how we use it. In their episode "Scents and Sensibility" the Outside/In team explore the origins, role and transformation of potpourri. Listen in for a unique take on this "old school" air freshener.
There are 1.5 billion cars in the world today. These combustion engine vehicles are major polluters, and governments are hoping to meet their climate targets by replacing them with lower-emission alternatives, such as electric cars. But this transformation is going to be a massive challenge, and it's already proving to be extremely divisive in Germany one the world's leading car producers.