From orcas to water shortages: Nature in a changing climate

Climate change is straining Europe’s natural systems, from oceans to mountains. This episode looks at shifting ecosystems and how people respond. We start at sea, where orcas are repeatedly ramming sailboats off the Iberian Peninsula—damaging rudders, sinking boats, and puzzling scientists. On the Greek island of Tilos, residents have remade daily life as the world’s first zero waste community. In the Alps, researchers warn that rising temperatures, declining snowfall, and reduced rainfall threaten Europe’s water supply. In Switzerland, a farmer tests keylines to use water more efficiently, while in Germany, conservationists restore a drained moor, reviving native plants and cutting emissions. Finally, we explain the carbon cycle and why Earth’s systems are struggling to absorb rising CO2.