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For 3,000 years, sea turtles have come to Libya's coast to nest. Now locals are fighting to save them. Plus: sunbaked bread and beating Mali’s fuel crisis.
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00You
00:30You
00:54Hello everyone and greetings from Lagos, Nigeria
00:57Thanks for joining us today
00:59Here's what we have coming up
01:01How electric motorbikes are helping beat the fuel shortage in Mali
01:07Baking bread with sunshine in Lesotho
01:11Fish-friendly hydropower solutions from Austria
01:16And reviving forests in northern Ghana through natural regeneration
01:23But we start the show on the beach
01:26You've probably heard of SUVs, sports utility vehicles
01:30Now these versatile cars are designed to master off-road terrain
01:34In Libya, many people take them down to the shore to race for fun
01:39But that's posing a deadly threat to an endangered species
01:43So a group of volunteers has made it their mission to do all they can to save vulnerable sea turtles
01:51It's Friday night in the city of Misrata
01:57Time to hit the beach
01:58Young people come to show off what their SUVs can do
02:01The sand flies, the engines roar
02:04The most popular beaches are those with especially soft sand
02:08Ideal for drifting
02:13Once the crowds are gone, a group of volunteers led by environmentalist Bashir Swaib
02:18As this is the damage
02:20Libya's beaches serve a sanitary for various species of sea turtle
02:23They dig the nest in this soft sand
02:29It's a remarkable life cycle
02:32A turtle comes back to the very same beach where it was born
02:36About 18 or 20 years after birth, it returns to nests
02:40Guided by an extraordinary sensory ability
02:43It's our duty to provide a proper environment for them
02:46Because we all need each other
02:53The loggerhead sea turtle lives in all the major oceans
02:57But the large sea grass beds off the coast of Libya in Egypt
03:00Are essential for the survival of these endangered species
03:05Research shows that turtles have been coming to the Libyan coast
03:08For at least 3,000 years to feed and lay their eggs
03:11Now this habitat is under threat
03:15Scientists say, given its importance
03:17The area needs special protection
03:20But the last official conservation program ended in 2011
03:24Due to the growing political unrest and then civil war
03:30Despite the presence of predators and the lack of public awareness
03:34We have not lost hope
03:35We continue working in this field entirely as volunteers and without any support
03:41Driven by a sense of responsibility
03:45At first, they try to talk to the drivers
03:49But the crowds weren't willing to listen
03:51Frightening instead to build them up
03:53Today, they are searching the beach for nests using long sticks
03:57When they discover one, they carefully remove the eggs
04:01Transferring them to safer areas
04:04They need to work first as the soft eggs dry out quickly in the sun
04:08And have to be returned to the damp sun as soon as possible
04:12Volunteer Muad bin Sasi is teaching his children to care for the environment
04:18Children need to learn this
04:23Growing older doesn't mean you automatically care more about cleanliness or the environment
04:28A child needs to learn this gradually
04:31They gain experience over time
04:34To protect the eggs, a wire mash is buried above the nest
04:39The smell of the metal keeps wild dogs away
04:41Bashir's swipe measures the length and width of the nests
04:48And records the data
04:50Despite a lack of institutional support for this work
04:53The number of turtle nests is growing
04:56From 271 in 2011 to 494 in 2024
05:03Turtles only lay their eggs after dark
05:06The volunteers quickly clear up trash lying on the beach
05:08Fishing nets can be especially dangerous to the reptiles
05:12When they drag themselves across the beach
05:14Adults can weigh up to 160 kilograms
05:18Later the team discovers a large turtle in the final stage of laying her eggs
05:24Another success for the volunteer conservationists
05:28The exhausted mother makes her way back to the sea
05:34In about 18 years her daughters will return to this beach to lay their own eggs
05:41If we humans allow them to
05:42Best of all, his backyard set-up means he can keep his business running
05:50Even if there is a power failure
05:53Karobo Matsumai is creating something truly special
05:56Bread baked entirely with the power of the sun
05:57It's not made with a regular oven, not even solar panels
05:59Instead he uses this curved mirror
06:01It's a solar parabolic cooker
06:02It's a solar parabolic cooker
06:03The mirror bundles the sun's heat
06:04And reflects it on an iron tube which absorbs it
06:05Inside the solar cooker's tube
06:06Temperatures can go as high as 400 degrees Celsius
06:11The mirror needs to be adjusted for the temperature
06:13From that temperature's light
06:15And thirdly the mirror is creating something truly special
06:16Bread baked entirely with the power of the sun
06:18But его fans are creating something truly special
06:20Bread baked entirely with the power of the sun
06:23It's not made with a regular oven
06:25Not even solar panels
06:27Instead he uses this curved mirror
06:29It's a solar parabolic cooker
06:31The mirror bundles the sun's heat
06:34And reflects it on an iron tube which absorbs it
06:36The mirror needs to be adjusted frequently to follow the sun, and if it's done correctly,
06:43the cooker is very efficient. On a sunny day, Karobo bakes over 20 loaves of bread. He also
06:50uses a solar oven to cook things. A simple insulated box with a mirror directing sunlight
06:56and trapping heat inside, producing temperatures of around 150 degrees. Lesotho is blessed
07:04with over 300 days of sunshine a year. And in poor weather, Karobo can still use his
07:10stove indoors. During his training and studies, the innovative
07:15baker specialised in food science and solar technology, skills he now brings together in
07:21a unique way.
07:22I love cooking. That's the first thing. And the other thing why I chose solar is because
07:28now the world is shifting to the power of solar technology, because I wanted to take part
07:34and contribute in helping the world to shift to renewable energy.
07:39Around the world, up to 2.3 billion people still lack access to modern or clean cooking
07:44options and rely on wood, kerosene or coal as cooking fuels. But firewood and charcoal can
07:51accelerate deforestation. And when they are burned, they release soot, CO2 and other greenhouse
07:58gases, which contribute to global warming. And there's a huge health risk too. The WHO estimates
08:05that three to four million people die prematurely each year from the effects of air pollution
08:11from indoor cooking.
08:13The Walker Solar Bakery has been running since 2023, and business is thriving. Just two years
08:19after opening, Karobo Motsamai won Lesotho's Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
08:24I wanted to make something for myself, and I was passionate about selling the business.
08:31That's why I started solar vehicle. I didn't have enough capital to study a vehicle. So I
08:39used my skills to make this kind of machines, to make my vehicle work, and again to come up
08:46with a different way of doing business.
08:52Over 40% of the population of Lesotho are aged 15 to 35. And according to the World Bank,
08:59one in four are unemployed. Now Karobo has started training others to become solar bakers too.
09:06His bid to help reduce the country's unemployment levels. Karobo Motsamai's solar bakery not only
09:12creates new jobs. It shows how a simple technology can cut emissions, save money, and reduce toxic
09:20air pollution without the end product losing any of its much-treasured flavour.
09:29A bit of ingenuity can take you far. And in our next report, we see that literally across Mali,
09:36fuel shortages, have been disrupting daily lives and exposing the risks of dependence on unstable
09:43supply lines. In this week's Doing Your Bits, we'll meet a mechanic who is proving that,
09:48in times of uncertainty, it is a really good idea to be self-reliant.
09:53One last turn of the skew, and this motorcycle is ready to roll. Without any noise and without petrol.
10:09Salif Sawadegu lives in Mali's capital, Bamako. He's always enjoyed tinkering with cars and motorcycles.
10:16He learned his skills from his father. These days, his preferred power source is electricity.
10:26I converted a car four or five years ago and installed an electric engine. I use it when
10:31I do my shopping. It can get me anywhere. And there's room for up to four passengers.
10:37Electric engines have never been more useful. In late 2025, jihadists blocked fuel deliveries into
10:47the West African country. Mali is now gripped by a severe fuel crisis. For the population,
10:54this means hours of standing in line just to secure a single liter of gasoline. Without it,
11:00many people can't go about their work. Businesses have been struggling badly. Salif has also been
11:06affected. One day at the start of the crisis, I was very worried that I had no petrol. I went to a
11:13nearby gas station and by the time I got there, I had run out completely. A friend suggested he try
11:20installing an electric motor on his motorbike. I went to the workshop and began to work. My first tries
11:29failed. I had two or three attempts before I got it to work.
11:38Six of these red batteries replaced the fuel tank. Salif's skills have really paid off.
11:44It now takes him under just a week to convert a motorbike to electric power. This one is finished
11:50and the customer takes it for a test ride. It gets off to a bumpy start.
11:54E-motor bikes are not very common in Mali. And many people are skeptical.
12:02But they have many advantages. They emit low greenhouse gases, making them far more environmentally
12:08friendly than their predecessors. And in future, electricity might come mainly from renewable sources.
12:15And customers don't have to rely on fuel. Convincing arguments.
12:19It has more power than motorcycles with conventional engines. It's just as comfortable and you don't have
12:25problems with fuel. Fuel or not, this bike works. Salif's resourcefulness could help his community
12:33become more energy independent. What began as a hobby could now offer a steadier road forward
12:38for people in Bamako.
12:49The city of Linz in Austria. Hidden away among trees here,
13:19is an invention that could revolutionize hydropower. With no need for dams or reservoirs.
13:25The Stromboye or Powerboye is quiet, efficient and is designed to have minimal impact on nature.
13:31And while it's currently parked on land, its maker hopes it will soon be in action in the river Danube.
13:36The Powerboye is a small hydropower plant that swims in the river, with just a chain anchoring it to the riverbed.
13:48It positions itself automatically, with the help of the current.
13:54The water pushes through and drives the turbine, which with a maximum of 100 revolutions per minute,
14:04should deliver the peak output of 100 kilowatts.
14:12Fritz Mondel has spent years testing and tinkering away on the technology.
14:16He says the buoy is designed to be fish-friendly and can cope with both flotsam and high water levels.
14:22And it could soon go into mass production.
14:25The Danube poses some very big challenges. Not least how to deal with flooding,
14:35the debris, and how to deliver the electricity in an economically profitable way,
14:41while generating at a high level of efficiency. So it's all required an incredible amount of research.
14:51Some 200 kilometers downstream, the town of Korneuburg has been earmarked to host Austria's
14:57first Powerboye park, which could supply electricity to several hundred homes.
15:03For Fritz Mondel, the technology promises huge potential beyond Austrian rivers, for example in Africa,
15:10starting with the Niger, Volta, the Nile, Zambezi and the Congo.
15:17Hydropower has a long tradition in Austria, with the Alps providing the elevation and the rivers the energy.
15:24Before the arrival of electricity, water mills harness the power of small rivers and streams.
15:30Franz Zordlötherer has devised his own Vortex power plant that works with small drops in elevation.
15:37It looks like someone's pulled the plug in an oversized bathtub.
15:41When the water drains out of the basin, you're suddenly in a little ecosystem.
15:47This habitat develops on its own inside the Vortex pool.
15:52There's water moss on the walls and here on the bottom.
15:56Thread algae that help to filter the water.
15:58In layman's terms, imagine you enlarge the water surface and have a high flow speed there.
16:07You can then absorb a lot of oxygen from the air into the water.
16:11The moss growth on the walls and bottom is proof that the water quality really is improving.
16:16The Vortex power plant can generate 55,000 kWh of energy per year and is also designed to be fish-friendly,
16:29because the turbine blades have wide gaps to swim through.
16:33As we can see for ourselves, a few trout are swimming around.
16:38But when it comes to the ecological impact of these mini-hydro plants,
16:42hydrobiologist Stefan Schmutz is skeptical, especially about their influence on water systems as a whole.
16:50I wouldn't even say the Vortex power plant has a positive effect.
16:55It alters the hydraulic conditions of the water body.
16:59It creates a bottleneck where all the water has to squeeze through.
17:03There have been a few tests to see if fish can pass through.
17:12And some did manage to, although the tests only involved a small number of fish of certain sizes.
17:24The Vortex power plant and the power buoy cannot compete with the huge energy output of large hydropower
17:30stations. But their small size and relative simplicity of installation could give them the advantage in certain scenarios.
17:40I could imagine these two new technologies being suitable for areas with little existing infrastructure.
17:48Because as far as I know, they can operate in a mini-grid.
17:52The investment costs are low. Although one crucial point with such projects
18:02is that these kinds of installations need to be properly maintained.
18:08Amidst Austria's well-developed hydropower network, the Vortex power plant and the power buoy
18:14remain niche solutions. And bureaucracy poses additional hurdles.
18:19Fritz Mondl is currently in a dispute with former business partners, also over leasing areas in
18:25the Danube River for his planned buoy park. While Transzort Lötera is focusing on other markets where
18:31demand is higher and approval is easier to obtain.
18:35There are installations in place in Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic. We've got one in Bali too.
18:41And we have a partner company in Japan that's already implemented a number of projects.
18:46The Vortex power plant and the power buoy both showed that even in established energy sectors
18:54like hydropower, there's still room for innovation. Combined with other technology,
18:59these approaches could deliver decentralized and eco-friendly energy, especially in more remote areas.
19:06Although there's always the major unknown factor, the water itself. Because in these times of climate change,
19:13its amount and power are becoming increasingly unpredictable.
19:21So in the meantime, it's winter here in Austria, but some things really stayed with me making the
19:26story last summer. First of all, the determination to develop something new and the inventiveness.
19:32Both inventors tested new approaches and pushed them further. Secondly, the do-it-yourself spirit.
19:38Franz Zutlöter built his own power plant with the simplest of means, showing me how clean,
19:43decentralized energy can come from personal drive and not just big industry. And thirdly, perseverance,
19:49despite setbacks. And that's what stuck with me most. If you don't try, you'll never find out how much
19:55potential an idea really has. Next, we're off to Ghana's Upper East Region with a report that shows how less is
20:04often more. As forests disappear and desert spread, a group of women is breathing life back into
20:11nature simply by nurturing what's already there. It's a low-cost, low-tech method, but with the potential to
20:19transform both landscapes and lives.
20:24Not all the tree-stamps you see are actually dead. Some start to grow again. With the right care,
20:30a new tree can sprout up. In just a few years, a wasteland can be reborn as a healthy woodland.
20:36How? These women in the community of Yamiriga in northern Ghana deliberately cut back smaller branches
20:43so that the strongest ones get more light, air and nutrients. The result is study trees where
20:51practically nothing used to grow. It was troubling. We wondered what crimes we committed to deserve that
21:01fate. We were farming big fields, but the harvest was always meager. Many people migrated. Even I was
21:08thinking about it too. Deforestation is having an impact across Ghana and over a third of the country's
21:16land is at a threat of desertification as a result of climate change and other human-induced damage,
21:23such as uncontrolled logging for firewood and bushfires lit by hunters to flush out prey.
21:30With support from United Nations, Ghana aims to plant millions of trees by 2030 to combat climate change
21:38and restore degraded landscapes, but some are skeptical about the initiative.
21:42You raise a seedling in a nursery condition and you bring it out and plant it out in the world where
21:49it's harsh, temperatures are high, there's a drought, then to couple with that livestock is browsing them.
21:57It's like taking the baby and leaving the baby in the city center and saying that you should live your
22:01life. I brought you to the world, have a go at it. It's not easy to survive these harsh conditions.
22:08In Yamiriga, they are taking a different approach. This is the land just a few years ago.
22:16Now a sign marks the progress on the reforestation front. Initially, the women pruned living tree
22:22stems. Now, they mostly prune young trees and have sprung up from the seeds dispersed by natural means,
22:29such as animal droppings. The idea is to ensure the trees grow and bear fruit faster. Restoring woodland
22:36areas also has a positive impact on the microclimate, helping to increase humidity, cool down the soil,
22:43and make rainfall more regular. The approach is called Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration, or FMNR.
22:50This project was launched in 2010 by NGO World Vision Ghana.
22:57With the concept of FMNR, the communities were able to generate this place, this field, to become a forest.
23:06What did they do? All they did was to mobilize themselves, come out and prune the straws here,
23:13and then protect them from bushfires. And within some few years, the place changed into a forest.
23:20So that is the FMNR concept. All what you are seeing here, no tree was planted.
23:26But the system has critics too. Among those opposing the expansion of FMNR is local maize farmer Moses Ayamga.
23:35He has a very different concept of farming. They are interfering with our work. They said we shouldn't
23:48cut down trees on our farms. How do you farm without chemicals, without clearing lands, without tractors?
23:56If you don't cut down the trees, how can you grow food?
23:59But for the women in Yamariga, the project is literally bearing fruits and nuts, enough for them to make a decent living.
24:12Before FMNR came to our community, the fruit I'm holding didn't exist here. There were no sheer nuts.
24:21There was suffering and hunger. Our lives were miserable. Our children faced a lot of challenges.
24:27Even getting firewood was a problem. But now everything has grown back and is making us happy.
24:39As well as enjoying the fruits of the women's labor, it's the men's job to protect the trees.
24:45Anyone caught harming them is made to pay a fine, sometimes in kind, rather than cash.
24:50The women of Yamariga are an inspiring example. Women's collectives like theirs in 90 communities in
25:01northern Ghana have already revived over 45 square kilometers of degraded land, one cut at a time.
25:10Restoring what we have lost is always worth doing. Even better, let's do what we can do to protect what is
25:18there. And with that, it's goodbye from me, Chris Olimpsey, Lagos, Nigeria. See you next week.
25:32Bye.
25:34Hey, it's good.
25:39You're welcome.
25:40My name is
25:54Oh, oh, oh.
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