Germany Videos & Germany News: Geography Videos // Current

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13 hours ago

Germany calls for ban of neo-Nazi sites abroad

BERLIN — Germany's Justice Minister is calling for Internet service providers in the U.S. and elsewhere to remove... more

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Hagenbeck Zoo Welcomes Baby Elephant

Photographs of an unnamed baby elephant and his mother - named Thura - at the Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg, Germany on Wednesday, July... more

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German Gamers Stage Protest March Against Govt. Crackdown on Violent Games

We have read some reports of late that German officials have banned the public display of Counter-Strike, forcing the cancellation... more

Nettle
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F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone says sorry for Adolf Hitler comments

Under-fire Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has apologised unreservedly for the controversial remarks he made about the... more

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Murdered for a Hijab

The body of a Muslim woman, killed in a German courtroom by a man convicted of insulting her religion, has been taken back to her... more

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Mindplotter: Dueling Hardcore Metallic Brutality vs. Peaceful Inspiration

“Mindplotter” is an amazing 1/2 min. hardcore animated motion design short film, which the directors describe as a... more

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EXPOSED: Take a Tour of The Worlds Largest Prison with No Justice System

We are NOT the Story, Its Not Just Our 21 Kidnapped Passengers. Palestine, the world's largest openair prison- episode 5... more

WorldPeaceTV
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Elle MacPherson's Lingerie Line for S/S 2010 Shown in Berlin

Photographs of models displaying Elle MacPherson's Intimates Collection at the 5 Elements Spring/Summer 2010 fashion trade... more

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Germany's Green Idea: Streetlights on Demand

Every night at 11 p.m. the village of Dörentrup in central Germany is thrown into total darkness. For the past few years, the village's cash-strapped local council has been switching off all the streetlights in the village each evening until 6 a.m. the following morning. In most places, a nightly blackout would provoke outrage as residents find themselves fumbling and stumbling their way home through the dark. But in Dörentrup, they have seen the light, with a new scheme that allows residents to turn on streetlights on demand — anytime, anywhere — using just their cell phones. When Dörentrup's council started switching off the streetlights, Dieter Grote's wife would worry about their children coming home late at night in the pitch black. "My wife has all the good ideas," Grote, who runs an advertising agency, tells TIME. "I discussed the problem with her and we thought it must be possible to have the lights available on demand." Dieter got in touch with the local utility company Lemgo and together they came up with a solution: How about turning on the village lights with a simple telephone call? Lemgo developed a special modem and software to make it possible, and Dial4Light was born. In the first project of its kind in Europe, the residents of Dörentrup can now switch on the lights on a specific street whenever they like. All they have to do is register for the scheme online and provide a phone number. Then each time anyone needs to see in the dark, they call the Dial4Light number, enter the six-digit code that corresponds to the stretch of road they want lit, and within seconds the lights are on. They'll stay on for around 15 minutes, enough time for someone to walk from one end of the average Dörentrup road to the other. "The scheme is easy for everyone to use," says Grote. "Elderly people can use a cash machine, so they can make a call to switch on the streetlights."

After a pilot project last year proved to be a big hit with the public, Dörentrup's council has decided to roll out the scheme for the whole village, home to 9,000 people. Utility company Lemgo says the scheme will cut down Dörentrup's carbon-dioxide emissions by around 12 tons each year compared with leaving the streetlights on all night. "We found out that on each stretch of road, people only switch on the lights up to three times each night," explains Frank Bräuer, project leader at Lemgo. "That's why this system works in villages or the outskirts of a town where residents don't need the lights burning all night." But Dial4Light won't work for everyone, he admits: "It wouldn't be suitable for a big city like New York or London, where there's a lot going on at night."Every night at 11 p.m. the village of Dörentrup in central Germany is thrown into total darkness. For the past few years, the... more

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9 days ago

Oil or Trees?: Germany Takes Lead in Saving Ecuador's Rainforest

Oil companies are salivating over the supply of black gold beneath Ecuador's rainforest.

The South American country is pledging to keep the oil in the ground -- if the international community provides compensation. Now Germany has taken a leading role in raising the necessary cash.

There are many attributes which make the Yasuni National Park special: IT IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE PLACES ON THE PLANET, it is home to indigenous tribes which hunt and gather in its remote interior, and there's a unique breed of small bat. But the national park also has a geographic curse: It sits atop Ecuador's largest known oil reserve, thought to contain hundreds of millions of barrels.

And this potential fortune threatens its very future. In response, Ecuador has come up with an unusual plan to safeguard the UNESCO biosphere Reserve. The cash-strapped South American country has pledged to leave the oil in the ground forever -- something unheard of among oil nations -- if the international community compensates for some of the lost income.

The scheme, which was first mooted by Ecuadorian President Raphael Correa more than a year ago, got off to a slow start. By the end of the year the country extended its self-imposed deadline, in a last ditch bid to rally international support.

Meanwhile, international oil giants were queuing to exploit the supply of black gold.

But now, all of a sudden, the ball seems to be rolling. Following a two-day visit by the Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Fander Falconí to Berlin, Germany had positioned itself at "the forefront of the initative," the Ministry for Economic Cooperation said.

He stressed that Ecuador's idea had caught Berlin's imagination: "It offers a new approach to rainforests and, from the perspective of development politics, it is very promising," Bethe said. "Combining climate protection and fighting poverty will play a growing role in the future."

Ecuador estimates that by leaving the oil untouched, some 410 MILLION TONS of CO2 will be averted. Oil is Ecuador's most important export, generating around a third of its income. With the value of the untapped supply under the Yasuni National Park estimated at some $6 billion, the country argues it has little option but to approach international donors, hat in hand.

Environmentalists welcomed the plan as a way to save Ecuador's rainforest from destruction. Preventing forests from disappearing is a vital element in the fight against climate change as they absorb huge quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere.

Still, doubts lingered about the Ecuador model.

Tobias Riedl from Greenpeace Germany's Forest Campaign warned that the scheme was far from perfect. "It is a double-edged sword. While we welcome moves to save this unique environment, the fact is that ALL RAINFORESTS NEED TO BE SAVED, regardless of whether they lie on valuable natural resources or not.

Greenpeace estimates that €30 billion are needed to secure the future of the rainforests worldwide. And with 80 percent of all ancient forests (including rainforests) worldwide already gone, the clock is ticking. And Ecuador knows it.Oil companies are salivating over the supply of black gold beneath Ecuador's rainforest. The South American country is... more