Environment

Recycled whirligigs remain a fixture in the Japanese countryside

Out of Eden Walk

A constant fixture of National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek’s journey through rural Japan was the whirligig, or as he called them, “seismic scarecrows.” Gardeners he spoke to use these contraptions to scare away crop pests like mice and foxes. Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Salopek about the whirligigs, rural Japanese architectural aesthetics and how he got aboard a cargo ship to cross to North America.

Out of Eden Walk: An eerie walk through Japanese ghost towns

Out of Eden Walk

Hot nights are worsening India’s heat crisis. But low-tech solutions show some promise.

Ontario approves $15 billion plan to build small modular nuclear reactors

The Big Fix

Out of Eden Walk: Record-breaking heat in Japan is hurting rice farms

Out of Eden Walk
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Norwegian city turns pipes into rivers to adapt to climate change

The Big Fix

Climate change is causing Bergen’s weather patterns to shift, bringing more rain and periods of more intense rain. But the city is now working to create nature-based solutions to tackle the excess volumes of water.

Out of Eden Walk: Sea Crossings

Out of Eden Walk

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has traveled many miles across land on foot since 2013, when he began his long walking journey tracing the footsteps of early human migration from Africa across the planet. But he’s also crossed several sea crossings as well. Salopek joined Host Marco Werman to talk about them, the types of ships he took and the people he met along the way.

In Cambodia, artists carve out space for quiet resistance

Arts, Culture & Media

Dissent, in the form of activism or journalism, is stifled in Cambodia. But artists there are finding subtle ways to tackle controversial topics from environmental devastation to rapid urbanization. 

Paris votes to make 500 more streets car free 

Transportation

There’s a showdown unfolding in Paris over who owns the streets. Residents recently voted in favor of banning cars from 500 roadways. The plan is to open them up to pedestrians, cyclists and new green spaces. The city’s mayor wants to transform Paris into the world’s first car-free megacity. But not every Parisian thinks that’s a good idea.

Surprising places on the Out of Eden Walk

Out of Eden Walk

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has covered a lot of ground: some 14,000 miles — on foot — through 21 countries so far on his now 11-year-long Out of Eden Walk. And because he’s exploring the earth at a walker’s pace, he can see things people miss when traveling by plane, rail or car. Salopek tells Host Marco Werman about surprising places only a walker would discover.

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