Pioneering spirit continues to change the world for better or for worse i take this german teenager for example who started a company at the age of 72 years later he decided to try his luck in the u. S. He travels to california Silicon Valley to find out for himself if he could make a splash with his ideas in the center of the globe the Tech Industry and fortunately for us he made a video diary of his experiences take a look. Man dont do this to me the flight in an hour. Just gets is so awesome like the phone just went from a low to high. Peace council i cant believe it were actually here. My hair is totally messed up but thats the Golden Gate Bridge in the background its crazy. I mean think of america as a country of Infinite Possibilities we thought about it and decided to give it a shot 4 weeks in the states and done so we want to establish something youre pursuing the dishwasher to millionaire principle a 4. 0 version of that as you. Were in an 8 room apartment. They said we can supplement we have to cover the price and other costs to see from you and theyre letting us decide how much we want to charge on line so we can earn money with it. Yeah. But so far only one woman has gotten in touch. Its a bummer that weve been here for 3 days already and havent made a cent. You dont really feel like spending any money. Expensive whatever you go by like 7 things at the store they end up costing 30 or 40 bucks. Its come to our next appointment is in 6 minutes. Its a 10 minute walk from here. So i had to shower because i didnt take one this morning. Is really running. Cant be late. They just want to be a lot more efficient need someone and have just half an hour and 3 things to talk about learning up and i do feel what can i show you which contacts whats the next step you have to do it in 20 or 30 minutes or just 15 minutes if thats all you have and then youre done. Theres a there are so many buildings here its like google has its own city. Its a little embarrassing talking to my camera here. With me right in the middle of the campus is a Volleyball Court and. Soon enough were done with our tour because we couldnt record inside. But its exciting to see how people work here you see the hierarchy is flat and you can get your ideas heard even the high level executives talk to you. Know whose name is and so. They can get Something Else to change here thats why today is day a structured day from beginning to end. This is the 1st success for a little idea global connection. When we tell people we come from germany a lot of them ask us hey can you hook us up with this company or that do you have an in at this big firm. Thats what we thought hey German Companies could do with a little more of that Silicon Valley fire and inspiration. Maybe we could arrange a place for exchange also. In terms of our challenge we didnt do everything we wanted to do and the sense that we came here with no money no apartments and wanted to finance a doll and build something but we did manage to escape the confines of germany and europe and gain a more global view we looked west and also went to the east towards asia. So the 4 weeks of work here really did help us expand our horizons. Invited. Now to bin laden to a founder of the skills for school app and the guy who did this video diary he joins me in the studio now and of course hes a modern day pioneer good to have you here with us and being a modern day pioneer can you tell me what exactly inspired you to become one so i think i did this out of a problem i wasnt really thinking ok i need to be a pioneer or have to change something but i have promised myself in school at the beginning and then i decided. To try to make it to make a tense change and to see how far can we get and how can we change something maybe in the Education System in germany or maybe youre up all over the world and this is how this just school for school app came a ballot to changing the world like pushing the envelope is not that unusual it with the young people in particular but to actually do something hands on like founding a company is somewhat unusual and now you spend 4 weeks in the u. S. And you say it expanded you horizon can you explore a little bit on not yet told me so when we started there i only had. The german ecosystem and the german start up system and i knew whats going on there but i wanted to see if the pioneer spirit there is still alive and it is it it is yes and the people there they have ideas and they think ok we can change something we can do that and we dont only want to work 9 to 5 and do our job and i know we wouldnt want to change something that makes a difference in the world and you really have the possibility there to. To see how it works and how the people there live and how they execute on the dreams but how does it differ to germany to the piling spirit i think in germany there is less pressure on the people because they know ok if something goes wrong or if we do not have work then nothing happens but in the us expression in San Francisco if you have. If you earn under 100000. 00 a year then you need to get money from the from the states and so the people really have to work hard they have to work more hours extra hours to earn their money and if they dont then they wont be successful and them and thats quite different so what did what did you take away from those those 4 weeks in the United States for your work i really learned to focus on the. Most important points and to keep the focus and then work on them execute on them just to go forward to move forward in every step of the company and your own company i mean did you did it sort of in hand supine your spirit when you say ok enough sort of creativity i now get a job somewhere else no i really i really got inspired and i really wanted to do it more like the americans because they dream big and they execute on the dreams very well and they stay focused so thats thats the main point ok staying focused that is certainly my takeaway there will be linda founder of the skills for School Starts up and a modern day pioneers thank you so much thanks. Now of course lets face it not all of us are cattle out for treading new ground but why would we be without those people who are driven by curiosity and the need to discover something new no matter the personal cost or the impact of their actions have one of us history is full of pioneers who have changed our world and their spirit lives on. In the impact of Pioneering Spirit pioneers chart New Territory they have often discovered new worlds and conquered them. Christopher columbus set off in search of gold silver silks and spices he was also looking for a western sea route to india he sailed under a spanish flag the aim was to get there before spains rival portugal. But instead of reaching india columbus made landfall in what is now the bahamas named the inhabitants indians it was 1492 columbus had accidentally discovered the americas on the heels of columbus came violent conquistadores disease war a misery Francisco Pizarro defeated the incas driven by greed for gold and naked ambition but not all pioneers murdered pillaged proselytized or exploited Natural Resources some of them have made crucial contributions to Human Progress for more than 400 years seafarer is sort of navigable route between asia and america in 1903 Roald Amundsen led the 1st expedition to traverse the Northwest PassagePioneering Spirit has helped usher in new eras in 859 business men edwin l. Drake became the 1st american to successfully drill for oil which became the fuel of industrialization but that same Pioneering Spirit has also heard an Environmental Impact the newest method of Oil Extraction is hydraulic fracking a well stimulation technique in which rock is fractured by a pressurized liquid in the process chemicals are injected into the rock. Mining for gold rare earths and lithium also contaminates the ground but demand for these minerals and elements is vast. And today as a result of Climate Change the polar ice caps are melting and thats making supplies of all oil and gas more accessible the race to conquer the arctic is awakening Pioneering Spirit the world over and unleashing new conflict in the process. So what have we learned when Pioneering Spirit meets business interests it often means trouble take the arctic region as we heard its got some of the Worlds Largest deposits of rare and Precious Metals not to forget oil and gas something us President Donald Trump for one would like to get his hands on to the relief of environmentalists hell have to keep waiting however a federal judge in alaska just blocked his bid to reopen drilling in arctic areas but trump is only one player in a huge cast of political leaders and investors keen to exploit the reach. Me island as in a very north of Canadas Arctic archipelago in july 2017 an International Team of geologists came to explore including some from germanys federal institute for geosciences and Natural Resources they were here to study the region they wanted to know what Natural Resources can be found in the arctic and where theyre located in this previously untouched landscape. Of any possible extraction of resources in the arctic would be taking place in a very fragile ecosystem 2nd beating interest must be weighed very carefully Natural Resources on the one hand the environment on the other the best basis for doing that is solid scientific data. Across the arctic ice cover is shrinking at an alarming rate and that rate is speeding up greenland has been losing ice at a rate of about 250000000000. 00 metric tons a year ice melt means rising sea levels potentially threatening the very future of humankind but in the meantime ice free land and navigation routes in the arctic mean access to resources is becoming easier 5 nations border the arctic ocean the United States canada greenland which is part of denmark norway and russia. Much of the ocean is covered in sea ice. Russia claimed sovereignty over the area marked in red. The states involved are still negotiating about borders and hence the right to treasures in the ground and beneath the ocean the race is on to stay claims the arctic may be the last frontier for a whole host of valuable resources. Take greenland for example. Along ice free stretches of coast there are significant deposits of oil and gas as well as rare earths there are also Precious Metals such as the rainy and gold and platinum. A chinese firm is now the largest shareholder in a Mining Company in charge of the clan a field rare earths project. Mining activities can further contribute to environmental degradation in addition to the effects of advancing ice melt still many of the 60000 greenlanders welcome the new Economic Opportunities and the government. Also. So. These 2 geologists have created maps showing deposits of valuable resources on ellis may island itll be hard to enforce Environmental Protection there and Mining Operations wont be easy either. We have to consider the poor Energy Supply difficult transport routes very little infrastructure and a scarcity of skilled personnel in the region but these deposits will become more lucrative as the ice melts and transportation becomes. An equipment can be ships the year round. Scientists predict that the arctic ocean could be entirely free of ice in the summer by 2050 or even sooner even before that happens the Northwest Passage might become a regular shipping lane Mining Companies would love that but environmentalists dread the prospect. That geologists completed their mission and published their findings of what Natural Resources can be found where it may have been pioneering work in a remote location but the consequences are as yet unknown. Economically the ice melts could be viewed as a blessing for greenland its resources are attracting Foreign Investment creating jobs and boosting business but ecologically it could very well be a disaster so why are we allowing it to happen because we dont want to change our lifestyle and that includes being available anytime anywhere thanks to our smartphone and who would have guessed its full of rare earths and Precious Metals. You know theres gold in your smartphone. But dont go smashing it with a hammer its just a tiny amount a fraction of a gram but still. Your device also contains 16 of the 17 rare earth elements theyre what makes a smart phone smart. For example neodymium dysprosium impreza dimia make it vibrate. And terbium produces the vivid color in the display. Approximately one 3rd of the worlds population already has a smartphone and increasing quantities of rare earths are needed to satisfy the growing demand. The good news is that rare earths arent in fact all that rare. The bad news is that mining them is difficult and bad for the environment and reserves are finite supply of some rare earths could be exhausted in just a few decades what can we do to stop them running out. Quite replacing your smartphone too often. And when you do get a new one take the old one to be recycled. Now theres an idea its not just smartphones though is it in our bid to save the planet we want to replace the Combustion Engine with electric motors and for that we need lithium the key element in producing the kind of high efficiency batteries needed for electro mobility the price of lithium is rising rapidly and the major lithium produces chile argentina and bolivia are already being dumped the saudi arabia of latin america but lithium can also be found here in europe in the wifes back in the austrian alps european elysium pioneers aim to help reduce the continents dependence on imports. The gold of the future has a green hue this is a lithium mine in austria. The deposit here was 1st discovered more than 40 years ago and its the biggest in central europe. Stephan miller and. Now want to turn this lithium into cash. They work for an australian Mining Company the firm plans to invest around 400000000. 00 euros up until now the shares of their company have only been worth a few cents but lithium is becoming an extremely sought after more material. Goods north and we dont rely on our own evaluations its Standard Practice in the Mining Industry to get forecasts from independent companies the forecasts are also bankable which is helpful for financing based on the survey we believe we could earn up to 130000000. 00 a year if the operations go as planned that means moving 800000. 00 tonnes a year from the mountain with. The would be by is of the metal located on the other side of the alps in germany. Companies such as this factory manufacturer the Company Needs lithium for its battery cells for electric cars it currently has to source all it sounds in asia because there are no batteries cell manufacturers in germany. Spend our wants to follow the example of the u. S. Company tesla and build a lithium ion Production Facility like Teslas Gigafactory the lithium deposit in the alps looks just right for this project despite this the risk remains high. When you start with the electrochemistry what with the coatings and all the necessary processes you initially have huge losses you have to write off lots of material even tesla had that problem in the startup phase it costs an awful lot of money and nobody likes that its easy to say ill just buy what i need from asia but thats the wrong strategic approach in the long term. Lithium is the key element in producing the kind of high efficiency batteries needed for electric vehicles. Because asian firms dominate the market they also decide the prices including those for german battery makers. If electric cars do become more prevalent on our roads one day the demand for the base element in the energy cells will rise exponentially. The lithium high and he is in the austrian alps are betting on this they carried out numerous exploratory drilling in recent years and invested many millions of euros theyve discovered veins of lithium up to 10 meters thick. As long as the lithium is not extracted its worthless but once it is processed into battery grade Lithium Carbonate one ton costs around 14000. 00 euros and that price could more than double in the next few years as demanding creases already more than 100000. 00 tons that being used worldwide every year. In hopes of lithium produced here in the heart of europe in austria has a completely different level of sustainability from lithium that comes from developing countries for example where theres possibly child labor involved or certain environmental codes are not observed or worked around for cost reasons aki. Thats why its extremely important for the european car industry to add value here in europe with respect to its battery grade lithium. But if they give me some. Until now one of the main places where lithium is mind has been south america lithium mind here is Cost Effective but the extraction process is also very harmful to the environment so in the future it will be extremely important to recycle lithium the company i correct is working on this is specializes in the recycling of lithium ion batteries the company rarely gets batteries from electric cars the recently too few bucks cheaper with cars being scrapped. The founder of a says you cant make money out of lithium from old doctrines recycled copper and steel sell for high prices but recycling lithium isnt worth it financially because the market price is still too low something accurate is convinced will change i. Begin to who knows thats just looking at prices in 5 to 10 years we expect that volumes will rise to around 4000. 00 tons per year and definitely be one of the big issues there was in terms of. If electrum ability makes a breakthrough in europe it could mean a major boon for austrias locally sourced lithium but its by no means a done deal. Well and that is what pioneering is all about taking a risk without being sure of the outcome thats all from made this week for me and the team in berlin thanks for the option. To. The the. The the. The the. The the. The the. The effort going. By old global instead of fireworks. In madagascar our students are learning how to make pallets and briquettes out a plan to remain. In the cold. Less deforestation and more nutrients for the island nation and eco out for. 30 minutes on t. W. Embroiled in a battle for land and resources i know coming a richer chillies breadbasket. In the late 19th century european settlers arrived at it shores they drove out and subjugated the indigenous people. To this day the conflict remains unresolved and its escalating. In 75 minutes on d w. We know that this is a scary time for the coronavirus is changing the world changing our lives so please take care of yourself good distance wash your hands if you can stay at how we do w. Are here for you we are working so hard it was going to keep you informed on all of our platforms were all in this is being done together make it. Stay safe everybody stacy stay safe stay safe chris stay safe. How do you like to. Discover your concept discovered with the bulbs for. A legend after 100 years the ideal of the box a more relevant today than they were the. 100 years ago the janeiro has reshaped things to come to fall behind us people are just to design is with shaping society. About how to manage that crossover. With ideas that are part of our future. What makes the boss and its cliched sparring to this very day is somehow tied to all 5 play. House worlds or documentary stars made on day w. This is deja news and these our top stories the e. U. Has agreed to set up a Recovery Fund to help economies hit by the coronavirus outbreak the European Commission is to work out the details decisions on divisive issues such as common bonds have been postponed until the summer