00:00:04.746 --> 00:00:08.079
(footsteps approaching)

00:00:19.210 --> 00:00:21.410
- [Nils] My name is Nils Bokamp,

00:00:21.410 --> 00:00:24.550
as a filmmaker I'm often out and about,

00:00:24.550 --> 00:00:27.990
a while ago I decided to move
from Berlin to Pottstown,

00:00:27.990 --> 00:00:30.300
here I live closer to
the forests and lakes,

00:00:30.300 --> 00:00:32.173
which give me peace and quiet.

00:00:36.150 --> 00:00:38.710
In the summers of 2018 and 19,

00:00:38.710 --> 00:00:40.840
parts of Germany struggled
with water shortage,

00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:42.330
due to extreme dryness,

00:00:42.330 --> 00:00:44.330
even though we were surrounded by water,

00:00:46.110 --> 00:00:49.120
climate change doesn't feel
like an abstract thing anymore

00:00:49.120 --> 00:00:50.900
and I'm wondering how I as a human,

00:00:50.900 --> 00:00:52.940
can live in balance with nature,

00:00:52.940 --> 00:00:54.973
while not harming it any further.

00:00:54.973 --> 00:00:57.556
(gentle music)

00:01:15.290 --> 00:01:18.640
I look into places where people
treat nature differently,

00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:19.590
I'm aware of the fact,

00:01:19.590 --> 00:01:21.840
that we live in a globally linked world

00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:24.840
but I want to become more
conscious of my values and actions

00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:26.950
for quite some time now,

00:01:26.950 --> 00:01:30.270
I've been excited about going
to the kingdom of Bhutan,

00:01:30.270 --> 00:01:31.790
it's the only country in the world,

00:01:31.790 --> 00:01:35.660
that's 100% climate neutral,
how do they achieve it

00:01:35.660 --> 00:01:37.180
and what lies behind the idea

00:01:37.180 --> 00:01:39.180
of Bhutan's most important goal,

00:01:39.180 --> 00:01:41.730
to build their economy on
gross national happiness?

00:01:57.873 --> 00:02:01.800
6,700 kilometers of air
travel lie ahead of me,

00:02:01.800 --> 00:02:04.930
it would take me months to
get to Bhutan by car or train,

00:02:04.930 --> 00:02:07.300
I know it's not a solution
but I pay a little more,

00:02:07.300 --> 00:02:09.930
to make up for the 1.1 tons of CO2,

00:02:09.930 --> 00:02:11.730
that I'm causing with these flights.

00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:33.510
Bhutan, the Buddhist kingdom,

00:02:33.510 --> 00:02:35.970
lies between the giants China and India

00:02:35.970 --> 00:02:38.470
and is about the size of Switzerland,

00:02:38.470 --> 00:02:40.913
around 730,000 people live here,

00:02:41.790 --> 00:02:43.940
I arrive in the capital city of Thimphu

00:02:43.940 --> 00:02:46.463
in 2,320 meter altitude.

00:02:51.030 --> 00:02:52.990
Everything I read about
this independent country,

00:02:52.990 --> 00:02:55.890
fascinates me according
to their constitution,

00:02:55.890 --> 00:02:59.160
60% of the land has to
be covered with forest,

00:02:59.160 --> 00:03:02.690
by its own account Bhutan
is even CO2 negative,

00:03:02.690 --> 00:03:05.640
as the forests absorb three
times as much carbon dioxide,

00:03:05.640 --> 00:03:06.983
than the country emits.

00:03:12.450 --> 00:03:15.520
The spiritual mantras that are
printed onto the prayer flags

00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:18.630
are meant to be carried out
into the world by the wind,

00:03:18.630 --> 00:03:20.600
Bhutan is like no other country,

00:03:20.600 --> 00:03:23.793
constitutionally bound to the
wellbeing of its citizens.

00:03:31.910 --> 00:03:35.600
In Thimphu I visit the center
for gross national happiness,

00:03:35.600 --> 00:03:37.130
here the traditional view is held,

00:03:37.130 --> 00:03:40.120
that prosperity can't be
measured in economic growth

00:03:40.120 --> 00:03:41.793
but only in people's happiness.

00:03:48.750 --> 00:03:52.313
Dr. Julia Kim runs the center
on behalf of the Royal house,

00:03:53.250 --> 00:03:55.960
she worked as a UN consultant
in the fields of health

00:03:55.960 --> 00:03:58.530
and sustainability in Africa and New York,

00:03:58.530 --> 00:04:00.053
before returning to Bhutan.

00:04:01.550 --> 00:04:03.120
Hey Julia.
- Hello, Nils.

00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:04.860
- Good to see you, hi.

00:04:04.860 --> 00:04:06.790
- Lovely to meet you, welcome to Bhutan.

00:04:06.790 --> 00:04:07.810
- Thank you so much.

00:04:07.810 --> 00:04:09.700
- How was your trip over here?

00:04:09.700 --> 00:04:12.680
- Very long and exhausting but good.

00:04:12.680 --> 00:04:15.010
- Okay, well, you've
landed in a good place now

00:04:15.010 --> 00:04:16.090
and it's a perfect day,

00:04:16.090 --> 00:04:18.000
so, I hope you're feeling
a little bit happier.

00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:22.600
- What does happiness mean
in the context of GNH?

00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:23.830
- Well, it's a very good question,

00:04:23.830 --> 00:04:25.980
a lot of people ask what
do you mean by happiness?

00:04:25.980 --> 00:04:28.180
- Exactly because I feel totally happy now

00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:29.530
but is that happiness?

00:04:29.530 --> 00:04:31.810
- Yeah as soon as you start to get hungry,

00:04:31.810 --> 00:04:33.412
your happiness is gonna start to go down.

00:04:33.412 --> 00:04:34.670
- Probably.

00:04:34.670 --> 00:04:36.750
- So, how on earth do
you govern a country,

00:04:36.750 --> 00:04:39.510
based on people's moods going up and down?

00:04:39.510 --> 00:04:41.410
When we talk about happiness in GNH,

00:04:41.410 --> 00:04:42.880
I like to refer to the definition,

00:04:42.880 --> 00:04:45.230
from the first prime minister of Bhutan

00:04:45.230 --> 00:04:46.760
and he'd said something quite profound,

00:04:46.760 --> 00:04:48.887
he said, "true biding happiness,

00:04:48.887 --> 00:04:50.690
"cannot exist while others suffer

00:04:51.967 --> 00:04:54.067
"and comes only from serving others,

00:04:54.067 --> 00:04:56.997
"living in harmony with
nature and coming to know,

00:04:56.997 --> 00:04:59.816
"our true and brilliant
nature of our own minds."

00:04:59.816 --> 00:05:00.980
- It's huge.

00:05:00.980 --> 00:05:02.730
- It's big and I love it

00:05:02.730 --> 00:05:06.140
because it shows that
happiness is relational,

00:05:06.140 --> 00:05:08.760
so, when all those three
different levels come together,

00:05:08.760 --> 00:05:11.783
then you can talk about
happiness in the context of GNH.

00:05:19.160 --> 00:05:21.740
- [Nils] Inter human
relations, self-reflection

00:05:21.740 --> 00:05:23.740
and a connection to nature,

00:05:23.740 --> 00:05:26.540
are these the fundaments for
happier life for all of us?

00:05:27.690 --> 00:05:30.650
I want to get to know the
country and its people better,

00:05:30.650 --> 00:05:32.683
what does happiness look like in Bhutan?

00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:37.230
I continue my travels by
foot to get 70 kilometers,

00:05:37.230 --> 00:05:39.753
further East to the
Nalanda Buddhist Institute,

00:05:42.980 --> 00:05:44.420
it will take me two and a half days

00:05:44.420 --> 00:05:47.323
with the help of a local
guide we set off at dawn.

00:05:49.728 --> 00:05:52.395
(ominous music)

00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:13.410
While hiking I feel
most connected to myself

00:06:15.090 --> 00:06:17.200
in these moments I am
conscious of the beauty,

00:06:17.200 --> 00:06:20.290
that lies within living life
hand-in-hand with nature

00:06:22.100 --> 00:06:25.623
with every step I take I doubt
my Western values a bit more,

00:06:26.990 --> 00:06:29.010
why do we make our
happiness depend on wealth

00:06:29.010 --> 00:06:31.010
and economic growth?

00:06:31.010 --> 00:06:32.440
Isn't there another path,

00:06:32.440 --> 00:06:34.290
than the one that we're currently on?

00:07:09.580 --> 00:07:12.330
I arrive at the monastery
in the middle of the night,

00:07:12.330 --> 00:07:14.150
besides their spiritual education,

00:07:14.150 --> 00:07:16.200
they teach English as a foreign language.

00:07:18.810 --> 00:07:21.400
The novices are supposed to
practice their English skills

00:07:21.400 --> 00:07:23.420
with the foreigners and
therefore learn about,

00:07:23.420 --> 00:07:25.163
different countries and cultures.

00:07:32.414 --> 00:07:37.414
(bell rings)
(dogs barking)

00:07:47.740 --> 00:07:50.490
The days here start in the early morning,

00:07:50.490 --> 00:07:51.920
I have to admit that I'm far away

00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:54.200
from connecting my body and mind

00:07:54.200 --> 00:07:56.230
but I feel touched by
the warmth and sincerity,

00:07:56.230 --> 00:07:57.483
I'm experiencing here.

00:08:00.640 --> 00:08:02.750
I found this place on Facebook,

00:08:02.750 --> 00:08:04.840
Bhutan's monks are
anything but disconnected,

00:08:04.840 --> 00:08:06.190
from the rest of the world.

00:08:33.996 --> 00:08:36.579
(bell ringing)

00:08:41.290 --> 00:08:44.473
Around 100 novices learn from
the monks that live here,

00:08:45.370 --> 00:08:48.760
many come from humble
origins, some are orphans,

00:08:48.760 --> 00:08:50.813
the school pays for all their expenses.

00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:03.431
(footsteps approaching)

00:09:03.431 --> 00:09:04.628
Good morning.

00:09:04.628 --> 00:09:08.128
(speaks foreign language)

00:09:09.462 --> 00:09:13.700
- [Nils] Once a month alternating
Puja rituals are performed

00:09:13.700 --> 00:09:15.810
Pujas are held to remove resistances,

00:09:15.810 --> 00:09:18.160
that hold the monks back
from pursuing their worldly

00:09:18.160 --> 00:09:19.423
and spiritual goals,

00:09:20.770 --> 00:09:23.020
prayers are said and
sung during ceremonies,

00:09:23.020 --> 00:09:25.180
to receive Buddha's blessing for happiness

00:09:25.180 --> 00:09:26.633
in all areas of life.

00:09:29.660 --> 00:09:32.110
The musical support of old Tibetan chants,

00:09:32.110 --> 00:09:34.613
plays an important role
during the ceremony.

00:09:37.182 --> 00:09:40.099
(novices chanting)

00:10:06.676 --> 00:10:09.343
(gentle music)

00:11:13.267 --> 00:11:15.510
After the Puja the youngest novices,

00:11:15.510 --> 00:11:17.260
spend their days with handcrafting,

00:11:18.940 --> 00:11:20.460
many of them come from families,

00:11:20.460 --> 00:11:23.160
that can't afford higher
education for their children,

00:11:25.050 --> 00:11:26.740
the crafting of musical instruments

00:11:26.740 --> 00:11:28.670
is as much part of their daily schedule

00:11:28.670 --> 00:11:31.920
as Buddhist teachings
and operating computers,

00:11:31.920 --> 00:11:35.413
the young monks are meant to
be part of modern society.

00:11:35.413 --> 00:11:39.080
(speaking foreign language)

00:11:44.950 --> 00:11:48.283
(Chinese flute honking)

00:11:52.017 --> 00:11:54.140
Before the novices can
start the practical part

00:11:54.140 --> 00:11:56.740
of their training outside
the monastery walls,

00:11:56.740 --> 00:11:58.937
they have to pass their final exams.

00:11:58.937 --> 00:12:02.104
(monks reading aloud)

00:12:12.950 --> 00:12:14.044
- [Nils] He's getting close?

00:12:14.044 --> 00:12:15.324
- [Man] Only one month left.

00:12:15.324 --> 00:12:16.662
- [Nils] One month from today?

00:12:16.662 --> 00:12:19.520
- Yeah, it's only one month.
- 15 days.

00:12:19.520 --> 00:12:24.520
- Okay, wow is it hard
to study all the time?

00:12:24.910 --> 00:12:26.303
- Yeah, this is so hard.

00:12:30.400 --> 00:12:35.400
We staying here and always
learning and it's difficult.

00:12:35.520 --> 00:12:38.403
- [Nils] And why did you
make the choice to come here?

00:12:39.450 --> 00:12:42.483
- Because I really like to be a monk.

00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:49.560
- [Nils] The last two days taught me,

00:12:49.560 --> 00:12:52.940
how the people here respond
to a life in silence,

00:12:52.940 --> 00:12:55.890
the monks never talk just
for the sake of talking,

00:12:55.890 --> 00:12:58.250
their humor is subtle and
they are genuinely happy,

00:12:58.250 --> 00:13:00.173
about my interest in their culture.

00:13:03.290 --> 00:13:05.360
Around 10% of Bhutan citizens,

00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:07.663
live as monks or nuns in monasteries,

00:13:08.610 --> 00:13:09.770
they play an important part

00:13:09.770 --> 00:13:12.290
in preserving the traditional way of life,

00:13:12.290 --> 00:13:13.813
when in harmony with nature.

00:13:23.040 --> 00:13:24.970
The headmaster Lama Khenpo,

00:13:24.970 --> 00:13:27.423
leads me up to the
monasteries highest trine,

00:13:28.380 --> 00:13:30.600
I tell him that I started
meditating in Germany,

00:13:30.600 --> 00:13:32.593
to find inner peace and happiness.

00:13:34.880 --> 00:13:39.870
- We don't believe in a God
as a creator control over you,

00:13:39.870 --> 00:13:43.740
your happiness and your
suffering is dependent on you

00:13:43.740 --> 00:13:48.100
if you want to be a happy
person it's not good to wait,

00:13:48.100 --> 00:13:50.250
someone will give you the chances,

00:13:50.250 --> 00:13:53.140
you have to create the
condition to be happy,

00:13:53.140 --> 00:13:57.343
that's important in Buddhism.

00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:13.000
- [Nils] The goal is to be in the moment

00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:16.053
and let go of all thoughts
about the future and the past,

00:14:17.780 --> 00:14:19.160
you can even achieve this state,

00:14:19.160 --> 00:14:21.446
through meditative dance or hiking.

00:14:21.446 --> 00:14:24.279
(novices singing)

00:14:31.930 --> 00:14:34.663
The novices have to learn
entire books by heart,

00:14:35.780 --> 00:14:38.120
memorizing becomes easier
by reading out loud

00:14:38.120 --> 00:14:39.570
in a certain rhythm together,

00:14:40.690 --> 00:14:43.290
they have to make sure to
preserve their traditions,

00:14:44.350 --> 00:14:47.830
keep one eye on the passage of
time and one eye on tradition

00:14:47.830 --> 00:14:49.483
as a Bhutanese saying goes,

00:14:50.410 --> 00:14:53.180
nowadays, Bhutan's monks are
even allowed to own money

00:14:53.180 --> 00:14:54.283
and mobile phones,

00:14:55.770 --> 00:14:57.904
the novices still have a long way to go.

00:14:57.904 --> 00:15:01.821
(novices clapping and singing)

00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:12.310
My time in the monastery comes to an end,

00:15:12.310 --> 00:15:14.560
I'm heading back to the
capital city Thimphu.

00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:18.810
Now, I went to find out,

00:15:18.810 --> 00:15:21.510
how the Buddhist values are
applicable to modern life.

00:15:37.061 --> 00:15:40.170
(indistinct) is something
you have to learn actually

00:15:40.170 --> 00:15:43.330
and it's not an easy thing to learn,

00:15:43.330 --> 00:15:46.060
I think it can be also
scary in the beginning

00:15:46.060 --> 00:15:48.860
if you stopped for example, meditation,

00:15:48.860 --> 00:15:52.650
what would you advise people
who start this process?

00:15:52.650 --> 00:15:55.560
- In fact, even really
experienced meditators will say,

00:15:55.560 --> 00:15:58.520
their experience goes
up and down constantly

00:15:58.520 --> 00:16:02.050
and it's that up and down
that is the meditation

00:16:02.050 --> 00:16:07.050
and it can be playful, it can
be fun and it can be funny

00:16:09.300 --> 00:16:11.950
and as you get to know your own mind more,

00:16:11.950 --> 00:16:14.350
then when difficult things come up

00:16:14.350 --> 00:16:18.120
and you find yourself getting
angry or disappointed,

00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:20.450
you don't identify with it so much,

00:16:20.450 --> 00:16:23.390
you don't see it as something so solid

00:16:23.390 --> 00:16:25.170
because you've seen it come and go,

00:16:25.170 --> 00:16:27.930
so, I think these are
skills that can be learned,

00:16:27.930 --> 00:16:30.430
I had to go looking for it and sometimes,

00:16:30.430 --> 00:16:33.470
you know, jump off the path
a little bit to find it

00:16:33.470 --> 00:16:34.990
but I think these days,

00:16:34.990 --> 00:16:36.650
schools are doing some interesting things,

00:16:36.650 --> 00:16:40.800
you know, teaching kids basic
meditation and mindfulness,

00:16:40.800 --> 00:16:44.650
emotional intelligence and
curiosity and I think this idea

00:16:44.650 --> 00:16:47.910
of having an open mind and an open heart

00:16:47.910 --> 00:16:50.700
is something that we should
be cultivating in education,

00:16:50.700 --> 00:16:53.853
rather than just being smart
and getting good grades.

00:16:58.230 --> 00:17:00.720
- [Nils] To get an idea of
it Julia recommends to me,

00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:02.620
that I visit a typical primary school.

00:17:08.096 --> 00:17:09.376
Okay, let's go.

00:17:09.376 --> 00:17:12.459
(car engine revving)

00:17:22.060 --> 00:17:26.060
(children giggling and talking)

00:17:28.620 --> 00:17:30.400
At the early learning center Thimphu,

00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:32.240
every morning the students sing together

00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:34.940
in front of the national
flag with the thunder dragon.

00:17:37.157 --> 00:17:39.950
(children singing)

00:17:39.950 --> 00:17:42.470
The school's goal is to
spread universal happiness

00:17:42.470 --> 00:17:44.313
into the world through its students,

00:17:45.560 --> 00:17:48.383
teaching empathy and respect
is the biggest priority.

00:17:55.260 --> 00:17:58.323
All children meditate for a
moment before classes start.

00:18:25.760 --> 00:18:27.700
By going on special field trips,

00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:29.950
the children learn how
to independently tackle,

00:18:29.950 --> 00:18:31.433
real life's challenges.

00:18:33.080 --> 00:18:35.090
You guys spoke about the field trips,

00:18:35.090 --> 00:18:37.090
what else did you do in the field trips?

00:18:37.940 --> 00:18:42.940
- We go to the kidney foundations
and we ask the patients,

00:18:43.600 --> 00:18:48.100
do you have any relatives
who are visiting you and all?

00:18:48.100 --> 00:18:50.810
Sometimes it makes me emotional

00:18:50.810 --> 00:18:54.350
because the patients they were also crying

00:18:54.350 --> 00:18:59.350
and I felt so guilty for
like keeping them sick

00:19:02.270 --> 00:19:05.770
and as a citizen of
Bhutan not doing anything,

00:19:05.770 --> 00:19:09.973
just donating money at
school then I realized that,

00:19:11.170 --> 00:19:15.680
you can't just look and
say hi and give money,

00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:17.830
you have to feel the problem

00:19:17.830 --> 00:19:20.670
and you have to do something about it,

00:19:20.670 --> 00:19:22.917
not to leave it at that point.

00:19:22.917 --> 00:19:25.500
(gentle music)

00:19:32.180 --> 00:19:34.230
- [Nils] The children's pride
of their Bhutanese tradition

00:19:34.230 --> 00:19:36.763
and connection to it can
be found in all areas,

00:19:38.520 --> 00:19:40.520
I've rarely seen a school before,

00:19:40.520 --> 00:19:43.343
that engages in as many
social projects as this one,

00:19:44.690 --> 00:19:47.140
it is easy to see their
will to change the world.

00:19:48.521 --> 00:19:51.604
(indistinct chatter)

00:20:01.510 --> 00:20:05.070
- I think it's part of the mindset

00:20:05.070 --> 00:20:07.973
and the closest to nature
that people feel here,

00:20:08.890 --> 00:20:13.440
there is a sense that nature
is not outside of ourselves

00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:17.240
and is not something that
you go to a park to visit

00:20:17.240 --> 00:20:22.240
or that you go on holiday to
see as you move through Bhutan

00:20:22.630 --> 00:20:27.090
because it's still largely
rural and agricultural,

00:20:27.090 --> 00:20:28.383
nature is everywhere.

00:20:36.490 --> 00:20:39.520
- [Nils] My journey continues
West to the Paro Valley,

00:20:39.520 --> 00:20:41.853
one of the kingdom's most fertile areas.

00:20:44.470 --> 00:20:47.620
Two thirds of Bhutan citizens are farmers,

00:20:47.620 --> 00:20:50.623
most of them grow food for their own use.

00:20:50.623 --> 00:20:53.206
(dogs barking)

00:20:55.730 --> 00:20:59.130
The people here surely live
a very simple and hard life

00:20:59.130 --> 00:21:01.293
but they all spread kindness and warmth.

00:21:05.880 --> 00:21:08.113
Prayer wheels can be
found at every stream,

00:21:10.300 --> 00:21:13.060
thousands of mantras are meant
to be carried into the world

00:21:13.060 --> 00:21:14.093
with every spin.

00:21:17.800 --> 00:21:19.640
I don't have to be a
Buddhist to understand,

00:21:19.640 --> 00:21:21.343
the longing for inner peace.

00:21:28.290 --> 00:21:30.223
I spend the night with the Lam family,

00:21:31.300 --> 00:21:33.660
as a hiker I get an
especially warm welcome

00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:36.051
from the 20 family members that live here.

00:21:36.051 --> 00:21:39.551
(speaks foreign language)

00:21:40.920 --> 00:21:43.760
I still have to get used
to the constant cold

00:21:43.760 --> 00:21:45.743
but their traditional butter tea helps.

00:21:53.010 --> 00:21:55.520
The family eats the
produce that they grow,

00:21:55.520 --> 00:21:58.970
a lot of grain and vegetables rarely meat.

00:21:58.970 --> 00:22:00.520
Do you think it's too hot then?

00:22:05.410 --> 00:22:06.350
What kind of beef is it,

00:22:06.350 --> 00:22:08.100
it's dry beef right?
- Dried beef.

00:22:12.208 --> 00:22:15.645
(speaks foreign language)

00:22:15.645 --> 00:22:18.312
(phone ringing)

00:22:57.560 --> 00:23:00.160
- [Nils] What might seem
like an era of forgone times,

00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:03.363
could present itself as an
advantage for Bhutan's future,

00:23:04.210 --> 00:23:06.450
due to the fact that not
many farmers can afford,

00:23:06.450 --> 00:23:09.070
artificial fertilizers
and chemical pesticides,

00:23:09.070 --> 00:23:11.380
the step towards environmentally
friendly farming,

00:23:11.380 --> 00:23:12.233
isn't big.

00:23:15.670 --> 00:23:17.210
The kingdom learnt from the mistakes,

00:23:17.210 --> 00:23:19.050
that the industrial nations made

00:23:19.050 --> 00:23:21.400
and wants Bhutan to be
the first exclusively,

00:23:21.400 --> 00:23:23.353
organic farming country in the world.

00:23:30.321 --> 00:23:33.821
(speaks foreign language)

00:23:40.820 --> 00:23:43.890
- The UN will often talk
about developing countries

00:23:43.890 --> 00:23:45.920
and under development,

00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:48.720
I think it's time we start
talking about overdevelopment,

00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:52.230
we assume that a country
like Bhutan needs to grow up

00:23:52.230 --> 00:23:55.130
and become like America
that's the wrong model

00:23:55.130 --> 00:23:57.360
because it's not sustainable

00:23:57.360 --> 00:23:59.810
and I think there is no system in nature,

00:23:59.810 --> 00:24:03.750
that grows at infinitum
that doesn't stop growing

00:24:03.750 --> 00:24:07.050
if you look at a biological
system the best example we have

00:24:07.050 --> 00:24:10.320
is something that keeps
growing endlessly is a cancer

00:24:10.320 --> 00:24:11.790
and we know what happens to the body,

00:24:11.790 --> 00:24:14.010
when a cancer grows out of control,

00:24:14.010 --> 00:24:16.920
we became fascinated by the
fact that we can control nature,

00:24:16.920 --> 00:24:20.250
we can create good things like technology,

00:24:20.250 --> 00:24:23.410
that provides clean water
but at the same time,

00:24:23.410 --> 00:24:26.090
we started to really value
things like efficiency,

00:24:26.090 --> 00:24:28.240
quantity rather than quality

00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:30.910
and in that mindset time is money

00:24:30.910 --> 00:24:33.000
and I think here in Bhutan,

00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:35.460
when we talk about gross
national happiness,

00:24:35.460 --> 00:24:39.620
the purpose of all of that
activity, all of that resources,

00:24:39.620 --> 00:24:43.840
all the energy is towards
wellbeing and happiness

00:24:43.840 --> 00:24:46.523
and not just for us as
human beings but all life.

00:24:53.530 --> 00:24:56.350
- [Nils] At the foot of the
famous Punakha Dzong fortress,

00:24:56.350 --> 00:25:00.570
the rivers Fochu and Mochu the
male and female river meet,

00:25:00.570 --> 00:25:03.020
they are meant to bring
fertility to the country.

00:25:06.690 --> 00:25:10.690
I accompany Tashi Dorji, he
offers whitewater rafting here

00:25:10.690 --> 00:25:12.773
and knows the rivers like no other.

00:25:15.840 --> 00:25:17.010
Now, during the winter time,

00:25:17.010 --> 00:25:19.460
the river courses are fairly calm,

00:25:19.460 --> 00:25:21.410
though in summer during monsoon season,

00:25:21.410 --> 00:25:23.853
Mochu especially grows
into a massive stream.

00:25:32.162 --> 00:25:33.432
Thank you.

00:25:33.432 --> 00:25:36.015
(gentle music)

00:25:59.976 --> 00:26:01.722
So, guys which river is this

00:26:01.722 --> 00:26:03.696
is this a male or the female one?

00:26:03.696 --> 00:26:04.529
- This is the female river,

00:26:05.854 --> 00:26:10.854
so, right now the volume is
not that high it's winter,

00:26:11.580 --> 00:26:14.310
during summer you see the area that side,

00:26:14.310 --> 00:26:15.947
so, it's all under water.

00:26:15.947 --> 00:26:20.700
- Okay and the river did it
change over the last years?

00:26:20.700 --> 00:26:24.490
- Yeah, of course so last year
it has increased drastically,

00:26:24.490 --> 00:26:28.620
so, we had a very heavy
rain fall for a month.

00:26:28.620 --> 00:26:31.780
- Okay, so it's a combination of rainfall

00:26:31.780 --> 00:26:34.610
and the glaciers melting?

00:26:34.610 --> 00:26:37.600
- Yeah, of course, of course
so that's the main combination

00:26:39.110 --> 00:26:43.463
if it rains less so it
doesn't goes too high.

00:26:46.980 --> 00:26:49.563
(gentle music)

00:27:28.280 --> 00:27:29.113
- [Nils] For some time,

00:27:29.113 --> 00:27:32.460
Bhutans rivers have grown
more and more unpredictable,

00:27:32.460 --> 00:27:35.010
where snow and glaciers
once covered the mountains,

00:27:35.010 --> 00:27:37.713
rocks can be found today Tashi says.

00:27:37.713 --> 00:27:41.523
- We have lots of glacier
legs on top of the mountains,

00:27:44.846 --> 00:27:49.010
you know, we have a danger that
it might burst out any time,

00:27:49.010 --> 00:27:53.860
the flood which came in
1994 that was quite big

00:27:53.860 --> 00:27:56.550
and it has destroyed many things,

00:27:56.550 --> 00:27:59.610
even some you know, local house,

00:27:59.610 --> 00:28:02.140
so, every year it's changing now,

00:28:02.140 --> 00:28:06.150
so, every year we can see lots of places,

00:28:06.150 --> 00:28:09.040
where it has landslides and all,

00:28:09.040 --> 00:28:12.260
so, it's all because of the high volume

00:28:12.260 --> 00:28:13.503
and the climate change.

00:28:18.810 --> 00:28:20.650
- [Nils] I wouldn't have
thought that climate change

00:28:20.650 --> 00:28:22.620
is very tangible in Bhutan,

00:28:22.620 --> 00:28:25.140
both the unsteady monsoon and
the melting of the glaciers,

00:28:25.140 --> 00:28:28.273
have a significant impact on
the ecosystem and the economy,

00:28:29.320 --> 00:28:30.360
Bhutan's energy needs,

00:28:30.360 --> 00:28:33.090
are almost entirely
covered by hydro-power,

00:28:33.090 --> 00:28:34.950
which also fills the state treasury,

00:28:34.950 --> 00:28:36.900
as large parts of it are sold to India.

00:28:40.210 --> 00:28:43.943
I meet Bhutan's former environment
minister Thinley Namgyel.

00:28:46.670 --> 00:28:50.340
- Hydro dams is a huge
economic factor in Bhutan

00:28:50.340 --> 00:28:54.118
and so you also take the
disadvantages of climate change

00:28:54.118 --> 00:28:56.270
into an advantage, it's also disadvantage,

00:28:56.270 --> 00:28:57.610
now, we're finding under climate change,

00:28:57.610 --> 00:29:00.070
without climate change
it would have been fine

00:29:00.070 --> 00:29:03.710
but now as I said, the
winter floors are decreasing,

00:29:03.710 --> 00:29:05.230
it's getting critical,

00:29:05.230 --> 00:29:08.250
so, our generation in the winter
is getting much, much less,

00:29:08.250 --> 00:29:12.100
so, now the small dams are
actually not able to store water,

00:29:12.100 --> 00:29:14.730
that you'd need to really
generate so it's really low,

00:29:14.730 --> 00:29:17.300
so, if you look at a purely
engineering perspective

00:29:17.300 --> 00:29:18.500
of what you should do,

00:29:18.500 --> 00:29:20.080
you need bigger dams to store more water

00:29:20.080 --> 00:29:21.120
but we don't have that here,

00:29:21.120 --> 00:29:23.870
so, climate change is making
it much more difficult again.

00:29:23.870 --> 00:29:26.420
- You are attending all these
climate change conferences,

00:29:26.420 --> 00:29:28.330
so, you're a real expert on that?

00:29:28.330 --> 00:29:31.510
I feel related to all my research I did,

00:29:31.510 --> 00:29:33.130
that there's a lot of talking

00:29:33.130 --> 00:29:34.910
but nothing really happens in here.

00:29:34.910 --> 00:29:36.030
- As a small country,

00:29:36.030 --> 00:29:39.167
that is on the receiving
end of climate change,

00:29:39.167 --> 00:29:41.960
we've tried to put forward
what we would like do,

00:29:41.960 --> 00:29:43.060
so, when we see this,

00:29:43.060 --> 00:29:45.750
actually we see this as
a bit of frustration,

00:29:45.750 --> 00:29:48.700
so, we actually want to
see much more action,

00:29:48.700 --> 00:29:51.190
we don't contribute much
to causing climate change

00:29:51.190 --> 00:29:55.230
but we feel it and then
in terms of the action,

00:29:55.230 --> 00:29:59.510
the larger countries who
have the ability to influence

00:29:59.510 --> 00:30:01.523
and make an impact on the changes,

00:30:02.630 --> 00:30:03.700
unfortunately, we're not seeing that

00:30:03.700 --> 00:30:05.220
as much as it needs to be done,

00:30:05.220 --> 00:30:07.620
so, it's a little frustrating
and it worries me.

00:30:08.650 --> 00:30:10.870
- Do you feel like we
are running out of time?

00:30:10.870 --> 00:30:14.341
- Sometimes yes, so it's still
happening much, much faster.

00:30:14.341 --> 00:30:16.924
(gentle music)

00:30:28.680 --> 00:30:30.180
- [Nils] The country's
longest rope bridge,

00:30:30.180 --> 00:30:31.923
leads over the river Puna Tsang,

00:30:33.410 --> 00:30:35.100
besides the rivers unpredictability,

00:30:35.100 --> 00:30:36.453
there is a different issue.

00:30:37.830 --> 00:30:41.050
In many places water
resources are drying out

00:30:41.050 --> 00:30:43.403
in the winter time it rains less and less,

00:30:44.660 --> 00:30:46.360
to cover its demand for energy,

00:30:46.360 --> 00:30:49.030
Bhutan would actually need big reservoirs

00:30:49.030 --> 00:30:50.490
but this would inevitably lead,

00:30:50.490 --> 00:30:52.193
to new environmental problems,

00:30:53.540 --> 00:30:55.940
ironically, Bhutan of all countries,

00:30:55.940 --> 00:30:57.710
while doing so many things right

00:30:57.710 --> 00:31:00.210
is especially affected by climate change

00:31:00.210 --> 00:31:01.510
and it is the hard truth,

00:31:01.510 --> 00:31:03.410
that they can't even be blamed for it.

00:31:16.383 --> 00:31:19.840
On my return trip I have
spent a night in Bangkok,

00:31:19.840 --> 00:31:22.010
the contrast could not be bigger,

00:31:22.010 --> 00:31:24.810
8.2 million people live in this mega city,

00:31:24.810 --> 00:31:25.750
that's about 10 times,

00:31:25.750 --> 00:31:28.243
the amount of the entire
population of Bhutan,

00:31:29.750 --> 00:31:32.730
overall Thailand emits
about four tons of CO2,

00:31:32.730 --> 00:31:34.390
per capita per year,

00:31:34.390 --> 00:31:37.030
more than twice as much
as the people of Bhutan

00:31:37.030 --> 00:31:40.440
but then Germans emit more
than nine tons per capita,

00:31:40.440 --> 00:31:43.470
so what sense does it make to
produce less on a small scale,

00:31:43.470 --> 00:31:46.020
when the big players like
us don't change anything?

00:31:52.270 --> 00:31:55.390
Back home in Potsdam, I can't find peace,

00:31:55.390 --> 00:31:57.850
man-made climate change
jeopardizes the happiness

00:31:57.850 --> 00:32:01.730
and existence of all living
beings not only in Bhutan

00:32:01.730 --> 00:32:03.673
but also directly at our doorstep,

00:32:05.030 --> 00:32:07.540
I come across old pictures
of the batsteta glacier

00:32:07.540 --> 00:32:09.023
at Grossglockner mountain,

00:32:10.200 --> 00:32:11.910
when I was a kid I learned how to ski

00:32:11.910 --> 00:32:13.143
in the Alps of Austria,

00:32:14.650 --> 00:32:16.560
I feel drawn back to
nature and want to see,

00:32:16.560 --> 00:32:18.410
what the glacier looks like nowadays.

00:32:24.789 --> 00:32:27.372
(gentle music)

00:32:28.350 --> 00:32:32.870
- The batsteta glacier it runs
almost seven kilometers long

00:32:32.870 --> 00:32:34.850
at the foot of the Grossglockner mountain

00:32:34.850 --> 00:32:37.093
and it's still Austria's biggest glacier,

00:32:38.300 --> 00:32:41.490
already in the 19th century
it attracted tourists

00:32:41.490 --> 00:32:44.520
and even lured Emperor Franz
Joseph the first up here

00:32:46.430 --> 00:32:48.240
but back then the volume of the ice

00:32:48.240 --> 00:32:50.363
was three times bigger than it is today,

00:32:52.600 --> 00:32:55.440
I meet Lizzie Stoiber,
original mountain guide,

00:32:55.440 --> 00:32:56.553
who will accompany me.

00:33:11.890 --> 00:33:13.520
- [Lizzie] Guess until how many years ago,

00:33:13.520 --> 00:33:15.270
there still was ice where we stand?

00:33:17.220 --> 00:33:18.740
- [Nils] I would say 10 years.

00:33:18.740 --> 00:33:21.910
- [Lizzie] Not even it's hard to imagine,

00:33:21.910 --> 00:33:24.963
that all of this was full
of ice not so long ago.

00:33:31.010 --> 00:33:33.910
The glaciers declining
by 50 meters each year

00:33:36.425 --> 00:33:38.883
and this glacial Lake is what's left.

00:33:40.791 --> 00:33:43.541
(water dripping)

00:33:47.490 --> 00:33:50.020
By now many of our tours
to the Northern edge

00:33:50.020 --> 00:33:52.070
are only feasible in winter

00:33:52.070 --> 00:33:54.273
or early spring when it's cold enough.

00:33:56.989 --> 00:33:59.340
In the summer it's just too-
- Too dangerous?

00:33:59.340 --> 00:34:01.050
- Yes because of the many rockfalls,

00:34:01.050 --> 00:34:03.300
which you don't really
want to be exposed to.

00:34:04.340 --> 00:34:06.770
- [Nils] The Zanda Lake
which lies in front of us,

00:34:06.770 --> 00:34:09.203
exists only since the 1960s,

00:34:10.050 --> 00:34:12.603
the glaciers meltwater
makes it expand every year.

00:34:39.740 --> 00:34:42.120
The rapid glacier melt
can not be explained,

00:34:42.120 --> 00:34:44.363
through natural climate
fluctuations alone,

00:34:45.410 --> 00:34:47.660
scientists told the influence of mankind

00:34:47.660 --> 00:34:49.523
on the climate responsible for it.

00:35:01.550 --> 00:35:03.450
- [Lizzie] Is it your first time here?

00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:07.683
- No I've been here once 15 years ago.

00:35:09.160 --> 00:35:09.993
- I see.

00:35:10.850 --> 00:35:12.420
- Back then there was no Lake down here,

00:35:12.420 --> 00:35:14.947
it looked completely different.

00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:17.670
- The problem is the many days

00:35:17.670 --> 00:35:21.263
in which the zero degree level
climbs to this high altitude,

00:35:22.110 --> 00:35:24.110
like this summer we had many days

00:35:24.110 --> 00:35:26.173
on which it was at 4,000 meters,

00:35:27.900 --> 00:35:31.760
the Grossglockner is
about 3,800 meters high,

00:35:31.760 --> 00:35:36.410
so, the glacier melts also
the permafrost opens up

00:35:36.410 --> 00:35:38.860
and the whole thing is
set in motion and rumbles.

00:35:42.130 --> 00:35:45.500
- Whenever I do a ski tour
I become a different person,

00:35:45.500 --> 00:35:46.690
after the second day,

00:35:46.690 --> 00:35:48.690
I've gotten rid of all my tension inside

00:35:48.690 --> 00:35:52.250
and feel completely different
it's hard to describe,

00:35:52.250 --> 00:35:54.400
like an inner peace
that makes me addicted.

00:35:55.680 --> 00:35:57.080
- And that's why it is so important,

00:35:57.080 --> 00:35:58.523
to preserve these regions,

00:35:59.880 --> 00:36:01.330
unfortunately, many people are looking

00:36:01.330 --> 00:36:04.303
for the thrill in the mountains
without taking a risk,

00:36:05.520 --> 00:36:06.920
that's a double edged sword,

00:36:07.860 --> 00:36:11.193
we as Alpine guides can't carry
the people up on our backs,

00:36:12.310 --> 00:36:15.460
and on the other hand we don't
want to secure the mountains

00:36:15.460 --> 00:36:20.460
and make highways out of them,

00:36:20.580 --> 00:36:22.620
actually, it should be
the other way around

00:36:22.620 --> 00:36:25.400
and everybody should learn
the skills and how to prepare,

00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:27.050
when going up into the mountains.

00:36:34.970 --> 00:36:36.700
To move about freely in nature,

00:36:36.700 --> 00:36:38.793
sometimes looks easier than it is,

00:36:39.730 --> 00:36:43.123
especially when you expose
yourself to untamed nature,

00:36:44.070 --> 00:36:47.233
without sightseeing
platforms and secured stairs,

00:36:48.930 --> 00:36:50.050
you can pick up on these skills

00:36:50.050 --> 00:36:51.980
if you cross a glacier for instance,

00:36:51.980 --> 00:36:54.160
even when it's a bit shaky and lopsided

00:36:55.640 --> 00:36:57.480
in the beginning you might be a bit clumsy

00:36:57.480 --> 00:36:58.540
but that doesn't matter,

00:36:58.540 --> 00:37:02.713
what counts is to experience
one of those elemental moments,

00:37:03.730 --> 00:37:06.360
we have to understand that
even the easiest task,

00:37:06.360 --> 00:37:08.060
can be challenging for some people

00:37:09.050 --> 00:37:11.910
because they became alienated from nature

00:37:13.270 --> 00:37:15.340
but if they get themselves into it,

00:37:15.340 --> 00:37:18.330
many people would see nature differently,

00:37:18.330 --> 00:37:19.853
as something worth protecting,

00:37:20.840 --> 00:37:24.373
nature will only remain nature
if we stop manipulating it.

00:37:29.900 --> 00:37:32.900
- [Nils] We hike further
towards the glacier tongue,

00:37:32.900 --> 00:37:35.300
it is a particularly
long and painstaking way

00:37:35.300 --> 00:37:37.540
on the rubble before
the first ice shows up

00:37:39.330 --> 00:37:42.193
but then the view is
still just breathtaking.

00:37:54.560 --> 00:37:56.550
- If you consider that a few years ago,

00:37:56.550 --> 00:37:59.720
all of this was ice up to this level,

00:37:59.720 --> 00:38:01.280
there's not much left anymore

00:38:02.330 --> 00:38:04.500
and we've been walking
for an hour and a half,

00:38:04.500 --> 00:38:08.083
until we reach the glaciers
icy surface without rocks.

00:38:17.640 --> 00:38:18.903
Careful at the edge.

00:38:25.960 --> 00:38:29.280
- [Nils] When first measured
in 1852 the batsteta glacier,

00:38:29.280 --> 00:38:33.910
spread out over a total area
of 27 square kilometers,

00:38:33.910 --> 00:38:35.593
nowadays it's only 16.

00:38:39.800 --> 00:38:41.300
- How deep do you think it is?

00:38:43.020 --> 00:38:44.093
- Hard to say 20?

00:38:45.180 --> 00:38:46.700
- I think so too.

00:38:46.700 --> 00:38:48.890
- This gives me a strange feeling,

00:38:48.890 --> 00:38:51.220
I never want to fall into
one of these crevices,

00:38:51.220 --> 00:38:54.003
it's really unnerving.
- Yes, it is.

00:38:59.400 --> 00:39:01.650
- [Nils] Meters deep
crevices break the ice down

00:39:01.650 --> 00:39:03.510
and reveal the glaciers fragility

00:39:05.970 --> 00:39:09.890
for how much longer will
glaciers in the Alps even exist?

00:39:09.890 --> 00:39:13.090
What will I see if I
return in another 15 years,

00:39:13.090 --> 00:39:14.713
only rubble and boulders?

00:39:16.020 --> 00:39:18.463
The notion seems within arms reach.

00:39:21.819 --> 00:39:24.402
(gentle music)

00:39:30.310 --> 00:39:33.060
One day will we look
at nature the same way,

00:39:33.060 --> 00:39:34.963
we look at rare animals in a zoo?

00:39:37.050 --> 00:39:40.400
In 2019, 299 trees were planted

00:39:40.400 --> 00:39:42.253
in the Wörthersee football stadium,

00:39:43.540 --> 00:39:46.120
an installation by the
artist Klaus Littmann,

00:39:46.120 --> 00:39:50.093
called For Forest The
Unending Attraction of Nature.

00:39:52.050 --> 00:39:54.673
It took six weeks until the
trees were standing right?

00:39:57.095 --> 00:39:58.410
- The set up went pretty fast,

00:39:58.410 --> 00:40:00.520
we were done sooner than we expected,

00:40:00.520 --> 00:40:01.963
within four weeks actually,

00:40:03.450 --> 00:40:05.450
I learned quite a lot from this project,

00:40:06.410 --> 00:40:07.850
for instance that we needed trees,

00:40:07.850 --> 00:40:09.557
which roots were clustered.

00:40:14.430 --> 00:40:17.620
These trees were
replanted every four years

00:40:17.620 --> 00:40:19.500
but they were not exposed to stress

00:40:19.500 --> 00:40:21.550
because their fine roots were not harmed,

00:40:23.760 --> 00:40:24.623
that is crucial,

00:40:26.010 --> 00:40:28.773
you can't find such trees
in ordinary tree nurseries,

00:40:30.740 --> 00:40:33.163
these ones are more
than 30 to 50 years old,

00:40:38.340 --> 00:40:40.070
we found them in Italy, Belgium,

00:40:40.070 --> 00:40:41.920
the Netherlands and Northern Germany,

00:40:43.380 --> 00:40:45.630
we brought them here
from all over the place.

00:40:48.690 --> 00:40:50.800
- [Nils] A European
mixed forest was created,

00:40:50.800 --> 00:40:53.033
that rarely can be
found in nature anymore,

00:40:54.640 --> 00:40:57.430
after a few months these trees
are permanently transplanted,

00:40:57.430 --> 00:40:59.213
to nearby public spaces.

00:41:16.530 --> 00:41:18.320
- I would like the visitors who come here,

00:41:18.320 --> 00:41:21.360
to move around freely, take
in different perspectives,

00:41:21.360 --> 00:41:23.037
from above and below.

00:41:30.670 --> 00:41:33.063
And also just sit here
for a while and reflect,

00:41:34.730 --> 00:41:37.973
what am I seeing here actually,
what does it mean to me?

00:41:38.888 --> 00:41:42.420
What do I have to do with this
and how do I treat nature?

00:41:42.420 --> 00:41:44.323
Is my approach to it not dated?

00:41:46.170 --> 00:41:48.130
I think this installation succeeds,

00:41:48.130 --> 00:41:49.623
to trigger these questions.

00:41:52.310 --> 00:41:55.833
This picture is going around
the world it speaks for itself.

00:42:01.040 --> 00:42:03.160
In times of Australian bushfires,

00:42:03.160 --> 00:42:05.350
climate change and species extinction,

00:42:05.350 --> 00:42:08.053
the forest evokes an
emotional response in us,

00:42:09.610 --> 00:42:12.690
the artist presents it
as a place of longing,

00:42:12.690 --> 00:42:14.513
one that we can't enter anymore.

00:42:23.394 --> 00:42:26.394
(audience clapping)

00:42:28.740 --> 00:42:29.930
My journey ends here

00:42:30.770 --> 00:42:32.720
for nature not to become a museum piece,

00:42:32.720 --> 00:42:34.833
we have to try and live a simpler life,

00:42:35.940 --> 00:42:38.290
this knowledge I took
away with me from Bhutan,

00:42:39.380 --> 00:42:42.250
there I have discovered that
our happiness is dependent

00:42:42.250 --> 00:42:45.833
on our respect for nature
it's a question of survival.

00:42:46.678 --> 00:42:49.261
(gentle music)