About 2,000 waste pickers work at the Mbeubeuss landfill outside the Senegalese capital, Dakar. With an iron hook, they scour the waste for recyclable plastic, or burn the trash to find valuable metals.

The workers make their money by selling recyclable material to wholesalers. Some of them can make more than 100,000 West African CFA francs (about €150/$180) per month, according to the NGO Wiego — an income on the lower end in Senegal. But many pickers earn far less than that.

To earn this living, the pickers don't only have to face brutal heat but also the stench of the landfill. Every day, they wait for trucks to dump new trash on the massive mountain of garbage in the middle of the site. Then they start picking as fast as possible.

Overall, 230 trucks bring about 1,300 tons of waste to the landfill site every day. The trash also attracts cattle and birds, who wander the 114-hectare site (280-acre) to scavenge for food.

Pape Ndiaye, spokesman for the waste pickers association, says it's becoming increasingly hard to make a living at Mbeubeuss. Besides the competition, there is also the problem of stagnating wholesale prices for the waste. Though the pickers are providing an environmental service by helping recycle, they "are always the losers," he told news agency Agence France-Presse.

Mbeubeuss is known as a major environmental hazard. When the workers burn the waste, toxic smoke wafts through the entire dump site, reaching surrounding residential areas. A lake on the outskirts of the landfill has turned red from the pollution.

But after neglecting Mbeubeuss for decades, the Senegalese government has now decided to close the open-air landfill. In 2025, it will be turned into a waste separation center. For the pickers, that will mark the end of their livelihood.

Plastic is lightweight, durable — and wildly popular. We've produced 8.3 billion metric tons of the material since mass production began in the 1950s. Because it doesn't easily biodegrade, much of what we've made now lives in landfills like this one on Nairobi's outskirts. Rubbish pickers there hunt for recyclable plastics to earn a living. But a lot of plastic also ends up in the ocean ...

Much plastic enters marine habitats through rivers like, the Yangtze, the Indus, the Ganges, Pearl River, and the Mekong. These rivers run through highly populated areas with a lack of adequate waste disposal infrastructure. Here, a fisherman in the Philippines removes a fish and crab trap from plastic-filled waters.

Some animals have found uses for plastic waste. This swan nested in garbage on a Copenhagen lake that is popular with tourists. Her cygnets hatched surrounded by waste. It's not the best start to life. But for some animals the consequences are much worse ...

Although plastic is highly durable and can be used for products with a long lifespan, such as furniture and piping, about 50 percent goes to disposable products, including single-use cutlery and six pack rings that end up in the natural environment. Animals, like this penguin, are in danger of becoming entangled and dying as a result.

Other animals mistake the material for food. This albatross chick was found dead on Sand Island in Hawaii with multiple pieces of plastic in its stomach. According to one study of 34 seabird species in northern Europe, Russia, Iceland, Svalbard, the Faroe Islands, Scandinavia and Greenland, 74 percent had ingested plastic. Eating the material can lead to organ damage and blockages in the gut.

Even larger animals aren't immune to the effects of consuming plastic. This whale was found struggling to breathe and swim in a Thai canal. As rescuers attempted to save the animal, it vomited five plastic bags and later died. During the necropsy, vets found 80 shopping bags and other plastic garbage had clogged up the whale's stomach, so the marine creature could no longer digest nutritious food.

We're well aware of the large pieces of plastic bobbing on the ocean's surface, as is pictured here off the Hawaiian coast. But did you know, trillions of tiny particles less than 5 millimeters in diameter are also floating around in there? These particles end up in the food chain. Sea plankton, which are an important source of food for fish and other marine animals, have been filmed eating them.

Tentative measures to cut down on disposable plastic have already been taken in some African countries with bans on plastic bags, while the European Union is looking into prohibiting single-use plastic products. But if current trends continue, scientists believe there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic on the planet by 2050.

"The Fragile Paradise" is an exhibition of award-winning photographs and video installations showing how humans have impacted the environment — and the climate — over millennia. Its highlight is a 20-meter sculpture of the Earth onto which 3D high-resolution satellite images are projected. The view from space highlights not only the beauty of the blue planet — but also its vulnerability.

The exhibition makes clear that the paradise that is Earth is threatened by humans, whose devastating impact on flora and fauna has marked a new era: the Anthropocene. The littering of plastics into the oceans, as reflected in this photo, is just one consequence. Another side effect is the consumption of nonbiodegradable microplastic particles by marine animals — and also humans.

As the planet warms and ice melts, polar bears habitats are under threat. Off Alaska and in northwestern Canada, the number of polar bears has declined by about 40% since the beginning of the century. Polar bears use sea ice to hunt from. As the seals that they eat decline along with the ice, polar bears could be extinct by the end of this century.

Human-induced global heating is causing heavier rain and flooding on the one hand, and more extreme drought on the other. Every year, 12 million hectares of fertile land are lost to desertification — an area the size of Bulgaria. The consequences are fatal: In 2019, the lives of 250 million people were threatened by desertification, despite the 25-year-old UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

Rainforests are considered the world's "air conditioner." They are also the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth — the Amazon rainforest alone is home to around 40,000 plant and nearly 1,300 bird species. But according to WWF, 43 million hectares of tropical rainforest have been destroyed in recent years. The habitat for threatened species, such as the orangutan, is becoming increasingly scarce.

Also on display is an image of the famous sardine run. Huge schools of the fish leave their homes in the waters of South Africa, and head northeast to spawn. For predators such as sharks, dolphins and seabirds, they are a ready meal. Such images illustrate the wonders of the Earth in "The Fragile Paradise" exhibition, which runs through December 30, 2022.

The first goal calls for the eradication of poverty "in all its forms everywhere." This is an extension of the old Millennium goal that set out to halve extreme poverty by 2015. Opinions are divided on the feasibility of the target.

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, some 800 million people in the world who don't have enough to eat. Sustainable agriculture, small-scale farming and rural development have all been cited as factors that could contribute to wiping out malnutrition by 2030.

Every five seconds, an infant dies somewhere in the world. Around 6.6 million children under the age of 5 die every year, and almost 300,000 women die during pregnancy and childbirth. Child and maternal mortality could be prevented through simple measures. By 2030, everyone should have access to health care, affordable medicines and vaccines.

Whether a girl or a boy, rich or poor – by 2030 every child should have access to a school education that gives them an opportunity to have a career. Men and women should have equal educational opportunities regardless of their ethnic or social background and regardless of any disabilities.

Women should be able to equally participate in public and political life. Violence and forced marriage should be a thing of the past and all women should have access to contraceptives and family planning services — a controversial point in some religious circles.

Almost 750 million people have no access to clean drinking water, and 1 billion people lack access to sanitation, according to UN estimates. By 2030, safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation should be available to everyone. Water resources should be sustainable and the ecosystem must be protected.

By 2030, everyone should have access to electricity and other forms of energy, preferably from renewable sources. Global energy efficiency should be doubled and infrastructure constructed — particularly in the poorest countries. There are around 1.3 billion people that still live without access to electricity.

This pledge calls for fair working conditions worldwide and job opportunities for young people in a sustainable global economy. This applies both to industrialized and developing countries and also includes an end to child labor and compliance with the international labor standards of the International Labor Organization.

Better infrastructure to promote economic development — that's something everyone could benefit from. But industrialization should be socially and environmentally sustainable, create more and better jobs and encourage innovation. This would contribute to sustainable and social justice.

One percent of the world's population generates more than half of global economic growth, according to the UN. The gap between rich and poor has continued to grow. International development policy should help the poorest half of the population living in the world's poorest countries.

Human and environmentally-friendly living spaces with affordable housing should be a feature of every city in the world. These urban centers should also be more sustainable and green, particularly in developing countries, which should receive support to make them more resistant to climate-related natural disasters.

Recycling, reuse of resources and waste mitigation, particularly with regard to food production and consumer use: everyone shares responsibility for this goal. Resources should be used in a way that is both ecologically and socially sustainable, and fossil fuel subsidies should be phased out.

A global agreement on measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change is a necessity. Developed nations should help poorer countries with technological and financial means to achieve this pledge. At the same time, they should work to massively reduce their own emissions.

The ecosystems that make up the world's oceans are on the verge of collapse, and swift action is needed. By 2030, measures should be taken to prevent overfishing, destruction of coastal areas and marine biodiversity. The aim by 2025 is to significantly reduce pollution caused by garbage and overfertilization.

UN member states must put a stop to extensive environmental degradation of watersheds, forests and biodiversity. By 2030, land, forests and water resources should be better protected and use of natural resources fundamentally changed.

Everyone should be equal before the law. National institutions and international bodies need to work together to do more to prevent violence, terror, corruption and organized crime. By 2030, everyone should have the right to a legal identity and a birth certificate.

Developed countries should set aside 0.7% of their gross national income (GNI) to support developing countries, a target that was already part of the Millennium Development Goals. In Germany, only 0.39% of the GNI is set aside for development aid at the moment. Just five countries have reached 0.7% so far: Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Sweden and the United Kingdom.