Media Assignments
You are required to complete two 5-point media assignments (10 points total). A variety of options of different point values are listed below.
You may complete additional media assignments. Additional media assignment points will replace low scores on tests and quizzes. These are not “extra credit.” For example, if you get two out of 5 points on a quiz, you can do an extra media assignment, and I will change your quiz score to a 5. Extra media assignments can only be used on low test and quiz scores. You are limited to a maximum of 40 points to be used this way. Under no circumstances can media assignments be used to fix low scores on papers, lab reports, oral presentations, or regular assignments.
Summary. To earn 5 points:
- Watch 2 hour show. (unless otherwise noted)
- Take notes
- Write a 1 page, double spaced discussion
- Hand in both notes and discussion.
Current Research
The BIOL 107 Course Guide includes a variety of options for your environmental issue paper. For a more low-key 5 point media assignment option, read a paper from the course guide, take notes, and then write up a 1 page, typed, double-spaced discussion of what you learned (12 pt. font, 1” margins). I am not interested in a summary. Instead, let me know what you thought was really interesting, cool, or confusing. Staple your notes to your write-up and hand it in. You must hand in both your notes and your written summary.
Videos, Films, Shows & Series
Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love CanalPoisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal tells the dramatic and inspiring story of the ordinary women who fought against overwhelming odds for the health and safety of their families. In the late 1970s, residents of Love Canal, a working-class neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, discovered that their homes, schools and playgrounds were built on top of a former chemical waste dump, which was now leaking toxic substances and wreaking havoc on their health. Through interviews with many of the extraordinary housewives turned activists, the film shows how they effectively challenged those in power, forced America to reckon with the human cost of unregulated industry, and created a grassroots movement that galvanized the landmark Superfund Bill.
The Road to ExtinctionSixty-six million years ago, "an asteroid some seven miles across slammed into the Earth, leaving a geologic wound over 50 miles in diameter." Approximately 75% of known species vanished. Yet many life forms managed to survive the catastrophe, from feathered dinosaurs to our primate ancestors. Hosted by NABT and NCSE, this webinar features Riley Black, the award-winning author of The Last Days of the Dinosaurs, who will replay what made the difference between survival and extinction as the Age of Dinosaurs ended and the Age of Mammals began.
Chasing Carbon ZeroEpisode of the PBS program “Nova” examines the technological feats needed to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
FRONTLINE The Power of Big Oil. Part One: DenialFRONTLINE examines the fossil fuel industry’s history of casting doubt and delaying action on climate change. This three-part series traces decades of missed opportunities and the ongoing attempts to hold Big Oil to account.
Meat the Future.The next agricultural revolution. Imagine a world where real meat is produced sustainably without the need to breed, raise and slaughter animals. This is no longer science fiction.
NOVA Arctic Sinkholes. In the Arctic, enormous releases of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, threaten the climate.Colossal explosions shake a remote corner of the Siberian tundra, leaving behind massive craters. In Alaska, a huge lake erupts with bubbles of inflammable gas. Scientists are discovering that these mystifying phenomena add up to a ticking time bomb, as long-frozen permafrost melts and releases vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. What are the implications of these dramatic developments in the Arctic? Scientists and local communities alike are struggling to grasp the scale of the methane threat and what it means for our climate future.
Can We Cool the Planet?As global temperatures continue to rise, scientists are wondering if we need solutions that go beyond reducing emissions. From sucking carbon straight out of the air, to geoengineering our atmosphere to physically block out sunlight, to planting more than a trillion trees, the options may seem futuristic or tough to implement. But as time runs out on conventional solutions to climate change, scientists are asking the hard questions: Can new, sometimes controversial, solutions really work? And at what cost?
Extinction: The FactsPBS broadcast a great documentary last night, that will be streaming until Oct. 12. It is a great introduction to our upcoming discussion of biodiversity. If it no longer streams, you can also find it on Amazon Prime. For a media assignment, watch the show, and write a one page discussion.
HIKE THE DIVIDE: A Conversation About Climate Action on the Continental Divide TrailConnor DeVane hiked the thirty-one-hundred-mile Continental Divide Trail, from Canada to Mexico, in 2016. Along the way, he talked with lots of people working on aspects of climate action, from civil disobedience to the municipalization of utilities.
Kiss the GroundKiss the Ground is a full-length documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson that sheds light on an alternative approach to farming called “regenerative agriculture” that has the potential to balance our climate, replenish our vast water supplies, and feed the world.
Science Matters Webinar SeriesThe “Science Matters” webinar series features some of our incredible Principal Investigators who will be joining us virtually from around the world. This series will address how COVID-19 has impacted their field work, allow them to share their personal stories of science, and provide our audience with the opportunity to ask questions and connect with Earthwatch scientists directly.
Ken Burns Presents the Gene: An Intimate History“The Gene: An Intimate History” brings vividly to life the story of today’s revolution in medical science through present-day tales of patients and doctors at the forefront of the search for genetic treatments, interwoven with a compelling history of the discoveries that made this possible and the ethical challenges raised by the ability to edit DNA with precision. Tuesdays April 7 & 14, 2020 8/7c (Each show is worth 5 points).
NOVA: The Truth About FatCould it be that body fat has more to do with biological processes than personal choices? Do we control our fat, or does it control us? For generations, overweight individuals have been stigmatized and cast as lazy. But scientists are coming to understand fat as a fascinating and dynamic organ—one whose size has more to do with biological processes than personal choices. Through real-life stories of hunter-gatherers, sumo wrestlers, and supermodels, NOVA explores the complex functions of fat and the role it plays in controlling hunger, hormones, and even reproduction. Premieres: 9 PM Wednesday 4/8/20.
Blood Sugar RisingBlood Sugar Rising follows the diabetes epidemic in the U.S. Diabetes and pre-diabetes affect over 100 million people in the US, costing more than $325 billion each year. Blood Sugar Rising puts human faces to these statistics, exploring the history and science of the illness through portraits of Americans whose stories shape the film. Wednesday April, 15th AT 9/8c.
Plastic WarsWith the plastic industry expanding like never before and the crisis of ocean pollution growing, FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the fight over the future of plastics. For a media assignment, watch the show and write up a one page discussion.
One Child NationCurrently streaming for free. China’s one-child policy forever changed the lives of mothers and children. Inspired by the birth of her first child, filmmaker Nanfu Wang returns to China to speak with her family and explore the ripple effect of this devastating social experiment. At its core, the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning One Child Nation is a riveting personal story revealing shocking human rights violations and forces us all to reckon with the consequences of blind obedience. Watch it, and write up a one page discussion for a media assignment.
Polar ExtremesRenowned paleontologist Kirk Johnson takes us on an epic adventure through time at the polar extremes of our planet. Following a trail of strange fossils found in all the wrong places—beech trees in Antarctica, hippo-like mammals in the Arctic—Johnson uncovers the bizarre history of the poles, from miles-high ice sheets to warm polar forests teeming with life. What caused such dramatic changes at the ends of the Earth? And what can the past reveal about our planet’s climate today—and in the future? Takes some notes, and write up a 1 page discussion for 5 points.
American Masters: Words From a BearAmerican Masters examines the enigmatic life and mind of National Medal of Arts-winner Navarro Scott Momaday, the Kiowa novelist, short-story writer, essayist and poet, in the Season 33 finale. His Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "House Made of Dawn" led to the breakthrough of Native American literature into the mainstream.
Nature: The Serengeti RulesScientists make surprising discoveries that transform human understanding of nature and ecology. Watch the show, take some notes, and write a 1 page discussion.
NOVA: The Day the Dinosaurs DiedScientists explore the impact of the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Watch the show, take some notes, and write a 1 page discussion.
Flint's Deadly WaterA FRONTLINE documentary, drawing from a two-year investigation, uncovers the extent of a deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak during the Flint water crisis — and how officials failed to stop it.
Overpopulation PodcastListen to an Overpopulation Podcast presented by World Population Balance. https://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/podcasts
There are at least 22 1 hour podcasts on overpopulation issues. Write a 1 page discussion for each podcast you listen to. 5 points each.
NeanderthalEight years ago there was an incredible breakthrough: The Neanderthal genome was first decoded. The greatest surprise was that most modern humans have inherited Neanderthal DNA and there is around two percent of their DNA insideeveryone from outside sub-Saharan Africa. These genes have helped shape modern humans into what we are today and continue to affect us. So what kind of people were our ancient ancestors?
Bill Nye Saves the WorldBill Nye is back! A slew of special guests join him for a high-energy talk show about sex, global warming and other hot topics in science and tech. For 5 points write a 1 page discussion of any four half hour shows.
Thin IceI saw a great film on climate change on PBS last night. I’d call myself an expert on the topic, but I actually learned a lot about the scientific research behind our current understanding. It does not appear to stream for free , but you can view it at www.thiniceclimate.org
The Crisis of CivilizationA dark comedy remix mash-up bonanza about the end of industrial civilization. Watch The Crisis of Civilization, and write a 1 page discussion.
Planet Earth IIFor some, remote islands offer sanctuary away from the mainland: the tiny pygmy three-toed sloth only survives because of the peace and safety offered by its Caribbean island home, while seabirds like albatross thrive in predator-free isolation. Watch any two episodes and write a 1 page discussion for a media assignment.
Cosmos: A Spacetime OdysseyCosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey continues the exploration of the remarkable mysteries of the cosmos and our place within it. Hosted by renowned astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Watch any two episodes and write a 1 page discussion for a media assignment.
Making North AmericaMighty, elemental forces molded North America—fiery eruptions, titanic floods, the grinding of great ice sheets, and massive impacts from space all shaped our homeland. The epic three-part series unfolds in a forgotten world that existed long before our own, crossed by long-lost mountain ranges, deserts the size of Africa, and vast inland seas. Watch the complete “Making North America” Series and write a 2 page discussion for 10 points.
American Experience: Rachel Carson's Silent SpringFeaturing the voice of Mary-Louise Parker as the influential writer and scientist, Rachel Carson is an intimate portrait of the woman whose groundbreaking books revolutionized our relationship to the natural world.
CowspiracyCowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it.
Dawn of HumanityNOVA and National Geographic present exclusive access to a unique discovery of ancient remains. Located in an almost inaccessible chamber deep in a South African cave, the site required recruiting a special team of experts slender enough to wriggle down a vertical, pitch-dark, seven-inch-wide passage.
Before the FloodBefore the Flood captures a three-year personal journey alongside Academy Award-winning actor and U.N. Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio as he interviews individuals from every facet of society in both developing and developed nations who provide unique, impassioned and pragmatic views on what must be done today and in the future to prevent catastrophic disruption of life on our planet.
What Darwin Never Knew"What Darwin Never Knew" offers answers to riddles that Darwin couldn't explain. Breakthroughs in a brand-new science— nicknamed "evo devo"—are linking the enigmas of evolution to another of nature's great mysteries, the development of the embryo. NOVA takes viewers on a journey from the Galapagos Islands to the Arctic, and from the explosion of animal forms half a billion years ago to the research labs of today. Scientists are finally beginning to crack nature's biggest secrets at the genetic level. The results are confirming the brilliance of Darwin's insights while revealing clues to life's breathtaking diversity in ways the great naturalist could scarcely have imagined. 5 points
The Botany of DesireFeaturing Michael Pollan and based on his best-selling book, this special takes viewers on an eye-opening exploration of the human relationship with the plant world — seen from the plants' point of view. Narrated by Frances McDormand, the program shows how four familiar species — the apple, the tulip, marijuana and the potato — evolved to satisfy our yearnings for sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control. 5 points
CollapseThe National Geographic Channel looks 200 years into the future in Collapse, based on author Jared Diamond's book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, to examine how current habits might affect humans' ability to survive. 5 points
Ghost in Your GenesScientists have long puzzled over the different fates of identical twins: both have the same genes, yet only one may develop a serious disease like cancer or autism. What's going on? Does something else besides genes determine who we are? NOVA explores this startling possibility in this program. 5 points
Judgement Day: Intelligent Design on TrialIn this program, NOVA captures the turmoil that tore apart the community of Dover, Pennsylvania in one of the latest battles over teaching evolution in public schools. Featuring trial reenactments based on court transcripts and interviews with key participants, including expert scientists and Dover parents, teachers, and town officials, "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial" follows the celebrated federal case of Kitzmiller v. Dover School District. 5 points
FlowIrena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. 5 points
Becoming HumanWhere did we come from? What makes us human? An explosion of recent discoveries sheds light on these questions, and NOVA's comprehensive, three-part special, "Becoming Human," examines what the latest scientific research reveals about our hominid relatives. Part 1, "First Steps," examines the factors that caused us to split from the other great apes. Part 2: "Birth of Humanity," profiles the earliest species of humans, and Part 3: "Last Human Standing," examines why, of various human species that once shared the planet, only our kind remains. 10 points
Guns, Germs, and SteelView this complete series. Based on Jared Diamond's Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name, Guns, Germs and Steel traces humanity's journey over the last 13,000 years – from the dawn of farming at the end of the last Ice Age to the realities of life in the twenty-first century. Guns, Germs, and Steel is a thrilling ride through the elemental forces which have shaped our world – and which continue to shape our future. 10 points
Look & See: Wendell Berry’s KentuckyA portrait of the changing landscapes and shifting values of rural America as seen through the mind’s eye of writer, farmer, and activist Wendell Berry, in his native Henry County, Kentucky, a place mourning the loss of a bygone way of life that was once the cornerstone of America. Watch this film, write a 1 page discussion. It streams online for free.
Read a Book or Write a Short Paper
For 30 points, write a formal 2 page paper on a topic we decide on together from one of the books posted. Not interested in one of these? Find an alternative related to ecology, conservation or the environment and get my OK before you get started.
Not the End of the World by Hannah RitchieISBN: 9780316536752
Publication Date: 2024-01-09
Not the End of the World: How We Can be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet. Hannah Ritchie. Little, Brown Spark. 2024.
The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley RobinsonCall Number: General Fiction F R563m
ISBN: 0316300144
Publication Date: 2021-10-19
A Novel by Kim Stanley Robinson. 2021. The Ministry for the Future is a masterpiece of the imagination, using fictional eyewitness accounts to tell the story of how climate change will affect us all. Its setting is not a desolate, postapocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us. Chosen by Barack Obama as one of his favorite books of the year, this extraordinary novel from visionary science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson will change the way you think about the climate crisis.
Some Assembly Required by Neil ShubinCall Number: 576.83 SH91s
ISBN: 1101871334
Publication Date: 2020-03-17
An exciting and accessible new view of the evolution of human and animal life on Earth. From the author of national bestseller, Your Inner Fish, this extraordinary journey of discovery spans centuries, as explorers and scientists seek to understand the origins of life's immense diversity.
Under a White Sky by Elizabeth KolbertCall Number: 304.28 K831u
ISBN: 0593136276
Publication Date: 2021-02-09
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction returns to humanity's transformative impact on the environment, now asking: After doing so much damage, can we change nature, this time to save it?
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererCall Number: 305.897 W571b
ISBN: 1571313567
Publication Date: 2015-08-11
As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take us on “a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise”
Entangled Life by Merlin SheldrakeCall Number: 579.5 Sh436e
ISBN: 0525510311
Publication Date: 2020-05-12
When we think of fungi, we probably think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight, yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that support and sustain nearly all living systems. The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them.
Unsheltered by Barbara KingsolverCall Number: F K617u
ISBN: 9780062684738
Publication Date: 2019-10-15
The New York Times bestselling author of Flight Behavior, The Lacuna, and The Poisonwood Bible and recipient of numerous literary awards—including the National Humanities Medal, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the Orange Prize—returns with a timely novel that interweaves past and present to explore the human capacity for resiliency and compassion in times of great upheaval.
Sapiens by Yuval Noah HarariCall Number: 909 H212s
ISBN: 9780062316110
Publication Date: 2018-05-15
One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one--homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?
The Overstory by Richard PowersCall Number: F P872o
ISBN: 039335668X
Publication Date: 2019-04-02
The Overstory, winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, is a sweeping, impassioned work of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of--and paean to--the natural world.
Prodigal Summer by Barbara KingsolverCall Number: F K617PR
ISBN: 9780060959036
Publication Date: 2001-10-16
Barbara Kingsolver's fifth novel is a hymn to wildness that celebrates the prodigal spirit of human nature, and of nature itself. It weaves together three stories of human love within a larger tapestry of lives amid the mountains and farms of southern Appalachia. Over the course of one humid summer, this novel's intriguing protagonists face disparate predicaments but find connections to one another and to the flora and fauna with which they necessarily share a place.
Cooked by Michael PollanCall Number: 641.5 P76c
ISBN: 9781594204210
Publication Date: 2013-04-23
In Cooked, Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements--fire, water, air, and earth--to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink.
Flight Behavior by Barbara KingsolverCall Number: F K617FB
ISBN: 0062124277
Publication Date: 2013-06-04
Dellarobia Turnbow is a restless farm wife who gave up her own plans when she accidentally became pregnant at seventeen. Now, after a decade of domestic disharmony on a failing farm, she seeks momentary escape through an obsessive flirtation with a younger man.
What Should a Clever Moose Eat? by John Pastor; Bernd HeinrichCall Number: 508.7 P268w
ISBN: 1610916778
Publication Date: 2016-02-04
How long should a leaf live? When should blueberries ripen? And what shouldn't a clever moose eat? Questions like these may seem simple or downright strange--yet they form the backbone of natural history, a discipline that fostered some of our most important scientific theories, from natural selection to glaciation.
Charles Darwin by E. Janet BrowneISBN: 0691026068
Publication Date: 1996-04-21
Few lives of great men offer so much interest--and so many mysteries--as the life of Charles Darwin, the greatest figure of nineteenth-century science, whose ideas are still inspiring discoveries and controversies more than a hundred years after his death.
HHMI Lecture Series Discussion
Write a 2 page discussion for each lecture series you watch below. The Bay College Library also has most of these lectures on DVD.
Making of the FittestThere are 15 featured short films in HHMI’s "Making of the Fittest" series. Watch any 5 for a 5 point media assignment option, watch 10 for two, or all of them for 3 media assignments. Write a one page of discussion for each assignment.
2016 Ecology of Rivers and Coasts—Food Webs and Human ImpactsEcologists Mary Power (UC Berkeley) and Brian Silliman (Duke University) describe the complex interactions between species and their environment in aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Power’s research dives into river systems and the interplay between fish, insects, algae and river conditions. Dr. Silliman’s work in salt marshes of the U.S. southeast explores how snails, fungi, and physical factors regulate these incredibly productive ecosystems – and how climate change threatens them. There are four lectures in this series. Watch any two lectures for a 5 point assignment, or all four for 10 points.
2014 Biodiversity in the Age of HumansAre we witnessing a sixth mass extinction? What factors threaten ecosystems on land and in the sea? What are researchers doing to try to conserve biodiversity and ecosystems? For 10 points, write a 2 page discussion on this lecture series. The Bay College Library also has most of these lectures on DVD.
2012 Changing Planet: Past, Present, FutureHas Earth changed over deep time? How did Earth shape life and life shape Earth? What does Earth's climate in the distant past tell us about the future? For 10 points, write a 2 page discussion on this lecture series. The Bay College Library also has most of these lectures on DVD.
2011 Bones, Stones, and Genes: The Origin of Modern HumansWhere and when did humans arise? What distinguishes us from other species? Did our distant ancestors look and behave like us? For 10 points, write a 2 page discussion on this lecture series. The Bay College Library also has most of these lectures on DVD.
2010 Viral Outbreak: The Science of Emerging DiseaseWatch two leading virus researchers explain how they use both simple and sophisticated technologies to detect and fight infectious agents. For 10 points, write a 2 page discussion on this lecture series. The Bay College Library also has most of these lectures on DVD.
2009 Exploring Biodiversity: The Search for New MedicinesWhat medical secrets do venomous snails hold? How can listening in on bacterial conversations help develop new antibiotics? In four presentations, Dr. Bonnie L. Bassler and Dr. Baldomero M. Olivera reveal how a deeper understanding of nature and biodiversity informs their research into new medicines. For 10 points, write a 2 page discussion on this lecture series. The Bay College Library also has most of these lectures on DVD.
2008 Evolution: Constant Change and Common ThreadsHow has the amazing diversity of plants and animals evolved? What can fossils, butterflies, and stickleback fish tell us about the deep common ancestry of all living forms? For 10 points, write a 2 page discussion on this lecture series. The Bay College Library also has most of these lectures on DVD.
Podcasts
The Climate Emergency in a COVID Yearn this episode of BioScience Talks, Climate Emergency coauthor Jillian Gregg, who is with the Sustainability Double Degree program and the Department of Crop and Soil Science at Oregon State University, joins us to discuss the latest climate update and the urgent actions needed ensure the long-term sustainability of human civilization. Other BioScience Talks are also options.
A Matter of DegreesGive up your climate guilt. Sharpen your curiosity. This show is for the climate-curious people who know climate change is a problem, but are trying to figure out how to tackle it. We’re telling stories about the levers of power that have created the problem -- and the tools we have to fix it.
The AdaptorsLooking for a media assignment? Spend a lot of time on the road? For a media assignment listen to 8 of these short podcasts from The Adaptors and write up a 1 page discussion.
The OverstoryThat's the word ecologists use to describe the canopy of a forest. There’s a riot of life above us, but usually we’re so focused on what’s right in front that we forget to look up. Season One took us from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the wilds of Patagonia. Season Two will continue to explore the world with changemakers and storytellers who offer different perspectives of the natural world.
Bill Moyers Journal
For 5 points each, watch one or more of the videos below.
IPCC Summary for Policy Makers
Read the IPCC Summary for Policy Makers. The link below will take you to the latest summary for policymakers synthesis report on Climate Change 2014. While the document is 40 pages long, the actually report is only 19, and much of the important stuff can be gleaned just from the figures. Check it out, and write up a 1 page discussion for a 5 point media assignment.
Years of Living Dangerously
Bay College Library now has the complete Showtime series, "Years of Living Dangerously" on DVD. This series does not stream online. You'll have to check out the DVD's from Bay College Library, or watch them there. There are five DVDs. Each DVD counts for one media assignment and contains two shows, or about two hours of programing. For each DVD you watch, write a one page discussion for 5 points. Watch all 5 DVDs for 25 points. Find descriptions of each show below. You can find more information online at http://yearsoflivingdangerously.com
Years of Living Dangerously - Episode 1: Dry SeasonGlobetrotting docu-series about the human impacts of climate change. Harrison Ford goes to Indonesia to investigate how the world's appetite for palm oil has inadvertently created one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Back in the U.S., Don Cheadle meets a climate scientist and Evangelical Christian, with a very different explanation for the Texas drought. And, Pulitzer Prize-winner Thomas L. Friedman travels to Syria, examining how climate change can be a stress point in a volatile political situation.
Years of Living Dangerously - Episode 2: End of the WoodsHarrison Ford continues his investigation into the global effects of the palm oil industry, exploring the corruption that has deforested the Indonesian landscape and created the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joins an elite team of wild-land firefighters known as "Hot Shots" as they battle a new breed of forest fires made more deadly by climate change, and discovers another killer wiping out trees at an even faster rate than the fires.
Years of Living Dangerously - Episode 3: The SurgeMSNBC's Chris Hayes shadows Staten Island's Republican Congressman - and climate change skeptic - Michael Grimm in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, questioning what he might have learned about climate change in the process. Conservationist M. Sanjayan travels to the far ends of the earth - including Christmas Island - to interview some of the world's top climate scientists as they collect key data unlocking the future of our planet's changing climate.
Years of Living Dangerously - Episode 4: Ice & BrimstoneLesley Stahl of '60 Minutes' travels to Greenland to investigate the effects of global warming in the Arctic. Down south, Ian Somerhalder travels to North Carolina to listen in on both sides of the evangelical community's debate over climate change and finds himself caught in the middle of not only a religious debate, but a familial one: the father is a megachurch preacher who doesn't believe in climate change; the daughter is an activist trying to shut down the local coal-fired power plant.
Years of Living Dangerously - Episode 5: True ColorsOlivia Munn profiles climate-conscious Governor Jay Inslee of Washington State, discussing the issues he's faced since being elected. Meanwhile, 'New York Times' columnist Mark Bittman probes New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on the topic of man-made climate change during the rebuilding of his state's coastline in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Christie once acknowledged the scientific consensus on climate change, but steadfastly refused to discuss it during the rush to rebuild.
Years of Living Dangerously - Episode 1: Winds of ChangeAmerica Ferrera profiles prominent skeptic James Taylor of the Heartland Institute as he crusades against clean energy, and investigates the battle over the future of renewable energy in the US. 'New York Times' columnist Mark Bittman returns to conduct a yearlong investigation into natural gas, which has been touted as "America's energy source" and a way towards a cleaner, greener future. But is it true?
Years of Living Dangerously - Episode 7: Revolt, Rebuild, RenewJessica Alba meets three members of Climate Corps - an innovative MBA- focused program - as they try to convince America's corporations that sustainability can actually boost their bottom lines. Pulitzer Prize-winner Thomas L. Friedman finds himself in Egypt to explore how what happens in the wheat fields of Kansas plays out on the volatile streets of Cairo. And MSNBC's Chris Hayes reveals an intimate story about life after Superstorm Sandy, with the most economically vulnerable trying to survive the impacts of climate change.
Years of Living Dangerously - Episode 8: Dangerous FutureMatt Damon investigates the impact of extreme heat on human health and mortality, with a focus on research that has uncovered how rising temperatures are creating a worldwide public health emergency. Michael C. Hall visits Bangladesh to explore the prediction that by 2050, a global migration of upwards of 150 million people will produce the single most daunting burden to our future. And Thomas L. Friedman travels to Yemen to conclude his look into how climate stress can push volatile political situations over the edge.
Years of Living Dangerously - Episode 9: Moving a MountainMichael C. Hall concludes his journey to the low-lying country of Bangladesh, where rising seas are expected to ultimately submerge 17% of the nation. Conservationist M. Sanjayan returns to further question some of the world's top climate scientists as they collect key data unlocking the past and future of our planet's changing climate. His destination: Tupungatito, the northernmost historically active stratovolcano in the southern Andes. Series finale.
Strange Days on Planet Earth
For 5 points each, watch any 2 episodes below. Each episode is 1 hour.
Strange Days on Planet Earth - Episode 2: The One Degree Factor by National GeographicDetectives usually break mysterious cases when they first see the connections among seemingly unrelated clues. Consider these: Dust clouds are building high over the Atlantic. An entire population of caribou is declining, their numbers dwindling, while other species are pushed to the limits of their physical survival in the oceans. A respiratory illness, once uncommon among children in Trinidad, is now widespread. Amazingly, many scientists now believe that these disparate phenomena may be linked to global climate change.
Strange Days on Planet Earth - Episode 4: Troubled Waters by National GeographicHave Earth's vibrant waterways become massive delivery systems for invisible poisons? And are some of these poisons reaching our faucets? As scientists verify that our problem with toxins is mounting, cutting-edge research using plants and bacteria draw on the building blocks of life itself as a solution to problems vexing the planet.
Strange Days on Planet Earth - Episode 6: Dirty Secrets by National GeographicSomething is amiss in our global world water supply: Striped bass are succumbing to flesh-eating bacteria in Chesapeake Bay; seabird chicks are starving in Hawai‘i; coral reefs are weakening under a growing assault of invisible contaminants and an increasing variety of aquatic animals are showing signs of developmental disorders. Experts and citizens are racing to find clues to the causes—and the solutions. Find out how we all can make a difference.
Origins
For 5 points, view episodes 1 and 2, or 3 and 4. For 10 points, view all four episodes. Each episode is 1 hour.
Evolution
For 5 points, view episode 1 (2 hours) or view episodes 2 and 3, 4 and 5, or 6 and 7 for 5 points a pair. Episodes 2 through 7 are 1 hour each.
Evolution - Episode 1: Darwin's Dangerous Idea by PBSWhy does Charles Darwin's ''dangerous idea'' matter more today than ever, and how does it explain the past and predict the future of life on Earth? The first show interweaves the drama of Darwin's life with current documentary sequences, introducing key concepts of evolution.
Evolution - Episode 2: Great Transformations by PBSWhy does Charles Darwin's ''dangerous idea'' matter more today than ever, and how does it explain the past and predict the future of life on Earth? The first show interweaves the drama of Darwin's life with current documentary sequences, introducing key concepts of evolution.
Evolution - Episode 3: Extinction! by PBSWhy does Charles Darwin's ''dangerous idea'' matter more today than ever, and how does it explain the past and predict the future of life on Earth? The first show interweaves the drama of Darwin's life with current documentary sequences, introducing key concepts of evolution.
Evolution - Episode 4: The Evolutionary Arms Race by PBSWhy does Charles Darwin's ''dangerous idea'' matter more today than ever, and how does it explain the past and predict the future of life on Earth? The first show interweaves the drama of Darwin's life with current documentary sequences, introducing key concepts of evolution.
Evolution - Episode 5: Why Sex? by PBSWhy does Charles Darwin's ''dangerous idea'' matter more today than ever, and how does it explain the past and predict the future of life on Earth? The first show interweaves the drama of Darwin's life with current documentary sequences, introducing key concepts of evolution.
Evolution - Episode 6: The Mind's Big Bang by PBSWhy does Charles Darwin's ''dangerous idea'' matter more today than ever, and how does it explain the past and predict the future of life on Earth? The first show interweaves the drama of Darwin's life with current documentary sequences, introducing key concepts of evolution.
Evolution - Episode 7: What About God? by PBSWhy does Charles Darwin's ''dangerous idea'' matter more today than ever, and how does it explain the past and predict the future of life on Earth? The first show interweaves the drama of Darwin's life with current documentary sequences, introducing key concepts of evolution.
Journey to Planet Earth
For each 5 point assignment, view any two, one hour programs below. There are now 13 programs in the Journey to Planet Earth series explore the fragile relationship between people and the world they inhabit. A common thread runs throughout all the programs — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Many can be found streaming online.
Journey to Planet Earth: Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization by PBS
Journey to Planet Earth: State of the Planet’s Oceans by PBS
Journey to Planet Earth: State of the Ocean’s Animals by PBS
Journey to Planet Earth: State of the Planet’s Wildlife by PBS
Journey to Planet Earth: State of the Planet by PBS
Future Conditional by Journey to Planet Earth: PBS
Journey to Planet Earth: Hot Zones by PBS
Journey to Planet Earth: Seas of Grass by PBS
Journey to Planet Earth: On the Brink by PBS
Journey to Planet Earth: Land of Plenty, Land of Want by PBS
Journey to Planet Earth: Urban Explosion by PBS
Journey to Planet Earth: Rivers of Destiny by PBS
Rx for Survival - A Global Health Challenge
For each 5 point assignment, view Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3.
Rx for Survival - A Global Health Challenge: Part 2 - Episode 3: Delivering the GoodsFrom the villages of the Gambia to the cities and towns of Thailand, from the sun-scorched refugee camps of Chad to the teeming streets of Bangladesh — this episode chronicles innovative health programs and charismatic leaders who, against all odds, are Delivering the Goods to millions of individuals — and inspiring a new vision for the future of global health.
PBS NOVA Ancient Earth
Witness the dramatic history of Earth, from its birth to the emergence of humanity. Dive into the most dramatic events in Earth’s 4.5-billion-year history, from its birth to the emergence of humanity. How did a hellscape of molten lava transform into a lush, green, watery planet filled with life? With dazzlingly realistic animation based on the latest research, each of these five episodes brings to life long-lost worlds that ultimately led to the one we know today.
Episode 1 - Ancient Earth: Birth of the SkySee how Earth transformed from a barren hellscape to a planet capable of sustaining life.
Episode 2 - Ancient Earth: FrozenHow did life survive on a planet covered in ice from pole to pole? (Available after 10/11/23)
Episode 3 - Ancient Earth: Life RisingSee how life made the leap to land, turning a barren landscape into a lush, green world.(Available after 10/18/23)
Episode 4 - Ancient Earth: InfernoHow did life bounce back after a cataclysmic extinction wiped out some 90% of all species? (Available after 10/25/23)
Episode 5 - Ancient Earth: HumansHow did Earth give rise to humans? See what made our species' existence possible. (Available after 11/1/23)
Hunt for the Oldest DNAFor decades, scientists have tried to unlock the secrets of ancient DNA. Follow the dramatic quest to recover DNA millions of years old and reveal a lost world from before the last Ice Age.
When Whales Could WalkA spectacular fossil graveyard reveals a 43-million-year-old whale that had four legs and could walk. Follow scientists as they search for new clues to how mammals moved from land into the sea to become the largest animals on Earth.
PBS Evolution Earth
Evolution Earth embarks on a global expedition to reveal the animals keeping pace with a planet changing at superspeed. Heading out across the globe to distant wilds and modern urban environments, five episodes track how animals are moving, using ingenuity to adapt their behavior, and even evolving in unexpected ways. At the front lines of this rapid change are the scientists, filmmakers and local communities recording the animals’ stories. We follow heart-warming tales of resilience that redefine our understanding of evolution, and hint at how nature can show us a path towards a sustainable future for Planet Earth.
Episode 1 - EarthAt Earth’s extremes, animals are reacting in surprising ways. Animal homes are changing around them at superspeed. Follow remarkable stories of resilience and hope. From humpback whales to tiny butterflies to ingenious savanna chimpanzees.
Episode 2 - IslandsIslands are like miniature simplified Earths, where evolution is playing out at super speed right before our eyes. Journey from the Galapagos to the edge of Antarctica to seek out animals responding to our changing planet in extraordinary ways.
Episode 3 - HeatTravel to the hottest and driest extremes to see animals go to extraordinary lengths to survive. From the Sahara Desert to Australia, animals provide new clues about our changing planet and what it will mean for the future of our heating world.
Episode 4 - IceAt the planet’s frozen extremes, shifts in animal movement and behavior reveal vital information about our future world. Examine polar bears in the Arctic, penguins in Antarctica and other animals surviving in icy worlds.
Episode 5 - GrasslandsGrasslands are one of the planet’s most important, yet most overlooked habitats. Follow scientists as they discover animal species with the power to transform and restore our grasslands, turning them into carbon sinks that could slow climate change.
PBS The Invisible Shield: Public health saved your life today and you don’t even know it.
The Invisible Shield examines how public health makes modern life possible, but it is underfunded, undervalued and misunderstood putting our health at risk. THE INVISIBLE SHIELD, a new four-part documentary series from RadicalMedia made possible by Bloomberg Philanthropies, reveals how the field of public health has saved countless lives in the U.S., protecting people from the constant threat of disease and increasing lifespans. The series explores the hidden public health infrastructure that makes modern life possible. It highlights the thousands of unsung heroes — physicians, nurses, scientists, activists, reformers, engineers, and government officials — who work together to improve health outcomes, from the days of cholera and smallpox through the most recent battle with COVID-19.
All four episodes of THE INVISIBLE SHIELD will be available to stream on March 26, 2024, on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS App, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
Episode 1: “The Old Playbook” – Tuesday, March 26, 10-11 p.m. ET (and streaming)Public health has transformed human life, silently protecting us from disease and fatalities. Interventions large and small — from quarantines to crosswalks, vaccines to modern sanitation — have allowed American society to flourish and keep illness, injury, and death at bay. When the global pandemic emerges in 2020, the once-invisible shield of public health is quickly overburdened and at the center of a heated debate about its purpose and role in society. Public health officials work against a ticking clock to implement a playbook that has been adapted and refined since the 14th century.
Episode 2: “Follow the Data” – Tuesday, April 9, 10-11 p.m. ET (and streaming)Data has been an essential public health tool since at least the 17th century, when cities began regularly recording mortality statistics. Data science has guided public health policy since the earliest practices of data collection in the 1800s to identify the spread of disease. It continues to be critical to public health workers as they fight the COVID-19 pandemic. But with public health authority delegated to the 50 states, forming a national response to the virus proves difficult.
Episode 3: “Inoculation & Inequity” – Streaming as of March 26U.S. public health officials face the headwinds of disinformation, science skepticism, and government distrust as they begin the monumental task of vaccinating the public against COVID-19. These obstacles, coupled with historical injustices and inequities in communities of color, lead to significant public apprehension, forcing public health officials to refine their approach. From the early days of inoculation in the late 1700s through the rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccine, scientists have achieved extraordinary feats to combat, contain, and eradicate disease — but solutions only work if people trust the science.
Episode 4: “The New Playbook” – Streaming as of March 26In 2019, the U.S. was ranked by the Global Health Security Index as the country best positioned to manage an infectious disease outbreak. Less than a year later, the U.S. proved uniquely vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Inequality, structural racism, inadequate health care access, insufficient job protections, and a badly neglected public health system all contributed to catastrophic systemic failures. Excess mortality, on the rise before 2020, surged during the pandemic. These “deaths of despair” — often associated with suicide, drug use, and alcohol misuse — represent a social fracturing and a loss of hope across communities.
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