An environmental news magazine that puts a human face on the environment by featuring under-publicized stories about how changes in our environment are affecting everyday people. http://www.linktv.org/programs/earth en-us Sat, 18 May 2013 21:31:25 -0700 http://www.linktv.org/video/8877 110e7d180dc9a996341b90c4e61101db <p>The Willamette River has some big problems, but it's also the focus of one of the most creative and ambitious watershed restorations efforts ever undertaken. Earth Focus speaks with Jeremy Monroe about his film Willamette Futures, which documents the effort to restore the watersheds of Oregon's largest river system. Satirical writer George Wolfe's controversial act of civil disobedience, leading a kayaking expedition down the cemented Los Angeles River, is the focus of Thea Mercouffer's film Rock the Boat. The expedition sought to have EPA declare the river navigable so that it could gain protection under the Clean Water Act. The boating trip down the LA River became a political movement which led to changes in federal policy and opened up public access to a long-neglected waterway. The Colorado River is the most dammed, and diverted river in the world. It struggles to support thirty million people across the western United States and Mexico and is reaching its limits. James Redford and Mark Decena talk about their film Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West, which looks at how we balance the competing interests of cities, agriculture, recreation, wildlife and indigenous communities with rights to the water. Produced in collaboration with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital.</p> Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Willamette River, Willamette Futures, Jeremy Monroe, Oregon, River Restoration, George Wolfe, Rock the Boat, Los Angeles, Los Angeles River, Clean Water Act, Colorado River, James Redford, Mark Decena, Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West, Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8879 d28d296b68b6ac1232353531256488b3 <p>Shale gas exploration has gone global. Energy companies are surveying shale rock formations in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia hoping to discover the next big deposit of natural gas. This report, by correspondent Steven Sapienza, features the voices of residents in two regions, Eastern Ohio and Poland, both touted as new frontiers in shale gas exploration.</p> Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Fracking, Hydrolic Fracturing, Oil, Natural Gas, Energy, Poland, United States, Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8863 39d0a8908fbe6c18039ea8227f827023 Earth Focus features the film Rock the Boat which follows a controversial kayaking expedition down the partially cemented Los Angeles River, an act of civil disobedience led by satirical writer George Wolfe, whose goal was to have the Environmental Protection Agency declare the river navigable so that it could gain protection under the Clean Water Act. Boating down the LA River became a political movement which lead to changes in federal policy and opened up public access to a long-neglected waterway. With George Wolfe and Thea Mercouffer, film director. Produced in collaboration with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital. Wed, 08 May 2013 02:41:32 -0700 Rock the Boat, Los Angeles, Los Angeles River, George Wolfe, Environmental Protection Agency, LA River, Urban Rivers, Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8862 eca336bc46296c1aced239fbfb803b5c Going without insurance is described as "going naked" in the insurance industry. And going without insurance for the worst hazards in the US nuclear power industry is business as usual. The Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in March, 2011, caused an estimated $250 billion in damages and cost are still mounting. If a Fukushima-type nuclear accident happened in the United States, you the taxpayer may end up picking up the tab.There are 104 nuclear power plants in the United States spread across 31 states. They produce 20 percent of our electrical power. They all carry insurance against a nuclear accident. But that insurance is limited to $12.6 billion. Experts say that damage from a nuclear accent could run as much as $500 billion or more. So if a disaster would cost hundreds of billions, why the the liability cap for insurance only $12.6 billion? Correspondent Miles Benson investigates. Wed, 08 May 2013 01:45:40 -0700 Nuclear Power, Nuclear Energy, Fukushima-Daiichi, Nuclear Accident, Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8852 6ba5bc4fe4c3f704112d0ba94020f4c2 Earth Focus profiles the new film Amazon Gold that depicts the apocalyptic destruction of the rainforest in pursuit of illegally mined gold and the health impacts of mercury pollution, a by-product of gold mining. Amazon Gold reaffirms the importance of the rainforest as a repository of biological diversity and the global implications of its destruction. Thu, 02 May 2013 01:35:08 -0700 Peru, Gold Mining, Mining, Mercury Pollution, Amazon, Amazon River, Rainforest, Deforestation, Biological Diversity, Indigenous Peoples, Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8850 26cd8ecadce0d4efd6cc8a8725cbd1f8 The story of an unprecendented effort to restore the rivers and watersheds of Oregon's largest river system with filmmaker Jeremy Monroe with previews of his upcoming film Willamette Futures. Many rivers in the United States are far from clean and healthy. Oregon's Willamette, which runs through the State's major cities and farmlands, has big problems that are far from solved, but the effort to revitalize the watershed here may be among the most creative and ambitious anywhere in the world. Produced in collaboration with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital. Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:16:08 -0700 Willamette, Jeremy Monroe, Willamette Futures, Film, Rivers, Watersheds, Oregon, Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8848 24368c745de15b3d2d6279667debcba3 Bringing degraded land to life. John D. Liu looks examples from China and South Africa. Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:30:36 -0700 Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8845 ff82db7535530637af7f8a96284b3459 As Europe considers expanding cultivation of genetically modified crops, the European movement against GMOs heats up. A campaign film produced by Sourced TV highlights European concerns. Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:30:36 -0700 Roundup, GMO, Genetically Modified Organisms, Soy, Soya, Feed, Crops, GM Crops, Europe, Sourced TV. Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8806 3f00f874e9837b0ec850a34c85432d66 Highlights in from the Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona, Spain. Constantino de Miguel reports. Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:47:12 -0700 Barcelona, Spain, Mobile, Technology, Phone, Cell Phone, Mobile World Congress, Constantino de Miguel, Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8805 070c425fd005e11aec1a90706dda66f5 <p>Local communities profit when they act as stewards of their forest resources. Forests provide local economic opportunities while sustainable practices ensure that the forests last for many generations to come. Jeffrey Barbee reports from Mozambique.</p> Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Mozambique, Jeff Barbee, Forests, Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8807 c8d3a760ebab631565f8509d84b3b3f1 <p>(Earth Focus: Episode 53) It is possible to rehabilitate large-scale damaged ecosystems, to improve the lives of people trapped in poverty and to sequester carbon naturally. John D. Liu presents "Hope in a Changing Climate" which showcases approaches that have worked on the Loess Plateau in China, Ethiopia and Rwanda. Produced in collaboration with the Environmental Education Media Project (EEMP).</p> Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Climate Change, Changing Climate, China, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Environmental Education Media Project, Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8746 b8002139cdde66b87638f7f91d169d96 <p>(Earth Focus: Episode 51) Gray wolves once ranged across North America. But by the 1930s, they were nearly extinct -- trapped, poisoned and hunted by ranchers, farmers, and government agents. With protection under the 1973 Endangered Species Act, the wolf population rebounded. But wolves lost federal protection in 2011.</p><p> </p><p>Now, with hunting permitted in many Western states, the future of this once endangered species may again be in question. Can we live with wolves? Earth Focus travels to Montana and Wyoming to find out.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.linktv.org/about/blog/follow/Jim%20Wickens">Read a blog series on wolves by UK journalist and co-founder of the Ecologist Film Unit and Ecostorm Jim Wickens.</a></p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.predatorfriendly.org/" target="_blank">Find out what you can do to help protect wolves and other native predators at PredatorFriendly.org</a></p> Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Earth Focus, Link TV, Wolves, Gray Wolves, Yellowstone National Park, Endangered Species Act, Montana, Wyoming, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8742 6b1a864b240fc77e3a901e3470b243f9 Contraception may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of elephants. But a new contraceptive vaccine is saving elephants in South Africa's reserves and parks. Elephants are widely threatened by poachers and ivory traders, but in protected areas they multiply quickly outgrowing park limits. To control their numbers, many countries have been culling herds. Now contraception is catching on as a way to manage elephant numbers without outright killing or relocation. Jeff Barbee reports from South Africa. Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:16:02 -0800 Elephants, Birth Control, Contraceptive, Ivory Trade, Elephant Park, Reserve, Conservation, Wildlife, Contraception, Jeff Barbee, Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8741 a35d11c2f995c60b0341a9c777f1ae03 Coral reefs provide habitat for 25% of the world's fish species, and they are steeply declining worldwide. The Florida Keys are home to the world's third largest tropical barrier reef, but only a small fraction of the reef remains healthy. A number of factors, including fertilizer run off from the Southern Florida's sugar industry, are killing the coral. But now, thanks to a Coral Reef Restoration Foundation project that grows coral on underwater lattices, Florida's coral may be on its way back. Jeff Barbee reports from Key Largo. Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:16:02 -0800 Coral, Key Largo, Florida, Coral Reef Restoration, Lattices, Jeff Barbee, Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/video/8740 16002f7a455a94aa4e91cc34ebdb9f2d <p>(Earth Focus: Episode 52) US domestic gas production is on the rise because of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a controversial method of extracting natural gas from shale rock by pumping millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and chemicals underground at high pressure. Environmentalists say this gas boon threatens water supplies and pollutes air. Now, as fracking expands around the world, so does growing resistance. Earth Focus looks at three countries on the new fracking frontline: South Africa, Poland, and the UK. Reported from South Africa by Jeff Barbee and Andrew Wasley (The Ecologist) from Poland and the UK.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.linktv.org/fracking">Learn more about fracking, and find out what you can do.</a></p> Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Earth Focus, Environment, Friends of the Earth, Planet Vox, Earth, Green, Environmental Magazine, News Magazine, The Ecologist, Climate Change, Pollution, Investigative Journalism, Conservation, Wallace Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation, Marisla Foundation Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org/rss/linktv_rss.gif http://www.linktv.org/programs/earth