The Donana marshland. The oyster beds below Rio. The Caspian's sturgeon fishing grounds. The coral reefs of the South Pacific. This program travels to Spain, Brazil, Iran, and Fiji to observe efforts to mitigate severe ecological damage to these sensitive regions-places primarily spoiled by water pollution, with causes as varied as upland agricultural runoff and the rupture of a mine tailings dam. Solutions such as preservation legislation, riverbank...

This program illustrates the physical, biological, and chemical treatment processes required to decontaminate industrial and residential wastewater and describes ways in which discharge is being put to work. Two wastewater treatment facilities are toured-one a traditional bricks-and-mortar operation and the other a constructed wetland system. Also, Steve Woods, of the Bayou Marcus Water Reclamation Facility; Thomas Byrom, of the Galveston Bay Estuary...

Better grab your energy bars, extra water, sunblock and adventure gear if you hope to keep up with our ITO kids as they embark on one of the biggest adventures of their lives in The Amazing Eco-Trek Race. Josh, Caroline, Emma, and Jacob begin a gauntlet of physical and mental tests where they are scored on how they face challenges in four environments across Wisconsin. From paddling, to caving, to archery, and biking, they discover new things about...

In 1984, a lethal gas leak from the Union Carbide factory resulted in the death of 30,000 people in Bhopal. This was the world's worst industrial disaster. 25 years later, its citizens are still seeking justice for past and present-day victims, the decontamination of their city and drinking water supply. Bhopali follows the struggles of second-generation families to properly care for their physically and mentally disabled children, and their never-ending...

Despite great strides made in reducing point source pollution, America still has 300,000 miles of rivers and streams and 5 million acres of lakes that remain contaminated. This documentary examines how coastal and inland communities across the country are turning their attention to controlling non-point source pollution through watershed management and TMDL-total maximum daily load-programs. Water quality assessment, development of a pollution abatement...

Johnson relates the story of people who take us out of the dark and into the light. Hear about Edison's light bulb, which he didn't actually invent, and learn how an 18th-century ship's skipper discovered a source of illumination by putting a kid inside a whale's head. See how a French scientist accidentally discovered how to create neon light, leading to a revolution in advertising. Dispelling the myth of the individual "eureka" moment, Johnson reveals...

Promoting growth and protecting the environment is a contradiction, says Chinese ambassador Chen Mingming, insisting that the opulent lifestyle of "people overseas" should figure into any assessment of his country's environmental policies. "Isn't it legitimate for the Chinese to seek the same quality of life? That means economic development." Others who support the government's approach to ecological problems also appear in this film, such as political...

For the limitless imagination of a scientific mind, the ever-expanding universe is an ideal subject of inquiry! This collection of 50 video clips (45 seconds to 2 minutes 30 seconds each) uses high-quality film footage and detailed animations to investigate the structure of the universe, the stars, the Solar System, the planets of the Solar System, Earth and the Moon, astronomical observation, and space exploration. Video clips include: The Structure...

Its name conjures images of America's mythical past, encoded in the stories and novels of Mark Twain. But today's Mississippi River is rife with challenges no 19th-century storyteller could have imagined. From issues of basic survival to triumphs of creativity and profit, this program follows the day-to-day lives of those who dwell on the Mississippi. Starting in the town of Cairo, Illinois-where America's north and south intermingle-the program moves...