KUED Channel 7 celebrates Earth Day (April 22) with a week of special programs that educate and inspire awareness of our planet.
Nature: Survivors of the Firestorm - Sunday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m.
The bushfires that tore through the Australian state of Victoria in February 2009 incinerated over a million acres of land, including important forest ecosystems. Fires are a natural force of nature which spur regeneration, but the immediate aftermath of this giant firestorm was devastation. Kangaroos and koalas, wombats and wallabies, endangered possums and gliders, lizards, birds of all kinds, and even fish that lived among these eucalyptus trees were overcome by the flames. Survivors of the Firestorm captures the tender care of veterinarians and volunteers as they nurse traumatized wildlife back to health.
American Masters: John Muir - Monday, April 18 at 9:00 p.m.
Nearly a century after his death, John Muir is remembered and revered as the father of the environmental movement and the founder of the Sierra Club. He believed that it was our responsibility as citizens to protect our natural surroundings. Through his tireless advocacy and passionate writings, Muir taught us how to care for our wilderness treasures. He was the force behind the creation of the National Park Service and he almost single-handedly preserved the Yosemite Valley of California. Filmed throughout the majestic landscapes in which Muir traveled and worked, the documentary places our nation's most important wilderness assets in a cultural and social context. Muir's story could not be a timelier reminder of America's unique and, ultimately, threatened eco-systems.
Independent Lens "Waste Land" - Tuesday, April 19 at 11:00 p.m.
Filmed over nearly three years, Independent Lens "Waste Land" follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his home country of Brazil, and to Jardim Gramacho, the world's largest garbage dump located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There Muniz photographs an eclectic band of catadores - pickers of recyclable materials - and works with them to "paint" their portraits using garbage. The resulting collaboration with these inspiring characters provides profoundly moving evidence of the transformative power of art and its impact on the human spirit.
NOVA: Power Serge - Wednesday, April 20 at 8:00 p.m.
Can emerging technology defeat global warming? With more than $30 billion earmarked for "green energy," President Obama's stimulus package marks the first serious step by a U.S. administration to tackle the threat of global warming. But as the pace of innovation slackens in the crumbling economy and the public worries more about jobs than the future of the planet, is it all a case of too little, too late? Can our technology, which helped create this problem, now solve it?
PBS KIDS "Share the Earth" - Monday, April 18 - Friday, April 22 all day
KUED's annual PBS KIDS "Share the Earth" features new and favorite episodes encouraging children to care for and respect the environment. Families can view new eco-friendly episodes from Sid the Science Kid, Curious George, Martha Speaks, Wild Kratts, Arthur, Super Why! and Wordgirl throughout the week. Visit www.kued.org/kids for Earth Day ideas and activities such as gardening and crafting.
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