WATERTOWN, NY (April 2, 2024) – Since 1970, Earth Day – April 22 – has been an opportunity to reflect on and renew our collective commitment to a healthy planet. Building on more than 200 hours of climate and environmental content currently available across its various platforms, PBS and its member stations will focus on the challenges of a changing climate while highlighting examples of positive impact during Earth Month in April.
WPBS is pleased to mark Earth Day with a New York State story, Poisoned Ground – the Tragedy at Love Canal (Monday, April 22nd at 9:00 pm), about the public health disaster that created the basis for the landmark federal Superfund program – along with additional special programming all month long, including:
Wednesday, April 3 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, April 7 at 7:00 pm
NOVA: Great American Eclipse – Explore the spectacular cosmic phenomenon of a total solar eclipse. In April 2024, the Moon’s shadow is sweeping from Texas to Maine, as the U.S. witnesses its last total eclipse until 2044, and scientists scramble to unlock the secrets of our Sun.
Saturday Mornings at 6:00 am
Ecosense for Living – Thought-provoking series of eco-topics ranging from reconnecting kids to nature, green jobs, and healthy lifestyles limiting the impacts of toxins on our home and bodies.
Sunday, April 14 at 12 noon
American River – Follow Mary Bruno and river guide Carl Alderson on a four-day, 80-mile adventure down New Jersey’s Passaic River, from its pristine source in a wildlife refuge to its polluted mouth in Newark Bay.
Sunday, April 14 at 1:30 pm
Justice in Chester – During the 1990s, residents in Chester, Pennsylvania, a predominantly poor, African American community, organized a movement to stop the ongoing permitting of waste treatment facilities in their city.
Sunday, April 14 at 2:00 pm
Bears of Durango – An adventure-filled exploration of conservation science. A team of wildlife researchers is tasked with conducting a black bear study in Durango, Colorado.
Sunday, April 14 at 3:00 pm
Northern Nights, Starry Skies – Join photographer Travis Novitsky, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, on a visually stunning exploration of the heavens, as seen from the world’s largest designated Dark Sky sanctuary.
Sunday, April 21 at 12 noon
We Are All Plastic People Now – It’s in the air. It’s in the water. It’s buried in our soil and hidden inside the food we eat. Celebrated in the 1950s for ringing in the era of throw-away ease and freedom, plastic is now everywhere – even inside our bodies.
Sunday, April 21 at 1:00 pm
Reciprocity Project – A collection of stories highlighting the value of communities living in reciprocity with the Earth. Featuring seven short films created with Indigenous communities across Turtle Island in the U.S. and Colombia.
Sunday, April 21 at 2:00 pm
Changing Planet – Join conservation scientist Dr. M. Sanjayan as he travels to Australia to see the effects of climate change, then continues his journey in East Africa.
Monday, April 22 at 9:00 pm
American Experience-Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal – A piercing look back at an environmental disaster and the women who spoke up and fought for accountability.
Wednesday, April 24 at 8:00 pm
Changing Planet: Coral Special – Dr. M. Sanjayan visits the Maldives to take an in-depth look at coral reefs and the urgent efforts to help them survive climate change.
Also, in observance of Earth month WPBS is reprising the locally produced outdoor adventure/environmental series Epic Trails (Wednesdays at 7:30 pm, beginning April 10th).
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About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Â
