Journey to Planet Earth: Season II

Narrated by actor Matt Damon, this outstanding PBS-aired series exploring the impact of man-made changes to the environment returns for a second season with three new episodes. “Hot Zones” illustrates how polluted water supplies, overcrowding, and poverty have combined to devastate large global populations, as infectious diseases such as malaria, cholera, and dengue fever run rampant--and are quickly spread in our age of international travel. “On the Brink” examines the role that growing environmental pressures play in spurring violence, crime, and even terrorism in many countries of the world. “Seas of Grass” demonstrates how the world's grasslands are turning into “seas of dust” as rampant development and changing agricultural practices threaten this natural biome. Filmed on location in the U.S., Haiti, Bangladesh, India, Peru, Mongolia, and South Africa, among other places, this series (with episodes available in either 25-minute versions for grades 6-12, or 57-minute versions for university audiences) underscores the fact that responsible stewardship of the Earth involves everyone…and apathy can lead to disaster. A terrific choice for environmental ethics or sustainable communities curricula, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: I, J, H, C, P. (L. Stevens)