Search results

Past Presentation | Stories of ordinary people who tried to end the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan–activists from many different walks of life, such as young man who joined the military during high school and then later became a leading opponent of U.S. foreign policy; a grandmother who asked to go to Iraq instead of her grandchildren; college students who dance to "funk the war"; and a woman who has been an activist since "ban the bomb" rallies in the 1950s.

Past Presentation | In the aftermath of climate catastrophe, a lonely former environmental activist invites three strange guests over for dinner.

Past Presentation | Amidst national controversy surrounding the potential dangers of hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking,' environmental activist Pauline Matt stands alone to protect her native homeland - the Blackfeet Reservation of northern Montana.

Past Presentation | A touching and encouraging story about a miner’s young daughter and her battle against one of the world's largest mining companies. The film depicts the destiny of an invaluable protected mine in Finnish Lapland. Is everything for sale when the bid is high enough? A film about exceptional determination, courage and love for one’s own roots and home village.

Climate activists advocate for a return to Earth Day's protest roots, opposing the commercial exploitation of the event.Kristin Hostetter reports for Outside.In short:Earth Day began in 1970 as a significant protest and has since morphed into a marketing tool for companies.Activists emphasize the day's origins and the need to focus on genuine environmental change rather than superficial corporate shows.Despite the commercialization, the activists interviewed maintain that Earth Day can still inspire valuable ecological behaviors and community actions.Key quote:"I urge anyone who wants to take action for climate to see the undeniable link to social justice.— Pattie Gonia, co-founder of The Outdoorist OathWhy this matters:Understanding the shift from Earth Day's activist roots to corporate greenwashing is important for distinguishing genuine community actions over superficial corporate initiatives. Read more: Earth Day: Amidst the greenwashing, it's still a good thing..

The California landmark is shrinking, exposing a toxic lakebed that threatens neighbors. ‘Irondad’ is running 92 miles to highlight the crisisOn an otherwise desolate horizon, a black dot materialized along the dramatic shoreline of California’s Salton Sea one recent Saturday afternoon. Beachgoers shielded their eyes against the midday glare and watched as the mirage became 49-year-old William Sinclair, an ultramarathon runner and activist who goes by the self-given nickname “Irondad”.The runner’s sudden appearance felt apocalyptic: he wore an ominous full-face gas mask to block out dust, and a pair of snowshoes strapped wing-like to his back, to traverse the area’s expansive mudflats. He dressed all in black, with the exception of neon orange sneakers that were already caked in dirt from running and hiking the past 16 miles, a remote stretch of both cracked and swampy earth that very rarely sees any other human activity. Continue reading...

Past Presentation | Local water activists explore Gainesville’s fresh waterways and how they have been integrated into the city – even crawling beneath behemoth stores to follow the waters.

Now Playing | The spirit of a movement that sometimes reminds us of our young revolutionary self, who still believed that he:she could change the world. This green filmed documentary mirrors the global situation and the diversity of climate change related activism.6 continents, 3 dozen filmmakers, countless activists and seasoned scientists. It is not about just one person but about many who stand up. TripleF*** is a documentary on the global climate movement, containing material from six continents (North - and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Antarctica), filmed green by cooperating film teams on site. The topic of climate activism itself as a protagonist takes us on a global journey to activists' lives and forms a dialogue within. Why did so many young people became activists? What is life as an activist like, how do they deal with political stagnation, harsh criticism and even threats and why do they still continue? Very personal but not private - to protect the activists' privacy, sensitive topics are woven in as a fictional part. This is the first of 5 Episodes. In this episode, which also stands for itself as a midlength film, the history of climate change related activism is highlighted. In its core spirit of a holistic approach, the project is been realized similarly to its topic of the climate activists' movement: independent, global, green.

Now Playing | In 2004, a generation of activists arose in South Florida, carrying the passion of direct action groups like Earth First. and the deep analysis of the global justice movement that had swept the country in the preceding years. These activists sought local issues that exemplified the threats of corporate globalization. They stumbled upon a plan from biotech industry giants acting in collusion with the administration of then-Governor Jeb Bush to clear a vast swath of land in the Northeast Everglades of Florida to accommodate The Scripps Biotech Research Institute - And it was on. Over the next ten years, endless county zoning meetings were counter-balanced by dozens of civil disobedience arrests and a near-constant flow of news headlines about the battle: lawsuits, scandal, corruption, tree sits, endangered species, pranks, blockades, and a roller coaster of incremental victories followed by devastating losses for years on end. THE STORY OF A FOREST captures it all in a 1/2 hour documentary about the Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition (PBCEC) and Everglades Earth First!'s (EEF!) ten-plus year campaign to stop the Scripps Biotech development, with a focus on protecting biodiversity in the Briger forest and the Florida wetlands.

Young climate advocates are challenging the U.S. government in court, demanding accountability for climate change inactions.Ruxandra Guidi reports for High Country News.In short:Young activists, including a notable 23-year-old plaintiff in the Juliana v. United States case, leverage legal battles to hold the U.S. government accountable for climate negligence.These legal challenges, rooted in the Atmospheric Trust Litigation principle, assert the government's failure to protect the constitutional rights of its younger citizens.Historical context shows that youth have always been pivotal in driving significant political movements, emphasizing the enduring power of young voices in societal change.Key quote:“There are simple things you can do in your own homes, like not let the water run, or turn off the lights when you’re not using them. You could teach these things to your children. Every choice we make is for or against our future.”— 6-year-old Xiuhtezcatl MartinezWhy this matters:The impact of youth activism is undeniable. It has reinvigorated older generations of environmentalists, brought climate issues to the forefront of political debates, and even influenced the strategies of nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups. Their call for action is not just about reducing carbon emissions or protecting natural habitats but encompasses a broader vision of social justice, equity, and intergenerational responsibility.Youth environmental activism has moved us forward in many ways—but to maximize this impact we need coalitions that learn from the past in order to prepare for the future.

Past Presentation | The first feature-length documentary film to capture the vitality and diversity of today’s religious-environmental activists. From within their Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Muslim traditions, Americans are becoming caretakers of the Earth. With great courage, these women, men and children are re-examining what it means to be human and how we live on this planet. Their stories of combating global warming and the devastation of mountaintop removal, of promoting food security, environmental justice, recycling, land preservation, and of teaching love and respect for life on Earth are the heart of renewal.

Past Presentation | In 1975, a young writer published a book arguing that no justifications exist for considering humans more important than members of other species. It slowly began to gain attention. Today, a quickly growing number of prominent individuals and political activists are adopting its conclusions. They have termed the assumption of human superiority speciesism. As a result, they rank these animal factories among the greatest evils in our history. Speciesism brings viewers face-to-face with the leaders of this developing movement, and, for the first time ever on film, fully examines the purpose of what they are setting out to do.

A new PBS documentary called "Poisoned Ground" tells their story. And a local activist shares how the actions of women across the country more than 40 years ago paved the way for her fight to clean up contaminated sites in Greater Houston.

Past Presentation | What if the greatest chemical disaster of our time did not involve oil spills or nuclear meltdowns? Instead, imagine much lower levels of exposure, inflicted over several generations and affecting every person on the planet. The result: rising rates of everything from cancer to autism to infertility. This is the shocking reality explored in The Human Experiment. The film follows a band of unlikely activists who are fighting back. Ranging from Howard, a conservative businessman, to Jessica, a teenage radical, they are stalking their reputation, career and future in this battle to protect our health. And their opposition is Goliath, the powerful chemical industry is heavily invested in maintaining the status quo, pulling unseen strings to create an aura of skepticism and confusion.

Past Presentation | After observing exceptionally abnormal rates of cancer in his Minden patients in the mid 1980s, Pakistani-born oncologist Dr. Hassan Amjad became the southern West Virginian town’s greatest champion, advocating fiercely for recognition of the persistent risk to human health caused by carcinogenic PCBs left from the mining industry. Some thirty-five years and three EPA clean-up attempts later, Minden remains largely ignored even as its population has dwindled from over 1200 to just under 250. When Hassan passes from a massive heart attack at the age of 70, his unsuspecting daughter Ayne, also a physician, inherits his decades-long advocacy efforts overnight. Grief-stricken but spurred by her father’s mandate to “help others” at all costs, Ayne hatches an ambitious plan to relocate the entire town to a 97-acre plot of land purchased by her late father as a retirement site. As she mobilizes allies in Minden and beyond, she is surprised to discover that her biggest challenge is an attachment to home that makes the town’s most endangered residents reluctant to leave. When a global pandemic unexpectedly thrusts Ayne into a powerful state government position, she sees an opportunity to move past her stalled relocation efforts and expand her locus of impact well beyond Minden. Ironically, the more Ayne pours herself into this new role, the more distance she creates from her closest allies – the Minden activists that have been involved since her father’s work began some four decades earlier. What’s more, her new work requires that she abandon her private practice and her hopes for a family of her own, subsuming her identity almost completely. As pressures mount on all sides – the creeping sickness of Minden’s aging residents, the growing sense of futility around achieving meaningful change in the cancer-stricken town, and the never ending political stresses associated with working at the state level – Ayne enlists the help of her personal lawyer to build a class-action lawsuit against the EPA in a last-ditch effort to help. Minden’s activist residents bristle at the new attorney’s aggressive approach, and this partnership implodes in dramatic fashion when small town gossip leads to accusations of fraud. Left with few options, Ayne feels stuck between a deeply ingrained mandate to “help others” that is the legacy of her late father and the increasing realization that she is sacrificing her own life in an attempt to do so. With the cathartic acknowledgment that her father’s death continues to haunt her, she must choose between her sense of duty and her own happiness. IMPOSSIBLE TOWN shows us tireless social and environmental struggle through the eyes of a cast of characters that complicate common rural Appalachian stereotypes. Dr. Ayne Amjad alone is a study in contrasts: a devout Republican with a strong activist bent, a daughter of immigrants who is a pillar of her largely white community, and a wealthy physician-turned-public-servant who spends her time advocating for her disenfranchised and low-income neighbors. With Ayne and the rest of our cast, nothing is as it seems. In addition to adding to the breadth of stories about how environmental catastrophes disproportionately affect the poor, IMPOSSIBLE TOWN has much to say about our complex relationships with home – the connections we form with the places we’re from, and the difficulty we have in letting go of those places, even when they’re killing us. Through the ambitions of Ayne and other Minden activists, the film explores the persistent modern American fantasy that complex issues are best solved through singular heroes and miracle solutions rather than the decidedly grittier work of slow and patient social, political, and legal exercises. Most poignantly, IMPOSSIBLE TOWN is an ode to the way we commune with our parents long after they’ve left this plane, their aspirations and legacies lighting our paths to unanticipated destinations, their absence leaving a painful void in our lives that never fully heals.

Now Playing | Twenty minutes outside of Visalia, amidst the seemingly endless rows of citrus trees, Yolanda Cuevas packs enchiladas with shredded chicken for her husband Benjamin, their adult daughters and two teenaged grandchildren in her modest single-story home. Their house is the first one off the main drag, one of 83 lining the two crumbling roads that comprise the tiny town of Tooleville. Yolanda must wash the tomatoes for the salsa first in the sink and then again with a splash of clean water from a 5-gallon jug. The process is arduous, and though she’s resigned to do it, she’s not happy about it. Along with Tooleville’s several hundred other residents, Yolanda’s family has survived on bi-weekly delivery of water to their homes for the past 12 years. It’s an annoyance for the family, and it’s expensive for the State of California, which has been paying for the replacement water since the discovery of Chromium-6 (the same chemical featured in Erin Brokovich) in the water. The simpler solution would be to consolidate the town’s water system with that of its larger, affluent neighbor to the west, Exeter. And for this purpose, Yolanda has become a reluctant activist, attending community meetings in Tooleville and lobbying for consolidation at Exeter’s city council meetings under the expert guidance of Pedro Hernandez, an organizer with the Leadership Counsel. While Exeter has resisted the consolidation since it was first proposed, organizers like Pedro feel that this could be the year Exeter finally succumbs to the growing community pressure and brings Tooleville into the fold. The decision will echo around the Central Valley and across the state, as hundreds of similar community water systems find themselves in a nearly identical predicament.

Past Presentation | It can’t be denied that our planet is burning and the NGOs seem overwhelmed by the number of catastrophic situations to be managed... As soon as one fire goes out, another one is lit on the other side of the world. While Greenpeace had obtained a moratorium on deforestation in the Amazon, Bolsonaro’s coming to power was enough to undo the long and patient work of the NGO. Now activists of a new kind are planning to file a complaint against the Brazilian dictator, in the name of nature. It is advocates and lawyers taking over; white-collar rangers whose clients are rivers, forests and wildlife. They militate for nature to be recognised as a legal entity, in order to file a complaint on its behalf and represent them in court. Indeed, they look for all the loopholes in the laws and attack the enemies of nature on their own ground. It’s using the law as a weapon when faced with an emergency, and with leaders who favour the economic exploitation of those resources, even if it destroys the environment. We will follow these militants of a new kind, in their fight against Goliath. We will see how they succeed where NGOs fail, how they thwart the strategies of multinationals and states. For many, green justice today represents one of the best hopes, if not the last, for saving our future on Earth.

Sarah Benn is first of three GPs facing disciplinary action this year over climate activismA doctor who went to jail following a series of climate protests has been taken off the medical register for five months – and still faces being permanently struck off.The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS – the disciplinary arm of the General Medical Council (GMC – on Tuesday suspended Dr Sarah Benn, having found last week that her fitness to practise as a doctor had been impaired by reason of misconduct. Continue reading...

Past Presentation | On the isolated Danish Faroe Islands, the longtime hunting and fishing practices of the Faroese are being threatened by animal rights activism, plummeting wildlife populations, and rising mercury levels.

Past Presentation | A documentary about the activism of Carol Buckley with elephants in captivity and how they are trained, forced to long working hours and living in a clearly improvable conditions.

How a semantic twist gave a major bank a loophole to keep financing fracking. The post Regional U.S. Banks Sharply Expand Lending to Oil and Gas Projects appeared first on .

Now Playing | An Iowa farmer reacts swiftly when he hears that radical climate marchers plan to disrupt peace in his tiny town. What he does after that offers a lesson for would-be peacemakers everywhere.

As the iconic scientist and activist celebrates her 90th birthday, her message for younger generations is one of hope — and not fearing the next adventure.

If TV can change Americans’ views on gay marriage, why not the environment?

A new United Nations report emphasizes the need for enhanced protection of young environmental and human rights activists from online harassment, arrests, and violence. Nina Lakhani reports for The Guardian.In short:Young activists globally face increased risks without the support available to older counterparts, as per UN special rapporteur Mary Lawlor's findings from interviews with nearly 100 youth from 37 countries.Children and teens are leading voices in climate change and human rights, yet face significant opposition and danger, including arbitrary arrests and violence.Efforts by young activists include combating climate change, violence against women, LGBTQ+ rights, and more, with notable cases of success despite challenges.Key quote:"Climate change has been a huge driver for children and young people because they see that the planet is dying from lack of action by governments all over the world."— Mary Lawlor, UN special rapporteur on human rights defendersWhy this matters:In the past few years, youth have claimed more space in the climate change conversation. Young activists, inspired by figures like Greta Thunberg, are mobilizing across the globe even in the face of severe repression, organizing strikes, protests, and social media campaigns to demand stronger climate action from governments and corporations.

On her 90th birthday, Jane Goodall shares insights on environmental conservation, emphasizing the critical role of hope and youth activism in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.Rhett A. Butler reports for Mongabay.In short:Goodall discusses the significance of fostering hope amidst environmental challenges, using the metaphor of navigating towards a shining star of hope.She underscores the impact of youth engagement in environmental activism, advocating for their influence on elections and policy changes.Goodall highlights her journey and contributions to primatology and conservation, stressing the importance of empathy and understanding in our relationship with the natural world.Key quote:"I’ve come to think of humanity as being at the mouth of a very long very dark tunnel and right at the end there’s a little star shining. And that’s hope."— Jane Goodall, primatologist and environmental advocateWhy this matters:Jane Goodall's legacy is vast and profoundly influential, not just within the realms of primatology and environmental conservation, but also in shaping public perceptions about our relationship with the natural world. Beyond her scientific achievements, Goodall is renowned for her unwavering optimism and belief in the power of young people to effect change.Our global systems, which are designed for perpetual growth, need to be fundamentally restructured to avoid the worst-case outcome.

BBC nature presenter delivers eulogy at protest aimed at ‘scaring people a bit’ about the loss of biodiversity in the UKThe BBC nature presenter Chris Packham has joined hundreds of environmental activists in a mock funeral procession for nature to spotlight biodiversity loss in the UK.The procession aimed to sound “code red for nature” and highlight the UK’s position as “one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world”, organisers said. It was planned to coincide closely with Earth Day on 22 April. Continue reading...

Would-be voters in this coal and oil state signal they’re increasingly alarmed by climate change. The post In Deep Red Utah, Climate Concerns Are Now Motivating Candidates appeared first on .

Past Presentation | A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet is the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement – grassroots and global activism spanning fifty years from conservation to climate change. Directed and written by Mark Kitchell, Academy Award-nominated director of Berkeley in the Sixties, and narrated by Robert Redford, Ashley Judd, Van Jones, Isabel Allende and Meryl Streep, the film premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2012, has won acclaim at festivals around the world, and in 2013 begins theatrical release as well as educational distribution and use by environmental groups and grassroots activists. Inspired by the book of the same name by Philip Shabecoff and informed by advisors like Edward O. Wilson, A Fierce Green Fire chronicles the largest movement of the 20th century and one of the keys to the 21st. It brings together all the major parts of environmentalism and connects them. It focuses on activism, people fighting to save their homes, their lives, the future – and succeeding against all odds.

Would-be voters in the coal and oil state signal they’re increasingly alarmed by climate change.

Across the street from the Hilton Americas Hotel, protesters played percussion and brass instruments as they voiced their energy-related concerns.

Past Presentation | For nearly 40 years, Scott Camil has worked as an educator and activist visiting classrooms and lecture halls speaking out against war as “organized murder.” Scott Camil Will Not Die focuses on Camil's work in these spaces, examining the intersections between Camil as historical figure, Camil as educator, and Camil as himself—a complex individual who struggles with the psychological traumas of war and refuses to be silenced.

Past Presentation | The story of Dr. Riki Ott, a whistleblower who predicted the Exxon Valdez oil spill hours before it happened. A toxicologist, author, and activist, Ott helped organize Gulf coast communities after the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. She is also helping to spearhead a campaign along with Ultimate Civics to introduce a Constitutional amendment to end corporate personhood. Other citizens have been following Ott’s example in efforts to curb oil pollution of America's lands, rivers, and coastal waters.

And what you can do to stop them

Leaders with responsibilities for sea country on way to Canberra to lobby against legislationFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe Albanese government is facing major blowback over changes to its offshore gas bill, which the crossbench and environment groups have labelled “window dressing” that fails to prevent new rules watering down First Nations consultation.Seeking to clear the decks before Easter, the government is expected to reveal tweaks to its proposed vehicle efficiency standards this week. And on Monday Labor introduced amendments to add safeguards to the offshore gas bill after widespread concerns, including from within it own ranks.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Now Playing | Environmental activists have been camping in Sodros for more than four months with the purpose of stopping the trees from being cut down. In the past few days Chinese company CRBC workers have been showing up at the site accompanied by the police and gendarmerie forces. The activists have been requesting to see the permits and the documentation for the work they are planning to conduct from the CRBC workers. The CRBC workers haven’t shown any of the permits. Also, the work has begun without a construction board being clearly visible, which is mandatory by law.

Now Playing | In collaboration with communities across British Columbia, the Youth Climate Corps challenges what resilience looks like through youth led, locally designed, climate action initiatives.

Past Presentation | One man will risk it all to stop tar sands oil from crossing his land through the Keystone XL pipeline. Shot in the forests, pastures, and living rooms of rural East Texas as David Daniel he rallies neighbors and environmental activists to join him in a final act of brinkmanship: a tree-top blockade of the controversial pipeline. What begins as a stand against corporate bullying becomes a rallying cry for climate protesters nationwide.

In El Salvador, environmental activists face increased threats as the government contemplates lifting a historic ban on metal mining, raising fears of sacrificing natural resources for economic gains. Danielle Mackey reports for The Guardian. In short: Vidalina Morales, a prominent environmentalist, fears for her family's safety amid the government's signs of reversing a metal mining ban. Recent arrests of environmental activists, including Morales's son, under dubious charges, suggest an effort to intimidate opposition. President Nayib Bukele's popularity contrasts with concerns over authoritarian tendencies and the potential environmental and social costs of reviving mining. Key quote: “Gold mining competes with the human being for an essential resource." — Andrés McKinley, a specialist in water and mining at the University of Central America in San Salvador Why this matters: Environmental activism in places like El Salvador represents a courageous stand against ecological degradation and the forces driving it, yet it comes with profound risks. This small Central American nation, rich in natural beauty but plagued by issues of poverty and violence, has become a battleground for those fighting to preserve its resources against industrial and developmental pressures. Be sure to read EHN’s 2016 piece about mining in the Midwest: Michigan proposes approval for controversial Upper Peninsula mine near sacred tribal sites.

Past Presentation | Yogi, Buddhist teacher and activist Michael Stone arrives on a pilgrimage to Japan, in the wake of the tsunami and Fukushima meltdown. Reactor is a short film project that aims to uncover how and why we can let go of our old stories, and move towards personal and social awakening.

Until now, only one other federal informant was known to be in the camps.

Now Playing | Armed with realistic bird puppets, trickster environmental activists pretend to be oil company Total—staging a satirical press conference to introduce "RéHabitat," a program to rescue animals from the East African Oil Pipeline by relocating them to “more sustainable” habitats. Using humor and mischief, they expose a deadly ecological disaster in a zany effort to help #StopEACOP.

Now Playing | CONFESSIONS OF AN ECO-TERRORIST: A feature length documentary film. A unique look at eco-history from one who was there for 40 years: Peter Jay Brown, and a humorous examination of the word “eco-terrorist” in today’s reality.

Now Playing | Mr. Aes Gener is a greedy mega-entrepreneur in the energy business. Through his story we get into the dirty business he has done in Chile and the world with coal, while we see, through archival footage, the damage to people and nature of this obsolete and polluting fossil fuel.

Past Presentation | The film follows the most wanted environmentalist today, Captain Paul Watson. After 40 years on the frontlines, Peter Jay Brown exposes more pranks, the glory of successful missions, and fierce encounters with some of the most infamous and illegal marine hunters, while stopping at nothing to protect wildlife on a global scale.

Officers with C-IRG accused of ripping off protesters’ masks and pepper-spraying them during protest in British ColumbiaCanada’s federal police force has opened an investigation into a controversial unit tasked with overseeing environmental protests, following hundreds of complaints that officers used excessive force, disregarded court orders and violated protesters’ rights.The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission, a watchdog arm of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said on Thursday it would examine the activities of the community-industry response group, or C-IRG, based in British Columbia. Continue reading...

Past Presentation | The Cove follows an elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers as they embark on a covert mission to penetrate a remote and hidden cove in Taiji, Japan, shining a light on a dark and deadly secret. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras in fake rocks, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide. The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery, adding up to an unforgettable story that has inspired audiences worldwide to action.

Past Presentation | Dominion uses drones, hidden and handheld cameras to expose the dark underbelly of modern animal agriculture, questioning the morality and validity of humankind’s dominion over the animal kingdom. While mainly focusing on animals used for food, it also explores other ways animals are exploited and abused by humans, including clothing, entertainment and research. Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Sia, Sadie Sink and Kat Von D, and co-produced by Earthlings creator Shaun Monson. Filmed in Australia, with a global message.

Past Presentation | A group of people attempt the impossible: Change the opinion of a town and eventually the nation to remove two dams. The community comes to consensus, launches the largest dam removal in history, and in the process shows the way to a more sustainable future. Infused with hope, the film explores an unlikely victory for environmental justice and restoration that led to the demolition of dams on the Elwha River in Washington State in August 2014.

Past Presentation | Filmed in a fly-on-the-wall style, this raw and inspiring documentary follows 26-year-old Manoj Gautam, a modern day, third world hero on a passionate quest to protect animals and wildlife from cruelty and extinction. Inspired by the work of his mentor, Dr. Jane Goodall, and with minimal resources and no formal training, Gautam is creating a network of allies across the country, busting animal smugglers, protecting fragile ecosystems, rescuing abused animals, and galvanizing an environmental movement.

Now Playing | A look at the monumental problem of bird collisions in Chicago, the deadliest city for birds, just ahead of Houston and Dallas. According to scientists, what happens in Chicago can affect bird populations across North America. As many as one billion birds die each year in the United States due to building collisions, but there are people who care and work hard to change this.

These Black environmentalists dedicated their lives to advocating for environmental justice.

Past Presentation | Saving Jamaica Bay tells the story of how one community fought government inaction and overcame Hurricane Sandy to clean up and restore the largest open space in New York City, which had become a dumping ground for garbage, sewage and bullet-riddled mobsters. Narrated by Academy-Award winning actress Susan Sarandon, Saving Jamaica Bay underscores the importance of citizen action and the role of urban nature in protecting our cities from the effects of climate change.

Past Presentation | A short documentary discussing the drought in California, particularly how water shortages are affecting Southern California farmers, local relationships with policy-makers, and the environment. Through interviews and verite scenes with a local Ventura County farmer, with The California Secretary of Natural Resources, and with an environmental activist from The Surfrider Foundation, this film delves into a deeper understanding of how the drought is affecting Californians on a personal level, and how they plan to address the drought as it comes closer to a point of no return.

Past Presentation | An unemployed American worker, a Tea Party activist, and a Chinese solar entrepreneur race to lead the clean energy future. Over the course of a solar jobs training program, we follow the hope and heartbreak of unemployed American workers seeking jobs in the solar industry. We also see countries like China investing in innovative technologies and capitalizing on this trillion-dollar opportunity. Their successes and failures speak to one of the biggest questions of our time: Can the U.S. build a clean energy economy?

Past Presentation | From Michel Gondry, the innovative director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep, comes this unique animated documentary on the life of controversial MIT professor, philosopher, linguist, anti-war activist and political firebrand Noam Chomsky. Through complex, lively conversations with Chomsky and brilliant illustrations by Gondry himself, the film reveals the life and work of the father of modern linguistics while also exploring his theories on the emergence of language. The result is not only a dazzling, vital portrait of one of the foremost thinkers of modern times, but also a beautifully animated work of art.

Past Presentation | Facing the Surge documents the tangible costs of sea level rise for the people of Norfolk, VA. Norfolk is home to the largest naval base in the country and to thousands of hard-working Americans struggling to adapt to the rising tides and an uncertain future. The town has registered 16 inches of sea level rise since 1930. But Facing the Surge is not a film about loss and inaction. It tells the stories of citizens from across the United States as they step forward to raise awareness and push their government to solve climate change.

Now Playing | The fossil fuel industry is building a global threat in the oil fields of West Texas. Miguel Escoto, who has lived close to this region his whole life, witnesses the industry’s villainy for the first time by viewing oil and gas site emissions through optical gas imaging cameras, becoming a stand-in for a world that has yet to grasp the gravity of the Permian Climate Bomb.

Past Presentation | Cape Spin! An American Power Struggle tells the surreal, fascinating, tragicomic story of the battle over America’s most controversial clean energy project. Cape Wind would be the U.S.’s first offshore wind farm… But strange alliances formed for and against: Kennedys, Kochs, and everyday folks do battle with the developer and green groups over the future of American power. With full access to both sides, a commitment to impartial storytelling and fueled by a satiric ‘revolutionary’ soundtrack, Cape Spin! is a “gripping and entertaining study of eco-capitalism and grassroots democracy. It proves that environmental films can be crowd pleasers, and not at all just about the environment.”

Now Playing | Eco Arts is a creative practice that recognises that we are all part of the Living World. This film provides an overview of the practice of Eco Arts in community. Perspectives of First Nations Elders and artists are interwoven with examples of intercultural and environmental events. Musicians and creative thought leaders discuss the role of arts and culture in strengthening communities against the backdrop of ecological degradation and the climate crisis.