Environmentalists from Greta Thunberg to David Attenborough Featured in Special Earth Month Programming Slate Presented by KCET, PBS SoCal and Link TV

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Chelsea Grosbeck
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Los Angeles, Calif. – Mar. 22, 2021 – PBS SoCal and KCET, Southern California’s flagship PBS stations, along with national independent satellite network Link TV, today announced a month-long broadcasting lineup of over 20 new series, specials and documentaries that spotlight the best of Earth’s natural world and confront consequences of climate change that are relevant to Southern California and national audiences. The month-long lineup of programming dedicated to the planet kicks off on KCET on Sun. April 4 at 9 p.m. PT with the legendary natural historian Sir David Attenborough and the Earth Month premiere of the documentary EXTINCTION: THE FACTS. The new PBS documentary explores the impact of a million species at risk of extinction and the consequences for threatening food and water security, undermining climate control and a greater risk of pandemic diseases. Closing out the month, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, is an opportunity to travel with the world’s best-known climate activist Greta Thunberg as she takes her fight to a global stage in a three-part series debuting back-to-back on PBS SoCal on Earth Day, April 22 from 8-11 p.m. PT called GRETA THUNBERG: A YEAR TO CHANGE THE WORLD.

Highlights from the Earth Month content announced for Link TV and KCET include three documentaries from EARTH FOCUS PRESENTS, the curated series of documentaries spotlighting environmental challenges and solutions. Titles include “Public Trust: The Fight for America’s Public Lands” (from executive producer and Patagonia owner Yvon Chouinard and actor-turned-environmental activist Robert Redford), a passionate plea for protecting our last wild places in America. “The Human Element” from the producers of The Cove, which follows photographer James Balog as he uses his camera to reveal the effects of climate change on everyday Americans. “The River and The Wall” which tells the story of five friends who embark on an expedition down the Rio Grande to document the borderlands to explore how construction of the proposed border wall would impact wildlife, immigration, public lands, border security and landowners.

KCET and Link TV’s acclaimed original environmental investigative series EARTH FOCUS (produced in partnership with the Thomson ReutersFoundation) will also showcase all four episodes from the latest season. Launched in 2007 on Link TV, EARTH FOCUS is the longest-running investigative environmental news program on U.S. television. The series provides audiences with urgent local and global environmental coverage that spotlights in-depth reports on key issues such as endangered species, climate change, environmental health and sustainable practices.

PBS SoCal also continues to expand its commitment to the environment with high-profile premieres of content from PBS stations across the country in in honor of Earth Day that will run throughout the month of April. Included in the lineup is THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA: “The Scripture of Nature” directed by award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns (COUNTRY MUSIC, HEMINGWAY) which chronicles the establishment of America's national parks, with an emphasis on the work of John Muir and the exploration/preservation of Yosemite and Yellowstone. PBS SoCal will also present two all-new primetime offerings from NATURE that allows viewers to explore the splendors and compelling stories of the natural world from across the globe. New episode “The Leopard Legacy” follows the story of a leopard mother as she raises her cubs near the Luangwa River while “Sharks of Hawaii” examines the sharks that call the warm waters near Hawaii’s islands their home.

PBS SoCal, KCET and LinkTV’s Earth Month content and experiences are part of a commitment to addressing the global issues that impact the planet with a goal of opening people’s minds, lifting spirits and connecting people to each other and the world. For a full line-up of environmental-themed programs, please visit pbssocal.org/earthmonth, kcet.org/earthmonth and linktv.org/earthmonth.

The Earth Month environmental programming lineup includes the following and will broadcast as listed below (*subject to change):

EXTINCTION: THE FACTS – Sun., April 4 at 9 p.m. on KCET and Weds. April 7 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal
With a million species at risk of extinction, natural historian Sir David Attenborough explores how this crisis of biodiversity has consequences for us all, including putting us at greater risk of pandemic diseases.

NOVA: “Mystery Beneath the Ice” – Sun., April 4 at 10 p.m. on KCET
The Antarctic ecosystem relies on tiny and transparent organisms called krill. As the population dwindles, a leading theory suggests that climate change is disrupting their life cycle.

ANIMAL SUPER SENSES: “Scent” – Sun., April 11 at 8 p.m. on KCET
Biologist Patrick Aryee and physicist Helen Czerski investigate some of nature’s sharpest noses – and discover how animals use their sense of smell to sense dangers they just couldn’t pick up through sight or sound.

OZONE HOLE: HOW WE SAVED THE PLANET – Sun., April 11 at 10 p.m. on KCET and Thurs., April 22 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Discover how the influence of scientists who persuaded politicians Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher united the world to fix the deadly hole in the ozone layer.

NATURE: “The Leopard Legacy” – Wed., April 14 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Thurs., April 15 at 12 p.m. on KCET
Follow the story of a leopard mother as she raises her cubs near the Luangwa River, facing a constant battle to hunt successfully, defend her territory and protect her cubs against enemies.

NOVA: “Picture A Scientist” – Wed., April 14 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sun., April 18 at 10 p.m. on KCET
A biologist, a chemist and a geologist take a journey through their own experiences to provide new perspectives on how to make science itself more diverse, equitable and open to all.

EARTH FOCUS: “The Youth Climate Movement Around the World” – Sun., April 18 at 4 p.m. on KCET
In 2019, sixteen children from across the world including Greta Thunberg filed a historical, global lawsuit petitioning the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child to hold five of the world’s leading economic powers accountable for inaction on the climate crisis.

EARTH FOCUS: “Coal Mining in South Africa” – Sun., April 18 at 4:30 p.m. on KCET
South Africa faces a stark reality as the continent’s largest greenhouse gas emitter. More than 80% of power generation comes from coal, with 11 coal power plants turning the province of Mpumalanga into one of the most polluted areas of the world.

EARTH FOCUS: “The Price of Gold in Peru” – Sun., April 18 at 5 p.m. on KCET
When Peru’s President Martín Vizcarra came to power in 2018, one of his first priorities was to gain control over the devastating outbreak of illegal gold mining operations.

EARTH FOCUS: “The New West and the Politics of the Environment”– Sun., April 18 at 5:30 p.m. on KCET
A quiet, little-known revolution is taking place in American environmental politics in a most surprising place—Nevada. This feature-length documentary tells the story of Harry Reid, a politician who grew up in an Old West mining town, who saw the possibility of a New West emerging in Nevada and rode that change to power.

EARTH’S SACRED WONDERS: “House of the Divine” – Sun., April 18 at 8 p.m. on KCET
Discover what worshippers do for faith in some of the most stunning sacred places on Earth in Cambodia, Jerusalem and China.

NATURE: “Sharks of Hawaii” – Wed., April 21 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Learn surprising facts about the sharks that call the warm waters near Hawaii’s islands their home. Meet the White Tip Reef shark, Whale shark, Tiger shark and more.

EARTH FOCUS PRESENTS: “Public Trust: The Fight for America’s Public Lands” – Wed., April 21 at 9 p.m. on Link TV and Sun., April 25 at 5 p.m. on KCET
As America’s system of public lands face unprecedented threats, the film investigates three heated conflicts – national monument in the Utah desert, a mine in the Boundary Waters and oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—and makes a case for their continued protection.

NOVA: “Reef Rescue” – Wed., April 21 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal
If oceans continue to warm at the current pace, coral reefs could be wiped out by the end of the century. But scientists from around the globe are rushing to help corals adapt to a changing climate through assisted evolution.

OPERATION MANEATER: “Great White Shark” – Thurs., April 22 at 2 p.m. on KCET
Veterinarian Mark Evans uses technology to learn more about three deadly predators to find ways to protect both humans and animals.

EARTH DAY 2021! GRETA THUNBERG: A YEAR TO CHANGE THE WORLD – 3 Part PBS Special On-Air Event: – Thurs., April 22 from 8-11 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sun., April 25 at 8 p.m. on KCET
Follow Greta Thunberg as she takes her fight to a global stage in this three-part, on-air event. In Part One she sees impacts of climate change at three locations: melting glaciers and dying trees in Canada, and fire devastation in California. And when a UN conference moves to Madrid, she sails across the ocean during life-threatening storms. Part Two follows Greta’s journey from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to Poland, where she speaks with miners who have lost their jobs. She also visits the UK, where she meets with one of her inspirations — Sir David Attenborough. Part Three takes Greta to Switzerland and Denmark to investigate potential solutions to limit climate change and looks for lessons from the world’s response to COVID-19.

AMERICA REFRAMED: “Sisters Rising” – Fri., April 23 at 9 p.m. on Link TV
The powerful story of six Native American women reclaiming personal & tribal sovereignty.

EARTH FOCUS PRESENTS: “The Human Element” – Wed., April 28 at 9 p.m. on Link TV and Sun., May 2 at 5 p.m. on KCET
Renowned environmental photographer James Balog explores wildfires, hurricanes, sea level rise, a struggling coal mining community and our changing air supply. The film highlights Americans on the front lines of climate change, inspiring us to re-evaluate our relationship with the natural world.

THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA: “The Scripture of Nature” – Thurs., April 29 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal
A study of the first ideas which led to the establishment of America's national parks, with an emphasis on the work of John Muir and the exploration and preservation of Yosemite and Yellowstone. A Ken Burns film.

EARTH FOCUS PRESENTS: “The River and The Wall” – Wed., May 5 at 9 p.m. on Link TV and Sun., May 9 at 5 p.m. on KCET
Five friends embark on a 1,200-mile mountain bike, horse and canoe expedition down the Rio Grande to document the borderlands before construction of the proposed border wall in order to explore how it would impact wildlife, immigration, public lands, border security and landowners.

To complement the on-air programming lineup, the third annual EARTH FOCUS ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL (EFEFF) will take place from April 12-23, 2021. The two-week event and Q&A discussions following each screening will address climate change realities with the goal of confronting global issues that impact all living creatures and natural resources. The Festival encourages a better understanding of and dialogue on environmental issues, and motivates audiences to create and engage in positive change in their own community. The virtual 2021 film festival extends public media’s mission of strengthening communities through education. The virtual event engages members, viewers of all ages, influencers and media while raising funds to support public media’s future environmental programming.

Join the conversation on social media using #EarthMonth, #EFEFF, #KCET, #PBS SoCal and #LinkTV

Original content related to Earth Month programming on related topics ranging from environmental justice to climate activism will be available on the PBS SoCal, KCET and Link TV websites. Contributors will include veteran environmental journalists and other experts. Additionally, website visitors will be treated to multimedia features as well as trailers to the films in the Earth Focus Environmental Film Festival.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
EARTH FOCUS​ is supported by generous institutional funders. The ​EARTH FOCUS​ series was created by ​Raisa Scriabine.

About EARTH FOCUS
​EARTH FOCUS​ is an environmental multimedia news magazine featuring investigative reporting, in-depth stories, features and profiles about the people, places and species affected by our changing environment, and the tools we have to understand, mitigate, and adapt to that change. ​EARTH FOCUS is the longest running environmental series on American TV. In production since 2006, the series features in-depth reports on key issues such as endangered species, climate change, environmental health and sustainable practices, with a library of more than 60 episodes, 35 of which are currently broadcast on KCET, PBS SoCal and Link TV. In 2018, KCET relaunched ​EARTH FOCUS with a new format and a fresh approach focusing on urban biodiversity, transnational migration, endangered species, the impact of climate change and other key environmental threats, as well as energy alternatives and cleantech innovation. The new season of EARTH FOCUS is in partnership with the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies (LENS) at UCLA and theThomson ReutersFoundation.

About PBS SOCAL and KCET
PBS SoCal and KCET are both part of the donor-supported community institution, the Public Media Group of Southern California. PBS SoCal is the flagship PBS station for diverse people across California and delivers content and experiences that inspire, inform and educate. PBS SoCal offers the full slate of beloved PBS programs including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE, and a broad library of documentary films with works from Ken Burns; as well as educational content including PBS KIDS programs like DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD and CURIOUS GEORGE. KCET is on-air, online and in the community, and plays a vital role in the cultural enrichment of Southern California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions and its website, kcet.org. For additional information about both KCET and PBS SoCal productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org and pbssocal.org KCET Originals and PBS programming are available to stream on the FREE PBS App on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Chromecast. KCET is also available to watch live on YouTube TV.

About LINK TV
Founded in 1999, Link TV is an independent viewer-supported media organization dedicated to providing programs that engage and inform its audiences with unique perspectives, and empower them to become involved in the world. Reaching more than 21 million U.S. satellite households nationally (DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410), Link TV connects American viewers with people at the heart of breaking events, organizations at the forefront of social change and the vibrant cultures of an increasingly global community. Select programming from Link TV is also available for streaming on Apple TV, YouTube and Roku platforms. For additional information about Link TV productions, web-exclusive content and program schedules, please visit linktv.org.