KCETLink's New 'EARTH FOCUS' Episode Uncovers Critical Ocean Issues
Burbank, Calif. - September
4, 2014 - Oceans support life, yet they are overfished, polluted and, due to
global climate change, increasingly acidic. KCETLink, the national independent public transmedia organization,
presents "Tackling Ocean Challenges," a compelling, new EARTH FOCUS investigation that explores some of the critical threats to
ocean health. The new episode premieres Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 8:30 p.m.
Pacific time on KCET (Southern California) and nationally on Thursday, Sept. 11
at 9 p.m. ET on Link TV (DirecTV 375, DISH Network 9410).
After the massive Deepwater
Horizon oil spill in 2010, there was extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats in the
Gulf of Mexico, severely affecting the fishing and tourism industries in the
region. The emergency response was hampered by outdated clean-up technology,
which had not been improved since the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska 20 years
earlier.
In "Tackling Ocean Challenges," viewers explore the communities that were affected by the oil spill and learn about
the "Oil Cleanup XCHALLENGE," a contest presented by the XPRIZE Foundation, a global leader in incentivized prizecompetitions, and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt, which encouraged teams from
around the world to develop new clean-up technologies. In 2011, $1.4 million
was awarded to the winning team that demonstrated an oil recovery clean-up rate
four times greater than the industry's previous best recovery rate.
Currently, a new Wendy Schmidt Ocean
Health XPRIZE is encouraging innovators to deepen our understanding of ocean
acidification, which threatens the growth of shellfish and coral reef.
More than 20 teams are competing for $2 million in prizes to
develop accurate and affordable pH sensors that will help measure the
changes in ocean chemistry as a result of pollution, and the warming of the sea
due to climate change.
EARTH FOCUS is weekly half-hour program that is the longest-running
environmental series on American television. The groundbreaking series features
investigative reports on the state of
our planet's environment and its impact on people around the world. Funding for
EARTH FOCUS is provided by grants from the Marisla Fund, Wallace
Genetic Foundation, Park Foundation and individual donors.
For more information about EARTH FOCUS and to watch episodes online, visit: www.linktv.org/earthfocus
ABOUT KCETLINK
KCETLink, formed by the
merger between KCET and Link Media, is a national independent, nonprofit,
digital and broadcast network that provides high-quality, culturally diverse
programming designed to engage the public in innovative, entertaining and transformative
ways. With a commitment to independent perspectives, smart global
entertainment, local communities, and opportunities for engagement and social
action, KCETLink depicts people and the world through a lens unavailable
elsewhere in U.S. media. A viewer-supported 501(c)(3) organization based in
Burbank, CA, KCETLink content is distributed nationally via satellite on Link
TV - DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410 - and on KCET in
Southern and Central California via broadcast and cable, as well as through
various digital delivery systems.
For additional
information about KCET and Link TV productions, web-exclusive content,
programming schedules and community events, please visit www.kcet.org or www.linktv.org.
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