The Environment Desk offers diverse programs featuring the voices and stories of those on the frontlines working on some of the biggest environmental issues of our time.
We prioritize the voices and stories of women, immigrants, people of color, and low-income communities most affected by environmental degradation, resource extraction, food security, water issues, and climate change.
Due to the increased power of multinational corporations, and because environmental issues know no political boundaries, the Environmental Desk works closely with the Globalization Desk. The Desk also provides training opportunities for independent journalists and individuals involved in community building activities.
Supported by independent funding sources, the Environment Desk is free to explore and expose government and corporate roles in environmental problems. Please support the Environmental Desk by making a gift.
Shows from the Environment Desk
Living Downstream-creating a world free of cancer causing toxics
Renowned biologist Sandra Steingraber has made fighting environmentally induced cancers her life’s work. We hear excerpts of the documentary film, Living Downstream, which chronicles her efforts to create a world free of cancer causing toxics.[...]
Living Downstream
Renowned biologist Sandra Steingraber has made fighting environmentally induced cancers her life’s work. We hear excerpts of the documentary film, Living Downstream, which chronicles her efforts to create a world free of cancer causing toxics.[...]
Women Rising 23: La Via Campesina
We profile women of La Via Campesina, the global peasant movement celebrating 20 years of grassroots activism, for sustainable farming, land rights and social justice. Canadian Nettie Wiebe fights to keep seeds in the hands of small farmers. From the[...]
Idle No More
In the winter of 2012, flash mob round dances, demonstrations, hunger strikes, and blockades swept Canada. What began as a protest against new laws seen as curtailing environmental protections and infringing indigenous sovereignty,, quickly grew into a movement for[...]
Women Rising #22: International Anti-Nuclear Activists
With nuclear power back on the agenda, three prominent female activists tell their stories: Kaori Izumi was part of the grassroots campaign to shutdown Japan’s nuclear power plants, after the Fukushima disaster. Winona LaDuke, has spent much of her[...]
Putting the "Eco" Back into Economics with David Suzuki
Author, radio host, and scientist David Suzuki has spent a lifetime working to protect the environment. But he says that work is failing, and a paradigm shift is needed to protect the health of our species and our planet.[...]
Not In Our Backyard: Fighting Pollution in Richmond, California
Richmond, California is one of the lowest-income communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s also one of the most toxic. On this edition, we’ll hear how community activists in this heavily polluted area are coming together to fight for[...]
Dam Shame: Rivers and Resistance
As we look for a solution to global energy problems and a way out of the climate crisis- some are turning to dams and hydroelectric power as a source of “green” energy. But at what cost? Massive dams are being[...]
Human Rights: Not Just for Humans (& Corporations) Anymore?
Corporations have the same rights as people. But do our communities and natural ecosystems have any rights? How about our bodies, cells and genetic material? Thomas Linzey and Katherine Davies argue that in order to defend our bodies and our[...]
Saving or Selling the Planet? REDD, Climate Change and Indigenous Lands
Around the world communities are already facing the impacts of climate change. Now international organizations, like the World Bank, are pushing a policy that asks polluters to offset their pollution by paying governments to protect forests. But is[...]
Women Rising #22: International Anti-Nuclear Activists
With nuclear power back on the agenda, three prominent female activists tell their stories: Kaori Izumi was part of the grassroots campaign to shutdown Japan’s nuclear power plants, after the Fukushima disaster. Winona LaDuke, has spent much of her[...]
The Burning Issue: America's War on Fire
Every summer, wildfires torch thousands of acres of land. The National Forest Service rushes to the rescue; to save lives, homes, and communities. But is the agency’s approach to fire doing more harm than good? Producer George Lavender takes a[...]
Poisoned Water, Fossil Fuels
The endless search for fossil fuels is polluting our waterways, and our water supplies. The fight to protect clean drinking water is motivating Americans to take action. But with regulatory agencies in the pocket of industrial polluters, will it be[...]
Farming Underwater: Steve Mello’s Story
Farmer Steve Mello has put down roots in “The Delta” in central California. But climate change is threatening the levees which protect Delta farms. Can we defend our farms from the impacts coming with climate change?[...]
Cities Underwater: Venice and New Orleans Seek Solutions
Two historic jewels: New Orleans & Venice, Italy are struggling to plan for sea level rise, in cities that already routinely flood because of questionable urban planning. We go to both Venice and New Orleans, to look at some creative[...]
Drips of Change: Preserving Our Freshwater
40 years after the Clean Water Act became law, the landscape of our water supply has been transformed, and regulation is being framed by some as an enemy of progress. On this edition, we look at how we manage our[...]
Food, Justice and Sustainability
Michelle Obama’s plan to eliminate obesity includes partnering with major retailers like Walmart to bring affordable, healthy food to neighborhoods that are known as food deserts. But food justice activists are calling for solutions that come from communities, not from[...]
Looking Back, Moving Forward: 2011 Year in Review
A look back at some of the most important issues of 2011: Attacks on organized labor, the Egyptian revolution, and the struggle to address climate change. We’ll hear highlights from some of our best programs of the year, and get[...]
Bees: The Threatened Link in Food Security
Honey bees help pollinate 1 in every 3 bites we eat. But they’re fighting to survive, in a world filled with pesticides and parasites. We’ll learn about colony collapse disorder and hear from beekeepers, researchers, and gardeners who are trying[...]
Christian Parenti: Unstable Climate, Unstable People
Journalist Christian Parenti speaks about his new book, Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence. He connects the effects of climate change to the increasing number of civil wars, ethnic violence, criminality and failed states in[...]
Being Black and Green: African-Americans & the Environment
African-Americans are helping to lead the environmental movement. We take you to a resettlement community in North Carolina, sustainable farms in Wisconsin and a local bike ride in California, where local black leaders are changing the color of environmentalism.[...]
Women Rising XXI: Women’s Rights to Water, Land, and Farming
As part of our “Women Rising” series, we profile a dynamic partnership between the Women’s Earth Alliance and the Global Women’s Water Initiative: working on women’s rights to water, land, farming and basic human dignity. This is a special collaboration[...]
Climate Change Gridlock: Where Do We Go From Here? (Part 2)
Global warming is no longer a fear for the future. It’s threatening human civilization, now. Part 2 of a special 2 part series produced by Brian Edwards Tiekert…on climate change that is happening, the political response that isn't, and the[...]
Climate Change Gridlock: Where Do We Go From Here? (Part 1)
Global warming is no longer a fear for the future. It’s threatening human civilization, now. Part 1 of a special 2 part series produced by Brian Edwards Tiekert…on climate change that is happening, the political response that isn't, and the[...]
Still 'Fracking': The Perils of Natural Gas Drilling
We'll hear excerpts from the movie "Gasland," and from people who are trying to prevent the toxic fallout from 'fracking' before it starts.[...]
A Second Wind: Elders Act for Justice
Many retirees enjoy the rest and relaxation that eluded them during their working years. But for some, retirement means opportunities to create change in their communities. We profile three elders who became activists in the second half of their lives.[...]
Changing the Climate on Climate Change
With the UN’s climate negotiations faltering, indigenous and other grassroots community groups are re-strategizing. We’ll hear voices from the streets of Cancun and look at where the world might turn for answers to catastrophic climate change.[...]
The Toxic Truth About Nail Salons
We take a look at the health impacts of chemical exposure, the shoddy regulation of cosmetics, and the movement towards greener nail salons.[...]
Standing Up to Big Oil
From courtroom battles to government regulation, we take a look at how citizen groups around the world are holding oil companies accountable for environmental contamination and human rights abuses.[...]
Chevron In Richmond
Over the past decade, the city and residents of Richmond have forced the Chevron to curb its environmental impact.[...]
Challenging Chevron in Nigeria
Freelance Producer Lynn Feinerman has more about the oil business in Nigeria, and about citizen efforts to hold companies accountable in the courtroom.[...]
The Price of Nature: Buying Our Way Out of Climate Chaos?
At the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico, discussion centered on market-based solutions. On this edition, experts engage in a roundtable discussion about alternative ways to both understand and solve the climate crisis.[...]
Whose Water? The Struggle for Public Ownership of Freshwater
We go to Michigan, where from the city of Detroit, to the farmlands and countryside, citizens are battling to gain greater control over the bounty of the great lakes.[...]
Beyond BP: A Future Without Oil
We go to the gulf coast to hear why, despite the dangerous and deadly consequences, locals aren't ready to turn their backs on the oil industry. What does that mean for the rest of us, as we pursue a future[...]
Dry Farming--a Technique for a Water Scarce Future
The availability of water is a growing issue in California. And a handful of farmers are finding new ways to make every last drop count. "Making Contact" correspondent Joaquin Palomino visited the nearby Central Coast growing region.[...]
Small Farms, Big Future
We go to California, America's leading producer of fruits, vegetables, and dairy, to see some examples of how the nation's agricultural industry is slowly but surely moving away from factory farms.[...]
No 'Fracking' Way: The Perils of Natural Gas Drilling
We'll hear excerpts from the movie "Gasland," and from locals from people who are trying to prevent the toxic fallout from 'fracking' before it starts.[...]
Heavy Weather (Part II)
We’ll hear part two of a documentary called Heavy Weather, produced by freelancer Barbara Bernstein. She’ll look at how climate change is creating new challenges in urban communities as they recognize the need to think and act sustainably.[...]
Heavy Weather (Part I)
We’ll hear part one of a documentary called Heavy Weather, produced by freelancer Barbara Bernstein. She’ll explore the connections between the increase in extreme weather and our changing climate and landscapes.[...]
Back from Copenhagen: Moving Climate Justice Forward
The climate talks at Copenhagen closed in 2009 with no binding agreements or timetables for curbing greenhouse gas emissions. On this edition, we hear from climate justice activists who went to Copenhagen and say we need a system change,[...]
Trade Shifts: Reflections on the Seattle WTO Protests
Ten years ago this week, thousands of people shook the streets of Seattle in protest of the World Trade Organization. On this edition, we revisit the voices from that week and find out how global economic forces have shifted in[...]
Native Harvest in a Modern World
An agricultural renaissance has taken root among the Taos Pueblo people in New Mexico. Sustainable agriculture is returning, after years of unhealthy food, poor health and obesity. Rita Daniels brings us a story of rebirth and renewal.[...]
Tapped Out: Clean Water in Peril (hour-long special)
We'll hear from U.S. water stewards across the country, from a grassroots toxic canal clean up to a long-standing watershed war. They're people working to protect and restore our valuable fresh waterways and to keep water resources part of a shared[...]
Tapped Out: Clean Water in Peril
From a grassroots toxic canal clean up to a long-standing watershed war, we'll hear from U.S. water stewards across the country. They're people working to protect and restore our valuable fresh waterways and to keep water resources part of a[...]
Swimming Upstream: Can Our Rivers Be Saved?
Freshwater is our most vital natural resource. It’s a finite one too, although we don’t always treat it that way. So how do we protect our water supply? Many say start at the source––take care of the rivers.[...]
The Greening of America: A New Deal for Everyone?
President Obama wants a New Deal–– only this one is green. Obama plans to create more than two-and-half million “green” jobs over the next two years. But will these jobs be as plentiful and equitable as the new administration[...]
The War Dance of the Winnemem Wintu
A small tribe in Northen California tell the story of their struggle to prevent the flooding of the sacred land they have called home for centuries.[...]
A Report Back from the World Water Forum
One billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and at least 31 countries face water scarcity. We hear from organizers working for the right to water on a global level, about the failures of private water management, and[...]
Green Jobs, Race and Economic "Recovery"
The Obama Administration is spending billions to create so-called green jobs. But what are these jobs and who will get them? We hear from community advocates who are working to make sure the green jobs money benefits those who[...]
Exxon's Oil to Tennessee's Coal
Twenty years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, we hear from Alaskans who saw their homes forever altered, and have been fighting Exxon in court ever since. And we go to Tennessee, where a 2008 coal sludge flood is being[...]
Erica Fernandez vs. BHP Billiton Petroleum
Erica Fernandez successfully helped her community defy a multi-national billion-dollar corporation from building a liquefied natural gas facility near her home town.[...]
Food for Thought
Solutions for our ongoing food crisis are explored, from food production in a skyscraper to urban farms and food banks.[...]
Whatcha Gonna Do When The Well Runs Dry?
From Australia to Arizona, we take a look at three growing communities facing water shortages along with the pressure to grow. We’ll hear their different approaches to finding solutions — including denial.[...]
Women Rising XVII: Climate Change and Water
We profile two women activists taking on the global water crisis, warning us about the link between climate change and the loss of one of our most basic human requirements.[...]
Paradise Lost: Military Training in Makua Valley
Native Hawaiian and Making Contact intern Samson Reiny reports on what happens when the military takes over Makua Valley, a historically sacred land, and on how people are fighting back to reclaim this once pristine area.[...]
Invaders From Another Ecosystem
On this edition, U.C. Berkeley Journalism student producer Eric Simons takes a closer look at the control of one of San Francisco Bay’s invaders from another ecosystem, by visiting the wetlands around the San Francisco Bay, where scientists are waging[...]
Water Rights: No Clear Solution
Water is often referred to as the “new” blue gold of the 21st century. With untold profits to be made in controlling this vital resource, private entrepreneurs and corporations are vying to manage the world’s water. But is it a[...]
Dirty Harry: When the American Dream Became a Nightmare, Part 2
For more than two decades, the United States tested nuclear weapons in Southern Nevada. A total of 928 nuclear detonations affected the people working at, and living nearby the test site. We’ll hear their stories on part two of “Dirty[...]
Dirty Harry: When the American Dream Became a Nightmare, Part 1
In 1951, the first Atom bomb was detonated over a section of desert called Frenchman Flat, about ninety miles northwest of Las Vegas. We’ll hear the stories of the early years of testing, and how it affected people working at,[...]
Two Years After Katrina: Still Weathering the Storm
It’s been two years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast. Two years since the levees broke and changed the face of an entire city, state and region. And despite hopeful signs of renewal, New Orleans and many parts of[...]
"Gulf Coast Reconstruction in the Post-Katrina Era," U.S. Social Forum Atlanta
On this edition, we will hear from four people speaking at the U.S. Social Forum. They are working to rebuild and strengthen their damaged communities.[...]
New Orleans Now: Rebuilding and Defending the Versailles Vietnamese Community
On this edition, correspondent Ngoc Nguyen takes us to Versailles. As the community struggles to rebuild, they face yet another threat to their homes, history and way of life.[...]
Catch of the Day: Mercury
On this edition, we go to the San Francisco Bay, joined by a public health analyst, we'll talk to local fisherman, new moms, restaurant-goers and the E.P.A. about mercury.[...]
Women Rising XI: International Council of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers
In this program, we visit with three eloquent members of the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, a global alliance of elder women healers who represent more than 900 years of collective wisdom and traditions.[...]
Women Rising IX: International Changemakers - Honoring Elder Women Activists
Women are gaining influence as leaders throughout the world fighting for peace, justice, the environment and civil society. In this program we profile three courageous women elders honoring their lives of dedication to far reaching social movements.[...]
David Korten and the Great Turning
David Korten new book, "The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community" examines how current economic models are producing devastating consequences for people and planet. In this edition, Korten speaks about being on the cusp of a major shift from[...]
Waves of Change, Rivers of Doubt: Global Water Issues and Solutions
In this edition, we look at some core water issues affecting people around the world, including privatization, access to clean water, desalination technology, bottled water debates, and non-point source pollution.[...]
Nuclear Ambitions and Double Standards
On this edition, we'll look at the recent nuclear power deal between the United States and India, which critics say could spark a nuclear arms race in South Asia.[...]
Katrina Uncovers: Exploited Workers and Endangered Wetlands
On this edition, we hear from migrant workers helping to clean up and rebuild New Orleans, and about their struggle for better wages and working conditions.[...]
Cow Heaven: Saving Agricultural Land
In this edition of Making Contact, we learn how West Marin was permanently preserved as farms and agricultural open space.[...]
The New Green Revolution
On this edition, we take a look at the challenges rural people face, and the growing international movement to gain land rights.[...]
Harvesting Justice
On this edition, we'll hear from speakers working on behalf of farm workers in the U.S. today, and we'll hear from some of the farm workers themselves. Their message is clear: America's farming community deserves our recognition and our support.[...]
Katrina Uncovers: Activism, Racism and Environmental Justice
On this second part of a special series, we'll talk about grass roots organizations mobilizing to do the work the U.S. government cannot or will not do. And we'll take a look at the issue of environmental justice - how[...]
Water Woes
On this edition, we'll hear about the problem of water domestically and abroad, and the community organizers who are creating solutions. People in cities ranging from Manilla in the Philippines to Felton, California are thirsting for change.[...]
The Past, Present and Future of Nuclear Weapons
On this edition, we look at the past, present and possible future of nuclear weapons, from the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to the War on Terror.[...]
What's Up with the Weather? The Politics of Climate Change
On this edition, we'll hear about whom climate is affecting, industry and government cover-ups, and those calling for action before it's too late.[...]
Salmonlands
On this edition, producer Barbara Bernstein takes us on a journey into the land of salmon. Why are they so significant and what will it take to keep them from disappearing?[...]
Land for Those Who Work It
On this edition Associate Producer Pauline Bartolone guides us through the daily lives of those seeking agrarian reform in southern Brazil.[...]
Who Owns Our Water? Profits vs. Public Interest
On this edition, we'll take a look at water as a basic human right. We'll hear about a plan to privatize water services in Lagos, Nigeria, and we'll hear about how activists in Maui, Hawaii are working to recover the[...]
The Chemical Industry's Toxic Toll
On this edition, we'll look at the 20th anniversary of one of the world's worst chemical disasters, at the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India, where we'll hear about Occidental Petroleum's toxic legacy at Love Canal and examine how corporate[...]
From Cradle to Grave: The Impact of Electronics
On this week's edition we take a closer look at what our gadgets are doing to our environment.[...]
Refugees of Development: India and Multinationals
On this edition, we take a close-up look at a small town in Southern India and their struggle against Coca Cola, as well as hear from an Indian journalist and activist Nityanand Jayaraman, who has been following the impact of[...]
Patagonian Winds of Resistance
On this edition of Making Contact Pauline Bartolone traveled to the small town of Esquel in Southern Argentina, where the residents successfully halted the gold mining venture as part of a larger movement of social transformation in Argentina.[...]
Legacies of War
On this edition of Making Contact, we'll take a look at the Legacies of War - the aftermath of military conflicts, which take a toll on people worldwide.[...]
Chemical Soup: Pollutants in the Body
On this edition, we'll take a look at these everyday chemicals in our air, water, dust, and food coming from everyday products like detergents, cookware, and cosmetics and how they're being regulated.[...]
Empty Promises? NAFTA at 10
On this edition of Making Contact, we hear from people who are working on the front lines of so-called free trade-farmers and a fisherman-and get their perspectives on corporate-led economic globalization.[...]
ElectionWatch '04 The Texas Two-Step: Bush, Corporate Cash, and Environmental Rollbacks
On this edition of Making Contact - the second of our monthly ElectionWatch '04 series- we take a look at how the oil, gas, mining and electric utilities industries have influenced the Bush Administration's environmental policies and the impact on[...]
The Intimate Ecology of Motherhood
On this Women's Desk edition of Making Contact, we'll hear Steingraber's speech at the Women's Environmental Health and Justice Bay Area Summit in San Francisco in October of 2003.[...]
Trouble at Sea: The State of the World's Oceans
On this edition of Making Contact, we'll take a look at the over-all health of the ocean today, along with a close-up of the impact of cruise ships and shrimp farming.[...]
Mine Your Own Business: The Coal Industry and Government Oversight
On this edition of Making Contact, we shed light on this issue through an investigative story on regulatory responses to the Martin County Coal slurry spill of October 2000.[...]
Global Assault: Environmental Consequences of U.S Military Actions
On this edition of Making Contact we take a look at the environmental record of the U.S. military.[...]
Unwrapping Plastic: A Look at Food and Beverage Containers
On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look at the production, use, and disposal of plastic food and beverage containers.[...]
Growing Doubts: Corporate Control of Agriculture
On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look at the plight of family farmers.[...]
Warnings from the Coal Fields
On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look at the impacts of a common practice in the coal industry known as "mountain top removal."[...]
Tapping the Market: Privatizing the World's Water Supply
On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look at water privatization in South Africa, Ghana, Bolivia, and the United States.[...]
The Soul of Corn: Transgenics and the Cradle of Maize
On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look at the controversy over GMO contamination of corn crops in Mexico, a fundamental issue as the public considers the consequences of genetically engineered crops.[...]
Fuel to the Fire: Oil and Indigenous People in Colombia
On this program we look at connections between oil corporations, indigenous peoples and the civil war in Colombia.[...]
Trashed: Waste Management and Environmental Impact
On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look behind the scenes of common practices in the garbage industry. We also sift through some positive developments in Canada where municipalities are reducing the amount of landfill disposals by heading[...]
Collateral Damage? The Toxic Legacy of War
On this program we take a look at the toxic legacy of war and some impacts of war on the environment and human health.[...]
Going Hungry in a World of Plenty
On this program, we take a look at the role multinational corporations play in perpetuating the cycle of hunger. We also hear how so-called free trade and food aid contributes to starvation.[...]
Toxic Sprawl: Pollution in the U.S.
On this program we take a look at the environmental and social impacts of polluting industries. We also examine how unregulated and unlimited suburban sprawl locates these industries in communities of color.[...]
Unnecessary Evil? Animal Testing and Human Health
On this program, we take a look at the Animal Welfare Act, and current debates about whether animal tests are necessary and reliable enough to ensure human health.[...]
Biowars: First, Do No Harm
On this program, we investigate the threats of a new biological arms race and the international efforts to stop it.[...]
Oil and Outrage Flare: An Audio Journey Through the Niger Delta
On this program, we hear from people who are taking risks, and demanding control over resources in their communities.[...]