San Antonio College Library

We often don’t realize it, but the decisions we make as consumers—from what products we buy to how we end up disposing of them—often affect other people in other places. In this program we investigate how the sourcing, manufacturing, and disposal of everyday products impact the environment and, in turn, people. It also profiles VISY, an international packaging and recycling company that uses sustainable production processes.

Earth's natural wonders are among the most extreme places to live on the planet. From soaring mountains to deep jungles, and frozen polar worlds, human beings need bravery and ingenuity to survive within them.

In this edition of Moyers & Company, James Balog-one of the world's premier nature photographers-explains how "Earth is having a fever." At tremendous risk to his own safety, Balog has been documenting the erosion of glaciers in Switzerland, Greenland, Iceland, and Alaska. He joins Bill to share his photos and discoveries, describing his process and transformation from climate change skeptic to true believer. Balog's film, Chasing Ice, is a breathtaking...

After 25 years of research, scientist Mike Hands has perfected a sustainable farming technique called alley cropping to replace slash-and-burn agriculture in equatorial rainforests. Now all he has to do is convince governments, NGOs, and farmers who are barely scraping by to adopt it. Filmed over four years in Honduras and the U.K., this documentary places slash-and-burn agriculture within the context of two interrelated threats to global stability...

Floods can cause enormous devastation that has lasting social, economic, and environmental impacts on a community. Flooding can also be a seasonal weather event that helps sustain life across many ecosystems. This program examines the causes and consequences of the 2005 flood in Carlisle, U.K. and the 2011 flood in Queensland, Australia. Flood management is explored in detail, with information on responding to river floods and the advantages and disadvantages...

The bluefin tuna, called by BBC News "one of the most highly-prized-and fought over-species and foodstuffs in the world," is known to fishermen as a "floating goldmine." But the world's taste for sushi has pushed this species to the brink of extinction, and now it is the Mediterranean spawning grounds that are coming under attack. Should bluefin tuna fishing be banned? From Croatia to Greece, from Japan to the coast of Spain, this program investigates...

After a brief history of the national park movement, this program examines the challenges faced by three areas that were specially set aside for the protection of their flora and fauna-Yellowstone National Park, England's Lake District National Park, and Australia's Kakadu National Park. The video also delves into the growth of tourism and its environmental impact; conflicts between recreation, economic needs, and conservation; and the concerns of...

Although the social and economic conditions facing the Maasai people have changed significantly since this classic film was produced, it remains a valuable snapshot of the evolving interaction between an age-old culture, modern influences, and the striking natural surroundings of the Serengeti. Today's geography and anthropology students still stand to gain from the story of Tepilit Ole Saitoti, a Maasai warrior turned park ranger who travels to northern...

Due to its entanglement in America's Vietnam war, Laos is frequently cited as, per capita, the most bombed country in the world. This program shows how a conflict that officially ended over three decades ago still kills and maims innocent civilians. Viewers meet several families decimated by unexploded munitions, or "bombies" in the local vernacular, that were dropped between 1964 and 1973. As the film demonstrates, these explosives are often accidentally...