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Earth: The Operator's Manual, a PBS documentary, chronicles how communities around the world are saving money by conserving energy. NewsHour correspondent Hari Sreenivasan and geologist Richard Alley, who's also the host of the film, discuss the role of human ingenuity in tackling tough global energy problems.
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When reactors at Fukushima Daiichi went into meltdown following Japan's devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the world once again began to question the safety of nuclear power. But is such distrust justified? In this program, physicist Jim Al-Khalili explains why he is convinced, at least theoretically, of nuclear power's value. Al-Khalili travels to Fukushima, Chernobyl, and reactors in Finland to see if nuclear power can work as well in practice...
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Paris' ambitious public-private "Vélib" bike initiative encourages residents to forgo cars for bikes and public transportation. In the process, the program has fostered a unique popular culture, complete with its own language, jokes, and pick-up lines. Its success has inspired cities like São Paulo, Venice, and London to begin adopting similar programs Distributed by PBS Distribution.
7) Hidden Gems
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Afghanistan is not only a country in perpetual turmoil, but also a geological miracle. Can they now harness 1,000 billion Euros worth of natural resources in order to lift the nation out of poverty?
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Renewables, biofuels, solar, wind, and other energy sources may be alternatives to fossil fuel-but it is impossible to ignore the ubiquity of coal and the power capabilities of nuclear technology, despite their well-discussed drawbacks. This program presents a 21st-century look at these two controversial resources, which may be major players in a sustainable energy future, thanks to new developments in carbon capture and sequestration and improved...
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This collection of 21 video clips follows researchers in the field as they delve into animal, insect, and bird behavior. Exquisitely shot on location on the Iberian Peninsula, each episode is devoted to recent discoveries in ethology that may help species conservation. Clip duration is approximately five minutes each.
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A solar hot water system is an eco-friendly, cost-efficient alternative to gas or electric heaters, and with a conventional heater as a backup, can provide hot water even on cold, cloudy days. After a brief overview, this program explains the process of installing an active solar hot water system. Viewers learn the specific tools, hardware, plumbing, and electrical components needed, how to test the system, and key points about its operation to discuss...
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In 1990 European physicists set out to test the limits of cost-effective energy efficiency. The result was the first passive house, a four-unit townhouse that combined heavy insulation, airtightness, and heat-recovery ventilation to achieve reductions of up to 90% in the energy required for heating and cooling. This program introduces the passive house concept-popular in Europe, but slower to catch on in the States-and showcases some beautiful examples...
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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...
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Portland has become a global model of transit-oriented development (TOD). For more than 40 years, city planners have integrated transport decisions into urban growth and development efforts. The result: Portland is consistently ranked as one of the country's most livable cities, boasting a healthy two percent population growth annually - and the second-lowest per capita transportation spending of the 28 largest U.S. metropolitan areas.
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This episode looks at new technologies and policies that could offset the aviation industry's substantial greenhouse gas emissions, such as Amyris Biotechnologies' new synthetic jet fuels and Hybrid Air Vehicles' second generation of dirigible airship. To reduce fuel emissions, industry leaders like Boeing are also advocating towing planes on runways and implementing smarter air traffic control systems.
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Concrete production is a leading cause for climate change today, generating many times more carbon dioxide pollution than air travel and leaving a significant footprint on our environment. This 2009 Falling Walls lecture video highlights Franz-Josef Ulm's nano-engineering of materials, which sets out to eradicate climate change. Ulm investigates the replacement of calcium carbonate, the active ingredient in lime, and the reduction of the massive carbon...
16) Critical Mass
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Things aren't looking too good for the world's population; as we multiply at an alarming rate there is not enough food, space or sense. With the planet bursting at the seams, the intelligence and physiological traits that make us human are now crucial to mankind's survival. This intelligent film interweaves a 1960s rat experiment with a snapshot of today's urban jungle and a number of disturbing parallels emerge.
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In 2003, the city of Seoul took a rare step "back in time," demolishing a major downtown freeway to uncover and restore the ancient Chonggyecheon stream that once flowed beneath it. An impressive feat of engineering, the project repurposed nearly 75 percent of the dismantled highway material for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the stream's banks and commercial corridor.
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This episode of The Green Interview features Rob Hopkins, the founder of the Transition movement, an idea that began in 2008 and since then has gone viral around the world. It's been called "the biggest urban brainwave of the century," a visionary, practical blueprint that took root in a town and is circling the globe. The Transition movement is founded on the principles of permaculture, gardening techniques modeled after natural ecosystems. At its...
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Mongolia is a new frontier in the feverish global race for resources. Among those leading the charge to exploit the country's mineral riches are two big Australian companies-Rio Tinto, about to open one of the biggest copper mines on the planet, and developer Leighton, which is operating a large joint-venture coal mine in the Gobi desert. Rio Tinto has ceded the Mongolian government a 34 percent stake, but whether or not the deal will truly help Mongolia's...
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Based on the economic principle of demand management, London's congestion charge challenges the 20th-century notion that cities should be designed around cars and asks drivers to pay for access to public roads and parking spaces. Thanks to visionary municipal leaders like Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron, this plan is the core of a sweeping push to transform London into a transit-efficient and pedestrian-friendly mega-city in time for the 2012 Olympics.