Description The discovery of vast shoals of fish in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Peru has led to the development of a large industry which processes fish meal for use as cattlefeed and fertilizer. However, the vigorous exploitation of this resource has done its damage; a whole species of fish, the anchoveta, is in danger of extinction because of overfishing. Further, little of the protein being won from the sea is being used to improve the diet of people in South America, who need it badly. The film shows how market demands in one country can damage the environment thousands of miles away.
Description Is it time for us to stop growing - in population, in capital investments, in material things - or is this the road to continued poverty for the poorer nations of the world. Computer studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, commissioned by a group of European industrialists resulted in the publication of a book The Limits to Growth” that has stirred up worldwide controversy. This programme examines both sides of the question: continued economic growth or a leveling off to a steady-state economy. Series
Description Surface or strip mining is modern technology at its peak of development. The hills of East Kentucky, rich in deposits of coal, have in a few brief years been laid bare in the race to secure the minerals to provide energy, power and wealth. This process has left behind poverty and degradation and a seemingly total disregard for the worth of the land itself. The industries which have perfected these methods of extraction have paid little attention to restoration. But perhaps Appalachia can serve as a lesson to the developing nations around the world. As they accelerate the work of exploiting their own land, they may be reminded by the landscape of Kentucky that some mining methods leave scars that centuries cannot erase.
Description Since World War II, chemical pesticides have become the major means of controlling agricultural pests and disease-carrying insects. However, unilateral reliance on chemicals has led to the emergence of resistant pests, to chemical residues in harvested crops, and hazardous side effects on predatory birds and fish. This programme looks at the successful switch from chemicals to natural pest controls in Peru’s Canete Valley, and experimentation in integrated control” at the University of California; but also points out that there is a continuing need for inexpensive DDT in such malaria-infested countries as Ceylon. Series
Description The discovery of vast shoals of fish in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Peru has led to the development of a large industry which processes fish meal for use as cattlefeed and fertilizer. However, the vigorous exploitation of this resource has done its damage; a whole species of fish, the anchoveta, is in danger of extinction because of overfishing. Further, little of the protein being won from the sea is being used to improve the diet of people in South America, who need it badly. The film shows how market demands in one country can damage the environment thousands of miles away.