Press Releases

Journey to Planet Earth Begins Principal Photography for Season II

Just back from two weeks of location photography in Argentina, Executive Producers Marilyn and Hal Weiner are pleased to announce commencement of production for Season II of their PBS environmental science series, JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH.

Produced in association with South Carolina Educational Television, JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH includes three one-hour episodes each season, plus an educational outreach initiative developed by the Chicago Academy of Sciences and presented at ten of the country's leading science museums.

The filmmaker's trip to Argentina was the first leg in a round the world production schedule for Season II. Their work in Argentina was for an one-hour episode called "Seas Of Grass." This program examines the fragility of the world's grasslands and includes locations in South Africa, Inner Mongolia and the Great Plains of North America.

While in Argentina the production team filmed cattle roundups and flooded river crossings. They spent time with legendary (and hard drinking) Gauchos during a rained-soaked rodeo and documented the extraordinary handicrafts of the country's leading silversmith. They lived on sheep ranches during the shearing season, explored indigenous Indian prehistoric caves, and visited a wasteland area made famous by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Their travel schedule included a 1,200 mile journey from Buenos Aires, across the grasslands of the Pampas and the wind-swept drylands of Patagonia, to the snow covered peaks of the Andes near the Chilean border.

In the Pampas they found first hand evidence that one of the richest grassland areas in the world was suffering from serious environmental degradation. As ranchers try to convert their cattle operations into more profitable crop production the consequence is serious contamination of water and land resources.

Deep in the heart of the steppes of Patagonia the film team saw why thousands of ranchers were being forced to migrate to cities -- significant amounts of grassland that fed millions of sheep have been reduced to naked sand dunes because of over-grazing.

They also discovered a country whose environment was largely defined by the influence of a mountain range. Millions of years ago the Andes' volcanic birth covered the Pampas with fertile soil, yet its formidable height deprives Patagonia of rain and replaces it with a never-ending and soil eroding wind.

"Perhaps the most unforgettable sight we filmed was the absence of trees in what was once millions of acres of forest in the middle of the Pampas," says Marilyn Weiner. "It seems that all the trees were cleared during World War I and World War II because coal was unavailable to run the country's railroads. The environmental consequences were dramatic."

According to Hal Weiner, "at the end of our travels it became obvious that the unhealthy state of the grasslands has contributed to some of Argentina's economic problems. As farms begin to fail we saw hordes of people pouring into Buenos Aires and with unemployment climbing to over 15% the result is a rapidly rising crime rate."

The questions raised by the film team's trip to Argentina will become the basis of the segment. What forms of grassland agriculture are sustainable? When is enough enough? Can you maintain the health of the grasslands wile providing citizens with an improved quality of life?

The other two episodes in production for Season II of the JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH series are:

HOT ZONES -- an investigation of places where a variety of environmental pressures like climate change and uncontrolled development have led to increased incidents of infectious diseases. Locations include Kenya, Bangladesh, Peru and the Chesapeake Bay.

ON THE BRINK -- focuses on the link between armed conflict and the spread of infectious diseases, deforestation, soil erosion, water depletion, air pollution and surging refugee populations. Locations include Haiti, Pakistan, the Nile River and the Mexican - U.S. border.

Season II underwriters include the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture and the American Honda Foundation. Additional funders are expected to be announced in the very near future.