Journey To Planet Earth returns for its second season on Wednesday, March 26, 2003, 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) to explore the delicate balance between people and the world they inhabit. Produced by Emmy-award winning filmmakers Marilyn and Hal Weiner, the PBS program is the only primetime television series that deals exclusively with the most critical environmental, political, economic and social issues of the 21st century. The concluding two episodes of the series will air on April 2 and 9, also from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET.

Academy Award recipient Matt Damon is the on-air host and narrator of the series. He introduces numerous hot spots around the globe that are the backdrops for stories about people from varying walks of life. Each of the three episodes was filmed on four continents in order to show the connections between disparate ecosystems and the problems that can arise from damage to the environment.

The first episode, "On the Brink" (3/26), investigates a growing national security threat throughout the world: how environmental pressures can lead to terrorism and regional conflict. This episode was filmed in the politically unstable areas of Haiti, South Africa, Bangladesh, India, Peru and along the United States/Mexico border.

"During the filming session in Bangladesh," says director/writer Hal Weiner, "the film crew and I narrowly escaped a terrorist pipe-bomb attack that killed 10 and injured 30. That experience indelibly reminded us that extreme political strife and tension are realities in certain parts of the world. It showed us the powerful link between poverty and environmental degradation. When people lack the basic things in life, there will be outbreaks of violence."

The second episode, "Seas of Grass" (4/2), examines the devastating environmental, political and economic effects of the degradation of the world's grasslands, which make up 30 percent of Earth's land surface. The program was filmed on the pampas in Argentina, the steppes of Mongolia, the savannas of Kenya, the plains of South Africa and the prairies of North America.

The third episode, "Hot Zones" (4/9), rounds out the series by examining how recent trends in globalization and the altering of ecosystems have led to dramatic increases in the spread of infectious diseases. The program was shot in Kenya, Peru, Bangladesh, New York City and along Maryland's Chesapeake Bay, where changing climates, uncontrolled development and loss of natural habitat have led to an upsurge of infectious diseases. "Hot Zones" has been selected for inclusion in the March 2003 Environmental Film Festival in Washington, D.C.

Journey To Planet Earth presents a wide array of educational resources for students, teachers, community groups, museum educators and parents. The PBS website, www.pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth, provides information about each program, educational resources, video clips and links to additional resources. Matt Damon will welcome visitors to the site and introduce them to its highlights and special features.

Eleven science centers are part of the Journey To Planet Earth initiative and will conduct outreach activities to student, parent and educator audiences. The centers are the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery (Dayton, Ohio); Louisville Science Center (Louisville, Ky.); Maryland Science Center (Baltimore); Museum of Natural History (San Diego, Calif.); Museum of Science and Industry (Tampa,Fla.); Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (Chicago, Ill.); Omniplex (Oklahoma City); Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Portland); Science Museum of Minnesota (Minneapolis); Science Museum of Virginia (Richmond); and Witte Museum (San Antonio, Texas). The museums are planning exhibits and activities that complement the stories and profiles seen in the series episodes.

An ancillary website, Global Environmental Change and Our Health, www.pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth/johnshopkins, developed by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is a companion to the Journey To Planet Earth site. The site will be available in enhanced sneak preview form in March 2003 and provides middle-school students and educators with lesson plans focused on global climate and environmental change and human health.

Two additional resources are also available for students - Journey To Planet Earth Action Kits that can be used for hands-on activities inside and outside of the classroom and Journey To Planet Earth Clubs that exist in communities all over the country. The Citizen Science Experiment is a new outreach initiative of the series that pairs families or individuals with scientists to develop a nation-wide report card on our planet's health. The Experiment allows viewers to delve into the issues raised in the series and is an adventure for those who want to improve and learn about the environment of their local communities.

The project is being developed by Screenscope, Inc. with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment. A companion website for the project will provide online surveys and databases that will allow visitors to participate and interact with the Citizen Science Experiment.

Journey To Planet Earth is a production of Screenscope, Inc., in association with South Carolina ETV. Marilyn Weiner is executive producer and Hal Weiner is director/writer. Robert Zakin is the series editor, Dennis Boni is the cinematographer and Frank Ferrucci created the music. Thomas E. Lovejoy, a world-renowned biologist and environmental policy counselor is the lead advisor to the series. Dr. Lovejoy was the founder of the public television series Nature and is currently the president of The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment.