Science

A huge bottled-water industry has recently emerged, with the U.S. its largest consumer. But is bottled water actually healthier, safer, or tastier than tap water? A water expert explains that bottled water does not meet the same strict standards in the U.S. as water from the tap, though tap-water quality can vary among communities.

Despite its wonders, Earth's water cycle does not spread water evenly around the planet. The Ogallala Aquifer’s huge underground reservoir of water gives the relatively dry Central Plains states such as Nebraska a large but limited irrigation source. But the aquifer's water is being used up faster than it is beng replenished.

The Rio Grande is one of our longest rivers, its Texas section forming the border between the U.S and Mexico. Competing human claims for it are viewed through the eyes of two young women: a whitewater rafting guide in upstream New Mexico and a teenager downstream near El Paso.

Drinking polluted water can cause many deadly diseases, especially in children of poor countries around the world. We see the crystal-clear water in a flowing Peruvian rainforest river but are amazed to learn that it is unsafe, due to runoff entering the great connected network of tributaries that flow into the Amazon, the world’s largest source of fresh water.

Polluted waters can have damaging economic and social effects as well as destroy wildlife habitats. Chesapeake Bay is one of the most polluted bodies of water in America, but local students are working with commercial crab catchers and scientists in the Baltimore area to help restore its health.

The fair distribution of water has long been a worldwide problem, and it is one that the United States may increasingly experience in the future. The Great Lakes contain 20% of the world’s fresh surface water, but that water is currently available to only a small portion of the U.S population.

From the stunning creators of Blue Planet: Seas of Life comes this epic 5-disc series celebrating the Earth as never before. With an unprecedented production budget, using high definition photography and revolutionary high-speed cameras.

Documentary film that looks at the way modern food is produced through genetic modification and through organic farming in Canada, Europe, India, and United States. A gourmet chef, John Bishop, leads us on an investigation of various genetically modified food products and the leader in genetic engineering, Monsanto

"We can choose to live on a depleted planet or we can choose to live on a rich, biologically diverse, more stable planet' proposes Dr. Mathis Wackernagel, co-creator of the Ecological Footprint. He suggests that an essential step in avoiding depletion is to track ecological assets, allowing us to make more informed choices.

A documentary without narration that explores how water and the ownership and control of water figure into community resistance to corporations rapidly buying up local water supplies. Examines the environmental and human rights issues associated with governments and companies making the world's fresh water supply into a commodity at the expense of local communities.

Contains footage of the wreckage of two famous ships describing the skills and techniques used in underwater forensics.

Our appetite for the earth's resources and consumer goods has led to increased levels of carbon dioxide entering our atmosphere, trapping more heat from the sun and leading to global warming of the atmosphere.

Getting outdoors is one of the great pleasures in life. But our expeditions into natural environments can also cause real horror stories to unfold. Discarded rubbish causes the waterways to become clogged, a campfire can leave a nasty visual scar that can last for years. How can we avoid causing these problems? This program examines ways to minimise our impact when enjoying the outdoors.

An introduction to stem cells while assuming no prior knowledge, and covers the following topics: what stem cells are, the difference between embryonic and adult stem cells, IVF as a key source of embryonic stem cells, therapeutic cloning (somatic cell nuclear transfer), the difference between therapeutic and reproductive cloning, potential medical applications of stem cell research and a brief