A catalyst for change
Three-part documentary on PBS focuses on environmental activist Greta Thunberg
Climate change.
It’s been a hot-button issue for years and environmental activist Greta Thunberg is one of the driving forces to make changes.
The teen is the focus of the three-part documentary “Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World,” which will premiere at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 22 — which is Earth Day — on New Mexico PBS.
Bill Gardner, vice president, Programming & Development at PBS says it’s important for the network to keep the public up to date with relevant issues.
“This is a space that we want to be in,” Gardner says. “Lots of people are doing environmental projects. That’s where the stories might be. The goal is to give viewers the tools to navigate the issues and then each person can draw their own conclusions.”
The series follows Thunberg as she steps from behind the podium and onto the front lines.
Over the course of the three episodes, Thunberg explores the science as she travels to extraordinary locations across the globe, meeting leading climate scientists, witnessing first-hand the consequences of climate change and confronting the complexity of what is required to make change happen.
She travels from the burning tar sands of the Canadian oil industry to the coal mines of Europe and the melting glaciers of the U.S. — places where the impact of a changing climate is glaringly obvious, both for the planet and for the inevitable human costs — making clear the reasons why scientists call for action to be taken.
Gardner says the series also hears from a range of academics, economists and experts, further exploring the climate change science Thunberg encounters on the ground.
In fall 2019, then-16-year-old Thunberg took a year off from school to embark on an international mission to spread her message: that we must act to drastically reduce our carbon emissions — immediately.
The world was transfixed as this teenager spoke with directness and clarity to power, from diplomats at the United Nations to the world’s economic elite at Davos.
However, just as her journey was gaining serious momentum, a new threat emerged, and everything became uncertain.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a terrifying standstill when the global economy, modern society and Greta’s journey all came to a halt.
However, as days turned to months and people around the world were confined to their homes, an unintended consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the ongoing global shutdown, revealing how much we can lessen our impact on the planet if we radically change our behavior.
“Through Greta’s exploration of the science, we get a deeper understanding of the problems of climate change and the complexity of resolving them,” Gardner says. “This is also a very personal, intimate and moving story about an incredibly brave person who has found herself in the global spotlight and navigates the challenges of unsought fame. PBS is proud to bring this powerful story to our viewers of all ages.”