Earth Focus Season 2 Episode release dates & where to watch

1. Fueling Change: Oil Extraction in Alaska & California

Global demand for oil and gas has long-lasting impacts on the communities that supply it. In Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, communities are at odds over an oil exploration and drilling plan that will boost the economy but have consequences on the environment. In California’s Kern County, mayors of two neighboring towns face off on economic benefits and health risks of oil production.

2. Avocado Wars: The Battle Over Water Rights In Chile

The popular demand for avocados, once considered an “exotic” item, is having a devastating impact on a drought-stricken community in Chile. Lying within one of the largest avocado producing regions in the country, Petorca avocado plantations are in a battle over water rights, where claims of illegal water diversion is creating civil unrest.

3. Building A Future: Lumber Poaching In Oregon and Brazil

Wood is found in countless products consumers use daily. In fact, lumber is connected to the world economy – a country’s lumber importation tends to rise in correlation with its gross domestic product. Following groups like “Guardians of the Forest,” we explore illegal lumber poaching in the forests of Brazil and Oregon, where citizens and scientists are working to combat illegal trade.

4. Dairy Alternatives: Rethinking Milk In California and Kenya

The realities of milk production are forcing dairy communities across the globe to rethink the dairy production process. In this episode, we travel to a village in Kenya where the commercialization of camel milk is proving a sustainable solution in the face of drought. In Northern California, the heart of the U.S. dairy industry is finding innovative alternatives to limit emissions and water use.

5. Lighting A Path: Embracing Solar Power

At the Barefoot College in Zanzibar, Muslim women who have traditionally been marginalized in the workforce are learning solar installation and bringing it back to their villages, which are primarily powered by candles and paraffin lamps. In East Los Angeles, formerly incarcerated individuals are finding green job opportunities as they transition underserved communities into solar power.

6. Dying Oceans: Abalone Restoration In California

The ocean is a sponge for all the greenhouse gas emissions we produce, and entire aquatic ecosystems are beginning to collapse. Off the California coast, declining abalone populations are raising flags about ocean health and the lasting impact of rising sea temperatures, acidification and pollution. Teams of scientists, volunteers and businesspeople are collaborating to protect underwater species.