Defenders of the Earth captures the gripping and inspiring stories of activists around the world who are taking on powerful interests to protect our planet. Our presenter is Vanessa Nakate, climate justice activist from Uganda.
From Liberia, to Honduras, to the Philippines, to Russia, land and environmental defenders put their lives on the line to protect the world’s forests from destruction, block water pollution, and halt mining on ancestral lands, and advocate for climate action. Each episode draws upon hours of interviews with defenders and high-profile activists and campaigners like Bill Browder, Gretchen Malalad and many more.
17-year-old Rita Naumenko is one of just a handful of Fridays for Future activists in Russia. Rita’s protests target her Government and the large corporations showing no interest in curbing harmful emissions, but restrictive laws and a repressive government present activists with nearly insurmountable challenges.
A profile of Silas Siakor, the Liberian campaigner who exposed Charles Taylor’s regime’s toxic dependence on the timber trade. Siakor continues to campaign today against illegal logging.
We follow Derek Cabe, coordinator of the Coal-Free Bataan Movement, as she continues the work of Gloria Capitan, a murdered campaigner against coal plants in Bataan province. The movement opposes a coal storage facility and power plants which they believe polluted their town, sickened families, and covered the coastline in ash.
A community in Honduras faces criminal persecution as they take on the companies building an open pit mine in a national park. You’ll meet Juan Antonio López and Juana Zúniga, both activists in Tocoa, Honduras, who want to see their relatives and fellow campaigners released from jail.
Vanessa Nakate:
Our planet is in crisis, but everywhere you look you'll find people who believe it's worth saving. Standing up against threats, against violence, and against climate breakdown.
Juana Júñiga:
When the river was dirty, it called us to defend it. This river is our life.
Alfred Brownell:
I almost lost my life. They had machetes, they had guns, and they tried to kill me.
Ravina Shamdasani:
We are deeply worried that these latest killings indicate an escalation in violence, intimidation, and harassment.
Derek Cabe:
When she died, it's like my right hand was cut from my body.
Bill Browder:
Your voice is particularly powerful, it could mean having you arrested, or if you're really powerful it could mean having you killed.
Leon Duce:
We fear for our safety. By consistently being in the public view, standing up for what is right, what is truthful, what is just, would be our best defense against these attacks against our rights.
Vanessa Nakate:
I am Vanessa Nakate. Join me on a journey across four continents, as we meet the defenders of the earth.