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In March 2011 a tsunami hit a Japanese nuclear reactor and ignited a new debate on the safety of nuclear energy. This film explores the very different energy policies of two countries: Australia and Sweden.
AUSTRALIA: For decades people in Australia campaigned against the nuclear and uranium industries - but global warming has now led some environmentalists to change their minds. Coal and gas generates 90 per cent of the country's electricity, and the fossil fuel lobby virtually dictates Australia's energy policy. They've come up with a technological fix that promises emission-free power from coal - but the technology is in its infancy, and the eventual costs are unknown.
SWEDEN: For the past 20 years Sweden has generated half its electricity from nuclear reactors. Many people feel nuclear is safe - despite the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. One of the greatest fears associated with nuclear energy is how to dispose of the dangerous waste - and Sweden has an elaborate plan for this, but many other countries, including Australia, are having problems agreeing where to put it.
ALTERNATIVES: Are renewable forms of energy, such as wind, a feasible alternative source of energy? Denmark, the wind power capital of the world, gets an astonishing 20 per cent of its electricity from wind power. Says one commentator: "There are other necessary and urgent things that we should do to stop polluting the planet, and building nuclear power plants is not the answer."
This is the story of a farmer who stood up against a massive multinational, and its right to claim ownership to a living organism.
One day representatives from the multinational company Monsanto visit Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser and demand he surrender his canola crops. They sue him for $200,000, claiming he had illegally used their patented genetically modified seeds.
Percy counter-sues Monsanto for environmental pollution and launches a nationwide campaign defending farmer's rights.
Modifying canola's genes makes the planet resistant to specific weed killers and, according to the makers, generally improves yield.
But Percy's campaign highlights popular questions about GM crops and food with GM products in. In particular there are fears of "terminator technology" and worries about the impact on farming communities.
Schmeiser also accuses Monsanto of using intimidating tactics against him. For days, according to the farmer, detectives with cars were in front of his driveway, following him onto the fields, observing his every footstep.
Finally, the case goes to Canada's supreme court. The court finds in Monsanto's favour - but he doesn't have to pay a big fine. Percy argues the verdict raises more questions than it answers - including the biggest of all - "who owns life?"
In this shocking and provocative film, Tracy Worcester sets out to discover who's paying the true price for the cheap pork for sale in Britain's supermarkets.
WHERE IT ALL STARTED: Industrialised pig farming was pioneered in America, and it's the way most supermarket pork is produced. Critics here argue the factory farms are bad for the animals, their employees, the environment and residents' health.
THREAT TO SMALL FARMS: During the 1990s large-scale meat processors bought up livestock farms enabling corporations to control the whole process from farming and to packaging. Many small farmers have gone bust.
IMPACT ON POLAND: US companies like the giant multinational Smithfield Foods are targeting other countries, too - in particular Poland. Polish people complain of the impact of the factory farms on their health, their environment and the threat to their family farms.
THE EUROPEAN ANGLE: The transformation of Polish agriculture and life is being partly financed by the taxpayers of Europe. Smithfield is just one of the food multinationals who have received the backing of the public purse.
A FUTURE OF CHEAP MEAT? Smithfield Foods claim they're just giving customers what they want and that they're doing all they can to minimise damage to the environment. But US critics accuse them of diminishing their quality of life.
IN BRITAIN: British farmers too feel threatened by the rise of the factory farms. There are worries over the use of antibiotics and the spread of MRSA. Is consumer power - people buying locally produced pork - the answer?
This is a film about the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. It's a beautiful place but is its beauty also its biggest threat, attracting more tourists than it can sustain?
NATIONAL PARKS: Snowdonia is the second largest of Britain's national parks. The national parks were established after years of campaigning by an act of parliament in 1949. The basic idea was to protect the countryside so everyone could enjoy it.
THE VISITOR CENTRE: The jewel in Snowdonia's crown is Mount Snowdon - the biggest mountain in England and Wales. On top of the mountain is a brand new visitor centre. Some people think it's wonderful. Others think it has ruined the mountain.
TOURISM: Tourism is vital to the economy of Snowdonia. It once had a slate industry but this is now mostly defunct. Agriculture is the only other significant industry in Snowdonia, but it provides few jobs.
TRAFFIC: But with tourism comes traffic, congested narrow roads and the pressure to build more car parks. Buses ease the problems, but the Welsh assembly government has actually axed services. Some people argue for a radical approach - closing the park to all traffic.
WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAY: The Welsh Highland Railway is one of Snowdonia's outstanding new tourist attractions. Steam enthusiasts love it, but residents in the village of Beddgelert, one of the main stops along the line, are up in arms. It's too noisy and dirty, and instead of easing traffic problems, it actually increases them, by attracting more visitors.
HOLIDAY HOMES: Another problem in Beddgelert and across Snowdonia is the growing numbers of holiday homes. Around 50% of Beddgelert's houses are owned by people from outside. Local people can't afford to live in the area any more and are moving away.
WELSH LANGUAGE: A major knock-on effect is the threat to the Welsh language. Snowdonia is the heart of Welsh-speaking Wales, but as more young people move away, the language is bound to suffer
THE BIGGEST THREAT OF ALL? But the National Park's ex-ecology officer, Rod Gritten, says there is a much bigger problem facing Snowdonia: climate change. Hundreds of years of intensive grazing has robbed the mountains of their trees and soil erosion is releasing carbon into the atmosphere, increasing global warming. Radical action is needed now, argues Gritten, before it's too late.
It's been called the lungs of the earth. But the Amazon is also a lawless jungle, where criminals and profiteers plunder the forest for its riches. Communities are battling to stop loggers stripping the rainforest of its ancient timber, but many people depend on revenue from the illegal trade. The result is that some towns are in civil conflict, with neighbours clashing over the exploitation of their unique environment, one of the largest remaining wilderness areas on Earth.
The state of Para alone exports billions of dollars in illegal hardwood. It seems that everywhere people are cutting down trees without permission. Commercial loggers send armies with chainsaws to cut timber for export, almost always illegally.
The Amazon River is the heart of the illegal logging trade. The logs are simply loaded on a boat and exported to countries like the United States, Europe and Australia.
Once the valuable timber has been removed, the land is given over to cattle ranchers and soy farmers. All over the Amazon people are being run off their land in growing numbers.
Growing numbers of profiteers - ranchers, farmers, and land grabbers - are seizing whole areas of the Amazon at gunpoint from their inhabitants.
People don't want to leave their homes but with no one enforcing the law they're afraid and there's no one here to protect them.
But when the law is enforced, this causes other problems.
The federal environmental authorities shut the logging town of Uruara down because 80% of the timber trade here is illegal.
Everyone, from the foresters to shopkeepers, and even the men driving horse carts, have found themselves without jobs.
Says a spokesman for the authorities: "When we go to bed at night it really is hard to know that breadwinners won't get any wages the next day and sometimes their families will go hungry. But that is our job, unfortunately. We have to do it."
Much is heard about the impact of climate change - but what's actually happening? Three films, made for international television, offer shocking and dramatic evidence of the way global warming is causing the world's ice to melt and the impact on people's lives.
FILM 1: BOLIVIA
Bolivia's Andes glaciers, which provide water for millions of people and power the country's hydroelectric plants, are melting at an unparalleled rate. It's estimated that the country will face water shortages within two years.
The Chacaltaya glacier, once the highest ski run in the world, is now a sad sliver of ice. Within the next two years, it will disappear completely. "In twenty years all the glaciers will be gone", predicts glaciologist Edson Ramirez.
For millions of people in the cities below, this spells disaster. Glaciers provide 60% of their water. Already, taps in the shanty towns regularly run dry. "There's nowhere for us to get water", despairs one woman. "The global warming problem is being produced by industrial nations and we are facing the consequences", complains official Javier Gonzales.
FILM 2: GREENLAND
Greenland's ice caps are melting faster than predicted - and local farmers couldn't be happier. Thanks to rising temperatures, they can now grow new crops and raise cattle.
For the first time since the Vikings, farmers can now raise cattle. Warmer seas are bringing huge catches of cod and growing seasons are up to a month longer. "A little bit of extra warmth is good for us", states agricultural consultant Kenneth Hoegh. "We're growing things we would have hesitated to grow in the past."But not all farmers are happy. With so little snow, Stefan Magnusson finds it hard to herd his reindeer. Previously, he used a snowmobile but now he has to do it by helicopter.
FILM 3: THE ANTARCTIC
Of all the places affected by global warming, Antarctica seems to be experiencing the most dramatic climate change. The landscape has been transformed, leaving animals struggling to adapt.
"On really hot days, penguins are gasping for air", says Antarctic historian Dave Burkitt. Nearly 90% of glaciers here are retreating and ice shelves are collapsing at an alarming rate. With less ice available, seals have moved inland, where they disrupt nesting birds and damage plants. In 1914, the explorer Ernest Shackleton set out to explore Antarctica on foot. The film compares pictures of his historic voyage with the current situation revealing the dramatic scale of the changes.
This is a profile of two companies that seem to have proved it's possible to be green and make a profit. Ecover make cleaning and washing products. They avoid raw materials based on petrochemicals which, they claim, make "the big brands" so damaging - to our health and the environment. Green People make skin care products, using only natural, organic ingredients. They take the same position as Ecover. They believe conventional products are the cause of many of our modern health problems, from allergies to even cancer.
SO WHAT'S THE BIG PROBLEM?Ingredients based on petrochemicals have one big advantage for the companies that use them - they're cheap. But some of these ingredients are harsh chemicals, they have a different molecular structure to "natural" ingredients. It means our bodies don't recognise them, they can't break them down. The result? They built up in the fatty tissue with unknown long term consequences.
ANOTHER VIEWNot everyone takes this view. Toxicology consultant Paul Illing disputes that man made chemicals are any more damaging than their natural equivalents.
BUT IS IT WORTH THE RISK?A link between these chemicals and cancer has not been proven, "but the contrary has not been proven either," says Peter Malaise, of Ecover. Ian Taylor of Green People agrees. "While there is a doubt, we would prefer not to deal with these substances."
THE LONG HARD ROAD TO GREEN PERFECTIONBut finding natural alternatives to synthetic ingredients is not easy. Ecover has been developing its formulae for 30 years. Green People are often disappointed when developing a new product: either the formulation breaks down or they find it's been contaminated by synthetic chemicals: it's back to the drawing board!
A NEW FORMULA FOR BUSINESS?Both companies have found new formulae for their products, have they found a new formula for business, too? Although profits are important, they are not the be-all and end-all of business. Says Malaise: "I think that attitude is completely wrong. Companies are there to serve the needs of people."
A DROP IN THE OCEAN?Both Ecover and Green People are small players in a multi-billion pound market. Can they ever change the approach of the "big brands"? Can their niche market for "green consumers" ever become a mass market? They are both growing at about 20%. Says Ecover's managing director Mik Bremens: "I think that is considerable growth. I don't think that's a drop in the ocean, I think it will be a great wave!"
What is global warming? What is the evidence for it? How will it affect the world? This film explores these questions as it follows the icebreaker Louis St Laurent on a trip to the Arctic Circle.
The Arctic Ice Sea, a plate of ice roughly the size of Europe, is disappearing.
Scientists say that by 2013, there will be no sea-ice left in the Arctic, causing a tipping point for climate change throughout the world.
Polar bears, who are at the top of the Arctic food chain, are feeling the heat. As the sea ice shrinks, so does their world.
The forests of Alaska are suffering, too. Alaska's vast pine forests rest on a layer of solid permafrost and when the frost melts the ground literally gives way. Melting permafrost could soon be a worldwide disaster.
"The Arctic will export change to the rest of the world," warns one expert, "Melting sea ice will intensify the extreme weather caused by climate change, bringing violent storms and cyclones."
Very quickly the world's food and water supplies will begin to run short.
Canadian coastguards predict that it will not be long before the legendary Northwest Passage through the Arctic will be completely ice-free. And that's fuelling a new "cold rush" as businesses eye the vast oil and mineral reserves which, until now, have been locked beneath the melting ice.
Says one commentator: "This issue will become something that people are willing to go to war over."
Tourism is a huge global industry. It's having a major impact on the economy, culture and environment of many different countries. These four films explore important examples from across the world.
CHINA: High up in the Himalayas, a poor Chinese community has called itself "Shangri-La" and is looking to tourism to boost its economy. Visitor numbers are climbing as people from all over the world come in search of the fictional utopia -- but both the wildlife and culture of the region are under threat.
USA: Alaska's sleepy fishing villages all but died when the gold rush ended 100 years ago. Now they're being overwhelmed by hordes of cruise ship tourists. Tourism has revived the economy of the area, but critics fear the impact on Alaska's environment and culture.
NEPAL: Every year 300,000 people come to Nepal to trek in the famous mountaineering country of the Everest National Park.
But with them come deforestation, soil erosion and piles of rubbish. The government is imposing bigger fees on the mountaineers - but will this solve the problem?
AFRICA: Gorillas are under threat - and many of their problems are caused by humans. But in the heart of Central Africa, ironically, tourism is helping to keep them alive. Eco-tourists pay high prices for expeditions to see this endangered species. Visitor numbers and the time spent with the gorillas are tightly controlled.
DUBAI: Dubai once depended on income from its oil. Now tourism in this desert kingdom is booming. But what about the cultural price and the impact on the environment? Developers have built a ski-resort in the desert, complete with 6,000 tons of real snow. Is this the face of modern tourism?
Brazil claims to have stolen a march on the industrial world. It's developed a cost-effective alternative to petroleum by growing sugar to produce ethanol.
Brazil's sugar crops are a great source of the petrol-substitute ethanol. And now rising oil prices and Brazil's production of ethanol have led to an automotive revolution in the country.
Car manufacturers in Brazil have created the flex car -- a vehicle that can run on either ethanol or petrol, or any combination of the two. Over 1.3 million flex cars are now running in Brazil - more than half total car sales
The foundations for the country's "sweet revolution" were laid during the oil crisis in the 1970s, when Brazil's military-led government bankrolled the development of the ethanol industry.
Ethanol can be produced from many crops but, in Brazil, it is made from the most potent and cost effective crop of them all, sugar cane. Brazil is the world's largest exporter of sugar and the biggest producer of ethanol.
Sugar has been grown in Brazil for centuries, it's the conversion to alcohol that's a relatively new phenomenon.
In north-east Brazil, much of the harvesting continues to be done by hand. Each man works a 10 hour day, 6 days a week, and cuts 8.5 tons of cane.
The Brazilian government sees ethanol as a chance for the country to boost its economy by becoming a major exporter.
Car manufacturers claim that the change to cars running on ethanol can be achieved without great costs. Special software helps the car to adjust for whatever mix of petrol or ethanol it's using.
But it's not just on the roads that ethanol is powering Brazil. The world's first ethanol-fuelled planes are now being built.
In Brazil, the price of fuel has helped convert millions to ethanol. But they're also claiming environmental advantages because ethanol exhaust gasses are cleaner.
But not everyone is convinced that ethanol is Brazil's environmental saviour. Burning off sugar cane before the harvest is widely considered to be bad environmental practice.
And although ethanol may be a renewable fuel, growing more sugar puts pressure on home soil. The sugar industry has a bad track record when it comes to looking after the environment, and forests throughout Brazil are being destroyed by the sugar farmers.
Germany is leading the world in encouraging renewable energy. By 2050, half of its energy could come from renewable sources. But what's the real cost of its energy revolution?
Germany's landmark EEG law compels power companies to buy electricity at above market prices, from anyone using renewable technology to generate it. "It's the beginning of an energy revolution," says politician Herman Scheer.
The renewable revolution has already come to the German village of Juhnde where residents now produce their own electricity from manure.
"I'm personally very happy," says one resident, "because now I am independent of the international oil prices." 30 neighbouring villages are so impressed they're planning to invest in their own plants.
Germany is now the world leader in renewable energy. 10% of its electricity requirements are now supplied by wind, solar, bio-mass and small hydro. That will grow to 20-25% within 15 years, when nuclear is scheduled to be phased out.
The EEG law has also led to a boom in solar power. Near the German city of Leipzig is a brand-spanking-new solar panel factory using groundbreaking technology developed in Australia. Germany's support for renewable energy is sucking in technology from around the world.
Germany's renewable energy industry now employs 170,000 people - a new industry. But not everyone is a fan. Power companies, forced to buy renewable energy at a high price, pass the cost onto consumers and business.
This means electricity for domestic use is the most expensive in Europe - for business it's the second most expensive. The critics say that makes some parts of German industry uncompetitive - and actually costs the country jobs.
For Germany's big four energy companies, renewables represent a big threat. With conventional power stations, they make money both from power generation and from distribution. But with renewables they are largely restricted to distribution alone.
Dieter Schaarshmidt is a renewable energy pioneer. He manages a windmill co-operative and is aiming towards 100% renewable energy in the region. "We think that renewable energy should be owned by the people in the region," says Dieter. But the bigger companies are already starting to take over.
The big power companies argue that renewables can't guarantee supply. And because electricity itself cannot be stored on a large scale, they say for the foreseeable future, renewables can only fill a minor, top-up role. And they're getting support from some German politicians who want to keep open the option to use nuclear power.
But Hermann Scheer says renewables alone can meet Germany's entire energy needs, because hydro and bio-mass can guarantee supply when wind or solar are not available. He says the power companies oppose renewables for financial, not technical reasons.
"The most important question is how long do we need?" says Scheer, "Because if this development is postponed and postponed again and again, then we will lose the race against time."
This film tells the story of a "green factory", of a company called Ecover, which claims it is possible to make a profit and help save the planet.
Belgium-based Ecover make washing products - for washing clothes, dishes, floors and more. But one thing their products have in common is they're made from what they call "living nature". Unlike the big brands they avoid ingredients based on petrochemicals, which, Ecover claim, damage the environment.
PRODUCING LIQUID PRODUCTS: Ecover produces many liquid products -- washing up liquid is the main one. Production involves mixing a variety of raw ingredients. It's vital they're mixed in the right amounts - and in the right order. Bottling takes place in the filling room - one line can fill 23,000 litres in one shift, all controlled by a single person. When the bottles are filled and boxed, robots put them onto pallets, ready for wrapping and warehousing.
POWDER PRODUCTION: The other main production process at Ecover is making washing powder. Washing powder is a complex product - with up to 22 ingredients. Glycerine is used to stick together the mix of ingredients into granules.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY: A sustainable product is one thing - but how sustainable is Ecover's process? The company uses a unique granulating technique which requires less energy than the norm. The liquids are pumped about the factory using an air compressor - very energy efficient.And in the warehouse, sensors ensure lights only go on when they're needed. All electricity they do use comes from renewable sources.
PACKAGING: Ecover is constantly fighting what it calls its war on packaging. Bottles are made of biodegradable plastic. The bottles are sold in larger volumes to minimise packaging. Customers can take refill bottles back to health food shops. Ecover's cardboard boxes may be reused up to 15 times, going to and fro between them and a supplier.
THE BUILDING: Ecover claims its factory is the first ecological factory. The building is made mainly of renewable raw materials, sourced as near to home as possible. It's designed to be energy-efficient and there's even a "green" roof covered in plants which absorb water and help to prevent flooding. The factory's waste water is cleaned biologically - using a waste eating bacteria.
SCHEDULING SYSTEM: Booming sales means the company has a problem meeting demand. A computer system called Odyssey to help them keep in stock of the materials they need to meet incoming orders.
PLCS & SENSORS: Vital to running Ecover's automated lines are light sensors which detect when a bottle goes past them. They feed this information back to a PLC -- a programmable logic controller, in effect the brains of the production line. But operators can intervene using a HMI - a human machine interface. Touch panels allow operators to vary how the factory's robots work, too.
In these case studies two very different organisations call in eco-auditor Donnachadh McCarthy to help them operate in a more environmentally sustainable way.
CASE STUDY 1: ESSEX FLOUR & GRAIN
EFG is a food and drink wholesaler selling to schools, hospitals and other organisation. Boss Michael Spinks is a green enthusiast who wants to "do something worthwhile".
Donnachadh tours the business and finds lots of problems. There are badly positioned radiators, plastic cups in the kitchen, fridges that are empty or too cold, the wrong kind of copier paper and toilets with the lights always on.
EFG isn't recycling its waste either and a warehouse is using up huge amounts of electricity for lighting and heating to no good purpose. Donnachadh also takes issue with EFG's product line - they sell bottled water imported from abroad instead of local products.
Donnachadh submits the findings of his eco-audit suggesting many changes. Twelve months later some improvements have been made. They're recycling their waste, using bio-diesel in their trucks and switching the lights off in the toilets. They've also introduced more fair-traded and organic products - and UK bottled water.
But not everyone is cooperating with recycling the waste and one member of staff feels strongly they're not getting enough support from the top to carry out the changes. Boss Michael Spinks is optimistic for future progress in his business - but less hopeful about the future of the planet.
CASE STUDY 2: MERTON VOLUNTARY SERVICE COUNCIL
MVSC is an organisation funded by Merton council in south London to help voluntary groups.
Donnachadh is called in to help them become greener.
He discovers a problematic water cooler, plastic cups, lights and computers wasting electricity, printers wasting paper, inefficient use of heating, and plastic bags in the rubbish bins. And they're not using recycled paper.
But Donnachadh's toughest problems are with the managers of the building in which MVSC is a tenant. Lights outside and inside the building are on when no one's around. They don't recycle their rubbish, there are toilets which are wasting water, and central heating that's too hot or heating empty rooms. The building managers are sceptical whether they can make changes.
Six months later Donnachadh revisits MVSC. Progress has been made - they're saving money as well as saving the planet. As well as recycling more paper and saving a lot by switching to double-sided printing, they've hired an organic caterer, who makes healthier, cheaper food. Even a sceptical building manager seems to have been converted to recycling.
But one big problem remains with the heating of the building - the loft needs insulating - and this is a big expense to meet.
Donnachadh has a meeting with staff who explain how much the greening of their business has inspired them and how they hope to influence the other organisations they work with. Donnachadh tells them they have made great progress - but it's not enough.
Why are Indian farmers killing themselves to give us the T-shirts we buy on the high street? This film investigates the "white gold" business -- growing cotton.
Farmers in southern India switch to growing cotton because it brings in more money than food crops. Anand is one of the farmers who switched over and hopes to make a lot of money, fast.
But growing cotton means using dangerous pesticides. After using it, Anand is dazed. His tongue is numb thick in his mouth, and he feels sick. The poison also lands on the cornfields and so gets into the food chain. At the local hospital people are dying. They have all poisoned themselves.
Highly dangerous pesticides like the cancer-inducing Lindane are sold over the counter in the area. In Europe, these pesticides have been banned for years because of their deadly effect on humans. But in India business is booming.
EU-banned pesticides are produced in the industrial area of Vapi in India. The factories let the poisonous waste water flow into the communal sewage plant. Entire regions have been contaminated
The cotton farmers are driven to buy new chemicals to deal with the pests. The newer they are, the more expensive they are. The farmers get into huge debt. Last year alone, 700 farmers committed suicide. They drank the poison that couldn't kill the pests.
When the cotton has finally been harvested, Anand drives, full of hope, to the cotton market. But cotton as a raw material is worth less and less. Anand pockets only 20 euros -- the result of six months of hard work in the fields.
From the cotton market the cotton is transported to the city of Tirupur for textile production. It's all still full of pesticide. But no one checks here to see if the cotton is contaminated. The workers draw the poison, along with the cotton particles, into their lungs.
To produce white and coloured T-Shirts, more chemicals have to be used. In small factories, the cotton is bleached. Because of pressure from consumers in Europe, quickly evaporating chemicals have to be used in the bleaching process - with bad effects on the workers. For European textile traders, it's important that only few traces of the strong bleach remain in the T-Shirt. The poison should stay in India.
The result of the bleaching and dying process is highly contaminated waste water. The waste processing plants can't filter out the extreme quantities of poison. Even the processed water is still highly contaminated -- with 3 grams of chlorine per litre. Women dig in the poisonous sludge with bare hands. Nobody knows how to dispose of it properly.
The coming environmental catastrophe in this city of textiles can't be stopped. Barely any water flows in the rivers, and what there is, is contaminated. The textile workers have to queue to get water for their families.
Textiles from Tirupur end up all over the world, including the big high street stores in Europe. They're tested before they're sold - but that doesn't meant they're free of pesticides.
To be sure of having pesticide-free T-shirts the shops would have to buy organic cotton - but this is more expensive. Just 4 per cent of the cotton used to make clothing is grown withouth pesticides. The pesticide trade, however, is booming.
For years the huge multinational Coca Cola company has sold itself through an image of love and global harmony. But what's the reality behind the image? This film highlights the company's controversial activities in Germany and India.
THE WORLD CUP: Coca Cola is one of the sponsors of the World Cup in Germany and only allows its own soft drinks to be consumed at the matches. Coke hopes sponsoring football will boost its sporting image - but for many German workers the multinational has a bitter taste.
COKE IN GERMANY: Coke got over 10 million euros in government grants to come to a region of high unemployment in East German. But now it's closed seven of its bottling factories and hundreds of jobs have been lost. Workers believe they are victims of globalisation as the multinational organises itself to employ fewer and fewer people.
COKE'S WATER PROBLEM: Coke's bottled water has got it into trouble, too. Coke uses its sponsorship of the World Cup to promote sales of its little known bottled water, Bonaqua. But the company has been plagued with scandals about its water - most famously the Dasani fiasco in Britain. Dasani was shown to contain excessive levels of bromine, and Coke took it off the market.
COKE IN INDIA: Coca Cola also faces anger in the developing world. Farmers in India believe one of Coke's factories is polluting their water supply. "The Coca Cola factory ruined my life," said one farmer, who has had to give up his farm and become a labourer on someone else's farm.
WATER SHORTAGE: In a land of severe water shortage many Indians feel Coke's factories are unfairly using up a precious resource. To produce a bottle of coke requires a litre of water. In some villages near Coke's factories water levels have dropped by 60 metres.
PROTESTS: Indians at all levels are united against Coke. Villagers accuse the company of being a water thief. Coke denies all responsibility and blames water shortages on wasteful locals. People protesting against Coke's actions are brutally attacked by the police.
WORKING FOR COKE: Coke is also accused of poor treatment of its Indian employees. Workers receive around 50 cents for a 12 hour shift. They have no unions and employees who protest are sacked. One worker complains of not being compensated for a serious industrial injury. He appears at the Coke factory every day, and every day he's turned away.
THE REAL WINNER? Coke sponsors the World Cup to associate its product with fun, achievement and being active - and the company gets big marketing benefits from this. No matter who wins on the football field, the real winner, it seems, is always Coca Cola.
Shell is one of the richest companies on earth. It does business in 140 countries dealing with 25 million customers every day. It claims to be dedicated to renewable energy and sustainable development.
But is Shell as green and clean as it claims? This film offers a profile of this famous multinational, explains its growth, and investigates the impact of its activities on countries throughout the world.
Living next door to Shell can be a hazardous business -- as the residents of a community in Louisiana found out. Tests indicated they were being exposed to between 100 and 1000 times the normal levels of dangerous chemicals. Eventually Shell agreed to relocate the residents.
In 1995 Shell announced they were going to dispose of a giant oil tank called the Brent Spar in the Atlantic Ocean. Environmental activists Greepeace occupied the Spar and the whole issue became a global sensation.
But there's one story which will always stick to Shell - Nigeria, where oil spills destroyed the homelands and livelihood of the Ogoni people living near Shell installations.
Writer Ken Saro Wiwa led international protests against Shell. In 1994 he was arrested on trumped-up charges by the Nigerian government and hanged. Shell washed its hands of involvement.
Since the early '90s Shell has made strong efforts to reinvent itself as a more caring company and made significant investment in renewable forms of energy. But how much is real and how much is pr "greenwash"?
This film offers a stark account of the dangers threatening the planet and looks at what we can do to avoid disaster.
The problems start about 250 years ago with the industrial revolution. First coal, then oil, fuelled a world of mass production, mass consumption -- and cars.
But burning oil and carbon has been a disaster for our planet - most scientists blame it for global warming. New deserts will form, the polar ice cap will melt and sea levels will rise bringing floods and disaster.
Rainforests are called the "lungs of the earth" - but they're disappearing, and the industrialisation of farming and fishing is depleting natural resources and destroying biodiversity.
Population and life-style are major factors, too, creating rubbish and pollution. Tourism has been become a huge global industry - but local cultures and the environment have suffered.
Some people are taking action to make life sustainable -- planting trees, controlling traffic and promoting renewable forms of energy. But will this be enough? Is it too late?
Tuvalu, the South Pacific island nation, is in danger of vanishing under the sea. The islanders believe it is due to climate change caused by global warming.
This film explains what global warming is and why environmentalists say it will cause flooding, not only in Tuvalu, but all over the world - including the UK.
The inhabitants of Tuvalu believe they are seeing global warming in action. Rising seas and violent storms are destroying their islands, swamping their crops.
The Tuvalu government is now suing the US and Australian governments for failing to control the levels of greenhouse gasses they emit. Meanwhile, many islanders are abandoning their country to live in New Zealand.
But some scientists doubt that global warming is the root of the problem. Instead they argue the storms are caused by short term changes in the weather and there's no real rise in sea levels. Other scientists are sceptical of the dangers of global warming and claim burning carbon dioxide actually brings a net benefit to the world. But meanwhile in Tuvalu, the waters are still rising¡K
America's coldest, richest state is warming ten times faster than the rest of the world.
"That ice should be four feet thick", confirms a hunter who catches walrus. "Now it's only one foot thick". Eslewhere houses and roads collapse as the ground beneath them melts.
The US government now plans to drill for oil in a wildlife refuge.
Native Alaskans are divided. Eskimos want jobs and money, but the Gwitchin Indians fear it will destroy their reindeer.
Beautiful beaches, wonderful scenery and friendly people ¡X Thailand seems the ideal tourist destination. But what don't they tell you in the holiday brochure?
The Thai tourist authority is pushing "ecotourism", which, in theory at least, doesn't damage the environment. Ecotourists take rafts down river, ride elephants in lush green spaces, visit Buddhist temples and tribal hill people whose lifestyles haven't changed for hundreds of years.
But critics say the hill people are treated like "human zoos". There are worries, too, about cruelty to elephants. But the most notorious problem is sex tourism ¡X which includes men, women and children.
The Thai economy is now critically dependent of tourism spending ¡X but how much has been lost in the rush to exploit the visitor invasion? And are local people getting their fair share?
Review
"Shockingly good, hard-hitting, thought provoking and excellent for promoting discussion." - Rachel Hanham, Burnlwood School
Brazil now actively promotes the Amazon to tourists to bring money and jobs to locals. But how will tourism affect this environmentally vito area? And what form will tourism take?
One option is "nature tourism". In the Amazon Ariau Towers, walkways give visitors a unique view of the rainforest and wildlife. But this is not necessarily ecotourism. Critics question the effects on the local economy and wildlife.
A more sensitive approach is taken at Mamiraua. Here a solar-powered floating lodge minimises visitor impact and trained local people work as guides.
Review
"An excellent resource." - G Davies, St Cyres High School
Gambia seems ideal for holidays. With plentiful sunshine and long, white beaches, tourism has become a major source of income. But tourism in a developing country is a double-edged sword.
Despite swelling numbers of visitors, little money ends up with local people. Holidays are run by foreign tour operators and tourists stay mostly in the foreign-owned hotels, eating imported food. Is community tourism - for example getting people to spend money locally - the best hope for the future?
Review
"Deals with conflicting issues of tourism in developing countries exceptionally well." - Simon Chapman, Warwick School
Majorca has given millions of people cheap' holidays and brought prosperity for Majorcans ¡X but at a cost. There is heavy hotel development on the coast and there are outsiders buying second homes inland. There's too much traffic and not enough water.
Farming has declined, leaving people dependent on tourism. Traditional culture is disappearing.
The authorities have pulled down ugly old hotels and are promoting "sustainable tourism". But can such initiatives succeed?
Review
"Excellent video showing problems of mass tourism and more sustainable options." - L Bussel, Teesside University Business School
For 40 years the beautiful Island of Ruegen was behind the "Iron Curtain". The state controlled people's holidays and visitors came to Ruegen all year round because there were few other options. But when the Berlin Wall fell, people expected prosperity. In reality it's brought too much traffic, too much building and high unemployment. Now the island is looking for "sustainable tourism". What's the way forward - "quality tourism" or a less elite approach?
Antigua looks like paradise but not for the locals. It suffers from an over-reliance on tourism. This threatens the environment, culture and economy. Most tourist jobs are poorly paid and most of the hotels are foreign owned. Cruise ship holidays, all-inclusive hotels and a new holiday development all promise to make matters worse.
Review
"Recommended to all my colleagues." - P Hargreaves, Amersham & Wycombe College
The Lake District is one of Britain's most popular national parks. But is it in danger of being destroyed by too much tourism? Some view the area's expanding tourism businesses as "blots on the landscape" ¡X others see them as vital to the local economy. Traffic congestion is a major problem. There's a battle over a bypass, and an ongoing dispute over motor boats using Lake Windermere.
Review
"Definitely very useful." - Penny Spooner, Fairfax School