
The U.S. Through the Eyes of a Malawian Climate Activist
5/31/2023 | 10m 30sVideo has Closed Captions
A Malawian activist's journey reveals factors that are blocking climate action in the U.S.
How do our actions affect people a world away? In an effort to convince Americans that climate change is real, Malawian activist, Anita Chitaya, and her mentor, Esther Lupafya, visit the U.S. to discuss this issue with farmers, community organizers, and politicians. Their journey — from a farm in Iowa to San Francisco and D.C. — reveals some factors that are blocking climate action in the U.S.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
The Ants & the Grasshopper: The Series is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS
"The Ants & the Grasshopper: The Series” is a co-production of Kartemquin Educational Films and Peril and Promise, a public media initiative from The WNET Group, reporting on the human...

The U.S. Through the Eyes of a Malawian Climate Activist
5/31/2023 | 10m 30sVideo has Closed Captions
How do our actions affect people a world away? In an effort to convince Americans that climate change is real, Malawian activist, Anita Chitaya, and her mentor, Esther Lupafya, visit the U.S. to discuss this issue with farmers, community organizers, and politicians. Their journey — from a farm in Iowa to San Francisco and D.C. — reveals some factors that are blocking climate action in the U.S.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch The Ants & the Grasshopper: The Series
The Ants & the Grasshopper: The Series is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(speaking foreign language) (birds chirping) (dramatic music) - [Attendant] Please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened and keep an eye on storage until aircraft is parked at the gate and the captain has turned off the fasten seatbelt sign.
Please be sure to check your seat pocket... (dramatic music) - [Anita] It's very green.
(speaking foreign language) - Few potato leaf hoppers, but those aren't a problem.
Grasshoppers.
Crop duster.
Those things are about the worst thing you can have near an organic farm.
Conventional agriculture.
Just spray, spray, spray and pray I guess, but I also do, you know, a lot of conventional ag too.
These are some of the weeds the roundup isn't working so well on anymore.
It's water hemp.
- We try as much as possible to encourage everyone not to use any chemical that get under.
The weed is used as a crop cover.
Because of drought.
And then every single weed is also used as manure at the end.
- Keep the fertility where it's at.
(speaking foreign language) - I farm about 1100 acres total.
(Anita laughs) - 1100 acres.
- [Esther] 1,100 acres.
- [Tyler] Yup.
- Wow.
(speaking foreign language) - [Tyler] Yup.
Farms are gonna keep growing bigger and bigger.
(speaking foreign language) - Have you ever discussed with your fellow farmers about climate change?
- Yeah, it's a very hot topic.
Everybody talks about climate change really.
I mean at some level, whether you're a farmer, producer, industry businessman in this country it's, you know, we're all in the same boat.
I mean I've always tried to be, you know, the sustainable, efficient producer I guess.
But, you know, you look at the ways, you know, the whole system works.
How can we change the whole system?
And that's a hard one to figure out.
(speaking foreign language) - It's just how do we get the entire world on board to try to do something about it?
We can barely get our own local area on board let alone the United States or the entire world.
It would take a global catastrophe to do a, you know, complete 180 really.
(speaking foreign language) (dramatic piano music) - Too bad.
Because he's not there and she wanted to see him.
- It's rare that the members of Congress will meet with people who aren't their constituents.
But he is a huge supporter.
He's one of our biggest champions on climate change, so he's our ally.
(speaking foreign language) - She said she will be praying to God.
That what she carried should really go to him.
(speaking foreign language) (water running) (dramatic piano music)

- Science and Nature

Explore scientific discoveries on television's most acclaimed science documentary series.

- Science and Nature

Capturing the splendor of the natural world, from the African plains to the Antarctic ice.












Support for PBS provided by:
The Ants & the Grasshopper: The Series is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS
"The Ants & the Grasshopper: The Series” is a co-production of Kartemquin Educational Films and Peril and Promise, a public media initiative from The WNET Group, reporting on the human...