The U.S. Through the Eyes of a Malawian Climate Activist

How do our actions affect people a world away? In this episode we meet France, the son of Malawian climate activist Anita Chitaya. France dreams of being a pilot. But Anita worries that his future is threatened by climate change. As planes fly overhead, she explains that the quality of life in Malawi is damaged by the actions of people living in wealthy countries. In an effort to convince Americans that climate change is real, Anita 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 Washington, D.C. — reveals some of the factors that are blocking climate action in the United States.

This is the third episode of the five-part “The Ants & the Grasshopper: The Series,” a co-production of Kartemquin Educational Films and Peril and Promise, a public media initiative from The WNET Group.

See all episodes and more on our website here.

Watch the series on YouTube.

To learn about the documentary feature film that “The Ants & the Grasshopper: The Series” is based on, click here.

Major funding for Peril and Promise is provided by Dr. P. Roy Vagelos and Diana T. Vagelos with additional funding from Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, and the Estate of Worthington Mayo-Smith.