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WHRO Public Media and NOVA are partnering to give Norfolk students the opportunity to explore filmmaking and climate change. WHRO is one of two stations partnering with NOVA Science Studio to teach the next generation of science communicators how to produce short-form science videos about the impact of climate change on their communities. The NOVA Science Studio is supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as part of NOVA’s “Climate Across America” initiative.
“Climate Across America” is a national initiative that works to spotlight how climate change affects communities across the U.S. and engage audiences in productive conversations about innovative climate solutions. The initiative is leveraging the reach and power of the PBS system to drive a national conversation about local impacts and solutions by working with 10 public media stations and students in classrooms to produce and distribute climate-focused content, rolling out in spring 2023.
WHRO is one of the 10 stations that will be producing digital content—including short-form videos, radio/audio stories, articles, e-newsletters, and social media posts—to support the initiative, but the station is also honored to be chosen as an educational partner as well. In coordination with NOVA Science Studio, WHRO instructors will work with students at three local schools to help them learn the basics of science writing and reporting, how to conduct interviews with scientists, and how to film and edit a short-form digital video. Over the course of six months, students will report on local climate change impacts and how their communities are adapting to or mitigating these impacts.
“We know that climate stories have the most impact when they reflect people’s personal experiences,” says Julia Cort, co-executive producer of NOVA. “We’re so excited to help give students the tools they need to produce accurate and effective climate journalism, highlighting the issues in their own communities and the solutions that could make a difference.”
The locally produced Climate Across America content will be timed with two new NOVA documentaries premiering this spring:
Weathering the Future, premiering Wednesday, April 12, at 9 p.m. ET on PBS, will examine the dramatic ways in which our weather is changing. From longer, hotter heat waves, to more intense rainstorms, to megafires and multi-year droughts, the U.S. is experiencing the full range of impacts from a changing global climate. At the same time, many on the front lines are fighting back—innovating solutions, marshaling ancient wisdom, and developing visionary ideas. The lessons they're learning today can help all of us adapt in the years ahead, as the planet gets warmer and our weather gets more extreme.
Chasing Carbon Zero, premiering Wednesday, April 26, at 9 p.m. ET on PBS, will look at the ambitious climate goal recently set by the U.S. to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and slash emissions in half by 2030. But is that even feasible? What exactly would it take? The film examines the problem and identifies the most likely real world technologies that could be up to the task. From expanding the availability of renewable energy options, to designing more energy-efficient buildings, to revolutionizing the transportation sector, and more, the film casts a hopeful but skeptical eye. Can these solutions be scaled and made available and affordable across the country? Find out why there is still hope that we can achieve carbon zero and avoid the worsening impacts of climate change.
The "Climate Across America" initiative is part of NOVA’s Science and Society Project. The project is dedicated to telling stories at the intersection of science and society—stories that provide exceptional opportunities for audience engagement, nationally and locally, about the role of science and technology in our lives.
Audiences can follow the initiative online, starting in spring 2023, using the hashtag #ClimateAcrossAmerica.
Major funding for Weathering the Future and the Climate Across America Science and Society Project is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding is provided by the GBH Planet Future Fund.
Funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.
