Introducing Defenders of the Earth

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. 

Episode 1 — Defenders of the Earth: Russia

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. 

Episode 2 — Defenders of the Earth: Liberia

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. 

Episode 3 — Defenders of the Earth: The Philippines

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.

Episode 4 — Defenders of the Earth: Honduras

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.