TOXIC LEGACIES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14 AT 9 P.M. ON CBC
TELEVISION
The Yaqui Valley is one of Mexico's largest agricultural
areas, providing much of North America's fresh fruits and vegetables. It is
also home to neighbouring towns in which children exhibit significant and
disturbing neurological differences. CBC-TV's THE NATURE OF THINGS with David
Suzuki investigates this phenomenon and its relevance for children across
North America in Toxic Legacies, Wednesday, March 14 at 9 p.m.
U.S. anthropologist Elizabeth Guillette learned in 1993
about problems in the Yaqui Valley. As she has written in the scientific
journal Environmental Health Perspectives, the valley children are far behind
those of the foothills in physical co-ordination, energy and learning
capabilities. The only difference she observed was that pesticides have been
used in the valley since the early 1950s, while in the foothills there is no
agricultural industry and virtually no pesticide use.
Toxic Legacies follows Dr. Guillette as she meets with
eminent laboratory scientists in her search for corroboration and possible
solutions. Neurotoxicologist David Carpenter of the University of Albany says,
"I have suspected for a long time that pesticides cause these effects,
but no one has demonstrated it so convincingly."
Dr. Guillette also visits Halifax, North America's first
major city to ban the cosmetic use of pesticides. "I don't think we have
to throw our hands up and say it's hopeless. People are doing things,"
says Guillette.
One in six U.S. children suffers from such disorders as
autism, aggression and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Could
pesticide exposure be a major culprit? "I was shocked at the lack of
science that exists on pesticides," remarks filmmaker John Ritchie,
himself a father of two young children. "That's why making people aware
of Elizabeth's study is so important."
Toxic Legacies is co-produced by THE NATURE OF THINGS,
Force Four Entertainment and Discovery Health U.S.A. It is written and
directed by John Ritchie and produced by Rob Bromley. John Grassie is
executive producer of Discovery Health, and Toni Egger, director of
development. Executive producer of THE NATURE OF THINGS is Michael Allder.
++++++++++++++++++++
Over a year in the making, "Toxic Legacies"
airs in Canada March 14 on CBC's "Nature of Things" at 9pm, and on
June 15 at 10pm on Discovery Health Channel in the United States.
My crew and I travelled to Mexico last summer to follow the story of
anthropologist Elizabeth Guillette, who discovered two communities of children
who exhibit significant and disturbing neurological differences.
We also followed Dr. Guillette as she met with eminent
laboratory scientists in her search for corroboration and possible solutions,
and went with her to Halifax, North America's first major city to ban the
cosmetic use of pesticides.
The press release for the Canadian broadcast is attached.
Photo imagery of the program can be found at cbc.ca/imagegallery.
Click on "television" under "Hi Res images" then
choose "The Nature of Things" under "Current Affairs" and
click go. "Toxic
Legacies" photos are near the bottom.
For those of you outside of North America, please send
an e-mail if you would like to receive a copy of the program.
Regards,
John Ritchie
Senior Producer
Force Four Entertainment
310-1152 Mainland St.
Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6B 4X2
Phone: (604) 669-4424
Fax: (604) 669-4535
E-mail: john@forcefour.com
http://www.forcefour.com
Editor's Note: Suggestion submitted by Nancy Morris on getting
copies of this program.
Just to update you on what I found out about purchasing
the video. First of all in the US,
"Toxic Legacies" will air on Discovery Health cable station (a
digital channel so no one will probably get it to see it) on June 15, 2001 at
7:00pm and 10:00pm PST, June 16 at 6:00pm and 9:00pm, June 18 at 1:00am .
Purchasing the video won't be possible until after it airs.
However, they won't guarantee to me that it will be made
available on video for purchase. If
it is, it will sell as follows: each
copy $19.95; 50 or more videos will be discounted 25%; substantially more than 50 videos purchased at once will be
looked at on a case by case basis for any further discounts.
Here's what needs to be done: email or call Discovery Health at <viewer_relations@discovery.com
> or call 1-888-404-5969 and tell them the message below:
For emails: in the Subject line write: "Toxic
Legacies"
In the body of the message write something like the
following:
Please make video
copies available for purchase of the
program, "Toxic Legacies" (Children of Yaqui Valley).
It is an excellent documentary and we would like to have the
opportunity to purchase the video after it airs in June.
We want many more people to be able to view this important documentary.
You could call the following number which is the business affairs division
301/771-5570 or 301/771-3847 and hopefully they would give you a number other then viewer relations. Or you could call Karen Bower of CBC in
Canada at 416/205-3506 and ask whom to call. You might want to get some advice on what to offer for the resale rights if you think it might be
worth it to you.
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information on pesticides, Email Us.
with "subscribe" in the subject line.