Actor Matt Damon Hosts/Narrates Award-Winning PBS Environmental Series

“Journey To Planet Earth” returns for its second season on Wednesday, March 26, 2003, 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) to explore the delicate balance between people and the world they inhabit. The PBS program is the only primetime television series that deals exclusively with the most critical environmental, political, economic and social issues of the 21st century. The concluding two episodes of the series will air on April 2 and 9, also from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET.

Academy Award winner Matt Damon is the on-air host and narrator of the series. He is also featured on the series PBS website, introducing a variety of special features for students, teachers, community groups, museum educators, and parents.

The first episode, “On the Brink” (3/26), investigates a growing national security threat throughout the world: how environmental pressures can lead to terrorism and regional conflict. This episode was filmed in the politically unstable areas of Haiti, South Africa, Bangladesh, India, Peru and along the United States/Mexico border.

The second episode, “Seas of Grass” (4/2), examines the evastating environmental, political and economic effects of the degradation of the world’s grasslands, which make up 30 percent of Earth’s land surface. The program was filmed on the pampas in Argentina, the steppes of Mongolia, the savannas of Kenya, the plains of South Africa and the prairies of North America.

The third episode, “Hot Zones” (4/9), rounds out the series by examining how recent trends in globalization and the altering of ecosystems have led to dramatic increases in the spread of infectious diseases. The program was shot in Kenya, Peru, Bangladesh, New York City and along Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, where changing climates, uncontrolled development and loss of natural habitat have led to an upsurge of infectious diseases.

For more information about the “Journey To Planet Earth” series, visit the PBS website at