Thirty years ago the “toki” became extinct in the wild in Japan. This is the story of the attempt by a group of dedicated scientists and ordinary citizens to re-establish captive bred Japanese crested ibis, a rare and iconic bird, into the rice farming communities of Sado Island on the East Coast of Japan. As they struggled to breed the last remaining birds in captivity, the islanders have to change their farming methods before the toki could be returned to the wild.
Thirty years ago the “toki” became extinct in the wild in Japan. This is the story of the attempt by a group of dedicated scientists and ordinary citizens to re-establish captive bred Japanese crested ibis, a rare and iconic bird, into the rice farming communities of Sado Island on the East Coast of Japan. As they struggled to breed the last remaining birds in captivity, the islanders have to change their farming methods before the toki could be returned to the wild.
The Japanese discovered that a humble mould spore could transform soya beans into ‘Shoyu’, the soy sauce that is a pillar of Japanese cuisine. Sprinkle it on rice and the rice changes into sake... This mould is a tiny organism called ‘Aspergillus oryzae’ and mysteriously, it exists only in Japan!
The Citarum river in Indonesia, is the world's most polluted river. A reporter teamed up with international scientists to investigate the causes and consequences of this pollution. One of the main polluters is actually the fashion industry : 500 textile factories throw away their wastewater directly into the Citarum river.
The Citarum river in Indonesia, is the world's most polluted river. A reporter teamed up with international scientists to investigate the causes and consequences of this pollution. One of the main polluters is actually the fashion industry : 500 textile factories throw away their wastewater directly into the Citarum river.
The Citarum river in Indonesia, is the world's most polluted river. A reporter teamed up with international scientists to investigate the causes and consequences of this pollution. One of the main polluters is actually the fashion industry : 500 textile factories throw away their wastewater directly into the Citarum river.
When you open your pantry, do images of the rugged mountains of South America, the colorful tablelands of Africa and the fertile river valleys of the Middle East dance before your eyes? If not, you have yet to discover amaranth, quinoa, spelt, kamut and teff, the quintet of nutritional powerhouses known as the ancient grains. The legends behind their origins many millennia past, their loss over time and their ultimate modern revival - literally tell the story of civilization.
