The Nature of Things and The Nature of Change

As many TV aficionados know, the Television Critics Association press tour is now in full swing in California. The rest of the Canadian TV critic press corps is stumbling around the pool at the Beverly Hilton, while some of us have remained at home to keep an eye on the Canadian scene. (Photo: Me keeping an eye on a particularly lovely Canadian scene, a sailboat sailing near Vancouver’s Sunset Beach)

For the first time in years, I decided to sit out the tour (this edition has been hilariously dubbed as the Thank God We're Working Summer TV Press Tour by Washington Post writer Lisa de Moraes ). That must be beyond funny to those with an expense account.

So, here I am thinking about my pals, down south being force-fed TV exec bafflegab, phony smiles and free booze. It’s possible I might be suffering something akin to Survivor’s Guilt, and not the Jeff Probst kind.

Today the nominees for the upcoming Emmy Awards (Sept. 17) were announced and my friend Maria Jacquemetton’s show Mad Men is up for a whopping 16 awards, and leads the nominee pack. Full deets at: http://www.emmys.org/.

But back to the beach. I wasn’t just enjoying surf and sand. I was doing “research.” This weekend marks the debut of Antarctic Mission: Islands at the Edge on CBC’s The Nature of Things with David Suzuki. One of the many topics explored in the visually stunning mini-series is the impact of climate change on species native to the Antarctic region, including marine mammals. The series follows the research vessel Sedna IV, helmed by Quebecer Jean Lemire, who led a similar northern expedition years ago.

As was found in the Arctic, there’s clear evidence that changing temperatures are causing significant environmental change – including warming water temperatures. And I was pondering that on the beach. No really.

Believe it or not, Suzuki is now 72 years old and has been spreading the message, or warning, about climate change for nearly 20 years. His first feature documentary on the topic aired in 1989. Hard to fathom that there are still those who’ll proffer “junk science” to dispute what is abundantly apparent.

Look for my full feature and interview with Dr. Suzuki in an upcoming issue of TV TIMES. During our chat, Suzuki shared his concern that this generation of kids, more than any other, spends very little time outdoors. We got onto the topic as we discussed our shared interest in exploring tidal pools, yes, tidal pools. If that sounds geeky, well it’s merely the inevitable byproduct of having a curious mind and living beside an ocean. It’s amazing what you’ll find when you turn over a rock, any rock, near the ocean, or a lake for that matter.

Curious? You could do worse than to tune in to The Nature of Things this Sunday at 6 PM.