Earth Day is now an international event intended to honor the Earth. Vegas PBS continues to present viewer-funded programs like FRONTLINE, PBS NewsHour and Independent Lens that discuss the political and economic tradeoffs of environmental conservation, and as well as programs like Nature, Outdoor Nevada and Ken Burns’ National Parks: America’s Best Idea that celebrate the natural beauty of our world and state.
In keeping with Earth Day, Vegas PBS will air a special three-night Nature event. American Spring Live will air on April 29, 30 and May 1 at 8 p.m., presenting the annual change from winter to spring recorded from iconic locations across America. Each episode combines spectacular recorded and live footage to explore how each new season triggers extraordinary biological change.
Throughout the month Outdoor Nevada will journey across the state, visiting some of Nevada’s greatest outdoor treasures. We are learning from locations that we have featured that the program has created an influx of visitors, new donor funding and positive word of mouth to support their work as stewards and presenters of Nevada’s natural resources and historic sites. Join our next adventure on Outdoor Nevada every Think Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Vegas PBS also makes responsible environmental operations a part of the station’s stewardship. The Vegas PBS Educational Technology Campus is an awarding-winning broadcast facility that is an international model for green broadcasting practices. It incorporates environmental and energy use product standards including LEED,WEE and RoHS and Forest Sustainability Council.The campus uses half the energy per square foot of a facility built to current Clark County building standards. Energy conservation systems reduce carbon emissions by 573 metric tons per year. Seven hundred and nineteen solar roof panels generate over 150,000 watts of power and provide 18 percent of the electrical demand for the building. Windows, skylights and screens maximize the use of natural light and significantly reduce air conditioning needs. Recycled and sustainable materials are used throughout the building, from flooring materials to recycled steel beams, and from sustainable electronics to furniture.
Nature connects viewers to natural beauty across the world. Outdoor Nevada connects us to some of the most spectacular locales in our own backyard, and Vegas PBS provides these services in a facility that reduces the station’s impact on the environment. – Tom Axtell – Vegas PBS, General Manager