Green Time TV, July 2017: Responsibility and Food
by Don Fitz
Showing stewardship of the Earth and providing food are intimately connected. July 2017 Green Time episodes explore humanity's duty to protect nature and how failure to do so threatens our food supply.
How can Christian congregations approach problems such as species extinction, fossil fuels and food deserts? In the first July Green Time, host Don Fitz and guests Rev. Rodrick Burton, of New Northside Missionary Baptist Church, and Rev. Elston McCowan, of the Green Party of St. Louis, explore the concept of stewardship over nature. Rev. Burton, discusses how his church's congregation was involved in the decision to use of solar panels. What are pollution problems confronting residents of Bridgeton and those living near the Carter Carburetor site? Guests look at contamination of air, land and water and what could happen if corporations get to do whatever they want.
What is wrong with the way food is produced and how could it be changed? During the second July Green Time, host Don Fitz and guests Ollie Fisher and Perdita Fisher, of www.ghanedenaee.org, look at barriers to changing the food system and how they could be overcome. The Fisher's have visited the African countries of Ghana, Senegal and Kenya. Everywhere they went they saw people whose ancestors were food independent for thousands of years now being forced by international finance to focus on cash crops. This means that instead of growing a variety of foods to feed their communities, they must grow a single crop for export, which increases hunger and fosters food dependency.
What is the neoliberal economy? What does it have to do with food and freedom? The third July Green Time has host Don Fitz and food activist Kathleen Logan Smith looking at what “food sovereignty” is and what it means for Missouri farmers. They explore corporate control of farmland and food. How does that control affect immigration from Mexico? How much of US food is grown here and how much is imported? How do bankers affect the growing of food?
What are the Latin American “Pink Tide” countries? How have trade agreements changed them? The fourth July Green Time has host Don Fitz and guest Dan Hellinger of Webster University discussing governments of Brazil and how food, land and hunger affected them. How did “extractivism” affect food security there? How did Cuba's “special period” change agriculture? How are Cuba's new links to the world economy influencing it? What agricultural institutions did Zapatistas set up in Mexico?
There is a strong connection between the desire for local autonomy and opposition to trade treaties. The final July Green Time features host Don Fitz and guests Karen Wilson and Mark Strothmann of Joining Hands exploring why India’s government pushed hybrid seeds, chemical fertilizers and pesticides onto farmers. What were its farmers doing before? They look at the relationship between the price of food and profits of corporations as well as how NAFTA has affected both the US and Mexico.
July shows include portions of the movie Greening the Revolution. Green Time appears at noon on Saturdays in St. Louis on Channel 24-1 and at 8 pm on Mondays in St. Louis on Channel 24-2, Springfield on Channel 39, Joplin on Channel 36 and Marshfield on Channel 17. Green Time programs air on these dates:
July 1, 3: “Humanity's Responsibility for the Earth,”
July 8, 10: “Feeding Sub-Sahara Africa,”
July 15, 17: “Food Sovereignty in Missouri,”
July 22, 24: “Food, Finance & the Pink Tide,” and
July 29, 31: “Injustice in International Trade.”
“Like” Gateway Greens on Facebook and click “Get notifications.” Also see Green Time on https://www.youtube.com/user/GreentimeTV. To help produce Green Time TV call 314-727-8554 or email fitzdon@aol.com
