Turning The Tide

Director: 
Paul Dickin
Tyne Tees Television
1 Sep 1986
Where Al Gore got his ideas

Soundtrack for series of seven films on the environment for Tyne Tees Television, presented by David Bellamy. Broadcasted autumn 1986 but the soundtrack was never released due to lack of money.

John's song Turning The Tide is built on Don't Want To Know but with more synth sounds in the vein of Piece By Piece. Also a John Wayne like theme was used to illustrate the more doom-oriented shots. Foster Paterson did some work for the soundtrack, too.

Bellamy also produced a hardcover book co-written with Brendan Quayle: Turning The Tide | Exploring The Options For Life On Earth.

The seven video programs lasted 26 minutes each.
1. The Chips are Down

In the first of this seven part series, David Bellamy exposes the failings of policy makers to take account of the environmental consequences of their decisions.

2. Running Out of Steam

Ebullient David Bellamy tackles the global energy crisis, and asks who really benefits from present policies?

3. Growing Pains

Why is there hunger in a world that already grows more than enough to feed everyone? It's grown in the wrong place, in the wrong way and sold at the wrong price to guarantee that everyone has enough to eat.

4. Into Deep Water

David Bellamy looks at why clean drinking water is becoming a scarce commodity even in the richest countries.

5. The Great Gene Robbery

David Bellamy turns his attention to the worldwide loss of genetic diversity. At current rates, within a hundred years one third of all the globe's species will be driven to extinction. In the Andes, David Bellamy finds that the potato's wild relatives are threatened. No amount of genetic engineering can protect food crops without genetic diversity.

6. No Dam Good

Big dams are often the favorite projects of developing countries and the banks that fund them. But to David Bellamy, they symbolize the arrogance with which we assault the natural world with our notions that size and expensive technology can solve our economic and social problems. Bellamy urges everyone to ask, "Who profits now, and who pays later?"

7. Bright Green

Current political structures rarely depart from the view that these problems can be solved by more output, and greater industrial growth. Environmentalists have challenged the very basis of this kind of thinking. David Bellamy puts them on trial to see what solutions to hunger, unemployment, and environmental destruction they have to offer future generations.

Credits: 
Producer: George Cortis
Director: Paul Dickin
Presenter: David Bellamy
Tracks: