Media Appearances

On BBCiPlayer, available only until tomorrow, the interview with Prof. Wangari Maathai, Lord Deben and Roger Pielke on what is the future for climate change.

Watch Prof. Maathai's recent press conference with the Japanese National Press Club on YouTube!

Teachers TV will be broadcasting the documentary "Taking Root: the vision of Wangari Maathai" at several times starting December 30th.
Additional times are:
December 30th at 3am GMT
January 1st at 1am GMT
January 2nd at 9pm GMT
January 3rd at 11pm GMT

CNN's Christiane Amanpour looks at views on climate change versus the actual facts on climate change.

Wangari Maathai, Nobel laureate, on planting trees and protecting forests

Listen to the 90 second interview!


Listen to the 8 minute interview!


Saving Earth’s tropical forests will help avoid the worst effects of climate change. That’s according to environmentalist and Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai. She founded the Green Belt Movement, which has planted over 40 million trees across Africa. We spoke to her by phone.

Wangari Maathai: Scientists tell us that 20 percent of the greenhouse gases, especially carbon, is coming from deforestation and degradation of forests. And especially of the huge tropical forests, in the Amazonia, in the Congo, and southeast Asia, three blocks of forest that are often referred to as the ‘three lungs of the planet.’ They control, they regulate, the climate of the world.

Maathai said that reducing emissions from deforestation hasn’t received enough attention by the world’s leaders.

Wangari Maathai : People need to understand that if you didn’t have trees, that are taking away carbon dioxide from the atmosphere constantly, we would suffocate in our own carbon dioxide. Even the carbon dioxide that we are exhaling ourselves, let alone that which is coming from our transport, the cars, the planes, and all the other activities that we do, burning charcoal and all the other fossil fuels. So folks, trees are the best friends you have on the planet. They need to be planted, and those that are standing need to be protected and appreciated.

EarthSky asked Maathai what the most important thing is that she wants people to know about climate change.

Wangari Maathai: What I would like people to know is that it’s real, it’s here. We cannot deny. For the people who say that the science is wrong, well suppose the science is right. This is one issue that I wish we would not play around with or we would not experiment with because it’s a matter of life and death. Alternately, even if the 4,000 scientists were wrong, planting trees, changing from a high carbon lifestyle to a low carbon lifestyle, protecting our forests, and in reducing these greenhouse gases can only make the planet better for our children and their children. So whatever we do, as long as we are reducing emissions, we are doing a great thing for the planet.

Dr. Maathai talked about how climate change might affect Africa.

Wangari Maathai: I’m very concerned about Africa and climate change, because Africa, we all know that Africa has contributed negligible amounts of greenhouse gases. And yet scientists are telling us that she’s going to receive very negative feedback. Because many countries in Africa, south of the Sahara especially, are poor, they are very unprepared for this crisis. So as we have seen recently, when the rains didn’t come for three years, the government announced an emergency in the country. And over ten million people are in danger. That’s only an indication of the kind of crisis we are likely to face in the future. So it’s very, very serious, and it’s largely due to the fact that Africa has not prepared herself for an environmental crisis.

There are complex reasons as to why tropical forests are disappearing, said Maathai.

Wangari Maathai: Quite often when we think of deforestation, we think of people in the poorer regions of the world, and we think that they’re the one who are deforesting. But I can tell you with confidence that a lot of deforestation, for example in the Congo, is not being done by the indigenous people who live in those forests. It’s being done by huge international companies that are selling the timber with the approval of the government. So, as we try to save the forests, it’s not only the local governments that need to be concerned, but it’s also the consumers to whom this timber is brought, usually the developed world.

Wangari Maathai speaks to Michel Martin about her life and work in Kenya and abroad.

Dr. Maathai speaks with Ryan Young about the achievements and challenges she has experienced throughout her life as an activist and environmentalist.

Connect the World takes viewers on a sweeping journey across continents, beyond headlines and into histories, possibilities and depths of the stories that are changing our world.

Today Professor Wangari Maathai comments on the U.N. summit on climate change and answers your questions.

Wangari Maathai saw trees being chopped down in her backyard in Kenya and dedicated her life to saving Africa's rainforests. Now it's time for the rest of the world to face some hard truths, the Nobel laureate tells Johann Hari.

Wangari Maathai speaks with Juan Gonzales about the UN summit on climate change and the future of international climate change negotiations.

This panel looks at the human consequences of physical infrastructure investments, with a special emphasis on improving health outcomes through better sanitation, increased water supplies, expanded food availability, rebuilding slums, and training and human capital.

Representing civil society organizations world wide, Wangari Maathai calls on the world's leaders to act as citizens of the planet and seal a strong deal in Copenhagen.

During her stay in Canada, Dr. Maathai wrote in the Calgary Herald about the disproportionate effects climate change has on poor nations, those who did the least to cause it.

Listen to an interview with Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai as she discusses her new book The Challenge for Africa on The Women's Show hosted by Mary Glenney at WMNF radio.

CNN Revealed is a TV and Web program that gets under the skin of the world's brilliant thinkers, creative champions and inspirational leaders. Professor Wangari Maathai will be the focus of the forthcoming CNN Revealed, which will be aired at the following times:

Wednesday 15 April at 0930 and 1830
Saturday 18 April at 0830 and 1900
Sunday 19 April at 0530 and 1830
Monday 20 April at 0400

(All times GMT)

ITVS Community is proud to support TAKING ROOT with Community Cinema screening events and materials in support of its national broadcast on Independent Lens on April 14, 2009. Check your local listings for times of this special television event!

Wangari Maathai talks to Prime Time Radio about being the first African woman, and the first environmentalist to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Wangari Maathai will be interviewed by Kirsty Young on one of Radio 4's most popular and enduring programmes.

Focus of the Profile Interview, a weekly in depth feature on a notable person.

Night Waves is Radio 3's flagship arts and ideas programme.

Up All Night interview on 'The Book that Changed my Life'.

Interview with Simon Mayo on a daily current affairs programme.

Start the Week sets the cultural agenda every Monday. Guests are drawn from the top movers and shakers in politics, history, science and the arts.

Live interview and debate with Andrew Marr.

Weekly feature 'The Best of Times, the Worst of Times'

Live interview with host Michael Krasny.

The show will be broadcast over the web. To listen, click here.

Wangari Maathai will be interviewed by host Doreen Key.

Wangari Maathai will be interviewed by syndicated talk show host Tavis Smiley. Check local listings for times and details.

A one hour interview with host.

Wangari Maathai will be interviewed for half an hour on this Pacifica station.

Wangari Maathai will be interviewed on the show "Your Call" by host, Rose Aguilar.

Wangari Maathai is interviewed on the BBC. See local times for details.

Wangari Maathai's interview will run today.

Wangari Maathai will be interviewed on the Morning Show.

Wangari Maathai will be interviewed for ten minutes by host, Henry Santoro.

Live interview from Boston, Massachusetts.

Wangari Maathai will be interviewed for the show "Visions."

An interview with Wangari Maathai will be in today's Philadelphia Inquirer.

Wangari Maathai will be interviewed for an hour for the show by Charlie Rose.

Live 45-minute interview on leading public radio station

A live interview with Soledad O'Brien

Wangari Maathai will appear on the Morning Show with hosts Sam Greenfield and Armstrong Williams.

Live interview with Marty Moss-Coane. The interview will be available worldwide and is available for podcast 60 minutes after the conclusion of the interview.

Wangari Maathai will discuss her new book and issues pertaining to Africa.