Rockhopper TV has boldly chosen to send its crew once more into the frozen wastelands as they attempt the British Antarctic Expedition. This is not a tour for the feint-hearted and has lead to the untimely deaths of many who have not respected the terrible terrain, or the fearsome creatures who live in this snowy tundra. For Rockhopper TV though, this trip was yet another reason to document their journey across our planet. This is Rockhopper’s third such trip to the Antarctic and while they are there, they will visit regions such as the Larsen Ice Shelf, Fossil Bluff, the Flask Glacier and they will create a special report for the increased warming that is threatening the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Their trip is far from complete, but has included spectacular sites, mainly because the sun is up for twenty-two hours of every day! The sky is made up of never-ending chunks of grey and white interspersed with the briefest shards of light. This was captured on film and in photographs as is evident on their blog. Filming then began at Fossil Bluff, where there is a practically untouched base site which appears to look exactly the same as it did in 1961; even fifty-year old diary entries exist at the base which makes for some interesting reading material.
Next up, the Rockhopper TV team flew and the drove to a chain of weather stations within the Antarctic Peninsula. There have been some humbling reports which have come from the weather stations, such as a 70% increase in the amount of summer days in the past twenty-five years. The trip is not yet over, but one of the highlights so far seems to be the Adelie Penguins in Rothera. Outside of these large and beautiful creatures the fur seals mingle amongst them and it is truly a sight to behold. All of these beautiful sites of the Antarctic Expedition and more can be enjoyed for all to see, only with Rockhopper TV!
The natural disasters that are occurring more frequently around the world in Tokyo, Australia and so on, are not natural. They are the visible and disastrous effects of climate change and they are growing worse each day. In an eight-part documentary series titled Hot Cities, one group tracks global climate change and how this is affecting cities across the world. We look at episode 8, “Surviving Climate Change” to discover more about the detrimental impact of climate change.
Produced by Rockhopper TV, “Surviving Climate Change” takes a look at Los Angeles, which is one of the most polluted cities in the world. . Here the effects of climate change can be seen simply by driving along the streets. It is a city of consumption where people live life to the fullest with scant regard for how this impacts on the environment. One of the biggest problems facing the city is its carbon emissions – up to 20 tonnes per person per year – which is largely due to their love of the motor car. These emissions are a major cause of climate change, and while LA’s emission levels are double those of anywhere else, we all need to make serious changes to our lifestyles in order to change this.
LA is starting to see the evidence of climate change. In recent years, there has been a huge increase in the number of wildfires, water supplies are dwindling, rising sea levels may have a massive impact on LA’s port and could flood the city thus destroying thousands of homes. The documentary takes place just as the city launches a new strategy they hope will reduce and prevent climate change.
LA is in mid-fire season and all around are the charred remains of 17,500 acres of farmland which went up in flame in just two days. Ash flies through the air coating everything it lands on, while all around are charred skeleton trees and black earth. Last year LA lost 1.5 million acres of land in the greatest wildfire siege the city had ever seen.
Drought and an increase in wildfires are just two of the problems of climate change. Rising sea levels are another and there is great debate as to how this aspect of climate change will affect the world. California is one of the wealthiest parts of the world and is thus better equipped with capital to deal with climate change.
While LA does have the money to do something about climate change, even this isn’t enough to prevent the devastation caused by drought and wildfires. Watch the video and see how the adaptation strategy introduced to California can help combat climate change.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest percentages of HIV with an astonishing 30% of the population being HIV positive. Global HIV statistics are equally shocking with the number of infections increasing at every turn. However, while there is no cure for HIV, many people are able to live with the virus. Rockhopper TV investigates three stories of people in London, New York City and South Africa and shows us how they live with the virus.
Directors Beth Jones and Nicky Lankester filmed the hour long documentary and captured the essence of each city through some spectacular cinematography. Part of this was to show the daily lives of the people living with HIV and the place in which they live is a huge part of this.
The New York chapter covers the lives of Susan and Christina Rodriguez, a mother and daughter. Christina was 16 at the time of filming and she was infected with HIV through transmission from her mother, who in turn had become infected by her husband who died in 1996. Susan founded SMART University – an organisation that supports women who live with HIV and AIDS.
The next chapter features Tender Mavundla, 25, an aspiring singer from South Africa who reached the top four the country’s Idols show. She revealed her news that she is HIV positive, having been diagnosed eight years previously; two weeks later she was voted off the show. Her baby was born three months premature and died shortly after the birth. She cannot fall pregnant again and has since visited an orphanage in Johannesburg. The clip shows her revealing her status to her new boyfriend, but how does he take the news and will he continue dating someone with HIV?
The final chapter introduces us to Andrew in London, a haemophiliac who was given tainted blood that resulted in HIV infection when he was five. We follow his story as he and his wife try to conceive a child safely. The UK government is sponsoring a programme that is pioneering a technique called “sperm washing” as part of HIV research which, if successful, will enable conception without the transmission of the virus.
Love in a time of HIV gives us a glimpse into the lives of those infected with the virus, and instils hope in all of us as we realise that it is possible to live a full life with HIV.
Another week, another interesting TV show by Alvin as he continues to explore the world of the social entrepreneur. Today, he travels to Zambia to meet the founder of CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education), an organization that empowers bitterly poor, young girls in Africa into starting their own business. As a business guide, Alvin inspires people the world over who cannot afford the help of insanely expensive business moguls – his advice is warm, friendly and always needed. Alvin himself can easily empathize with others as he was raised in a poor household in the deep south of the United States.
In sub-Saharan Africa, twenty-four million women cannot afford to go to school and in the poorest areas there is often no chance of young girls being able to afford even the most basic of educations. The government only pays for education up to the age of thirteen – and this is when most children are most likely to drop out of school. Especially during harvest time, as each girl can make up to four dollars per bucket of caterpillars – this is a national delicacy that is highly sought-after for its ‘magical’ properties according to the locals in Zambia.
CAMFED started with only 32 young girls in 1993. This number has now grown to over 500,000 young learners in multiple countries across Africa. The annual income for CAMFED is roughly ten to twelve million dollars, with every cent being given back to the learners. With the education of young women, everything suddenly improves – from the rate of HIV infection to infant mortality rate.
With the help of Alvin and Rockhopper TV, these young women will be able to escape the cycle of poverty and begin a life of true change. Alvin is an international and local business guide who will always continue to do good for those who need his services most.
When it comes to the online world of viral videos it is extremely difficult to get yours noticed. A viral video can be described as a video that becomes popular through the process of internet sharing. While someone people simply upload videos to YouTube in the hope that it becomes viral, Rockhopper TV is a highly successful production company that films and edits viral video clips that make people pay attention and pass them on.
The viral video clip of the Nigerian traffic cop dancing as he directs traffic is one such sensation. The team was making a film about the stigma of HIV in the slums of Abuja when they saw this traffic cop. His name is Tony Lepore and he is a retired police officer. For the past 35 years Tony has spent his holidays taking to the streets and entertaining local residents as he directs traffic through his dancing, as depicted in this funny viral video.
The video was uploaded to YouTube where it rapidly became a featured video that popped up on sites across the world. Tony Lepore is now the most famous traffic cop in all of Africa thanks to the many people who watch and pass on viral videos.
This shows how quickly online media can spread and how viral videos can be a useful marketing tool for creating awareness, if applied correctly. This is exactly what Rockhopper TV does, which is why their viral videos win awards and are featured on innumerable websites on the internet.
Rockhopper TV has boldly chosen to send its crew once more into the frozen wastelands as they attempt the British Antarctic Expedition. This is not a tour for the feint-hearted and has lead to the untimely deaths of many who have not respected the terrible terrain, or the fearsome creatures who live in this snowy tundra. For Rockhopper TV though, this trip was yet another reason to document their journey across our planet. This is Rockhopper’s third such trip to the Antarctic and while they are there, they will visit regions such as the Larsen Ice Shelf, Fossil Bluff, the Flask Glacier and they will create a special report for the increased warming that is threatening the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
The natural disasters that are occurring more frequently around the world in Tokyo, Australia and so on, are not natural. They are the visible and disastrous effects of climate change and they are growing worse each day. In an eight-part documentary series titled Hot Cities, one group tracks global climate change and how this is affecting cities across the world. We look at episode 8, “Surviving Climate Change” to discover more about the detrimental impact of climate change.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest percentages of HIV with an astonishing 30% of the population being HIV positive. Global HIV statistics are equally shocking with the number of infections increasing at every turn. However, while there is no cure for HIV, many people are able to live with the virus. 
Another week, another interesting TV show by Alvin as he continues to explore the world of the social entrepreneur. Today, he travels to Zambia to meet the founder of CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education), an organization that empowers bitterly poor, young girls in Africa into starting their own business. As a business guide, Alvin inspires people the world over who cannot afford the help of insanely expensive business moguls – his advice is warm, friendly and always needed. Alvin himself can easily empathize with others as he was raised in a poor household in the deep south of the United States.
When it comes to the online world of viral videos it is extremely difficult to get yours noticed. A viral video can be described as a video that becomes popular through the process of internet sharing. While someone people simply upload videos to YouTube in the hope that it becomes viral, 