Greg Chapman
	Research

I for one am not educated enough on all religions to make a definitive statement on what religion is right. I truly believe that it could be multiple answers to a very complicated question. People from all walks of life have reasons to believe (or not to believe) in a faith system, but its a matter of respecting that and try to learn about why others believe in what they do.

Inside the Koran is a lesson in the religious school of thought. The documentary takes you all around the world to different regions to show how people of the muslim faith interpret the Koran.

You can catch the premiere of Inside the Koran on Tuesday August 5 at 9p et/pt.

Let me know what you think about the state of religious affairs around the world today.

The National Geographic Channel received 12 Emmy® Award nominations for news and documentaries, as announced by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). This was the most Emmy nominations of any cable network, and the largest number of nominations in the channel’s history.

Click on each photo below to watch a preview of the show...

Explorer: China's Secret Mummies: Decodes the genetic identity of unusually well-preserved and completely misplaced mummies.
Explorer: Inside North Korea: NGC correspondent Lisa Ling penetrates the border of one the most secretive nations on earth.
Explorer: Inside the Body Trade: Lisa Ling investigates the growing global black market in body parts.
Galápagos: Explores the islands that changed the world, from erupting volcanoes to diving birds and rarely filmed sites and creatures.
Incredible Human Machine: Journeys through the phenomenal inner workings of our bodies on a typical day.
Inside the Living Body: Goes beneath the skin to reveal how our bodies evolve from birth to old age
Planet Carnivore: Great White Shark: Tracks the adventures of a 2,000-lb. great white shark for five weeks.

Don't forget to cheer us on! The News & Documentary Emmy® Awards will be presented on Monday, September 22. For additional details on the nominations and categories, go to emmyonline.tv.

The final day for Georgia at TCA concluded with her meet and greet with some of televsion's best known critics. By the sound of it she impressed her audience. Below is the final installment of Georgia's trip to Hollywood.

For more information on the show DogTown click here, and to learn more about how to help dogs, such as Georgia, head over to Bestfriends.org.

	Michelle Besmehn
	DogTown

Our third day was a busy day. We had an interview with Inside Edition in the morning. Georgia had her own chair for this one. She stayed in her chair, looked at the camera when the interviewer spoke to us, and was great about meeting the camera crew.

After the interview, the camera crew from Inside Edition followed Georgia and John out to the pool, where she was served her lunch in a glass dish while lounging on a lawn chair. Again, she was a bit nervous about being so close to the pool, but I think the food helped to distract her.

Once we were done with that interview, it was off to prepare for the panel that would take place in the afternoon. Georgia was relaxed going up onto the stage and even took a little nap during the preparation session. Georgia then rested in the “green room” with Juliette while the rest of us had lunch with some of the reporters.

Georgia was clearly ready for her hollywood close up

It was finally time for the panel. Georgia accompanied us on stage to answer questions from some of the 60-plus reporters who attended. She was a bit more nervous this time because of the lights and all the people, but soon she decided that it wasn’t so bad and she actually fell asleep. I guess we had tired her out.

Once we were done answering questions, Georgia woke up in time to greet all her fans. She was again wonderful with all the people who wanted to meet her. Georgia was exhausted by the end of these activities, so John took her up to her room early and let her have a good rest. It’s tough being a celebrity!

I am very impressed with how well Georgia did. She is well on her way to being ready for her own home. From what I saw, a home in Beverly Hills would suit Georgia just fine!

	John Garcia
	DogTown

Day three was when Georgia really had to earn her kibble. The day started out poolside while we practiced for the first interview, and she just lounged around while we talked. Around mid-day, Michelle and I had an interview with Inside Edition that couldn’t have gone any better.

Georgia again demanded that we go poolside so she could eat her Canine Caviar out of a fancy bowl while she worked on her tan. I could tell she was a little uncomfortable by the strange blue water with people swimming back and forth. She took her spot on one of the lounge chairs by the pool while the Inside Edition people finished up.

" I can’t help saying again how proud I am of Georgia and how she did with this whole experience. She met everything under the sun with no problems at all, everything from kids to adults, skateboards to crutches. She not only handled being in a city better than I did, but she seemed right at home alongside all the celebrities."

After that, we walked back through the hotel lobby and she said hello to everyone she came across. Even though we have a strong bond, I’m still amazed by how well she listened to me; she didn’t miss a beat. Every time I said her name or asked her to do something, she did it with no issues whatsoever. We had worked on a lot of different things – like loose-leash walking, sit, down, recall, etc. – but she showed me that her willingness to please was extremely high.

Every time she became a little nervous, she would make eye contact for reassurance. We even saw several dogs being walked on our little adventures and every time I would say her name and “change the subject” before she could become worked up. Not once did she lash out at any dogs or people the entire trip. I’m so proud of her.

	Michelle Besmehn
	DogTown

The second day we were there, we had an interview with TV Guide Channel. Again, Georgia did really well. She sat on John’s lap during the interview. She did get a bit bored by the end and wanted to get down, but John talked to her, I petted her, and she seemed to settle down.

An exhausted Georgia takes some time to nap by the pool.

She met many people on the way to the interview and again when we were leaving. She was confident and polite and often offered her belly for a rub. She was gentle with most people, with the exception of a couple of people that she seemed to get excited around (in a playful way). She seemed to be drawn to men more than women but was good with both.

She also spent some time by the pool. She didn’t want to be too close to the pool – maybe because of the smell of chlorine or because of the way the water looked. We were a bit surprised because she normally loves the water. She didn’t mind lounging on a chair as long as there was a bit of distance between her and the pool.

	John Garcia
	DogTown

Day two started out with Georgia and me getting a bit lost, but it was a great adventure. As we were walking around, we came across a lady outside a nail salon who immediately fell in love with Georgia and wanted to paint her nails. Unfortunately we were due back at the hotel for an interview and I was a few dollars short, but Georgia still went into the shop and met everyone.

When we entered, I noticed a lady take several steps back – she was noticeably afraid. I explained who I was and how Georgia was as sweet as they come, but there was still a lot of apprehension on her part about meeting Georgia. After a few minutes and plenty of belly rubs from everyone else, the lady who was afraid came over and said hello. After she said hello, she told me she has never met a pit bull and has always thought of them as mean dogs. She ended the conversation saying that these dogs are wonderful. Again, I am so proud of Georgia for being such a wonderful ambassador for the breed.

We came back to the hotel just in time to make the interview and, again, Georgia was absolutely wonderful. She sat on my lap the entire time and the only hard part was keeping her from licking Michelle and me while we were being interviewed.

That night, we were invited poolside for dinner and she spent the next couple of hours schmoozing with everyone. Once people saw her with her pretty pink collar, they came over to say hello. Several belly rubs later, Georgia and I returned to the room and this time she slept very well.

On the way to the room, we encountered a nice lady in the elevator who was visibly shaken by sharing an elevator with a pit. Again, Georgia won her over in a matter of moments and the lady turned out to be an actress who works for a major TV network. I can’t say how proud I am of Georgia.

For more information on the show DogTown click here, and to learn more about how to help dogs, such as Georgia, head over to Bestfriends.org.

While feeding sharks may enthrall tourists, is it possible that it could cause sharks to associate humans, boats, and cages with food? Should shark feeding be allowed? Share Your Thoughts.

Learn more about sharks like whether they hunt in the dark... Don't miss "Sharkville" on Friday July 25 at 10P et/pt.

Do you have a dog? Is your dog better than every other dog? Do you have a story about your dog that you want everyone to know? Or maybe you need a little advice about how to train your dog? The National Geographic Channel has set up a new community area just for you. A new community area on out site called Nat Geo Dogs has just been launched for all of you dog lovers out there to make your dog a star that you know they are.

The area has spots for you to make a profile, upload photos and share stories about your best friend. The site is intended to bring all you dog lovers out there together, and be able to interact, give advice about training and simply shed some light to man's best friend.

Head to Nat Geo Dogs, set up a profile and start bark...er....talking about your pooch. Sign up for the new area by clicking here.

And realize that if your dog had thumbs, they would be spending their time on Nat Geo Dogs.

The National Geographic Channel brought some of the people featured on the Dogtown show to Los Angeles to the Television Critics Association press event. Dr. Mike Dix, Elissa Jones, Michelle Besmehn and John Garcia attended, and Georgia, one of the Vicktory dogs featured in the upcoming two-hour season premiere episode (September 5, 9 pm), accompanied John.

Georgia was chosen as the doggie representative on the trip because she and John have a very strong bond, and both John and Michelle felt that Georgia would enjoy an outing and feel safe and secure with John there. Also, it was an opportunity for us to see Georgia in a new situation, which is always a learning experience. Finally, it was a great opportunity for the charismatic Georgia to represent the pit-bull, an often-misunderstood breed.

For even more information on the Dogs of Dogtown, head to Best Friends.org

	Michelle Besmehn
	DogTown

It is always hard to know how a dog is going to do in a completely new environment. Georgia has been doing really well here at Dogtown, but I was curious to see how she would do in the “big city.” She was amazing! Starting with the airplane ride out to L.A., she just laid down on her dog bed and slept quietly during the flight. Every once in a while, she would look up and check in with John.

When we arrived in L.A., we were picked up by a driver in an Escalade. John, Georgia and I rode together and again she seemed perfectly comfortable sitting on the back seat with John looking out the window. Once we arrived at the hotel, Georgia received a new collar and leash. The pink collar and leash with crystals decorating them seemed to really suit Georgia. She looked beautiful.

It was interesting to find out from John that people reacted differently to Georgia with her new outfit. Instead of walking to the far side of the sidewalk or to the other side of the road, they were more inclined to approach John and ask if they could pet his dog. Although there were times when Georgia seemed a bit stressed (extra panting), overall she thrived on the attention she was being given by almost everyone she came across. She was comfortable with walking up stairs, riding the elevator and exploring many new places at the hotel as well.

John and Michelle hang out with the star of the weekend.

	John Garcia
	DogTown

Day one started with Georgia play-bowing and getting zoomy around the run when I went to pick her up. Usually she comes to the gate and sits politely for the leash to be put on, but that day she was ready to go. On the way to the airport, we had a little talk and I told her some of what she would need to know for the trip, but I had no idea she would listen to me so well.

When we got to the airport, she was a bit apprehensive but she quickly overcame her anxiety and jumped right into the little plane for her star-studded trip. I think she had more fun on the plane than anyone else – especially when we were landing.

Before we left Kanab, Georgia had demanded a pink diamond-studded collar and leash, so Elissa made the phone call and Darcy (our series producer) had it waiting for us. The funny thing was that Georgia had also wanted to be driven to the Beverly Hilton in style, so the Nat Geo Channel was nice enough to send two Escalades to pick us up. Again, she jumped right in and made herself at home (although the car was missing the blue M&Ms and Evian water).

The ride to the hotel was uneventful but once we got there, Georgia had to start earning her kibble. The first thing we did was walk through the hotel lobby and up to the room. She went into the lobby like she owned the place and once we were in the room, she ate her lunch.

	Steve Hoggard
	Hoggard Films - Writer/Director

Getting to the kid gunners from the other side (East Coast Crips) involved in the war was also problematic. Our concerns were various:

1) Would they rob us in this private location and take our 100k gear etc, or worse
2) we would get caught in a crossfire between the warring gangs as drive-bys were very likely or
3) they would think we were bad guys in the drive up (an ongoing concern) and fire on our vehicle.

We were repeatedly threatened by various subjects - both telling me that their leaders had ordered me 'hit' and by simply pointing loading guns (while getting loaded on weed, booze and crack themselves) at our crew – really mostly at the DP, Ryan Hill...

"Death and revenge is an all-too common thread in South Central and Compton (maybe even the most common). And it’s the reason why – when the film ends with a son crying for his dead father to awaken – I believe that the cycle of gang violence in Compton and South Central is, tragic to say, far from over."
	- Steve Hoggard

When you see the one Crip pointing a .223 assault weapon at Ryan (the guy was pretty stoned) and declares, “see – I even got your m-f-ing cameraman scared”, I distinctly remember taking an ‘involuntary’ step to the right and out of the line of fire…

Still – Ryan stood his ground and kept rolling, (It’s good one of us did!). Once trust was built and we’d spent time with some of these guys – they didn’t seem all that threatening…

But having covered the war in Afghanistan and the Bosnian Serb massacre at Srebrenica – having waded through mass graves -- interviewed mass murderers, SS Nazi veterans and the like – I’d long since learned that the faces of those capable of extreme violence are always very, very human.

Getting permission from parents and guardians for the SEA Compton school kids to participate in the film was and is tough. Very tough. Many of these kids have parents who don't show, who are in prison, on drugs, etc. To get permissions signed, we and Father Stan visited some homes three and four times, often to no avail. You’d find out where a kid ‘stayed at’ one day – and the next day he’d of moved to a different house.

One of our featured kids, Everardo, whose father was put away for being a gang leader, had told his 16-year-old son, 'if you're not calling shots by the time I get out I'm going to kick your ass." These are the male role models who set many kids off on their journey into life.

At one point Everardo looked at me during an interview and said, “I'd hate to have to kill you because one of my OG’s ordered me to take you out.” I looked at him and he didn't smile --- and to this day I'm not sure whether he was kidding or not (although I have to think he was – if not joking – just trying to scare me…) What I am sure of is that this little boy has willingly shot people for his gang.

	Steve Hoggard
	Hoggard Films - Writer/Director

Making contact with the warring gangs (East Coast Crips / Grape Street Crips) took a lot of trust earning and help from a gang insider who wants to remain anonymous for his own safety. He lives in an East Coast Crip neighborhood and fears for his life.

The war that begins and ends our film and the funerals of the two brothers killed in the war that begin and end our story are events that confronted us while out there.

This too, was simply an act of discovering what our film was once we were out there in the streets…

We gained the mother's trust of the Grape Street Crip whose death and funeral launched the war (and our film) and were still in contact with her when her second son was shot and killed two months later.

This is a young man we met during our interview with her about her first son’s murder – and why she allowed us to film the funeral of this younger / second son who was killed in March. He was killed by East Coast Crips for wearing a shirt that memorialized his older brother Brandon (again, the OG whose killing set off the gang war in the first place).

When we heard Kejuan had been killed, I’d want to say we were shocked. And we were. But we had also developed – I hate to say – a sense of fatalism. The fact is, this is how gang life goes in a place where gang members – on average – never make it to 21.

By this time, we had also discovered that Brandon and Kejuan’s mother was actually an associate of the Grape Street Crip gang itself. In our interview after her first son’s death, she was unwilling to say that gangs should be eliminated in South Central: this just days after burying her son… Upon learning of the mother’s own gang associations – we were again offered a stark reminder of how incredibly deep gang culture runs in some parts of LA.

"The fact is, this is how gang life goes in a place where gang members –on average– never make it to 21"

	Steve Hoggard
	Hoggard Films - Writer/Director

Recently, a gang expert has written a paper equating gang banging and gang life with addiction… Many experts now seem to align with this point of view… And although I’m no expert myself, the corollary seems accurate to me. If gang banging is like an addiction, then the treatments and intervention methods now being brought to bear deserve intense scrutiny.

OG’s – ‘original gangsters’ -- play a huge role in the gang dynamic. These are the older guys: the gang leaders, who provide the guns, plan out the crimes, manage the drug sales and so on. To make their gangs strong, they need a constant flow of new members: new little homies.

Gangs are only as strong as their number. Violence, arrests, old guys getting out, and so on constantly deplete their ranks.

OGs are in constant need of ‘fresh meat’ – little homies. And in places like S. Central and Compton where so many boys have what Father Stan calls “the father wound”: where dads are gone, are never there, are in prison, dead, etc. – there are many, many boys eager to find a father figure and a surrogate family… That family is gang life. And the father figures are the gang leaders or OGs who manipulate them.

This is a theme that boy bangers repeat again and again, and one that gang intervention experts, like Father Stan, knows all too well.

Early on, we knew we’d want to get ‘inside’ the mind and life of one such OG – to serve as a counterweight to our teen gang bangers and provide a glimpse into what makes these ‘surrogate’ and terribly manipulative ‘Big Homies’ / OGs tick.

You'll get to know Poo, (second from the left), as his story is told during Inside LA Gang War

That’s when we met Poo. Poo is one of the most amazing and charismatic characters I’ve met in all the world. He is beloved by his little homies. He is, I believe, truly conflicted about the life he’s chosen. He does see his little homies as ‘family’. Yet he is also viciously manipulative with them. And they will do just about anything he says…

Poo’s been shot multiple times, done over 5 years in prison, been arrested more than 20 times, is an apparently loving father and son, and has admittedly shot his fair share of people…

	Steve Hoggard
	Hoggard Films - Writer/Director

How to pull this off? At first, we didn’t have a clue.

But then we met Father Stan Bosch, who has lived and ministered to gang kids in Compton and South Central for 20 years now.

Stan was the key to opening up access to kids in the gang banging world who were, at the same time, trying to straddle the ‘real’ world: trying in many instances to get out – or just survive.

Stan and SEA School were just amazing to see…

An oasis of sanity – and a ‘safe zone’ where – as we say in the film, for a few hours a day these kids – many of whom suffer from PTSD just like Iraq Vets – could go to just be kids… On this one playground, there are some 20 – 40 gangs represented from across South Central and Compton… It’s a place where kids from warring gangs can actually make friends with ‘enemies’… Then – at day’s end – the faculty and Father Stan have to map out each student’s route home so they avoid traveling through enemy territory…

The work you’d see taking place in Father’s Stan’s group session was even more amazing. Ever respectful of the kids, he got their permission for us to film a group discussion that was similar to the group therapy he does at SEA… Witnessing that exchange was something to behold. All of a sudden, these kids – cold and distant and sometimes threatening – transformed into sensitive, thoughtful and vulnerable children… Which is what they are…

We knew from then on that the film we wanted to make would show this tragic dichotomy. To the outside world and on the street, teen gang bangers are frightening, violent, heavily armed and nearly psychotic caricatures… And they do indeed perform truly terrible deeds… They rob and they kill.

Unmasked, with their gang rags off – and in a caring environment – they turn into the children they are…

	Father Stan Bosch, S.T.
	Director/Therapist Gang Intervention - S.O.Y.-I Am

Years ago a missionary who served in the Amazon Basin of Brazil returned home to North America for a holiday. While he was home walking in something of a swap-meet, he happened upon a beautiful antique sundial. Immediately he imagined, “That sundial would be an ideal gift for my villagers in the Amazon”. “I could use it to teach them how to tell the time of the day.” The missionary brought the sundial, crated it, and took it back to the interior of Brazil. When the village leaders took first glimpses at the sundial, they were deeply touched by the generosity of the missionary and subsequently insisted that it be placed in the center of the village circle.

Father Stan, (right), works with inner city youth in LA to show that there is a path out of gang-life.

For More Information on Outreach Organizations In the LA Area Go To:

Soledad Enrichment Action

Center for Action and Contemplation

The villagers also were thrilled with the gift although they did not grasp its significance. Nevertheless, they had never seen anything so beautiful in their lives. The missionary was delighted by everyone’s response to the gift. He was therefore totally unprepared for what happened a few days later. The people of the village got together and built a wall around the sundial to protect it from the animals and the children. Subsequently, they built a roof over it to protect it from the rain, the wind, and the sun.

This National Geographic story vividly portrays the ‘walls’ of anger and hostility leading to desperate acts of ‘jacking people’, vengeance, or ‘pay-backs’ against warring gangs, and the consequential homicides that are in reality the manifestation of a profound hunger and desire for someone to recognize, and I dare say love, our fellas on the streets of Compton and Watts and South Central. I can only imagine that your town or city can become a labyrinth for the ubiquitous unmet needs and hurts of our young brothers and sisters…

I was honored to have worked with the producers, Steve Hoggard and his team (Catherine and Ryan) in the development of this film. When Steve initially called me, I told him forthrightly that I would have an agenda if he chose to work together and with our kids. I declared my suspicion against exploiting youth and had a biased against telling an inner city story ‘as usual’. I explained that most of our children are essentially good, gifted and hungry to be loved.

"I never would have imagined that the making of a documentary could awaken desire in our young folk to reveal their goodness while being brutally honest about the threatening obstacles that they face everyday."
	- Father Stan Bosch

They are however reflecting the darkness that surrounds them, like the sundial…awaiting the liberation and an opportunity to shine light and love like Deronte does in the film. The kids that are being exposed in Steve’s work are wrapped in and seduced by a violent gang world; they are little fellas with a huge ‘Father wound’ that come from chaotic family structures. Most of our families are threatened by ‘survival realities’ with high rent, underemployment, immigration fears, and at the same time kids have nothing to do. We experience an extreme poverty in the absence of mentors and models to walk with our youth. Many dads have never been present in their children’s lives or are in prison (including the prison of addictions). Many are simply apathetic to the plight of their own children.

Is stopping global warming an economic opportunity or a social burden? Share Your Thoughts.

Don't miss the continuation of Earth: The Biography on Monday July 14 and Tuesday July 15 starting at 9P et/pt.

** This week on the NGC Blog, we will be bringing stories from writer/director Steve Hoggard's time while filming Inside LA Gang Wars. Steve Hoggard brought you last year's moving documentary Inside the Green Berets. And as he did with the Green Berets in Afghanistan and as you will hear this week, Steve and his crew took on the dangers and brought back the real story of whats going on with people effected by the violence. **

	Steve Hoggard
	Hoggard Films - Writer/Director

We started working access and researching Inside LA Gang Wars in August of 2007… not even sure exactly of what story we sought.

Click above to preview Inside: LA Gang Wars

Inside LA Gang Wars premieres Sunday July 20 at 9p et/pt.

Preview Steve Hoggard's Inside Green Berets

It wasn’t until after many meetings with gang bangers, gang intervention workers, ride-alongs with anti-gang units, and meeting groups of grieving mothers who’ve lost kids to the violence that the story began to crystallize.

The question we wondered over and over again was, why? Why do teens keep joining and what keeps this cycle of violence alive?

It all seemed so inane and pointless…

Even knowing the histories of how the gangs evolved, of how easy guns are to access, of how jobs left the inner cities, of how politically directed groups like the Black Panthers in the 60’s gave way to the first gangs; of how the destructive dynamics of crack, drug money and assault weapons combined to raise the stakes and the human cost – even knowing all this, still the killings didn’t make sense.

So much of the violence originates from mundane causes – girls, ‘turf’, sleights of ‘honor’ – things that, in most other corners of American life might – at worst – lead to a fist fight… Not multiple shootings and all out war…

We’ve seen poverty and violence all over the globe – but the gang phenomenon that began in LA and spread across the USA struck us as truly horrific – and strangely self-destructive.

The template we've seen in so many other gang films is often very similar...

Histories of Crips, histories of Bloods, of MS-13, of the Aryan Brotherhood – many of these films follow a pretty recognizable pattern…

In each, the stories are told primarily through interviews with retired gang members and then illustrated by swaths of archival footage. Most of them often have a single, riveting ‘victim’ story as a through story… It’s safe, it’s a sure bet, it’s often compelling stuff… But it’s very often far from ‘in the moment’.

From the start - we did not want to do this. We wanted our story to be composed of original footage shot in the moment with – or by – the teen gang members themselves.

With few exceptions (notably an HBO film set in Little Rock) – we couldn’t find examples of films set in the gang ‘here and now’. Very few - if any - attempted to get inside the mindset of teens who were in the act of joining – or trying to get out.

So this is the film we decided to make.

We decided to go into the streets and make contact with the teen bangers / boy bangers now out there gang banging... The kids who make gangs go -- who do the killing and dying...

Earth The Biography: Ice Premieres Sunday, July 13

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Can you balance the Earth's elements?

Chapter Two - Ice

Ice can be found in every corner of our planet – it dominates the world’s highest mountains and covers almost the entire continent of Antarctica. Ice can accumulate to monumental proportions, carve spectacular landscapes, create iconic scenery and inflict devastating catastrophes. It has even played an integral part in the course of human evolution, triggering global changes that affect the climate of the entire planet.

• The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest single mass of ice on Earth. It holds 70 percent of the world’s fresh water.

• Buried beneath Antarctica’s ice sheets is one of the world’s largest lakes – Lake Vostok – a body of water cut off from the rest of the planet since before the human race evolved.

• If all land ice melted away, the global average sea level would rise about 266 feet, with the Antarctic ice sheet contributing about 240 feet and the Greenland ice sheet contributing about 25 feet.

• Greenland is an island covered by the second largest ice sheet on the planet and contains about 600,000 cubic miles of ice. If temperatures continue to rise, it could lead to the eventual disappearance of all of Greenland’s ice.

• The Columbia Glacier in Alaska is about a mile and a half wide and about a half mile thick. But just 20 years ago, it was nearly twice as thick. Since 1980, the Columbia has retreated more than nine miles.

	Ben Wilson
	BBC Vision Production

As an introduction to the sheer power of the oceans, Hawaii is hard to beat. You can’t help but feel small and inconspicuous in the face of such splendour. Yet when we headed on from Hawaii to the islands of Palau, near the east coast of Indonesia, I saw first hand how humans are managing to change even this mighty force. Palau is as close to the definition of tropical paradise as it’s possible to get. The series of coral islands and outcrops form a maze of palm tree fringed pods, the crystal clear water between them teaming with vivid life. However, one thing that Palau does lack is an appreciable hill of any description, not perhaps what you’d consider a great drawback unless you happen to desperately need a high view point from which to capture the complete glory of the islands on film.

Click Above to Preview Earth The Biography: Oceans

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Can you balance the Earth's elements?

The ideal would be to film from the air, but as the nearest helicopter was 4000 miles away and would have to be dismantled, put in a box, posted to the island and then rebuilt on arrival, it didn’t present much of an option. As reasonable as FedEx claim to be, the cost of postage and packaging was staggering and the prospect of flying in something that had been reconstructed only the day before, like the world’s most complicated bit of flat-pack furniture, did not appeal. The best we could do was shimmy half way up a tree and film down onto some of the smaller islands – hardly doing justice to the paradise around us. (As it happens some weeks after we left another a much richer (and braver) production did post a helicopter out to the islands and we were able to get some time on the flight, finally getting the spectacular aerial shots we needed).

Luckily, filming the beautiful ocean wildlife is a much easier affair. Simply fall off the side of a boat practically anywhere amongst the islands and you’ll find yourself surrounded by multi-coloured darting bodies and the vibrancy of the coral reef. Most breathtaking of all are the strange alien-like golden jelly fish, only found in a few salt water lakes in the heart of the outer islands, the very creatures we had travelled so far to film. The sting of the jelly fish has lost much of its bite in the millennia since they became cut off from the ocean; a good job too as they swarm in the lakes in their millions. Swimming with them is something I’ll remember for a very long time. They mass below and around you with the sunlight seeming to pulse through them, forming a constellation of shimmering bodies stretching into the depths of the lake. I had the overwhelming desire to laugh out loud every time we swam, not an easy thing to do when wearing a snorkel.

	Ben Wilson
	BBC Vision Production

Earth The Biography: Oceans Premieres Monday, July 14

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Can you balance the Earth's elements?

There are some things that it is particularly cruel to ask an Englishman to do, especially in January after a long and dismal UK winter. One would be to force them to stand wearing only a pair of Bermuda shorts in the middle of Pipeline Beach, Hawaii. It may not seem like the most cruel and unusual punishment at first, until you realise that almost every other person on the beach has enjoying a lifetime of healthy exercise and strong sunshine. My producer kindly pointed out that on that first days filming for Earth: The Biography, he had absolutely no problems spotting where I’d decided to set up camp as my pasty white body could be seen from several miles away, shining like a beacon from amongst the tanned and athletic masses.

I was crouched, complete with my high speed camera and inferiority complex, between the bronzed bodies in order to capture the phenomenal waves that pound the shores of Hawaii. Earth: The Biography explores the forces that have shaped our planet, and there is no better demonstration of the sheer elemental strength of the ocean than in the slow motion crash of an epic wave.

There is a reason that the term “awesome” has become synonymous with the lexicon of the surfing community. I can think of no more apt word to describe the scene as a wave approaches the shore of Pipeline, ramping up to such an impossible height that the crest seems to dance in the sunlight, before toppling and crashing down with a boom that echoes across the beach. Slowed down to a fraction of the speed, the sight is breathtaking.

Not, however, as breathtaking as the conversation I overheard whilst filming. A young boy no more than 12 years old grabbed his surf board, turned to his father and said, “ok dad, I’m heading out for a while.” His father’s reply, “no problem, just make sure you’re back by lunch”, left me speechless. Back by lunch? I was more thinking make sure you come back at all! The island of Hawaii rears up near vertically from the deep mid-Pacific ocean. As large ocean swells suddenly encounter the shallow shore of the island they turn into some of the largest surf known anywhere on the planet. The monster waves our intrepid young surfer was heading for break with astonishing force into water no more than a few meters deep, covering reefs of rock and jagged coral. Ferocity on this scale offers little in the way of second chances to those that make a mistake.

A few days after arriving the temptation of the beautiful blue waters proved too much and I headed into the shallow edge of the sea. Simply the wash from the first breaking wave knocked me off my feet. The draw back from the same wave then dragged me across a few of the patches of coral that lurked even that close in to shore. I emerged, spluttering and missing large patches of skin and almost all of my dignity, with just the smallest taste of what this shoreline could do. Admittedly by the end of the shoot I’d perfected the classic duck under the incoming waves as practised by many of the (12 year old) expert surfers and no longer risked serious injury whilst merely paddling in the surf. Even so, every time I saw someone topple from their board and heard the boom of the breaking wave, I couldn’t help but hold my breath until I saw them resurface, unhurt, in the foaming white water. And it was certainly a relief when later that first day I saw the young lad sprinting up the beach to his dad after a few hours of what must have been pure exhilaration.

Come back tomorrow to read part two of Ben's journey.

Earth The Biography begins this Sunday starting at 9p et/pt

All this week the NGC Blog will be bringing you facts and figures from the upcoming three night HD event Earth the Biography. Filmed on all seven continents, this special will showcase all the powers and forces of nature that have shaped the Earth. State-of-the-art cinematography, breathtaking aerial footage, time-lapse sequences, satellite imaging, and insight from scientists and experts bring to life the history of our living Earth and its great forces as never before. Don't miss the beginning of Earth's story this Sunday, July 13th at 9p et/pt

Chapter One - Volcanoes
Volcanoes are one of nature’s most awesome and destructive forces, but they are also the life force and architect of our planet. They can raise up great mountains and create new land, or they can level cities and destroy entire civilizations. They provide a glimpse of the power of Earth’s internal heat source, without which it would have become a dead planet millions of years ago.

• Earth was formed by pieces of rock colliding as they circled the sun and formed a mass with a powerful heat source trapped in a huge, hot core. This core is what fuels volcanoes to this day.

• The center of our planet is about as hot as the surface of the sun – 7,200 degrees Fahrenheit. The average surface temperature of the planet is 59 degrees Fahrenheit.

• 600 million years ago, the planet may have completely frozen over – creating “Snowball Earth.” Volcanoes played a critical role in saving the planet from one of the greatest disasters it has ever faced by emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which keeps our planet at a comfortable temperature.

• Volcanic pools and hydrothermal vents in the deepest parts of the ocean may have provided a home for the emergence of the world’s first organisms.

• Erta Ale, or the “Smoking Mountain,” in Ethiopia is believed to be one of the longest continuously erupting volcanoes in the world. It is one of only a handful of lava lakes on Earth – a bubbling, seething cauldron of molten lava.

• The collision of Earth’s tectonic plates is responsible for the most spectacular mountain ranges on the planet, like the Southern Alps in New Zealand, which are around 5 million years old with peaks over 12,000 feet high.

• May 18, 1980: Mount St. Helens in Washington state was one of the most famous volcanic eruptions ever recorded. Within minutes, more than 100 billion cubic feet of the mountain slid down into the surrounding countryside. According to scientists, another eruption is likely within a few decades, or a century at most.

Ever seen a volcano? Tell us your story or submit your photos to comments@natgeochannel.com and we'll post them!

For more information and to see footage before it airs go here

Earth: The Biography begins Sunday July 19th at 9p et/pt

In a world growing ever smaller but still divided, it is music that provides a universal language. For the month of July the channel will take viewers on a musical journey around the world, celebrating diversity and connecting viewers with other cultures.

A perfect fit for night owls and those who prefer to record the programming block on DVR to watch at their leisure, NGC’s broadcast of Nat Geo Music will encompass music videos, concerts, interviews and documentaries, with a focus on stories that make music a vehicle for a better understanding and appreciation of today’s global community. An alternative to the mainstream, Nat Geo Music is progressive and experimental, highlighting ways in which local sounds are evolving to influence artists from different backgrounds and places.

• Place Jam – focusing on music from a specific country
• We Love… – dedicated to artists and genres we love (e.g., We Love Reggae, We Love Caetano Veloso)
• Music Nomad – programming connecting the spirit of traveling to music
• GEO Sessions– intimate acoustic performances and interviews with top musicians, including Ben Harper, K'naan, Michael Franti and Aterciopelados
• Fusion – music videos of all genres from around the globe

To look at the programming schedule or to watch the music videos, click here.

You can catch this special showcase everynight, all month long on the National Geographic Channel from 3am to 6am....its late yes, but thats why they created DVRs.