Barbara Pyle
Barbara Pyle was Corporate Vice President of Environmental Policy for Turner Broadcasting System (TBS, Inc.), CNN's Environment Editor for 20 years. She remains Executive Producer of People Count. She joined TBS in 1980 and pioneered environmental programming. Her goal is to make critical, global issues understandable and accessible to the widest possible audience. She has produced 55 films that have won over 100 awards.
From 1989 to 1996, Pyle served as Executive Producer of Captain Planet and the Planeteers; the world's first animated action adventure series that makes environmental and social issues understandable by children. Its 113 episodes are currently being broadcast on the Cartoon Network in the US and around the world. Since 1990, it has been broadcast in over 100 countries. She founded and was Chairman of the Board of the Captain Planet Foundation, which provides grants to children's grassroots environmental projects.
In 1997, Barbara Pyle received the world's most prestigious environmental honor, the UNEP Sasakawa Environment Prize. She is the only member of the media to receive this award, usually reserved for scientists. Past recipients include Chico Mendes, Lester Brown and Paul and Anne Ehrlich. She used the award money to create The Barbara Pyle Foundation.
Pyle has served as a Board member of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) North American Advisory Board and The United States Committee for United Nations Development Program (UNDP). She currently serves on the Boards of Counterpart International, The Center of Information and Communication of the Environment of North America (CICEANA) and the Together Foundation. She often participates in global think tanks on the environment. She specializes in the educational uses of television, climate change, women's and population issues, and poverty eradication.
Pyle studied at King's College, England and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a Baccalaureate from Tulane University where she was named Outstanding Student of Philosophy and a Woodrow Wilson Fellow. In 1992, Newcomb College honored her as Alumnae of the Year. She earned a Master's Degree in Philosophy and Logic at New York University. Pyle was born in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.
