Episode 1

ECO TRIP: THE REAL COST OF LIVING is an eight-part original series exploring the origins and environmental impact of common everyday products. Hosted by eco-adventurer David de Rothschild, whose far-flung travels have garnered international attention, the half-hour primetime program investigates iconic items from cotton t-shirts and paper napkins to salmon and cell phones, and follows their life cycle from production to disposal, revealing the environmental, social and health effects along the way. ECO TRIP: THE REAL COST OF LIVING inspires and educates viewers on what they can do to live a greener life. Episodes are: Chocolate, Cotton T-Shirt, Gold Ring, Paper Napkin, Light Bulb, Bottled Water, Cellphone, Salmon.

In this episode, David heads to the Dominican Republic to observe the organic cultivation of cocoa, the first step in the manufacture of a chocolate bar. From there, David witnesses sugar cane growth in the Everglades, where he discovers dangerous environmental consequences, pays a visit to a small organic dairy, and drops in on an independent chocolatier in Chicago.