In the last half of the 20th century, scientists began understanding that industrialization and the effect of explosive population growth were affecting the fundamental structure and composition of earth's atmosphere. Man'... more »s ever-increasing thirst for energy, quenched by the burning of fossil fuels, has dramatically increased greenhouse gases in the lower atmosphere. We are now experiencing the first impact of these accumulating gases: A general warming of the planet. This 2 disc series examines and explains this phenomenon, and looks into the future where other, more deadly impacts are predicted to follow. In the first decade of the 21st century, we find ourselves at the precipice of a dangerous. rising storm. Shot in High Definition, this series is presented and narrated byBradley Whitford Programs in this series:
Program 1: Warnings from a Warmer Planet
This program examines the scientific evidence that the burning of fossil fuels has had on our fragile planet. As the 20th Century entered its final decades, scientists began warning that the world's climate could shift as a result of 250 years of intense burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Burning fossil fuels release greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxde which builds up in the lower atmosphere. Program 2: Predictions for a Warmer Planet
With the 21st Century still in its formative years, the world's leading climate, atmospheric and weather scientists take a hard look at the consequences of climate change. Using sophisticated computer models and real time data, they reveal their predictions for the warming Earth. Our unique planet faces a bleak and uncertain future. The burning of fossil fuels has placed the planet on the tipping point of global catastrophe. Features: