Thursday, October 15, 2020

Earth Science 3: Climate Change and Human Impact


P R O G R A M S

1. BEFORE THE FLOOD
A look at how climate change affects our environment and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems and native communities across the planet.

Using his celebrity status to draw attention to the problem of global warming, one of the most important and pressing issues of our time, actor and United Nations Messenger of Peace, Leonardo DiCaprio, travels the globe to witness firsthand the effects of an impending environmental disaster. By visiting ancient melting glaciers and leveled Indonesian tropical forests, DiCaprio unearths an urgent situation and the world's dependence on fossil fuels, going as far as to visit President Obama himself for an in-depth interview. But, can this crusade inspire the climate-change deniers?

2. MEGASTORM AFTERMATH 
In October 2012, superstorm Sandy cut a path of devastation across the Caribbean and the East Coast, killing hundreds and doing tens of billions of dollars in damage. Now, one year after Sandy’s deadly strike, NOVA follows up on its 2012 film “Inside the Megastorm” with a fresh investigation of the critical questions raised by this historic storm.

3. How Earth Made Us | How the Earth Changed History
Professor Iain Stewart examines the role of geology in the history of mankind in this documentary program. Each of the classical elements plays a role - for instance, he points out that mankind has been drawn to fault lines for centuries, since this is the best place to find minerals, oil, soil suitable for farming, etc. But with these riches comes great danger, of course, since locating communities on the fault lines makes them vulnerable to earthquakes. Subsequent episodes review the cycle of freshwater, the force of the wind, and fire both as a source of energy and a terrifying force of nature. From crystal caves in Mexico to holes in the Iranian desert and a mysterious lake in Oregon, Stewart travels the globe to hammer his point home.

HUMAN PLANET | THE HUMAN ERA
Professor Iain Stewart explores the most recently established force - humans. It's easy to think of the human impact on the planet as a negative one, but as Iain discovers, this isn't always the case. It is clear that humans have unprecedented control over many of the planet's geological cycles. The question is, how will the human race use this power?

Question sets are available for individual programs. The complete bundle is available at a discounted price. Student documents and answer keys are provided as Google Docs on Google Drive.

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