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THE CARBON RUSH travels across four continents to investigate the true cost of carbon emissions trading. Are carbon offset projects significantly reducing CO2 emissions, or are they distracting from what is really required to tackle the climate crisis?
To date, there has been over $300 billion of carbon transactions worldwide through over 5,000 registered projects. Instead of focusing resources to move away from a fossil fuel economy, massive international trading ventures were established as the solution to climate change, nicknamed "green gold" by its beneficiaries.
This ground-breaking documentary examines how carbon trading works as established through the United Nations' Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as part of the Kyoto Protocol.
The film tours a variety of carbon offset projects around the world, visiting people on the front lines of carbon trading. Their stories and voices have been little-heard as part of the multi-billion dollar carbon trading industry. In Panama, indigenous rain forest dwellers are losing their way of life. In India, waste pickers at landfills can no longer support themselves. And in Honduras, dozens of Campesinos have been assassinated.
THE CARBON RUSH raises fundamental questions about what happens when we attempt to manipulate markets to solve the climate crisis, including who stands to gain and who stands to lose.
Reviews
"The documentary is filled with shockingly corrupt examples ... and sheds light on the state of environmental concern on the corporate level, without being overly alarmist." - THE CONCORDIAN
"This one will get you boiling. It shows again how we are shipping our climate change problems out of our sight. Big companies are buying carbon credits, which allow them to keep on emitting as much CO2 as always by supporting projects that reduce emissions in third world countries. Or so they say." - THE VANCOUVER OBSERVER
"The Carbon Rush, exposes the offset projects that are impacting developing countries and their communities so that other nations can continue their industries relatively unchecked.." - THE SOURCE
The math is simple. To avoid climate catastrophe, we have to limit carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere to 350 parts per million or below. The only problem? We're presently at 400 parts per million -- and climbing. In November 2012, bestselling author and environmental activist Bill McKibben and 350.org, the organization he founded, hit the road to raise awareness of this terrifying math and build a movement to challenge the fossil fuel industry.
Do the Math takes us inside that tour, following McKibben as he delivers an astonishingly clear breakdown of the facts -- and the stakes -- to more than 25,000 people at sold-out shows in 21 cities across the country. The film serves as a much needed correction to industry spin, and shows how an unprecedented global movement is rising up to keep CO2 emissions down.
Highly recommended for courses that look at climate science, geography, environmental policy, corporate influence, the costs of mass consumerism and consumption, and social change movements.
Reviews
"Watch the film, do the math, sign up for the struggle, and link it to the struggles you are already involved in. Our common future depends on it." - Marc Brodine, People's World
"Moving and incredibly motivating." - Taryn Oakley, Instructor of Environmental Science at Portland Community College
"Think of Do the Math as a sort of grassroots sequel to An Inconvenient Truth." - Good.Is
Floods can cause enormous devastation that has lasting social, psychological, economic and environmental impacts on a community. Flooding can also be a seasonal weather event that helps sustain life across many ecosystems. In this interview led program we look at the causes and consequences of the 2005 flood event in Carlisle, UK, the 2011 flood event in Queensland, Australia, the impact of climate change and flood management and mitigation alternatives. We talk with engineers, including an environmental engineer, hydrologists, a senior advisor for emergency risk management, and the Chief Executive of the Carlisle City Council.
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Idling engines consume more than 6 billion gallons of gasoline annually in the U.S., a significant but little-known contributor to local air pollution, respiratory disease and global climate change.
Idle Threat is a lively look at one man's spirited struggle to improve public health by raising awareness about idling's impact, starting in New York City. Against all odds, he succeeds, helping improve local air quality, and in the process gains world-wide recognition for the anti-idling cause, with articles featured in the Wall Street Journal, New Yorker magazine, and the Financial Times.
In white shirt and tie, Wall Street banker George Pakenham has walked the streets of New York for over five years, courteously confronting over 3,000 motorists to explain idling's impact and the law prohibiting running a parked vehicle for more than a short time. Responses vary from thanks to anger, but Pakenham never wavers. He's determined that the problems idling poses be recognized, and lobbies successfully for the city to enforce its idling laws.
Featuring Click and Clack from NPR's Car Talk, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Idle Threat profiles one man's challenging quest to make his city and the world a healthier place, and shows that sometimes one person - and a simple act like turning a key - can make a big difference.
Reviews
"In an engaging and informative approach to a serious environmental issue, Idle Threat tells the story of effective citizen engagement and impact." - Holly Wise, Virginia Tech Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability
"In the vein of Michael Moore's cinema verite, Pakenham becomes our man on the street accosting idlers who pollute the streets of NYC with their vehicles' exhaust. The film manages to make you realize the deadly dangers present at the same time it makes you laugh out loud." - Prof. Cathleen Miller, San Jose State University, author of Champion of Choice
"An entertaining and informative ride that shows how citizens who care can make a difference." - Marc Norman, Director of UPSTATE, Syracuse University School of Architecture
This fascinating and clarifying look at the debate surrounding global warming explores the striking disconnect between the relatively clear-cut concerns of the world's most prominent scientists and the maze of speculation, rhetorical posturing, and outright misinformation that attaches to this issue whenever it's taken up by politicians, PR specialists, and political pundits. Mixing a localized focus on Ireland with insights from scientists and leaders from around the world, the film serves as both a primer on climate science and a penetrating analysis of media framing and the science of perception management. An excellent resource for courses in science, environmental studies, global politics, and media.
Features commentary from former Irish president Mary Robinson, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, paleoclimatologist Jennifer McElwain, and a host of other prominent scientists and commentators.
Reviews
"If you are skeptical about human-caused climate change, watch this movie. It provides a clear and compelling case for the reality of the problem and the threat to our future that it poses." - Michael E. Mann, Author of The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars
"Engaging and informative. Gets to the heart of the politics of climate change, examining the relationship between the science, the vested interests, the media, and the public. Essential viewing." - Justin Lewis, Head of School, Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University
Australia is the driest continent on the planet. In many parts of this nation drought is a fact of life, and at just about any point in time, somewhere in Australia will be experiencing one. This program examines the effects of drought, with emphasis on its effects on society, the economy and the agricultural sector. Featuring interviews with environmental scientist Dr Terry Walshe, together with vegetable farmer Peter Schreur and Mildura-based farmers Bob McCarthy and Neil Bennett, it explores the nature of drought, the climatic causes of drought, the environmental effects and strategies to manage it. This is an excellent resource for students of Geography, Environmental and Agricultural Sciences.
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Across the world, extreme weather events are affecting local conditions. Some areas are getting drier and hotter, while others are getting wetter, as floods are becoming more frequent and more extreme. While formal weather records going back 150 years indicate wildly varying climates, conditions have never changed as rapidly as they are changing now.
Deserts cover one-third of the world's land mass, and are growing at an alarming rate. Encroaching deserts are estimated to affect250 million people. However, for those who have always lived in some of the driest locations on earth, there is a range of skills and traditions designed to help cope with the 'arid' life.
Areas such as the Horn of Africa are suffering severe droughts brought on by seasonal changes, climate change, political troubles and population increases. Those worst affected by droughts are reduced to eating boiled flowers. The effects of famine are felt for generations.
With average temperatures rising globally, floods are becoming more frequent and prolonged. This episode reviews the effects of floods, and discusses the measures being taken to prevent or combat these effects in Italy, Argentina, Bangladesh and The Netherlands.
The documentary of record on the environmental movement.
A FIERCE GREEN FIRE: The Battle For a Living Planet is the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement - grassroots and global activism spanning fifty years from conservation to climate change. From halting dams in the Grand Canyon to battling 20,000 tons of toxic waste at Love Canal; from Greenpeace saving the whales to Chico Mendes and the rubbertappers saving the Amazon; from climate change to the promise of transforming our civilization... the film tells vivid stories about people fighting - and succeeding - against enormous odds.
The film is divided into five "acts".
Act 1 focuses on the conservation movement of the `60s, David Brower and the Sierra Club's battle to halt dams in the Grand Canyon.
Act 2 looks at the new environmental movement of the `70s with its emphasis on pollution, focusing on the battle led by Lois Gibbs over Love Canal.
Act 3 is about alternative ecology strands and the main story is Greenpeace's campaign to save the whales.
Act 4 explores global resource issues and crises of the `80s, focusing on the struggle to save the Amazon led by Chico Mendes and the rubber tappers.
Act 5 concerns climate change.
Reviews
"The most thorough, expansive, and inclusive documentary film on the rise of modern environmentalism." - Paul Sutter, Associate Professor of History, University of Colorado
"The material is vast, and it's an incredibly dynamic film. It's shaping up to be the documentary of record on the environmental movement. I think it'll be hugely successful." - Cara Mertes, Director, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program
"The film left me emotionally drained and profoundly hopeful." - Bruce Barcott, OnEarth Magazine
A Wild Idea explores Ecuador's unprecedented proposal for fighting global warming and preserving a large area of pristine rainforest from oil development - called the Yasuni-ITT Initiative.
In exchange for compensation from the world community, Ecuador pledges to leave untouched a large oil reserve, the ITT block with over 850 million barrels of oil. If the proposal succeeds, it will protect one of the most bio-diverse places on Earth, respect the rights of two of the last nomadic indigenous cultures who live there, and avoid the emission of over 400 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Exploiting the ITT oil reserve seemed a logical step that Ecuador had to take, as a relatively poor country that depends upon oil for a large percentage of its revenue. But political changes have transformed the way the country views oil development.
The film takes the viewer to the Yasuni National Park in the Ecuadorian Amazon, capturing the rainforest's stunning biodiversity and profiling the tribes that live there. Through rich archival footage and commentary from government officials, environmentalists and others, A Wild Idea shows how the seemingly utopian ideal of keeping valuable oil underground turned into an official proposal. The political twists and turns that made the proposal possible could also threaten the success of this revolutionary idea.
A Wild Idea is a thought-provoking film that explores the complexity of contemporary oil development within a fragile ecosystem, and how creative, new approaches might be of significant local and global benefit.
Review
"A thought-provoking film...shows how the seemingly utopian ideal of keeping valuable oil underground turned into an official proposal - and the audience sees what's at stake if the proposal is not accepted." - Reel Earth Film Festival, New Zealand
Awards
Best Short Film - Colorado Environmental Film Festival
Silver Star - Cinema Verde Film Festival
Best Thesis Film - 8th Annual ReelHeART International Film Festival
Best Student Film - Green Screen Film Festival
Honorable Mention Award Portrayal of Human vs. Wildlife Interaction -International Wildlife Film Festival
Honorable Mention Award, Documentary Short - International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration, and Equality.
Reveals the true social and environmental costs of coal power and looks at promising developments in renewable energy technology.
In the digital age, half of our electricity still comes from coal. DIRTY BUSINESS reveals the true social and environmental costs of coal power and tells the stories of innovators who are pointing the way to a renewable energy future.
Guided by Rolling Stone reporter Jeff Goodell, the film examines what it means to remain dependent on a 19th century technology that is the largest single source of greenhouse gases.
Can coal really be made clean? Can renewables be produced on a scale large enough to replace coal? The film seeks answers in a series of stories shot in China, Saskatchewan, Kansas, West Virginia, Nevada and New York.
The film features amongst others: Robert Kennedy Jr., Bill McKibben, Dr. James Hansen, Myron Ebell, Don Blankenship, Joe Lovett, Maria Gunnoe, Dr. Vaclav Smil and Dr. Julio Friedmann.
Reviews
"A must-see for anybody concerned with our environment and energy future." - Brent Yarnal, Department of Geography, Penn State University
"The best and most comprehensive look at global dependence on coal, and explores some promising alternatives...wind, solar thermal, increased energy efficiency through recycling 'waste heat'--which makes this a valuable resource for science as well as social studies classes...Dirty Business is a fine and lively overview of a complicated issue." - Rethinking Schools
Awards
First Place, Documentary, Appalachian Film Festival
Spirit of Innovation Award, EcoFocus Film Festival
An inspirational portrait of a young West African man who starts a business building solar panels from scratch and selling them to rural customers in Mali.
6-year-old Daniel Dembele is equal parts West African and European, and looking to make his mark on the world. Seizing the moment at a crossroads in his life, Daniel decides to return to his homeland in Mali and start a local business building solar panels -- the first of its kind in the sun-drenched nation. Daniel's goal is to electrify the households of rural communities, 99% of which live without power.
BURNING IN THE SUN tells the story of Daniel's journey growing the budding idea into a viable company, and of the business' impact on Daniel's first customers in the tiny village of Banko. Addressing climate change, poverty, and self-sufficiency, the film demonstrates how a small-scale, local business model can provide jobs, appropriate technology, and empowerment to people everywhere. The film also explores what it means to grow up as a man, and a vision of what it takes to prosper as a nation.
Reviews
"If you are hungry for solutions to renewable energy development in developing countries, this is the film you have been waiting for." - Len Broberg, Director and Professor, Environmental Studies, University of Montana
"As a teacher and user of small-scale solar PV systems, I very much appreciate the take-away message of this film--innovation, education, collaboration can make solar energy truly accessible, affordable and fun. Bravo!" - Dr. Jonathan Scherch, Core Faculty, Center for Creative Change, Antioch University Seattle
"A fascinating subject...riveting, and the ramifications are pretty extraordinary--for Mali, of course, but for poor countries worldwide and, in fact, for some rich ones, too." - TrustMovies blog
Awards
Grand Jury Prize, Best Environmental Film, Santa Cruz Film Festival
Audience Award, Indie Spirit Film Festival
Audience Award, Best Documentary Feature, Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival
It's all connected: climate, oceans, ecosystems, plant and animals. Human activity is also a big part of the mix affecting climate. And the biggest factor in human impact on the climate is our energy use. So any kind of effort to help protect our climate is going to involve energy.
Before, each part of science was a world of its own. Geologists studied rocks. Botanists studied plants. Now we are realizing that the changes taking place on Earth are much more interrelated. And to study these changes, the sciences must be interrelated too.
We'll need your help! If you are passionate about design, drawing and art, use that. If you love science and technology, use that. Research, writing, story telling, every one of these talents will be required to help assist. Can we count on you?
DVD (Closed Captioned) / 2010 / (Elementary) / 22 minutes
1. THE BIG DRY
Parts of Australia are suffering their worst drought in living memory. Is this down to global warming? Opinions are divided. This film follows the experiences of farmers in the Mallee district of Victoria in south-east Australia.
The farmers and townsfolk of Birchip, Victoria, have seen little of the rains that have flooded other parts of Australia. It's likely to stay that way. For Birchip is bang in the middle of the swathe of southern Australia that is forecast to dry out as temperatures rise, cutting farm production by as much as 10 per cent in the next 20 years.
Some farms in productive areas may become marginal; small farms on marginal lands could become unviable, eventually being swallowed up by bigger operators or abandoned to nature.
Farmers go to their bank managers, digging deeper into debt, hoping that the next hand deals them a good season. "You just get sick of borrowing, borrowing, borrowing," says one.
It's a question of adapt or go bust. But are the farmers' problems a result of natural climate variation - or of catastrophic climate change?
2. THE SALT PROBLEM
"We're trying to run a first world economy in what you might call a third world environment."
Australians are among the world's biggest consumers of water - but they live in the driest continent on earth at a time of global warming. And if this wasn't enough, they face another major environmental problem: salt
White settlers tried to tame Australia and turn the land into something green like Europe. But when they irrigated, they lifted buried salt - instead of greening the interior, they turned it white. Previous government policies, and giant river diversion projects like the Snowy Mountains Scheme, have all made matters worse, encouraging an attitude that water is a free resource to be used or lost to the sea.
Now attitudes are changing and many communities are facing difficult choices. Some farmers are tackling the water crisis by embracing radical change, adopting new methods unthinkable in the past. But will Australians learn by past mistakes? A great challenge lies ahead.
The reality of climate change is beyond any doubt. The most dramatic upheavals are occurring in polar regions, where northern communities are facing unprecedented changes.
The Canadian coast-guard ice breaker Amundsen, transformed into a floating laboratory, is taking a team of scientists on an expedition through the Canadian Arctic. Their research is vital in understanding the climatic changes in the context of the geologic history of the region and in anticipating the oncoming shock to the ecosystem and local communities.
Beyond Global Warming explores the development opportunities global warming will bring to the Canadian Arctic, making it a key region of international diplomacy in the next few decades. Will this frozen land become the New World of the 21st century?
The Three Gorges Dam is the biggest in the world. It's also the largest hydroelectric project ever built. But what are the human and environmental costs of this massive construction?
THE RIVER: The dam has changed forever the Yangtze river, which divides China's north from its south. As the water rises, the beauty of the gorges is diminishing. But some say this is a small price to pay for a dam, which can control disastrous flooding and could soon power one third of the households in China.
GEOLOGICAL DISASTER: While the water level is slowly rising, it's also fluctuating as the water is released and then held back downriver to control seasonal flooding. Some scientists fear this will lead to geological disaster.
COLLAPSING HOMES: The area near the river is already prone to geological instability, but local villagers say the rising river level has increased the number and ferocity of the landslides they experience. Many houses are suffering structural damage - some are collapsing.
SAVING ON COAL: On the other side of the argument, the electricity generated by the dam is equivalent to the power generated by 50 million tonnes of raw coal, meaning China can avoid the emission of about 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide - a big environmental consideration.
MAKING MONEY: But critics claim the building of the dam is really more about making money than the environment. China has a saying: "Silver bridge, golden highway and diamond dam". In other words, if you get a contract to build a bridge it means you have silver. If you get a contract to build a highway it means you have gold. If you get a contract to build a dam, you have diamonds.
MORE DAMS TO COME: China plans to dam many more of its rivers. And it's now building dams for other countries in the developing world who are envious of China's startling economic growth. But the Three Gorges Dam has shown that if you want the benefits of hydropower, you'd better prepare for the costs.
In the face of rising sea levels due to climate change, Kiribati President Anote Tong must decide the fate of his people. Should he plan for an orderly evacuation of the islands?
The islands of Kiribati in the Pacific have been inhabited continuously for 4,000 years. Now climate change and rising sea levels mean they may be the first to be abandoned. Elected in 2003, President Anote Tong must decide the fate of his people. Should he plan for an orderly evacuation of the islands? Or should he persuade his people to tough it out instead? Tong believes that it's ordinary people like the Kiribati islanders who are too often forgotten as countries negotiate measures to combat climate change. Life looks at the challenges Tong faces from the climate, the wider world and from his own people.
Review
"There is a continuous challenge of trying to strike a balance in the film[s]...[The films] can be used successfully in stimulating a discussion amongst the youth about the negative aspects of such a life as well as an exploration of alternatives." - Teboho Moja, Clinical Professor of Higher Education, New York University
Water shortages are a global problem, affecting both the developed and developing world. These three films highlight what's happening in China, Spain and Cyprus.
FILM 1 CHINA
Inner Mongolia is one of China's largest and driest regions. It's never had much water, but global warming is now pushing the land and its people over the edge.
Villagers living near the town of Qingshuihe say that their communal waterhole started drying up around 10 years ago. Since then getting enough water to live has been a constant struggle and conflict over the fast diminishing supplies.
Over-farming is also playing a part. The land is becoming increasingly fragile. People are now being forced to abandon the countryside altogether.
The film highlights one village which has been deserted completely. The government built a new village closer to town and offered subsidised housing to those who agree to move down there.
This move from remote villages into town is being made by hundreds of thousands of people as part of a massive government programme. It's called "ecological migration".
The government-built village provides people with running water for the first time. But, without land, many of these former farmers are struggling for a livelihood.
FILM 2: SPAIN
2008 brought the city of Barcelona the worst drought in a century. Reservoir levels are at dangerous record lows.
In a desperate attempt to fix the water crisis the government has come up with a plan to pipe water from the mighty Ebro river to supply Barcelona.
It's also a precious source of water in drought-hit southern Africa - but Namibia and Botswana are in conflict over who can use it.
But environmental activists believe the Ebro, Spain's most important river, is already stretched to breaking point and taking any more of its water will be the death knell for the river.
At the heart of the water problem, many argue, is simple over-consumption. The answer is a new global approach to water management and to get people to rethink how they use water.
Meanwhile Spain is looking to technology for help. Just south of Barcelona one of Europe's largest desalination plants is being built. It will produce 20% of Barcelona's water needs. But does it really hold a long-term answer to Spain's water problems?
FILM 3: CYPRUS
After four dry winters Cyprus's largest reservoir contains just 2.5% of its capacity. Things are so bad that the government has had to ship in water from Greece and ordered the construction of desalination plants.
The island's farmers were the first to be hit by the drought. Many complain of falling yields as the rains fail and the groundwater reserves diminish.
But it's not only farmers who're suffering. The town of Famagusta has long suffered from water shortages. But now, as its population grows and the groundwater reserves dry up, the situation is reaching crisis point. Families are struggling, as the authorities cut water supplies to reduce consumption.
Tourism is vital to the economy of the island, so the authorities are trying hard to protect this industry from the drought. The government gives priority to supplying water to hotels, but rising costs mean that many hoteliers are taking their own measures to cut consumption.
The island's politicians are at odds over how to solve the island's water problems. Some criticise government plans for desalination and attack plans to promote and expand golf tourism.
With Cyprus sweltering under the summer sun, people are asking what the future holds. Will the days ever return when water could be used without a second thought?
Scientific evidence clearly shows that global temperatures are rising and weather patterns are changing. But what's causing it? Undoubtedly there has been a massive worldwide shift into accepting the impact of human energy use on the temperature of the planet, but climatic changes - including extreme changes - have been present on our planet for millions of years. Could it be that this change is just part of the normal pattern? If so, some argue, there is no need to change our energy use to the detriment of the economy. This Australian-made, curriculum fit program poses questions for debate and discussion in the classroom about climate change. It presents expert opinions, statistics and historical references presenting two sides of the story, and ultimately asks us, how worried should we be and what can or should we do to avert climate change? An informed and timely look at this most critical issue.
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This program establishes the vital importance of the greenhouse effect for life on Earth and then presents a balanced argument to assess whether or not anthropogenic climate change (often called global warming) is in fact taking place. Clear arguments are presented on both sides of the debate and illustrations given covering both more economically developed countries and less economically developed countries, with impacts and responses fully explored. A thorough and balanced examination of this important and often contentious issue.
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Much is heard about the impact of climate change - but what's actually happening? Three films, made for international television, offer shocking and dramatic evidence of the way global warming is causing the world's ice to melt and the impact on people's lives.
FILM 1: BOLIVIA
Bolivia's Andes glaciers, which provide water for millions of people and power the country's hydroelectric plants, are melting at an unparalleled rate. It's estimated that the country will face water shortages within two years.
The Chacaltaya glacier, once the highest ski run in the world, is now a sad sliver of ice. Within the next two years, it will disappear completely. "In twenty years all the glaciers will be gone", predicts glaciologist Edson Ramirez.
For millions of people in the cities below, this spells disaster. Glaciers provide 60% of their water. Already, taps in the shanty towns regularly run dry. "There's nowhere for us to get water", despairs one woman. "The global warming problem is being produced by industrial nations and we are facing the consequences", complains official Javier Gonzales.
FILM 2: GREENLAND
Greenland's ice caps are melting faster than predicted - and local farmers couldn't be happier. Thanks to rising temperatures, they can now grow new crops and raise cattle.
For the first time since the Vikings, farmers can now raise cattle. Warmer seas are bringing huge catches of cod and growing seasons are up to a month longer. "A little bit of extra warmth is good for us", states agricultural consultant Kenneth Hoegh. "We're growing things we would have hesitated to grow in the past."But not all farmers are happy. With so little snow, Stefan Magnusson finds it hard to herd his reindeer. Previously, he used a snowmobile but now he has to do it by helicopter.
FILM 3: THE ANTARCTIC
Of all the places affected by global warming, Antarctica seems to be experiencing the most dramatic climate change. The landscape has been transformed, leaving animals struggling to adapt.
"On really hot days, penguins are gasping for air", says Antarctic historian Dave Burkitt. Nearly 90% of glaciers here are retreating and ice shelves are collapsing at an alarming rate. With less ice available, seals have moved inland, where they disrupt nesting birds and damage plants. In 1914, the explorer Ernest Shackleton set out to explore Antarctica on foot. The film compares pictures of his historic voyage with the current situation revealing the dramatic scale of the changes.
What is global warming? What is the evidence for it? How will it affect the world? This film explores these questions as it follows the icebreaker Louis St Laurent on a trip to the Arctic Circle.
The Arctic Ice Sea, a plate of ice roughly the size of Europe, is disappearing.
Scientists say that by 2013, there will be no sea-ice left in the Arctic, causing a tipping point for climate change throughout the world.
Polar bears, who are at the top of the Arctic food chain, are feeling the heat. As the sea ice shrinks, so does their world.
The forests of Alaska are suffering, too. Alaska's vast pine forests rest on a layer of solid permafrost and when the frost melts the ground literally gives way. Melting permafrost could soon be a worldwide disaster.
"The Arctic will export change to the rest of the world," warns one expert, "Melting sea ice will intensify the extreme weather caused by climate change, bringing violent storms and cyclones."
Very quickly the world's food and water supplies will begin to run short.
Canadian coastguards predict that it will not be long before the legendary Northwest Passage through the Arctic will be completely ice-free. And that's fuelling a new "cold rush" as businesses eye the vast oil and mineral reserves which, until now, have been locked beneath the melting ice.
Says one commentator: "This issue will become something that people are willing to go to war over."
Water is becoming increasingly scarce. Scientists believe 50% of nations will be hit by water shortages by 2025. Many people think wars will result. The following films look at water problems across the world.
INDIA: Sewage and pollution have made the river Ganges one of the most dangerous rivers in the world. Since the 1980s campaigners have been lobbying to stop the flow of filth into the river. Electric-powered treatment plants have been brought in to purify the sewage - but these work only intermittently.
Meanwhile India's capital Delhi is having its own water crisis. Some parts of the city enjoy water in abundance, in others people are dependent on tankers bringing water to their area. Children are being killed in the daily scrabble for clean water.
AFRICA: The delta of the Okavango river is a miracle of nature - a vast oasis bringing life to the desert sands of the Kalahari.
It's also a precious source of water in drought-hit southern Africa - but Namibia and Botswana are in conflict over who can use it.
The indigenous inhabitants of the delta believe their livelihoods are under threat as Namibia draw up plans for a pipeline to draw water from the river. Tourism, too, is threatened by the water shortage. All hopes are pinned on a special commission formed by the countries in the region.
MIDDLE EAST: The much-revered river Jordan meanders through the cradle of civilisation to the lowest place on earth. But now agricultural development has turned parts of the once pristine river into a putrid trickle.
Only ten per cent of the river makes it to the Dead Sea which is itself disappearing at a frightening rate. The economy of the region depends on these waters. Only co-operation between Palestine, Israel, Syria and Jordan can save the river.
Incredible amounts of ice are melting in the Arctic and the warmer temperatures have made it possible to sail all the way around Svalbard, the northern most civilization in the world. What is happening in the Arctic islands is the best illustration of what happens to nature when global warming spreads. A cameraman has found space on a Russian expedition ship and has persuaded the crew to drop him off at several places around the islands. Completely alone on these harsh coasts, he experiences first hand the consequences of global warming on the Arctic environment. We come very close to starving polar bears as they have no hunting grounds due to the fast melting ice. We also meet walruses, polar foxes, and many birds, all of whom are feeling the affects of climate change.
Who's Got The Power?, a forceful, new documentary film, addresses head on the reality of global warming, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, coal, oil and gas, its attendant dangers in the form of carbon dioxide emissions---and presents genuine and workable solutions. The film proposes that the use of renewable energy - solar, wind, biomass and geothermal, are viable alternatives to our dependence on fossil fuels that bring about the dangerous climate changes that result in global warming. From the vantage points of world-renown scientists, environmental activists, physicians, financial advisers, designers, builders, coal miners and others, the global warming debate unfolds. In addition, inner city and suburban consumers in America, Germany and Japan share their personal experiences with solar-powered housing.
From the coal-scarred hills of Appalachia to the sun drenched suburbs of Los Angeles, to three Category 5 hurricanes within three months in 2005 in the Southeast, eight days of non-stop rain in the Northeast, record breaking heat globally, people are becoming increasingly vocal about the hazards of global warming. They are demanding practical and achievable solutions, in particular, championing the development and use of renewable energy resources to safeguard the earth for future generations.
Potential conflicts are brewing between the nations that share the Nile River Basin. The days of the Nile only nourishing Egypt's great demand for water might be rapidly coming to an end. Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda are geographically located in the larger Nile basin and control the sources of the river. In recent years they have been demanding a greater share of the Nile's precious resource as demand comes closer to overtaking this finite supply. All 13 countries with access will have to come to agreements on how to share the Nile. Will this be the cause of the next war?
Time has clearly shown the serious impact our society and general lifestyle has had on the environment. To most adults it is evident that future generations may not enjoy common privileges society has enjoyed in the past if they do not take an active role in protecting the environment. Along with adults, it is essential that our children also learn to share in this important responsibility.
Climate Change educates children on the impact of Global Warming or the Green House effect on the environment. Using stimulating animations and young actors, Climate Change shows young people how to responsibly protect the environment through the use of energy saving methods such as choosing alternative travel and reducing power and water consumption.
This film offers a stark account of the dangers threatening the planet and looks at what we can do to avoid disaster.
The problems start about 250 years ago with the industrial revolution. First coal, then oil, fuelled a world of mass production, mass consumption -- and cars.
But burning oil and carbon has been a disaster for our planet - most scientists blame it for global warming. New deserts will form, the polar ice cap will melt and sea levels will rise bringing floods and disaster.
Rainforests are called the "lungs of the earth" - but they're disappearing, and the industrialisation of farming and fishing is depleting natural resources and destroying biodiversity.
Population and life-style are major factors, too, creating rubbish and pollution. Tourism has been become a huge global industry - but local cultures and the environment have suffered.
Some people are taking action to make life sustainable -- planting trees, controlling traffic and promoting renewable forms of energy. But will this be enough? Is it too late?
Tuvalu, the South Pacific island nation, is in danger of vanishing under the sea. The islanders believe it is due to climate change caused by global warming.
This film explains what global warming is and why environmentalists say it will cause flooding, not only in Tuvalu, but all over the world - including the UK.
The inhabitants of Tuvalu believe they are seeing global warming in action. Rising seas and violent storms are destroying their islands, swamping their crops.
The Tuvalu government is now suing the US and Australian governments for failing to control the levels of greenhouse gasses they emit. Meanwhile, many islanders are abandoning their country to live in New Zealand.
But some scientists doubt that global warming is the root of the problem. Instead they argue the storms are caused by short term changes in the weather and there's no real rise in sea levels. Other scientists are sceptical of the dangers of global warming and claim burning carbon dioxide actually brings a net benefit to the world. But meanwhile in Tuvalu, the waters are still rising...
America's coldest, richest state is warming ten times faster than the rest of the world.
"That ice should be four feet thick", confirms a hunter who catches walrus. "Now it's only one foot thick". Eslewhere houses and roads collapse as the ground beneath them melts.
The US government now plans to drill for oil in a wildlife refuge.
Native Alaskans are divided. Eskimos want jobs and money, but the Gwitchin Indians fear it will destroy their reindeer.
The Indian government claims the new Narmada dam will help areas of permanent drought. But for the people of Jalsindhi in central India it will mean disaster. It will flood their homes.
The people are caught between empty government promises and a life in the city slums. One family decides to stay and fight rather than make way for the dam.
A national campaign is begun. Drowned Out follows the jalsindhi villages through hunger strikes, rallies, police brutality and six year supreme court case. The dam fills and the river starts to rise...
A lively introduction to the subject of weather and climate. The aim of this film is to inform students, but also to stimulate their interest.
Why is the weather important? How does it affect our lives? The answer: a lot more than we think.
The film is divided into five sections:
1. What's the difference between weather and climate?
2. What are the factors affecting climate?
3. What are the factors affecting the weather?
4. Rain
5. Depressions and Anti-cyclones
What exactly are greenhouse gases? Are they really causing climate change? Global warming has suddenly become the hottest environmental issue, and this program clearly explains the science of greenhouse effect and the evidence that we are causing climate change. The DVD contains an advanced version for senior students, with in-depth analysis of greenhouse gases and their effects. In addition, there are fascinating extras including ice core research in Antarctica, how warming threatens coral reefs, and how carbon capture and storage work.