Original subtitles

NARRATOR: SATELLITE CAMERAS NOW COVER EVERY PART OF THE GLOBE.

THIS HAS REVOLUTIONIZED THE VIEW OF OUR HOME.

NOW, BY COMBINING IMAGES TAKEN OVER DAYS...

MONTHS...

AND YEARS...

WE CAN WATCH OUR PLANET CHANGE.

SOME CHANGES COME AND GO WITH THE SEASONS.

OTHERS ARE SCULPTED BY POWERFUL FORCES...

BOTH ANCIENT...

AND NEW.

AND NOW THERE IS ANOTHER FORCE...

US...

AS WE CHANGE THE SURFACE OF OUR PLANET...

FASTER THAN EVER IN HUMAN HISTORY.

SATELLITES ORBITING THE EARTH

CAN LOOK DOWN AT OUR HOME

IN EXTRAORDINARY DETAIL.

THIS NEW PERSPECTIVE IS TRANSFORMING OUR UNDERSTANDING

OF THE NATURAL WORLD,

HELPING US TO CONSERVE OUR FRAGILE PLANET.

THIS IS OUR HOME

AS WE'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE.

[MEN SHOUT]

[WIND HOWLING]

PLANET EARTH IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING.

IT ALWAYS HAS AND ALWAYS WILL.

LOOK DOWN ON THE PLANET AT ANY GIVEN POINT IN THE YEAR,

AND IT WILL LOOK DIFFERENT.

EXTRAORDINARY CHANGES BROUGHT ON BY THE PASSING SEASONS

CAN BE SEEN ALL ACROSS THE EARTH'S SURFACE.

RAIN TRANSFORMS A CALIFORNIA DESERT.

IN NEW ENGLAND, FALL CHANGES THE LANDSCAPE

FROM GREEN TO RUSSET RED.

HEAVY SNOWFALL COVERS ALMOST ALL OF THE BRITISH ISLES.

BUT SOME SEASONAL CHANGES ARE MORE DRAMATIC

AND UNEXPECTED.

SPRING IN EASTERN CHINA.

5 MAJOR RIVERS CONVERGE

TO FORM A BODY OF FRESHWATER...

POYANG LAKE.

ITS WATERS STRETCH FOR OVER A THOUSAND SQUARE MILES...

BUT EACH YEAR, WHEN WINTER ARRIVES...

THE LAKE BEGINS TO SHRINK.

WITHIN 3 MONTHS,

IT ALMOST COMPLETELY DISAPPEARS.

THE VANISHING LAKE LEAVES BEHIND HUGE AREAS OF RICH MUD...

AND HUNDREDS OF SHALLOW POOLS...

A VAST WETLAND.

[DISTANT BIRDS SQUAWKING]

THIS SEASONAL CHANGE IS THE CUE

FOR ONE OF THE GREATEST MIGRATIONS ON OUR PLANET.

NEARLY HALF A MILLION BIRDS

FLOCK HERE FROM ALL ACROSS ASIA.

BUT NONE HAVE TRAVELED FARTHER

THAN THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SIBERIAN CRANES.

FOR THESE MIGRANTS,

THIS IS THE END OF A MONTH-LONG JOURNEY

FROM NORTHERN SIBERIA,

3,000 MILES AWAY.

[CRANES SQUAWKING]

THEY'VE COME FOR A FEEDING OPPORTUNITY,

REVEALED BY THE CHANGING WATER LEVEL.

[SQUAWKING CONTINUES]

IN THESE SHALLOW POOLS

IN THESE SHALLOW POOLS

ARE THE NUTRITIOUS ROOTS OF AQUATIC PLANTS.

THE CRANES GORGE THEMSELVES AFTER THEIR LONG JOURNEY...

AND THEY AREN'T INTERESTED IN SHARING.

AMONG THE MANY FAMILIES FEEDING IN THE POOLS

ARE TWO PARENTS, WITH THEIR 5-MONTH-OLD OFFSPRING.

HE'S SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED HIS FIRST MIGRATION...

BUT 3,000 MILES WAS A LONG WAY TO FLY

ON YOUNG WINGS.

HE BEGS HIS MOTHER FOR FOOD...

BUT SHE IGNORES HIM.

IT'S EVERY BIRD FOR THEMSELVES...

AND FROM SPACE,

IT'S CLEAR TO SEE WHY.

AS WINTER PROGRESSES,

THE POOLS CAN CONTINUE TO SHRINK,

INCREASING THE COMPETITION FOR THE BEST FEEDING SPOTS.

[CRANES SQUAWKING]

A RIVAL HAS STRAYED ONTO THE FAMILY'S TERRITORY

AND IS HELPING HIMSELF.

THIS CANNOT GO UNCHALLENGED.

FATHER SQUARES UP TO THE INTRUDER.

NEITHER IS WILLING TO BACK DOWN.

THEIR CLAWS ARE RAZOR-SHARP...

AND 7-INCH-LONG BEAKS CAN ALSO BE USED AS WEAPONS.

THE INTRUDER IS CHASED OFF.

THE FAMILY HAS HELD ON TO THEIR PRECIOUS TERRITORY...

BUT THE YOUNGSTER STILL HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET A MEAL.

THERE'S ONLY ONE THING HE CAN DO.

HE'S FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO FEED ON HIS OWN.

THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL NOW FUEL THEMSELVES UP

FOR THE RETURN JOURNEY TO SIBERIA.

AFTER 4 MONTHS,

THE RIVERS THAT FLOW INTO POYANG START TO RISE AGAIN...

AND THE CRANES START THE LONG FLIGHT HOME.

AN EPIC JOURNEY,

TRIGGERED BY A REMARKABLE SEASONAL TRANSFORMATION.

IN SOME PLACES,

THESE SEASONAL CHANGES ARE SO DRAMATIC

THAT SURVIVING THEM IS A CHALLENGE.

EACH WINTER,

THESE ISLANDS IN JAPAN TURN FROM GREEN TO BRIGHT WHITE...

ONE OF THE DEEPEST SNOWFALLS ANYWHERE ON EARTH.

TREES ARE TRANSFORMED INTO SNOW SCULPTURES.

IT TAKES POWERFUL MACHINES

TO CLEAR THE MOUNTAIN PASS ABOVE THE CITY OF TOYAMA...

CREATING WALLS OF SNOW 60 FEET HIGH.

FOR ONE FOREST SPECIES,

SUCH A COMPLETE CHANGE IN THE LANDSCAPE

REQUIRES AN EQUALLY RADICAL SURVIVAL STRATEGY.

A SOLITARY SQUIRREL.

AT JUST A FIFTH THE SIZE OF A COMMON GRAY SQUIRREL,

AT JUST A FIFTH THE SIZE OF A COMMON GRAY SQUIRREL,

THIS FEMALE IS SMALL ENOUGH

TO FIT IN THE PALM OF A HAND.

[WIND HOWLING]

THESE SQUIRRELS SPEND THEIR DAYS ALONE

IN THE TREETOPS.

BEING LIGHT ALLOWS HER TO REACH NUTRITIOUS BUDS

AT THE VERY TIPS OF BRANCHES.

AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, THERE'S VERY LITTLE TO EAT.

[BIRD SQUAWKS]

THE DEEP SNOW MAKES MOVING ALONG THE FOREST FLOOR

ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE...

BUT SHE HAS A STRATEGY.

A MEMBRANE THAT STRETCHES BETWEEN THEIR FRONT

AND BACK LEGS ALLOWS THESE SIBERIAN FLYING SQUIRRELS

TO GLIDE UP TO 60 FEET FROM TREE TO TREE

IN SEARCH OF FOOD.

BUT EVEN WITH THIS USEFUL ADAPTATION,

IT'S A STRUGGLE TO CONSUME ENOUGH CALORIES TO KEEP WARM.

UNTIL RECENTLY, SCIENTISTS WEREN'T SURE HOW

SUCH A SMALL MAMMAL SURVIVED IN SUCH HOSTILE CONDITIONS...

UNTIL THEY DISCOVERED THAT THIS SQUIRREL

CHANGES ITS BEHAVIOR.

THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE YEAR,

FLYING SQUIRRELS ARE SOLITARY ANIMALS...

BUT IN WINTER, SHE CAN'T GENERATE ENOUGH BODY HEAT

ON HER OWN...

SO ANOTHER FEMALE IN HER TERRITORY

IS HER CHANCE TO SURVIVE.

THE NEW FEMALE IS WELCOMED INTO HER DEN.

THEY'LL SPEND THE WINTER TOGETHER,

SHARING BODY HEAT TO SURVIVE THE COLD...

PARTING WAYS WHEN THE ISLAND ONCE AGAIN

TRANSFORMS.

LIFE ON EARTH HAS LEARNED TO ADAPT TO THESE SEASONAL CHANGES.

BUT EARTH'S CLIMATE IS CHANGING...

MAKING ITS SEASONS MORE UNPREDICTABLE.

MAKING ITS SEASONS MORE UNPREDICTABLE.

IN AFRICA,

SNOW FALLS IN THE SAHARA...

WHILE, IN BOLIVIA, LAKE POOPO'S WATERS

ONCE STRETCHED FOR OVER 1,200 SQUARE MILES.

NOW, PARTLY DUE TO SEVERE DROUGHT,

THEY'VE ALL BUT DISAPPEARED.

THE VIEW FROM SPACE ALSO GIVES US

A BRAND-NEW PERSPECTIVE ON ONE OF THE MOST UNPREDICTABLE

AND DESTRUCTIVE SEASONAL EVENTS ON THE PLANET.

AT NIGHT, THE GLOBE CRACKLES AND SPARKS.

LIGHTNING.

OUR PLANET IS STRUCK UP TO 50 TIMES

EACH SECOND.

[THUNDER]

AS THE ENERGY OF EACH STRIKE HITS THE EARTH'S SURFACE,

IT CREATES DEADLY SPARKS

THAT CAN CAUSE THE LAND TO IGNITE.

IN NORTH AMERICA,

UP TO 15,000 WILDFIRES

A YEAR ARE CAUSED BY LIGHTNING.

BUT THE VIEW FROM SPACE

ISN'T THE ONLY WAY TO SPOT THESE DANGERS.

FROM ALMOST 10,000 FEET UP,

KEEN EYES ARE KEEPING WATCH.

MAN: USUALLY I GET UP AT ABOUT 6:00 IN THE MORNING,

I GET UP, HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE...

AND THEN I'M READY TO GO.

NARRATOR: EVERY DAY, EACH SUMMER,

85-YEAR-OLD BILLY ELLIS CLIMBS

THE 143 STEPS TO HIS OFFICE...

THE 143 STEPS TO HIS OFFICE...

AT THE TOP OF DEVILS HEAD

IN COLORADO.

BILLY: I GET TO THE RADIO ABOUT 9:25.

PUEBLO DISPATCH, THIS IS DEVIL'S HEAD TOWER, IN SERVICE.

MAN, ON RADIO: ROGER.

BILLY: I'M A FIRE LOOKOUT,

AND I'VE BEEN DOING IT NOW FOR 33 SUMMERS.

NARRATOR: AFTER A LONG, HOT SUMMER,

THE FOREST IS TINDER-DRY,

PERFECT CONDITIONS FOR A FIRE.

[WIND HOWLING]

BILLY: I LOOK ABOUT EVERY 15 MINUTES.

I TAKE A LOOK AROUND.

YOU CAN LOOK FOR DAYS AND NEVER SEE ANYTHING,

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THERE IT IS.

[THUNDER]

BILLY: PUEBLO DISPATCH, THIS IS DEVIL'S HEAD TOWER.

WE HAVE A SMOKE.

NARRATOR: BILLY IS ONE OF THE LAST OF HIS KIND...

BECAUSE NOW, THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO TRACK FIRES...

IS FROM SPACE.

CAMERAS CAN FOLLOW A FIRE'S PATH IN ALMOST REAL TIME...

OBSERVING THE SMOKE TO PREDICT

ITS DIRECTION, SIZE, AND SPEED...

GUIDING THOSE FIGHTING IT TO THE HEART OF THE BLAZE.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

NARRATOR: USING SATELLITE POSITIONING,

SMOKE JUMPERS CAN BE ON THE GROUND

WITHIN 7 MINUTES OF A CALL.

A WILDFIRE CAN BURN AT OVER 2,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

TO STOP IT, THEY CREATE BREAKS IN THE FOREST...

[CHAINSAW BUZZING]

TAKING AWAY THE FIRE'S FUEL.

AS THE NUMBER OF FIRES GROWS EACH YEAR,

THEY ARE BECOMING MORE OF A THREAT

TO HUMAN POPULATIONS.

CALIFORNIA 2018.

SATELLITES FOLLOWED AS FIRES RAGED ACROSS THE STATE...

INCLUDING THE MENDOCINO COMPLEX FIRE...

CALIFORNIA'S LARGEST WILDFIRE EVER.

IT'S ONLY FROM SPACE

THAT WE CAN SEE THE SCALE OF THE DAMAGE.

LARGE BROWN AREAS ARE LEFT BEHIND,

HUGE BURN SCARS

COVERING OVER 350,000 ACRES.

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

BUT EVEN IN SOME OF THE MOST DEVASTATED LANDSCAPES

LIES OPPORTUNITY.

[INSECTS CHIRPING]

THIS WOOD-BORING BEETLE IS ON THE LOOKOUT

FOR BURNED-OUT AREAS.

SPECIAL SENSORS IN HIS BODY

DETECT THE SMOKE FROM MILES AWAY.

BURNT BRANCHES ARE WEAKER...

EASIER TO BORE INTO AND FEED ON.

[PECKING]

AND WHERE INSECTS GO,

BIRDS FOLLOW.

A BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER...

PERFECTLY CAMOUFLAGED IN BURNT FORESTS.

BEETLE GRUBS ARE FULL OF FAT.

[CHICKS PEEPING]

FOOD FOR HUNGRY CHICKS.

FOOD FOR HUNGRY CHICKS.

WITHIN MONTHS,

THE WOODPECKER HOLES HAVE NEW RESIDENTS.

[BIRDSONG]

BLUEBIRDS MAKE USE OF THESE READY-MADE HOMES.

NEW TREES TAKE ROOT.

INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGES OF THIS FOREST SHOW

A BURN SCAR TURNING

FROM BROWN TO GREEN

IN JUST 3 YEARS.

WILDFIRES ARE ESSENTIAL

FOR HEALTHY FOREST HABITAT,

REGENERATING THE TREES

AND SUPPORTING THE SPECIES THAT HAVE LIVED IN THEM

FOR MILLENNIA.

[WOODPECKER PECKING]

BUT AS THE SIZE AND SEVERITY OF THESE FIRES INCREASES,

IT HAS BECOME OUR RESPONSIBILITY

TO KEEP THEM UNDER CONTROL.

[OWL HOOTING]

WITH THE HELP OF SATELLITES,

WE CAN NOW REACT TO CHANGES ON THE GROUND

FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE.

BUT SOME FORCES OF CHANGE ARE SO POWERFUL,

THEY ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL.

AN 800-MILE SCAR

RUNS THROUGH CALIFORNIA.

THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT,

CREATED BY THE SHIFTING OF TECTONIC PLATES

OVER THE LAST 20 MILLION YEARS.

THE GRAND CANYON,

CARVED BY THE COLORADO RIVER OVER MILLIONS OF YEARS,

IS NOW 5,000 FEET DEEP.

AND IN AUSTRALIA,

ULURU, OR AYERS ROCK,

STANDS PROUD IN AN OTHERWISE FLAT DESERT,

AN ISLAND OF STONE

ERODED OVER 300 MILLION YEARS.

THIS NEW PERSPECTIVE SHOWS HOW EARTH'S SURFACE

HAS BEEN SHAPED BY GEOLOGICAL CHANGE OVER MILLENNIA.

AND FROM ABOVE,

SATELLITES CAN SAFELY MONITOR

SATELLITES CAN SAFELY MONITOR

ONE OF THE FASTEST GEOLOGICAL FORCES OF CHANGE

ON THE PLANET...

VOLCANOES.

IN THE KINGDOM OF TONGA IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC,

TWO ISLANDS BECOME ONE.

AN UNDERWATER VOLCANO FORMED NEW LAND

IN A MATTER OF DAYS.

BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT,

VOLCANOES ARE DESTRUCTIVE.

IN 2018, GUATEMALA'S MOUNT FUEGO CAME TO LIFE.

SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS WERE DECIMATED BY MUDFLOWS.

THESE CATASTROPHIC EVENTS CANNOT BE STOPPED...

BUT THE VIEW FROM ABOVE ALLOWS US

TO SAFELY MONITOR THEM AND, CRUCIALLY, REACT.

IN THE HEART OF SOUTH AMERICA...

LIES COTOPAXI,

ONE OF THE WORLD'S HIGHEST VOLCANOES.

STILL ACTIVE,

IF COTOPAXI WERE TO BLOW,

ITS GLACIERS WOULD MELT...

CAUSING A TIDAL WAVE OF MUD SO HUGE,

IT COULD REACH THE OCEAN OVER 60 MILES AWAY...

A POTENTIAL DISASTER FOR ONE ANIMAL

LIVING IN ITS PATH...

[FROGS CROAKING]

THE QUITO ROCKET FROG.

THE SPECIES WAS THOUGHT TO BE EXTINCT...

UNTIL THE LAST REMAINING POPULATION WAS DISCOVERED

LIVING ONLY HERE...

BUT THESE FROGS ARE IN TROUBLE.

SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY DETECTED ACTIVITY

ON COTOPAXI, INVISIBLE FROM THE GROUND.

THE SIDES OF THE VOLCANO WERE SWELLING.

AS MAGMA MOVED CLOSER TO THE SURFACE,

AS MAGMA MOVED CLOSER TO THE SURFACE,

THE LOCAL POPULATION WAS ALERTED.

THE VOLCANO WAS WAKING.

FOR THE ROCKET FROG,

AN ERUPTION WOULD WIPE OUT HER SPECIES ENTIRELY...

[FROG SQUEAKS]

BUT THIS FROG HAS OTHER THINGS ON HER MIND.

IT'S BREEDING SEASON...

AND SHE NEEDS TO FIND A MATE.

[DISTANT CROAKING]

A NEARBY MALE IS DOING HIS VERY BEST

TO ATTRACT HER ATTENTION...

BUT SOMETHING'S NOT QUITE RIGHT.

[CROAKING CONTINUES]

SHE'S BEEN DUPED.

HER CAPTOR?

BIOLOGIST DR. SANTIAGO RON.

AS SATELLITES CAPTURED THE FIRST SMOKE ERUPTING

FROM COTOPAXI'S CRATER,

DR, RON'S RESCUE MISSION WAS ALREADY UNDERWAY

TO SAVE THIS SPECIES FROM POSSIBLE EXTINCTION.

SHE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE BALSA DE LOS SAPOS...

THE LIFE RAFT FOR FROGS...

WHERE SHE CAN BE KEPT

SAFELY OUT OF THE VOLCANO'S PATH.

DR. RON AND HIS TEAM HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES

TO SECURING THE FUTURE OF ECUADOR'S AMPHIBIANS.

OVER 2,000 INDIVIDUALS

FROM 50 DIFFERENT SPECIES LIVE HERE,

INCLUDING...

A MALE ROCKET FROG.

THE HOPE IS THAT THIS SPECIAL PAIR MIGHT BREED.

WITH THE HELP OF A DEDICATED TEAM,

THESE FROGS ARE SECURING THE FUTURE

OF THIS ENDANGERED SPECIES.

AS COTOPAXI SMOKES,

SATELLITES ARE MONITORING ITS MOVEMENT,

GIVING US ADVANCED WARNING SHOULD THE VOLCANO FINALLY BLOW.

THE CHANGING SEASONS AND GEOLOGICAL FORCES

HAVE BEEN ALTERING THE SURFACE OF OUR PLANET

SINCE ITS VERY BEGINNING.

NOW THERE IS A MORE RAPID AND DRAMATIC FORCE AT WORK.

LOOKING DOWN FROM ABOVE,

WE CAN SEE THE EFFECT THAT WE ARE HAVING ON THE PLANET.

HUMANS NOW INHABIT ALMOST EVERY PART OF THE GLOBE,

AND THE EXTENT OF HUMANITY

IS MOST OBVIOUS WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN.

SCIENTISTS CAN NOW COMBINE SATELLITE IMAGES

TO GIVE A CLEAR VIEW OF THE ENTIRE PLANET

AT NIGHT.

THE PATTERNS OF OUR CITIES AND TOWNS CAN BE SEEN

REACHING OUT ACROSS ITS SURFACE.

OVER THE YEARS, THESE CITIES HAVE EXPANDED...

AND TO SUPPORT THEIR GROWING POPULATIONS,

HUMANS HAVE FOUND WAYS TO MINE

EARTH'S NATURAL RESOURCES.

COAL PITS FAN OUT IN GERMANY,

PRODUCING 3 MILLION TONS A YEAR

TO FUEL POWER STATIONS.

IN CHILE,

EXPANSES OF BLUE APPEAR IN A VAST SALT FLAT.

THESE EVAPORATION PONDS CREATE LITHIUM

TO BE MADE INTO BATTERIES FOR OUR CELL PHONES.

AND IN THE DESERTS OF SAUDI ARABIA,

CIRCLES APPEAR IN THE SAND.

WATER PUMPED FROM 3,000 FEET BELOW THE EARTH'S SURFACE

IS USED TO IRRIGATE CROPS.

AND AS WE USE EARTH'S NATURAL RESOURCES,

WE LEAVE OUR TRASH BEHIND.

THOUSANDS OF OLD AIRCRAFT FILL THE ARIZONA DESERT.

HUNDREDS OF SHIPS LINE THE COAST OF BANGLADESH,

WAITING TO BE DISMANTLED.

AND IN KUWAIT,

AND IN KUWAIT,

A BLACK PATCHWORK IN THE SAND...

MILLIONS OF USED TIRES,

LEFT DISCARDED.

BUT THE BY-PRODUCTS OF ALMOST EVERYTHING

THAT HUMANS MAKE

ARE GASES.

THEY RISE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE,

WHERE THEY BECOME TRAPPED

AND ABSORB HEAT FROM THE EARTH BELOW,

MAKING THE PLANET HOTTER.

SINCE THE END OF THE 19th CENTURY,

OUR PLANET HAS WARMED BY AT LEAST 1.4 DEGREES,

ENOUGH TO DRAMATICALLY AFFECT

ONE OF OUR GREATEST NATURAL RESOURCES...

GLACIERS...

HUGE BODIES OF ICE.

IN ALASKA,

BEAR GLACIER RUNS FOR 13 MILES DOWN THE VALLEY...

BEFORE IT BREAKS UP WHERE IT MEETS THE OCEAN.

THE MOVEMENT OF GLACIERS IS SO SLOW,

THEY ALMOST APPEAR STATIC...

BUT BY COMBINING SATELLITE IMAGES TAKEN OVER YEARS,

WE CAN SEE THAT THE ICE IS RETREATING.

OVER 30 YEARS,

MORE THAN 12 MILES OF ICE HAS BEEN LOST

FROM ALASKA'S COLUMBIA GLACIER.

GREAT MOUNTAIN GLACIERS ARE ALSO UNDER THREAT.

IN THE CENTER OF ECUADOR

LIES CHIMBORAZO...

THE COUNTRY'S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN.

FOR MILLENNIA, ITS PEAK HAS BEEN COVERED IN GLACIERS...

BUT IN THE PAST 3 DECADES,

THE VIEW FROM SPACE HAS STARTED TO CHANGE.

CHIMBORAZO IS LOSING ITS ICE.

CHIMBORAZO IS LOSING ITS ICE.

ONE MAN LIVING IN ITS FOOTHILLS

KNOWS THIS ALL TOO WELL.

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

NARRATOR: BALTHAZAR IS AN ICE HARVESTER.

FOR GENERATIONS,

HIS FAMILY HAS COLLECTED GLACIAL ICE FROM THE MOUNTAIN

TO SELL TO THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES BELOW.

HE USED TO BE ONE OF 40 WORKING HERE.

HE'S NOW THE VERY LAST ONE.

AS THE GLACIER MELTS,

HE'S HAD TO CLIMB HIGHER AND HIGHER

TO FIND THE ICE.

[DISTANT BIRD SQUAWKING]

[WHIRRING]

NARRATOR: ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN,

SCIENTISTS USE DRONES

TO MEASURE THE CHANGE IN THE DEPTH OF THE ICE.

BUT A DRONE CAN ONLY GO SO HIGH.

COMBINING THEIR FINDINGS WITH SATELLITE DATA

CREATES A CLEARER PICTURE.

BETWEEN 1986 AND 2013,

21% OF CHIMBORAZO'S ICE DISAPPEARED.

ITS GLACIERS ARE MELTING.

GLACIERS ACT AS THE WORLD'S WATER TOWERS...

FEEDING STREAMS AND RIVERS.

IF THEY DRY UP,

THE EFFECT COULD BE SEVERE.

THE EFFECT COULD BE SEVERE.

FOR BALTHAZAR,

THIS COULD BE THE END OF THE ONLY WAY OF LIFE

HE'S EVER KNOWN.

IN THE OLD DAYS,

HE DELIVERED ICE TO TOWNS ALL OVER THE REGION.

BUT NOW, HE SUPPLIES JUST A HANDFUL OF LOCAL CAFES...

[ALL SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE]

WHO, LIKE HIM, BELIEVE THAT HIS ICE

IS THE BEST MONEY CAN BUY.

AS THE PLANET CHANGES,

THE VIEW FROM ABOVE IS A POWERFUL TOOL

TO MONITOR THE IMPACT HUMANS ARE HAVING,

CAPTURING THE SCALE AND SPEED OF CHANGES

ON EARTH'S MOST IMPORTANT NATURAL HABITATS.

IN SOUTH AMERICA,

FORESTS ARE CLEARED FOR AGRICULTURE

AND INDUSTRY.

SATELLITES POSITIONED OVER THE AMAZON

CAPTURE SMALL PATCHES OF GREEN PROTECTED BY LOCAL TRIBES--

ALL THAT REMAIN OF WHAT WAS ONCE A GREAT FOREST...

THE ISLAND OF MADAGASCAR.

IMAGES TAKEN OVER 30 YEARS SHOW IT HAS LOST

ALMOST 80% OF ITS ORIGINAL FOREST.

THERE AREN'T ENOUGH TREES LEFT TO HOLD THE SOIL IN PLACE.

RED EARTH, RICH IN IRON OXIDE,

NOW RUNS INTO THE RIVERS

AND OUT INTO THE OCEAN.

ALL ACROSS INDONESIA,

HUGE STRETCHES OF FOREST ARE DISAPPEARING

TO BE REPLACED BY ROWS AND ROWS

OF PALM OIL TREES.

THEIR NUTS WILL BE MADE INTO OIL TO BE USED

IN OVER HALF THE PRODUCTS ON OUR SUPERMARKET SHELVES.

BUT SATELLITES ARE ALSO CAPTURING IMAGES

WHERE WE ARE MAKING POSITIVE CHANGE

AS WE TRY TO RESTORE THE BALANCE.

JUST OFF THE EAST COAST OF ENGLAND...

WHITE DOTS APPEAR IN THE SEA...

WHITE DOTS APPEAR IN THE SEA...

ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST OFFSHORE WIND FARMS,

GENERATING ENOUGH POWER FOR HALF A MILLION HOMES EACH YEAR.

IN THE NEVADA DESERT,

THOUSANDS OF MIRRORS REDIRECT THE SUN'S RAYS

TO A CENTRAL TOWER,

WHERE ITS POWER WILL BE USED

TO DRIVE STEAM TURBINES,

CREATING CLEAN ENERGY.

IN CHINA,

TWO GIANT PANDAS...

SOLAR PANELS,

HARVESTING ELECTRICITY SUSTAINABLY,

INSTEAD OF BURNING COAL.

IN AFRICA, BY 2005,

LAND IN TANZANIA HAD BEEN DEFORESTED FOR FARMING.

BUT NOW, THE VIEW HAS CHANGED CONSIDERABLY.

THE FOREST HAS REGROWN...

A TRANSFORMATION THAT HAS HELPED SAVE ONE

OF OUR MOST ICONIC SPECIES.

[DISTANT SCREECHING]

GOMBE STREAM NATIONAL PARK.

THIS IS SALAMA...

AND HER MOTHER, SCHWEINI.

THEY'RE MEMBERS OF THE KASAKELA COMMUNITY...

A TROOP OF OVER 90 CHIMPANZEES...

FIRST STUDIED BY PRIMATOLOGIST JANE GOODALL BACK IN 1960.

THIS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN FOLLOWED

ALMOST EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR 58 YEARS...

IN WHAT IS NOW THE LONGEST-RUNNING STUDY

OF ANY ANIMAL ON EARTH.

THEIR PROTECTED FOREST

IS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF KIGALYE...

WHERE LOCAL PEOPLE HAD CUT DOWN TREES

TO MAKE SPACE FOR FARMLAND.

BUT WITHOUT THE TREES HOLDING THE EARTH TOGETHER,

THERE WERE LANDSLIDES...

AND FLASH FLOODS...

THREATENING NOT ONLY THE VILLAGE,

BUT ALSO THEIR NEIGHBORS.

[CHIMPANZEES SCREECHING]

FEMALE CHIMPANZEES NEED TO MIX WITH OTHER TROOPS,

MOVING TERRITORY TO FIND A MATE.

BUT THIS DEFORESTATION MEANT THE COMMUNITY WAS STUCK.

THEIR FOREST HAD BECOME AN ISLAND.

NARRATOR: WITH BOTH PEOPLE AND CHIMPANZEES SUFFERING,

THE JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE BEGAN TO WORK

WITH THE VILLAGE TO REPLANT TREES...

AND PROVIDE THE LOCALS WITH SUSTAINABLE WAYS

TO USE THE LAND.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

NARRATOR: EMMANUEL MTITI

AND LILIAN PINTEA HAVE BEEN WORKING

ON THE PROJECT FOR 18 YEARS.

AND THEY'VE HAD A LITTLE HELP

FROM SATELLITES.

THIS IS THE LATEST IMAGE OF THE AREA.

[PEOPLE SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE]

NARRATOR: EVEN THE FINEST DETAILS ARE VISIBLE.

SO LET'S GO BACK TO--TO THIS.

EMMANUEL: YEAH.

NARRATOR: BY COMPARING SATELLITE IMAGES,

THE VILLAGERS CAN SEE WHAT A DIFFERENCE THEY'VE MADE.

NARRATOR: THE FORESTS HAVE REGROWN.

NARRATOR: THE FORESTS HAVE REGROWN.

LAND THAT WAS INFERTILE

HAS BEEN BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE.

THE LANDSLIDES HAVE STOPPED...

AND FLASH FLOODS ARE NO LONGER A PROBLEM.

AND IT'S NOT JUST THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BENEFITED.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES,

NEW CHIMPANZEES HAVE BEEN SEEN

COMING TO THE RESERVE...

TRAVELING THROUGH THESE NEWLY RESTORED FORESTS.

POTENTIAL NEW MATES...

[CHIMPANZEES SCREECHING]

AND A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR THIS ICONIC FAMILY.

HERE, IN THIS SMALL CORNER OF THE PLANET...

SCIENTISTS AND LOCAL PEOPLE

HAVE SHOWN WHAT A DIFFERENCE CAN BE MADE

WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER...

A CHANGE SO IMPORTANT

AND SO DRAMATIC

THAT IT CAN BE SEEN FROM SPACE.

AS WE LOOK DOWN FROM ABOVE,

THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE.

ANCIENT FORCES...

AND SEASONAL TRANSFORMATIONS

HAVE BEEN SCULPTING OUR PLANET FOR BILLIONS OF YEARS.

BUT AS HUMANS CHANGE THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH...

THE VIEW FROM ABOVE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT

TO HELP US UNDERSTAND OUR IMPACT

AND TO INSPIRE US

TO PROTECT OUR UNIQUE AND FRAGILE HOME.

♪

TO ORDER "LIFE FROM ABOVE"

ON DVD.

VISIT SHOP.PBS.ORG

OR CALL 1-800-PLAY-PBS

ALSO AVAILABLE ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

♪

♪♪