Original subtitles

[RADIO TRANSMISSION CHATTER]

Narrator: THIS IS THE CREW OF APOLLO 17...

FIVE HOURS AFTER LIFTOFF, THE EARTH ALREADY FAR BEHIND.

Harrison Schmitt: YOU'RE LOUD AND CLEAR, BOB,

AND COULD YOU GIVE US OUR DISTANCE FROM THE EARTH, PLEASE?

Bob: ROGER. I'D GUESS ABOUT 19,000 MILES,

BUT LET ME GET IT EXACT.

Schmitt: JUST APPROXIMATE'S GOOD ENOUGH.

Narrator: HARRISON SCHMITT IS BOUND FOR THE MOON.

Schmitt: WE WERE MOVING AT 25,000 MILES AN HOUR,

SO THINGS GOT SMALLER VERY FAST.

Narrator: SCHMITT IS ABOUT TO BECOME THE FIRST ASTRONAUT

TO PHOTOGRAPH THE WHOLE EARTH.

Schmitt: THE APOLLO 17 LANDING SITE

DETERMINED THAT WE WOULD SEE A NEARLY FULL EARTH

SOON AFTER LAUNCH.

LOOK AT THAT.

YEAH, MADAGASCAR.

AND AFRICA!

HEY, THERE'S ANTARCTICA, IT'S ALL FULL OF SNOW!

OK, YOU WANT TO LOOK?

Narrator: SCHMITT'S PHOTOGRAPH BECAME KNOWN AS THE BLUE MARBLE.

Schmitt: A HUMAN BEING TOOK A PICTURE

THAT THEN EVERYBODY ON THE PLANET,

ONCE THEY SAW IT, COULD IDENTIFY WITH.

THEY'D SAY, WELL, THERE'S HOME UP THERE IN THE SKY.

Schmitt on radio: I TELL YOU, IF THERE EVER WAS

A FRAGILE-APPEARING PIECE OF BLUE IN SPACE,

IT'S THE EARTH RIGHT NOW.

Man: THAT'S GREAT.

Narrator: 45 YEARS LATER,

OUR HOME PLANET HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED.

♪

TODAY, THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION CIRCLES THE EARTH,

250 MILES UP.

A NEW GENERATION OF ASTRONAUTS HAS A GRANDSTAND VIEW.

Tim Peake: I WAS BORN IN 1972,

THE YEAR THAT THE LAST MAN WALKED ON THE MOON IN APOLLO 17.

Narrator: IN 45 YEARS, THE HUMAN POPULATION HAS DOUBLED

TO 7.4 BILLION.

ASTRONAUTS AND SATELLITES HAVE A STORY TO TELL...

OF STARTLING CHANGE ON PLANET EARTH.

WE'VE MADE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL FORMS...

Nicole Stott: IT STUNS YOU ON EVERY LEVEL.

Narrator: ...AS WE BLAZE A TRAIL ACROSS OUR WORLD.

Don Pettit: IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT PLACE DOWN THERE,

I WOULDN'T BE HERE IN SPACE LOOKING DOWN AT IT.

IT'S LIKE, WOW!

Narrator: NEW CITIES APPEAR BY MAGIC.

MYSTERIES SHIMMER IN THE SUN.

Luca Parmitano: FROM SPACE, THAT CAPTURES OUR ATTENTION

AND IMAGINATION.

Narrator: ASTRONAUTS ARE WATCHING

AS WE MAKE OUR MARK ON EARTH.

Don: THERE'S HUMANS DOWN THERE.

I'M HUMAN. THIS IS A GOOD THING.

Narrator: IT'S THE STORY OF HUMAN PROGRESS...

FROM A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE.

Luca: IT IS JUST BEAUTIFUL.

Narrator: THIS IS HOW WE CHANGED THE WORLD,

THEN LOOKED DOWN TO SEE WHAT WE HAD DONE.

Man: ♪ THAT'S A METAPHOR...

Woman: YOU MAKE IT SOUND EASY.

Narrator: FOR ASTRONAUTS,

THE MOST OBVIOUS CHANGE IN OUR PLANET

CAN BE SEEN FROM ANY WINDOW.

AS THE HUMAN POPULATION GROWS,

OUR CITIES SPIN A WEB OF LIGHT ACROSS THE GLOBE.

Don: FROM THE FIRST TIME I FLEW, WHICH WAS 2002,

TO THE LAST TIME, WHICH WAS 2012,

THE MAIN EFFECT I SAW ON EARTH WAS AT NIGHTTIME,

AND IT WAS THE EXTENT OF LIGHTING.

Narrator: ANY CITY OF 10 MILLION PEOPLE IS A MEGACITY.

BUT AN ASTRONAUT'S CAMERA SWALLOWS IT WHOLE.

Kjell Lindgren: WE LOVE TAKING PICTURES OF CITIES,

TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN PICK OUT THE CITY

WHEN YOU JUST SEE THE PHOTO VERY QUICKLY.

Narrator: THE BIGGEST MEGACITIES ARE TOKYO...

DELHI...

AND SHANGHAI.

NEXT IN LINE ARE MUMBAI...

SAO PAULO...

AND THE CHINESE CAPITAL, BEIJING.

Nicole: TO SEE THESE GLOWING CITIES

KIND OF POPPING OUT AT YOU AT NIGHT

IS REALLY PRETTY INCREDIBLE.

FOR ME IT OPENED UP THIS WHOLE NEW VIEW

OF LOOKING AT PLACES LIKE CHINA.

Narrator: IN SOUTHEAST CHINA, NEXT DOOR TO HONG KONG,

AN ENTIRELY NEW MEGACITY HAS GROWN

FROM THE MOST HUMBLE OF BEGINNINGS.

♪

Nicole: THE CHANGE THAT HAS HAPPENED THERE,

IT'S INCREDIBLE.

IT ALMOST DOESN'T SEEM REAL.

♪

Narrator: 30 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A VILLAGE CALLED BAISHIZHOU.

POPULATION, 1,000.

THERE WAS A BABY BOY, AND HIS NAME WAS JET CUI.

THE BOY GREW UP FAST, BUT THE VILLAGE GREW FASTER.

AND THE STREETS OF BAISHIZHOU BECAME A LABYRINTH.

Jet Cui: BAISHIZHOU IS A LOT OF THINGS, A LOT OF PEOPLE,

A LOT OF STUFF, JUST PACKED IN A REALLY TINY SPACE.

Narrator: SOON IT WAS HARD TO TELL

WHERE ONE VILLAGE ENDED AND THE NEXT ONE BEGAN.

THE STREETS WERE SO NARROW

THAT NEIGHBORS COULD SHAKE HANDS ACROSS THE GAP.

Jet: IF YOU GET A STRANGER IN THERE,

I WILL BET HE WILL NEVER GET OUT FROM BAISHIZHOU.

YOU HAVE TO, LIKE, TURN LIKE 20 TIMES TO GET THERE.

IT'S REALLY EASY TO GET LOST.

Narrator: THERE'S NO VILLAGE ON EARTH LIKE BAISHIZHOU.

IN LESS THAN 40 YEARS

A MEGACITY OF 11 MILLION HAS GROWN AROUND IT.

♪

ITS NAME IS SHENZHEN.

♪

Nicole: YOU CAN IMAGINE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE

BUSTLING AROUND THAT AREA...

BUT IT'S LIKE THE MUTE BUTTON IS ON.

IT'S A VERY SURREAL THING.

IT GETS YOU THINKING ABOUT

WHAT ARE ALL THOSE PEOPLE DOING DOWN THERE?

♪

Narrator: JET CUI STILL HANGS OUT

WITH THE BOYS FROM THE OLD VILLAGE.

THEY'RE THE SAME AGE AS THE NEW CITY,

AND THEIR EYES ARE ON THE FUTURE.

♪

Jet: ELECTRONICS!

MY BUSINESS IS IN ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY.

BECAUSE OF BASKETBALL.

RIGHT?

MY FAVORITE PLAYER IS MICHAEL JORDAN,

AND HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE, JUST DO IT!

BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS, JUST DO I.T.

SO I MUST, I MUST DO I.T., THEN!

Narrator: JET'S GENERATION IS SURFING THE WAVE

OF I.T., ELECTRONICS, AND COMMUNICATIONS.

THE CITY'S VAST MARKET HAS A MIND-BOGGLING ARRAY

OF HIGH-TECH PRODUCTS.

Jet: SHENZHEN IS REALLY, LIKE, HIGH EFFICIENCY.

IT'S PRETTY INTERNATIONAL AS WELL.

SHENZHEN HAS A DNA OF... OF STARTING UP SOMETHING.

THERE'S A LOT OF GIANT ENTERPRISE STARTED FROM HERE.

Narrator: SHENZHEN IS HOME

TO THE WORLD'S BIGGEST DRONE COMPANY.

AND IT'S SAID TO MAKE ONE QUARTER

OF ALL SMART PHONES SOLD ON EARTH.

♪

ELECTRONICS MAKE THE CITY A BLAZE OF COLOR.

♪

Don: WHEN YOU LOOK AT A CITY AT NIGHT,

YOU CAN SEE THE COLOR HAS CHANGED.

THERE ARE NOW MANY DIFFERENT COLORS.

Narrator: WESTERN CITIES GLOW ORANGE

FROM SODIUM STREET LIGHTS.

ASIAN CITIES GLOW GREEN FROM MERCURY VAPOR LAMPS.

BUT SHENZHEN IS A COLOR-CHANGING CHAMELEON.

Don: YOU CAN SEE BRIGHT COLORS OF PINKS AND BLUES,

AND THESE ARE COMING FROM THE L.E.D. BILLBOARDS

AND OTHER L.E.D. LIGHTING THAT'S COMING OUT IN CITIES.

Nicole: YOU JUST FEEL LIKE YOU'RE LOOKING

AT A PLACE THAT'S ALIVE.

Narrator: THESE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE MEGACITY AGE.

BUT THEY HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN THEIR VILLAGE ROOTS.

Jet: BAISHIZHOU IS SPECIAL FOR US BECAUSE WE GREW UP THERE.

WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT TOGETHER.

Narrator: MEGACITIES ARE THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME.

BY 2056, THERE WILL BE 10 BILLION PEOPLE ON EARTH.

WE'LL NEED MORE MEGACITIES, MORE FOOD, MORE ENERGY--

MORE EVERYTHING.

THE QUESTION IS, DOES OUR PLANET HAVE THE RESOURCES WE NEED?

IN THE LAST 45 YEARS, THE HUMAN RACE HAS DOUBLED.

AS WE MULTIPLY,

THE EARTH GLITTERS WITH THE LIGHT OF NEW CITIES.

BUT ASTRONAUTS ALSO SEE THE PRICE WE PAY FOR PROGRESS.

Tim: TO SEE HOW FRAGILE OUR ATMOSPHERE IS

MAKES YOU VERY AWARE THAT WE HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE

ABOUT HOW WE DO THINGS ON PLANET EARTH.

WE ARE CHANGING THE PLANET

IN WAYS THAT OTHER SPECIES OF ANIMALS HAVEN'T DONE BEFORE US.

Narrator: SATELLITES SEE HUGE LONG-TERM CHANGES.

CENTRAL ASIA'S ARAL SEA

HAS SHRUNK DRAMATICALLY SINCE THE SIXTIES.

SINCE 1980 ALASKA'S COLUMBIA GLACIER

HAS LOST HALF ITS VOLUME.

IN SOUTH AMERICA,

BOLIVIA'S LAKE POOPOÓ HAS DRIED UP ALMOST COMPLETELY.

ALL THREE HAVE BEEN TRACED TO MAN-MADE CAUSES.

Don: WE DO NOT WANT TO FOUL OUR NEST

TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN NO LONGER LIVE

IN THE PLACES WE WANT TO.

Narrator: THE VIEW FROM SPACE

GIVES US A VITAL WAY TO UNDERSTAND CHANGES ON EARTH.

[RADIO TRANSMISSION] Man: GO AHEAD, LUCA.

Narrator: ASTRONAUTS SEE THINGS

THE REST OF US CAN ONLY DREAM OF.

Luca: I DO HAVE THIS VERY VIVID MEMORY OF MY FIRST SPACEWALK.

Woman: LUCA, READY FOR MOTION?

Luca: READY FOR MOTION, GO AHEAD.

WHILE WE WERE OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN,

THE SUN CAME UP.

♪

A SUNRISE WHILE YOU'RE OUTSIDE, ON A SPACEWALK,

WITH NOTHING TO DO BUT JUST OBSERVE AND LET IT ALL SINK IN.

THE BLUE OF THE OCEAN, THAT SUPER DEEP BLUE,

CAME UP ALL AT ONCE.

♪

AND THEN IT TRANSFORMED INTO THE TERRACOTTA COLOR OF AFRICA,

THAT EXTENDS AND IT TURNS INTO GREEN.

AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE FOREST OF AFRICA.

AND THEN THE MAJESTY OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO,

CLIMBING OVER EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS COVERED IN CLOUDS.

JUST THE EYE OF THE VOLCANO, COMING OUT.

AND IT LOOKED LIKE AN EYE,

EVEN THE SHAPE OF THE CLOUDS AROUND IT.

AND I TOOK A PICTURE OF IT,

AND IT LOOKED ALMOST LIKE STARING AT A DINOSAUR,

A LIVING THING.

IT JUST TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY.

IT LITERALLY TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY.

♪

Narrator: MOUNT KILIMANJARO IS THE GREAT ICON

OF THE AFRICAN CONTINENT.

FROM THE TANZANIAN FOREST, THE DORMANT VOLCANO

CLIMBS 19,000 FEET TO A FROZEN PEAK.

ULTRA-MARATHON RUNNER SIMON MTUY

HAS LIVED HIS ENTIRE LIFE IN THE FOOTHILLS.

HE HAS CLIMBED TO THE TOP NEARLY 500 TIMES.

Simon Mtuy: YOU'RE FEELING EVERY TWIST

OF THE STONES THAT YOU'RE STEPPING ON.

YOU'RE MORE AWARE OF YOUR SOUND.

YOU'RE MORE AWARE OF YOUR BREATHING.

SO YOU'RE IN THIS ZONE.

ZOOMING.

Narrator: IN 2006, SIMON RAN TO THE TOP AND BACK UNAIDED

IN 9 HOURS, 21 MINUTES...

A RECORD THAT STILL STANDS.

BUT THE GLACIERS AT THE SUMMIT--

THE CELEBRATED SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO--

ARE SHRINKING.

Simon: SOME OF THEM USED TO BE VERY HUGE, MAYBE 20 METERS HIGH.

I'VE SEEN IT AT FIVE METER. CAN I TELL A DIFFERENCE?

OF COURSE I CAN TELL A DIFFERENCE.

Narrator: FROM SPACE, THE LOSS OF ICE IS OBVIOUS.

SINCE 1976, MORE THAN HALF HAS DISAPPEARED.

THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN BLAMED ON GLOBAL WARMING.

KILIMANJARO'S FOOTHILLS ARE GOING THROUGH LONG-TERM DROUGHT.

Simon: WHEN I REMEMBER MY CHILDHOOD,

THERE WERE SO MANY PLACES I COULDN'T GO

BECAUSE IT WAS A HUGE RIVER.

NOW YOU CAN ALMOST COVER THE WHOLE ENTIRE MOUNTAIN

WITHOUT GETTING YOUR SHOES WET.

Narrator: IN FACT, KILIMANJARO'S PROBLEM

MAY BE MORE LOCAL THAN GLOBAL.

AND THE EVIDENCE COMES FROM SPACE.

THE MOUNTAIN STANDS ON AN ISLAND OF TREES.

Don: WHEN YOU LOOK AT KILIMANJARO FROM SPACE,

YOU SEE IT IS SURROUNDED BY WHAT LOOKS LIKE DESERT.

IT'S BROWN, AND THEN IT CHANGES GOING UP THE SIDE,

AND IT BECOMES GREEN,

AND THEN IT CHANGES AGAIN BACK TO BROWN

WHEN YOU GET ABOVE TIMBER LINE.

Narrator: THESE RECTANGLES MEAN THE FOREST IS BEING DESTROYED...

BY US.

PEOPLE NEED FIELDS FOR CROPS AND WOOD FOR FUEL AND MATERIALS.

BUT TREES PUMP WATER BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.

SO WHEN WE CUT DOWN THE TREES,

WE TURN OFF THE TAPS THAT WATER THE GLACIERS.

IN THE LAST 70 YEARS,

KILIMANJARO HAS LOST ONE THIRD OF ITS FOREST.

Simon: WE CAN'T JUST TAKE AND TAKE AND TAKE.

THIS SELFISHNESS OF TAKING, TAKING, TAKING.

Narrator: IN THIS SATELLITE IMAGE,

RED DOTS HIGHLIGHT INDIVIDUAL FIRES.

THEY MAKE A BLANKET OF SMOKE THE BREADTH OF AFRICA.

Luca: IT'S JUST MAN DESTROYING PRISTINE FOREST

TO MAKE SPACE FOR CULTIVATION.

YOU CANNOT HELP BUT BE SADDENED

BY THE SIGHT OF THESE HUGE FIRES.

Simon: AT SOME POINT WE MUST SAY IT'S ENOUGH.

THE WORLD NEEDS TO HEAL.

Narrator: KILIMANJARO HAS FOUND ITS HEALER.

[PEOPLE SINGING]

A MAN OF FAITH AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE.

HIS NAME IS BISHOP FREDRICK SHOO.

BUT THEY CALL HIM THE TREE BISHOP.

[SINGING]

[PEOPLE ULULATING]

Fredrick Shoo: WHEN I PLANT TREES, I FEEL GREAT.

I FEEL HAPPY.

I REALLY FEEL LIKE I'M CONTRIBUTING SOMETHING

TO THE PROTECTION OF LIFE.

[PEOPLE SINGING]

[SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE]

Narrator: THE BISHOP'S DIOCESE IS 360,000 STRONG.

AND THESE MANY HANDS CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS.

Fredrick: IT'S ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR PLANET,

IT'S ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN.

Narrator: SINCE 2003, BY THE BISHOP'S ESTIMATE,

THEY'VE PLANTED THREE MILLION TREES.

[SINGING]

Fredrick: WE HAVE SEEN SOME STREAMS COMING BACK.

IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

IT IS AN ONGOING PROJECT.

Simon: I DO BELIEVE THERE'S A FUTURE.

I CLIMBED THE MOUNTAIN.

I'VE CLIMBED THE HIGHEST PEAK OF AFRICA.

"KILIMA KA NJARO." A MOUNTAIN OF OURS.

A MOUNTAIN OF GREATNESS.

THE MOUNTAIN OF EVERYTHING.

OF THE WATERS, THE FOREST, AND EVERYTHING.

Don: WE HAVE TO BE SMART ABOUT HOW WE CHANGE OUR ENVIRONMENT

SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO THRIVE.

Nicole: OVER TIME WE TAKE THOSE LESSONS INTO ACCOUNT,

AS WE FIGURE OUT HOW WE'LL FARM IN NEW PLACES,

OR HOW WE'LL GENERATE OUR POWER AND OUR ENERGY

TO LIVE HERE ON EARTH.

♪

Narrator: IN 2014, ASTRONAUTS PHOTOGRAPHED

THESE MYSTERY FLASHES IN THE AMERICAN WILDERNESS.

Kjell: THESE THINGS CATCH YOUR EYE,

AND IT MAKES YOU... IT MAKES YOU LOOK AT IT.

YOU ALMOST INNATELY KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT A NATURAL THING.

Narrator: THIS IS AN ENERGY SOURCE FOR THE FUTURE.

AND IT COMES FROM OUTER SPACE.

♪

1.2 BILLION PEOPLE ON EARTH HAVE NO ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY.

BUT ASTRONAUTS SEE US FINDING NEW WAYS TO LIGHT THE WORLD.

Don: LIGHTING AT NIGHTTIME IS A SIGNATURE TO THE EXPANSION

OF HUMAN BEINGS ON THE SURFACE OF EARTH.

BEFORE LIGHTING,

YOU COULD BARELY READ A BOOK AT NIGHTTIME BY CANDLELIGHT.

IT EFFECTIVELY EXTENDS OUR LIFETIME.

Narrator: THERE'S ONE CITY

THAT WILL TAKE ALL THE LIGHT IT CAN GET.

[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING]

Don: I LIKE TO REFER TO LAS VEGAS, TONGUE IN CHEEK,

AS THE BEACON OF HUMANITY.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE BRIGHTEST CITY ON EARTH,

BUT IT IS REALLY, REALLY BRIGHT.

Narrator: THEY BUILT THIS CITY ON ELECTRIC POWER.

THE VEGAS STRIP IS LEGENDARY

FOR ITS CASINOS, HOTELS, AND NO-HOLDS-BARRED ENTERTAINMENT.

THE SPACE BEAM FROM THE LUXOR HOTEL

HAS 42 BILLION CANDLE POWER.

AN UNMISSABLE SIGNAL...

FROM THE HEART OF THE MOJAVE DESERT.

Don: LAS VEGAS IS SO STRIKING FROM SPACE

BECAUSE IT'S SURROUNDED BY DARKNESS.

BUT IN THE WILD AMERICAN WEST,

THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF PLACES FOR DARKNESS TO HIDE OUT.

Narrator: THE LIGHTS OF VEGAS WERE SWITCHED ON

BY A WONDER OF ENGINEERING.

♪

THE HOOVER DAM CREATED LAKE MEAD

AND A VAST NEW SOURCE OF HYDROELECTRIC POWER.

IN THE EIGHTIES, SIN CITY BOOMED.

SATELLITES WATCHED IT GROW BY 15% A YEAR.

BUT THE POPULATION WAS DRAINING THE LAKE.

TODAY THERE ARE RINGS AROUND THE BATHTUB...

AND THE DAM ALONE CAN'T PRODUCE ENOUGH POWER.

Nicole: WE NEED NEW WAYS OF LOOKING AT HOW WE LIVE HERE,

HOW WE NEED TO LIVE HERE,

AND HOW WE'RE GENERATING POWER ON EARTH.

Narrator: NEVADA IS BLAZING A NEW TRAIL

IN ITS QUEST FOR ELECTRICITY.

IN THESE VAST EMPTY SPACES,

THE ENERGY THEY NEED CAN GROW...

AND GROW.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE FIRST BASE ON MARS.

WELCOME TO NEVADA SOLAR ONE--

HALF A SQUARE MILE OF PRISTINE POWER.

Tim Kendziorski: THERE'S A FREE ENERGY SOURCE

THAT'S POURING DOWN ON US EVERY SINGLE DAY,

AND ONCE WE'VE COLLECTED IT, WE CAN PUT IT ON THE GRID.

Narrator: TIM KENDZIORSKI IS A TRANSMISSIONS EXPERT

IN THE NEVADA POWER INDUSTRY.

Tim: IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE HERE IN THE DESERT

BECAUSE THE DESERT ENVIRONMENT IS NOT HOSPITABLE

TO OUR KIND OF LIFE.

SO TO MAKE IT HABITABLE, WE HAVE TO GET OUR POWER,

OUR ELECTRICITY, TO WHERE WE'RE AT.

Narrator: FOCUSED BY MIRRORS, SUNLIGHT TURNS WATER TO STEAM

TO DRIVE SOLAR ONE'S TURBINES.

Tim: IT IS USING OUR HEADS TO PROVIDE POWER

TO THOUSANDS OF HOMES

WITHOUT HAVING TO BURN A SINGLE DROP OF FOSSIL FUEL.

Narrator: THE DOWNSIDE IS THAT IT WOULD TAKE EIGHT SOLAR ONES

TO MATCH A COAL-FIRED STATION.

BUT THE MOJAVE DESERT HAS PLENTY OF SUN AND PLENTY OF ROOM.

ITS SOLAR POWER PLANTS ARE VISIBLE FROM SPACE.

Nicole: YOU PULL THAT CAMERA OUT AND YOU LOOK A LITTLE BIT CLOSER

AND YOU SEE THAT, WOW, DOWN THERE ON EARTH

WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD

TO SHIFT THE WAY WE'RE GENERATING OUR ELECTRICITY

SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SURVIVE HERE.

Narrator: SOLAR RESERVE AT CRESCENT DUNES

HAS A DIFFERENT DESIGN.

THE MIRRORS REFLECT LIGHT TO A CENTRAL TOWER.

THE PEOPLE OF THE MOJAVE ARE WORSHIPPING THE SUN.

SOLAR POWER IS LIGHTING THE WORLD...

FROM SPAIN...

TO MOROCCO...

TO SOUTH AFRICA.

FOR TIM KENDZIORSKI, PLANTS LIKE THESE

ARE THE HOOVER DAMS OF THE 21st CENTURY.

Tim: IT'S HUMBLING.

IT'S AS IF I'M STANDING ON THE BACKS OF GIANTS.

♪

Narrator: THE SPACE BEAM STILL BURNS BRIGHTLY.

AND TIM HAS COME TO SEE A SPECIAL VEGAS APPEARANCE.

HE'S ALSO AN AMATEUR ASTRONOMER.

♪

Tim: DO YOU SEE THAT?

Narrator: IT'S THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

MOVING AT FIVE MILES A SECOND.

Tim: I SEE YOU!

Narrator: THE WORLD TURNS,

AND THE SPACE STATION'S SOLAR PANELS CATCH THE SUN.

Nicole: THEY'RE VERY BEAUTIFUL.

AND WE DO THAT SAME THING,

GENERATING POWER FOR OURSELVES ON EARTH.

♪

Narrator: DAYLIGHT REVEALS NEW MYSTERIES

FOR THE ASTRONAUTS TO SOLVE.

Nicole: THERE'S A VERY HUMAN THING

TO LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AT EARTH,

AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE PUT HUMANS IN SPACE.

Narrator: IN DAYLIGHT,

ASTRONAUTS SEE MYSTERIOUS SHAPES ON THE SURFACE OF EARTH.

Tim: YOU START TO FOCUS IN ON THE DETAILS.

SOMETIMES YOU WOULD BE STRUCK

BY THINGS THAT YOU HADN'T APPRECIATED WERE EVEN THERE.

Narrator: ON THE COAST OF MEXICO,

STRANGE BLUE RECTANGLES COME AND GO.

THEY'RE MAN-MADE FARMS...

TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR SUPERMARKET SHRIMP.

♪

IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE,

A VAST AUSTRALIAN IRRIGATION PROJECT.

COTTON FIELDS BLOOM IN THE WILDERNESS.

Luca: THERE IS THE INGENUITY OF MAN

THAT'S WORKING TO MAKE ORDER OUT OF DISORDER.

Narrator: THE ARABIAN DESERT HAS A STRIKING MYSTERY.

ALIEN SHAPES, MARCHING ACROSS THE SANDS.

Luca: THEY LOOK LIKE PIXELS, FROM A VIDEO GAME,

YOU KNOW, SPACE INVADERS.

Nicole: EVERYBODY WANTS TO GET PICTURES OF THEM

BECAUSE IT'S LIKE A PIECE OF ART.

THESE CIRCLES OF COLOR SEEM TO COME OUT OF NOWHERE.

♪

Narrator: THIS IS JORDAN, ONE OF THE DRIEST COUNTRIES ON EARTH.

WADI RUM IS A DESERT OUTPOST OF SANDSTONE AND GRANITE.

15 YEARS AGO, SIJAL MAJALI CAME HERE TO ATTEMPT THE IMPOSSIBLE.

Sijal Majali: IT'S CALLED DESERT.

I MEAN, LOOK AROUND YOU, IT'S ALL DRY.

DRY SAND.

IT RAINS ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY.

♪

Narrator: SIJAL MANAGES RUM FARM.

A MASTERPIECE OF GEOMETRY FOR EFFICIENT USE OF PRECIOUS WATER.

♪

Sijal: IT'S REALLY HARD LAND TO CULTIVATE.

LOTS OF EVAPORATION.

SO WE HAVE TO THINK OF THE BEST TECHNIQUES FOR IRRIGATING.

Narrator: SIJAL HAS LIQUID GOLD IN THE CELLAR.

BENEATH THE DESERT, THERE'S AN AQUIFER--

60 TRILLION GALLONS OF WATER IN NATURAL STORAGE.

PIVOTING AT CENTRAL WELLS,

THE IRRIGATION ARMS SWEEP OUT PERFECT CIRCLES.

IF THERE'S A SLICE OF ROCKY GROUND,

THEY JUST AVOID IT.

Don: SOMETIMES YOU HAVE A CIRCULAR PATTERN,

AND IT'S ONLY THREE QUARTERS OF THE CIRCLE,

SO THEY ALMOST LOOK LIKE PAC-MAN HAS INVADED EARTH.

AND THERE'LL BE ANOTHER CIRCULAR PATTERN RIGHT NEXT TO IT,

AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE EATING EACH OTHER IN THE CLASSIC GAME.

IT JUST REMINDS ME THAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE DOWN THERE,

AND THEY'RE RAISING FOOD.

Narrator: SIJAL GROWS POTATOES, ONIONS AND OTHER STAPLE CROPS.

BUT THESE ARE THE GREEN SHOOTS OF EARLY SPRING.

SIJAL HAS ANXIOUS WEEKS AHEAD.

Sijal: IN AGRICULTURE, GOD IS YOUR PARTNER.

WE MIGHT GET FROST IN THE COMING 2 OR 3 WEEKS.

IF WE GET FROST, WE REALLY LOSE A LOT OF OUR PRODUCTION.

Narrator: FROM YEAR TO YEAR, THE SATELLITES LOOK ON

AS SIJAL'S FORTUNES WAX AND WANE.

IN A GOOD YEAR, THIS ONE FARM

FEEDS A FIFTH OF JORDAN'S PEOPLE.

Sijal: IT MAKES ME PROUD

THAT JORDANIANS ARE EATING OUR POTATOES.

AND WE'RE KEEPING EVEN THE PRICES DOWN

BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IMPORTING POTATOES,

WHICH IS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.

AND THE QUALITY IS MUCH BETTER OVER HERE.

Narrator: THE AQUIFER PROVIDES VITAL DRINKING WATER

FOR JORDAN AND SAUDI ARABIA.

AGRICULTURE IN BOTH COUNTRIES DEPENDS ON IT.

BUT IT'S NOT RENEWABLE.

ONE ESTIMATE SAYS THE AQUIFER HAS ONLY 50 YEARS LEFT.

Sijal: I HOPE THIS PROJECT STAYS THE WAY IT IS,

BECAUSE IT'S FEEDING TOO MANY MOUTHS AT THE MOMENT,

AND MANY PEOPLE DEPEND ON OUR PRODUCE.

Narrator: THIS IS AGRICULTURE AT ITS MOST EXTREME.

SIJAL IS GROWING VEGETABLES IN A MOONSCAPE.

Don: YOU CANNOT DENY THAT THIS IS THE EXPANSION

OF HUMAN BEINGS.

THAT'S HUMAN BEINGS MAKING FOOD SO THAT YOU CAN LIVE.

Sijal: THE FACT THAT ASTRONAUTS

CAN SEE THIS PARTICULAR FARM FROM SPACE IS REALLY AMAZING.

I WISH I WERE A LITTLE BIT YOUNGER,

I WOULD HAVE GONE UP TO SPACE AND TOOK A VIEW.

Luca: WE ARE USED TO THINK OF DESERTS AS EMPTY PLACES

OR DEAD PLACES.

WHEN HUMANS GET THEIR WAY, THEY CAN BECOME COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

DESERTS ARE LIVING.

Narrator: IF WE CAN MAKE A LIVING DESERT,

WE CAN MAKE A LIVING ANYWHERE.

Nicole: LOOKING AT EARTH FROM SPACE

GIVES US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SEE

THAT AS HUMAN BEINGS WE ADAPT AND WE FIND OUR HOME.

Narrator: WE'RE MOVING INTO THE BARREN REACHES

OF EVERY LAND MASS ON EARTH.

BUT ASTRONAUTS SEE DANGER, AND IT COMES FROM THE OCEAN.

ASTRONAUTS ARE LOOKING ON

AS HUMANITY EXPANDS ACROSS THE GLOBE.

BUT 40% OF US STILL LIVE WITHIN 60 MILES OF THE OCEAN.

Tim: AS A HUMAN SPECIES WE'VE EMERGED FROM THE WATER,

WHICH IS A SOURCE OF FOOD

AND A SOURCE OF COMMERCE AND TRAVEL.

SO WHEREVER THERE'S A COASTLINE, YOU WILL FIND HABITATION.

♪

Narrator: SATELLITES SEE BOOMING POPULATION ON EVERY SHORE.

PEARL CITY, KUWAIT, IS AN EARTHLY WORK OF ART.

SOUTH KOREA'S SONGDO WAS BUILT FROM SCRATCH IN JUST TEN YEARS.

AND THERE'S ONE COASTLINE EVEN ASTRONAUTS CAN'T RESIST.

♪

Nicole: WELL, I GREW UP IN FLORIDA,

SO I WANTED TO SEE FLORIDA FROM SPACE.

AND IT HAS A VERY UNIQUE SHAPE TO IT.

IT JUST STANDS RIGHT OUT.

YOU CAN SEE THESE JUST TRANSLUCENT BLUES AND TURQUOISES

OF THE WATER AROUND THE WHOLE STATE.

Narrator: IN THE LAST 50 YEARS,

THE POPULATION OF FLORIDA HAS DOUBLED...

TWICE.

AND THREE OUT OF FOUR PEOPLE LIVE NEAR THE BEACH.

Nicole: YOU WANT TO GO THERE.

I MEAN, IT JUST INVITES YOU TO BE THERE.

LIVING ON THE BEACH, IT'S LIKE A DREAM.

Narrator: THIS IS MATANZAS, ON THE ATLANTIC COAST.

IN 1990, JONI AND JERRY GALASSO CAME DOWN FROM NEW YORK

TO START A NEW RESTAURANT AND A NEW LIFE.

Joni: THERE WERE BARELY ANY HOUSES.

THERE WERE A FEW OLD BEACH HOUSES ON THE OCEANFRONT,

AND THAT WAS ABOUT IT.

Jerry: THE FIRST FEW YEARS THERE WE COULDN'T AFFORD A HOUSE,

AND WE ACTUALLY RAISED OUR THREE KIDS IN THE RESTAURANT.

♪

Narrator: AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD TOOK OFF, SO DID THE BUSINESS.

Joni: THE AREA HAS JUST BOOMED.

IT'S JUST BEEN A HUGE GROWTH SPURT.

MY STAFF KNEW NEARLY EVERY CUSTOMER BY NAME.

AS SOMEBODY WOULD WALK IN, THE CHORUS WOULD START IN--

"HELLO, GEORGE," OR "HELLO, DAVE!"

SO IT WAS ALWAYS LIKE THAT.

Narrator: LIFE ON THE BEACH WAS GOOD.

BUT IN FLORIDA, THE OCEAN CAN TAKE IT ALL AWAY.

Joni: THIS TIME, THE BULL'S-EYE WAS ON THE ROOF, I GUESS.

Narrator: IN OCTOBER 2016,

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION CAMERAS WATCHED EVENTS UNFOLD.

Nicole: YOU SEE THIS BIG WHITE STRUCTURE

THAT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE ITS OWN SHIP

MOVING, YOU KNOW, MOVING ACROSS THE PLANET.

FROM SPACE IT LOOKS... LIKE BILLOWY AND WHITE.

IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.

IT ALMOST LOOKS PEACEFUL.

Announcer: WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS.

HURRICANE MATTHEW BEARING DOWN ON FLORIDA

AND SENDING RIPPLES OF FEAR ALL ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST...

Rick Scott: EVACUATE, EVACUATE, EVACUATE.

[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]

Luca: IT'S ALMOST EERIE, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HEAR ANY NOISE.

BECAUSE YOU'RE FAR AWAY, AND YOU'RE ISOLATED.

[WIND ROARING]

[CLICK]

[WIND ROARING]

[SURF POUNDING]

Narrator: THE HURRICANE DROVE A WALL OF WATER OVER THE COAST.

Luca: IT'S SO QUIET FROM UP THERE,

IT ALMOST SEEMS MORE OMINOUS.

[WATER RUSHING]

Narrator: THE DAY AFTER THE HURRICANE,

JERRY AND JONI CAME BACK TO MATANZAS.

Jerry: WE HAD THIS WATER SURGE WITH A FIVE-FOOT WAVE

BLOWING OUT THE WHOLE NORTH SIDE OF OUR BUILDING.

WE DROVE A MILE SOUTH, AND WE SAW HALF THE DECK

DOWN THE ROAD ABOUT A MILE FROM HERE.

Narrator: THE WATER THREW A WALK-IN REFRIGERATOR

ACROSS THE PARKING LOT.

EVERYTHING IN THE RESTAURANT WAS DESTROYED.

Joni: CHAIRS AND TABLES THAT WERE IN THE DINING ROOM

THAT JUST GOT...WHOOSH... WASHED THROUGH.

IT'S SHOCKING WHEN IT'S BEEN SUCH A VIBRANT PLACE

FOR SO LONG.

TO COME IN HERE AND SAY, YOUR WHOLE LIFE'S WORK,

OH, MY GOD, IT'S ALL-- IT'S GONE.

Narrator: HURRICANES ARE POWERED BY HEAT FROM THE OCEAN.

SO THERE ARE FEARS THAT GLOBAL WARMING

MAY CAUSE HURRICANES TO GET WORSE.

BUT SCIENTISTS CAN'T PROVE THERE'S A LINK,

BECAUSE THERE'S NO CONSISTENT WAY

TO MEASURE HURRICANE INTENSITY.

♪

HERE ON THE FLORIDA COAST,

SOMEONE IS RISING TO THE CHALLENGE.

GEORGE DILLER WORKS

AT THE MOST CELEBRATED BEACHFRONT PROPERTY ON EARTH.

THIS IS KENNEDY SPACE CENTER ON CAPE CANAVERAL,

WHERE ASTRONAUTS SET SAIL FROM PLANET EARTH.

George Diller: THE FIRING CHAIN IS ARMED.

Narrator: IT'S GEORGE'S VOICE...

George: WE ARE GO FOR MAIN ENGINE START.

Narrator: ...THAT SENDS THEM ON THEIR WAY.

George: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

AND LIFTOFF OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY!

LIFTOFF OF SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS!

THE FINAL LIFTOFF OF ATLANTIS!

ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE,

AMERICA WILL CONTINUE THE DREAM.

♪

George: IT CERTAINLY BEATS WORKING FOR A LIVING.

IT'S A LOT OF FUN.

Narrator: NASA'S VAST VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING

IS HEAVILY REINFORCED AGAINST HURRICANE WINDS.

BUT THE REST OF THE SPACE CENTER

IS LESS THAN TEN FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

George: BUT WE DO HAVE SCENARIOS WHERE THE SPACE CENTER,

IF YOU LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW, YOU WOULD JUST SEE WATER.

SO THE ONLY THINGS RISING ABOVE IT

WOULD BE THINGS LIKE THE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING

AND THE TOPS OF THE LAUNCH PADS.

Narrator: THE ONLY WAY TO MEASURE

THE STRENGTH OF A HURRICANE

IS TO LOOK INSIDE.

Man on radio: RUDDER DOWN.

Narrator: SO JUST SIX WEEKS AFTER HURRICANE MATTHEW,

NASA'S CYGNSS MISSION IS A GAME CHANGER.

George: T MINUS 12.

T MINUS 10.

PEGASUS, GO FOR LAUNCH.

Narrator: THE SATELLITE IS LAUNCHED FROM MID-AIR

ON A PEGASUS ROCKET.

George: AND DROP.

PEGASUS IS AWAY.

♪

IGNITION OF THE PEGASUS ROCKET WITH CYGNSS,

HELPING HURRICANE FORECASTERS

UNDERSTAND AND PREDICT THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANES.

Narrator: CYGNSS IS EIGHT SATELLITES IN ONE,

THROWING A RING OF PROTECTION AROUND THE EARTH.

THEY MEASURE THE HEIGHT OF OCEAN WAVES--

THE CRUCIAL INDICATOR OF HURRICANE WIND SPEED.

AS GLOBAL WARMING CONTINUES,

CYGNSS WILL WARN US IF HURRICANES GET MORE POWERFUL

AND MORE DANGEROUS.

Luca: ALL THIS MASSIVE AMOUNT OF DATA GIVES US AN IDEA

OF HOW MUCH WE ARE AFFECTING THE NATURE OF OUR PLANET.

♪

George: THE MORE WE SEE,

THE MORE WE WANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT,

BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SURE ALL THE CHANGES ARE FOR GOOD.

SO LOOKING DOWN ON THE EARTH FROM SPACE

IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS BEING ABLE TO LOOK OUT.

♪

Narrator: JERRY AND JONI GALASSO HAVE RETIRED

FROM THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS.

BUT LIKE THREE BILLION PEOPLE WHO STILL LIVE ON THE COAST,

THEY NOW HAVE SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER THEM.

Joni: YOU CAN'T LIVE IN FEAR.

IF YOU'RE LIVING IN FEAR,

YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER.

IT'S NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO LIVE.

♪

Narrator: IN 1972, ASTRONAUT HARRISON SCHMITT

WENT TO THE MOON,

BUT DISCOVERED THE EARTH.

ASTRONAUTS HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING OUR PROGRESS EVER SINCE.

Schmitt: WE STILL HAVE TO REALIZE THAT CIVILIZATION,

IF YOU WANT CIVILIZATION, REQUIRES RESOURCES,

AND YOU HAVE TO BALANCE THAT

WITH THE WELL-BEING OF THE PLANET.

I THINK ASTRONAUTS THAT ARE IN ORBIT AROUND THE EARTH

ARE GOING TO LEARN MORE AND MORE ABOUT THE EARTH ITSELF

AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE MIGHT USE HERE.

THE BETTER WE DO THAT,

THE BETTER OFF WE'RE GOING TO BE.

Narrator: THE HUMAN STORY CONTINUES.

ASTRONAUTS SEE US FINDING NEW SOURCES

OF FOOD, POWER AND SHELTER.

SHAPING OUR FUTURE...

AND RESHAPING THE PLANET.

THERE'S ONLY ONE BLUE MARBLE.

Nicole: WE ARE THRIVING HERE.

WE ALSO HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PLACE.

♪

HOME IS THE WORD.

♪

♪

Houston: I JUST WANT TO SAY GOODNIGHT AND SLEEP TIGHT.

♪