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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH:
A Perfect Planet.
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Life flourishes on planet Earth...
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..thanks to powerful natural forces.
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The weather gives us
predictable patterns of rainfall.
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Sunlight delivers energy to all
parts of planet Earth's surface.
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Ocean currents carry nutrients
around the globe.
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Volcanoes create
and fertilise the land.
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Together, these forces
have helped shape our living planet.
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But it's a fragile system.
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All right, come on,
let's get him in.
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This baby elephant
is dying of thirst.
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Big swallow.
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The latest casualty
of our changing world.
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ELEPHANT SCREAMS
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Luckily, rescuers have found him,
so he has a chance.
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This young animal
is likely a victim of a new force...
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..one so powerful, it threatens
the future of life on Earth.
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SIRENS AND FAINT CHATTER
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For over 60 years,
I've been privileged
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to witness the natural world
in all its wonder.
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But the planet I saw as a young man
has changed beyond recognition.
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Human activity is now so dominant,
it's disrupting the forces of nature
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and the vital habitats
that life needs to survive on Earth.
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This is the most important story
of our time.
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So I've asked three world
authorities from the front line
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to join me in telling it.
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Humans used to be a species,
just like any other on Earth.
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But we've now become so populous
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and so destructive
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that we are the single most
influential creature on Earth.
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Everything around us is collapsing.
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This is the planet that we're
handing over to future generations,
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and the worst part, I'll tell you
the worst part, to me,
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is that they're going to
turn around and be, like,
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"Why did you not do something
when you had the chance?"
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We are likely to lose over half
the species of life on Earth
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over the next eight decades.
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The last time we had an extinction
event of this magnitude
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was 65 million years ago.
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We are asleep.
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We are not taking a look
at the enormity of this event.
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If you want evidence
of how life is struggling to cope
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in our rapidly changing world...
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..you need to look no further
than here in Africa.
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As we warm the planet, we create
more extreme droughts and floods,
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making it increasingly difficult
for many animals to survive.
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One of our planet's most magnificent
creatures is no exception.
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ELEPHANT RUMBLES
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Adult elephants drink
around 200 litres of water a day.
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When rains fail,
as they did recently here in Kenya,
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watering holes quickly run dry...
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FLIES BUZZ
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..killing hundreds of them.
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GRUNTING AND SQUEALING
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You can see the scale
of the problem...
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..by the dozens of
orphaned baby elephants left behind.
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These are the lucky survivors.
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They owe their lives
to Angela Sheldrick
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and her team,
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who rescue these young orphans.
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Come on! Come on, little boy.
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The orphans, when we find them,
tend to be in a pretty sorry state.
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They are not only physically damaged
but psychologically, too.
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Hey. Hello.
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They have suffered such a loss,
losing their elephant family,
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their mothers.
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Angela's team do their best
to soothe that loss.
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Come on.
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The keepers replace
a lost elephant family.
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They provide the tender loving care
and the nurturing
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that is so important
for them to heal.
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The keepers are there 24/7.
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It is a very, very special
relationship
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that actually does last a lifetime.
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Despite the elephants becoming wild,
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they do never forget
that love and kindness.
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The orphans have to be
bottle-fed eight times a day.
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We raise these orphaned
elephants to ultimately
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go back to their birthright...
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..a wild and happy life.
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SHE LAUGHS
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You're such a clown!
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Hey!
LAUGHTER
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Come with me.
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Go on. Go on.
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So far, Angela's organisation
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has released
more than 150 orphaned elephants
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back into the wild.
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But, to survive, they now need
to live in managed reserves,
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where people top up water supplies
when droughts return.
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Over the years,
we've seen an enormous change
in the weather patterns.
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Greater unpredictability.
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The drier seasons
are drier and longer.
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It is the 11th hour now.
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We have just one home,
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and we, as the dominant species,
should take care of it...
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..must take care of it.
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It is our responsibility.
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What I need to say to people is,
this is not going to get better.
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We are on a curve that's moving us
with a series of events
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that's taking us into
a new geological era in history.
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To understand how humans are
destabilising our perfect planet,
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we need to look into the deep past.
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In Earth's long history,
it's been through at least
five mass extinction events.
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Most were caused
by cataclysmic volcanic eruptions.
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It's not the lava or ash
that wiped out life...
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..but an invisible gas
released by volcanoes
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called carbon dioxide...
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..CO2.
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The single greatest extinction event
on the planet so far was caused
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by the superheating of the world.
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Masses of volcanic activity
pumped huge amounts of carbon
into the atmosphere,
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massively raised
the global temperature,
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and saw the destruction
of around 90% of all life on Earth.
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Humanity is now acting
like a super-volcano.
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We're releasing carbon dioxide
at an even greater rate
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than the prehistoric mega-eruptions
that extinguished life in the past.
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Here's the problem.
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Over the last two centuries,
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we dug up the burial grounds
of a previous geological era
in history...
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..the Carboniferous era.
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And we took those dead remains,
in the form of oil,
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gas and coal, and we made
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the entire industrial civilisation
based on these fossil fuels.
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Almost every part of modern life
depends on energy generated
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by burning these fossil fuels.
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And that produces CO2
in huge amounts.
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Globally, we now release
100 times more carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere
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than all Earth's volcanoes combined.
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And by burning more fossil fuels,
releasing more carbon dioxide,
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heating up the world around us,
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we have become one of
the most powerful, destructive
forces on the planet.
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Carbon dioxide acts like a blanket,
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trapping the sun's heat.
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This raises the temperature
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and so destabilises one of the
most important forces on Earth -
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the weather.
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Many animals rely on
predictable patterns of rainfall.
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But, as our world warms,
our weather is changing.
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For every one degree
that the temperature
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goes up on this planet
because of CO2 emissions...
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..the atmosphere is sucking up
7% more water.
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So we're getting more concentrated
precipitation in the clouds...
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THUNDER RUMBLES
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..and more radical,
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extreme, unpredictable,
out-of-control weather events.
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NEWSREADER: Millions are bracing
for a hurricane the likes of
which we've never seen.
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We're getting hurricanes
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that are devastating our ecosystems
and killing human beings every year.
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They're now over and over
and over again every season.
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This planet is more powerful
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than we thought.
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More fires, more droughts,
more floods.
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And so this perfect planet
of ours is now
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being thrown into a system of flux.
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These extreme conditions
are making it
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increasingly difficult
for animals to survive.
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And that is not just
affecting wildlife.
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WIND GUSTS
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New research suggests that,
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for every one-degree rise
in global temperatures,
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a billion people will be pushed
into near unliveable extremes.
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And this could trigger one
of the greatest human
migrations in history.
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We're about to have
climate refugees,
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forced out of uninhabitable
areas of the world,
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pushed up into Europe.
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We are on the cusp
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of the biggest migratory pattern
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in human history.
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We're going to see millions,
tens of millions
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and, unfortunately,
hundreds of millions of people
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migrating from areas
that are no longer liveable
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in the next 20, 30, 40,
50 and 60 years.
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And people are frightened
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because this is outside
of our frame of reference.
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But there is hope.
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In Africa, the Sahara Desert
is advancing southwards.
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But a remarkable project
is aiming to stop it in its tracks.
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PEOPLE CHATTER
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The ambitious goal
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is to plant over one billion
drought-resistant trees,
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like acacias.
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Known as the Great Green Wall,
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once complete, a band of trees
will stretch nearly 5,000 miles
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right across Africa...
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..one of the largest
living structures on the planet.
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These trees stop topsoil
blowing away,
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and their roots
penetrate the ground,
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creating a network of channels
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that store water
whenever rain falls.
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Ten-year-old Korka is one of
the first children to benefit.
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12 million trees have already
been planted here in Senegal,
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and with dramatic results.
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Wells are filling again,
allowing crops to grow.
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So far, only 15% of
the Green Wall is complete,
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but it's already breathing life
back into the land,
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stemming the exodus of people
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and keeping communities together.
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And the trees do something else
for our children's future.
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As they grow,
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they remove carbon dioxide
from the air.
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ANIMALS CALL
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Carbon is the very
foundation of life.
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Every plant absorbs it
from the air...
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..using it to grow.
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When animals eat these plants,
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some of this carbon is locked away
in the fabric of their bodies.
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Together, these wild places,
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and the animals
that allow them to thrive,
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take up over a third of
the carbon dioxide we release.
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All of these systems,
and the life within it,
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are so important to protect us
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from a warming planet.
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Some of the Earth's
most important carbon stores
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are those rich in plant
and animal species -
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the tropical jungles.
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Forests are sponges.
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They absorb enormous amounts of CO2
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from the atmosphere,
and they trap that inside.
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Forests are about
much more than just trees.
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In order to thrive, a jungle needs
bustling animal communities.
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It needs insects to pollinate.
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It needs mammals to spread the seeds
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from one part of the forest
to another.
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It needs this massive,
tangled web of species interactions.
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A jungle rich in animals
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stores so much more carbon
than a forest with little life.
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WHOOPING
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But many of the world's
tropical jungles are under threat.
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And none more so than the greatest
of them all - the Amazon rainforest.
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It's essential for the health of
our planet, storing as much carbon
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as 25 years' worth
of current emissions from
all the cars in the world.
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The Amazon rainforest is one
of the keystones of our climate.
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If we lose enough of the Amazon
that it stops to function like that,
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then it's going to be
an absolute disaster for
civilisation, it really will.
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But urban expansion, cattle ranching
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and mining
means that the forests of the Amazon
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are being lost at
a frightening rate.
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It's not beyond the realms
of possibility that we could
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deforest a rainforest,
like the Amazon,
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so that trees cannot grow there
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and it turns into a savanna.
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Every minute, an area the size
of about two football pitches
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is destroyed by humans.
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These amazing ecosystems
around us - the oceans,
the jungles, the forests,
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the mangroves -
these are our greatest hope
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and our greatest buffers
against a warming planet.
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On the front line
in the heart of the Amazon
249
00:20:37,180 --> 00:20:39,500
stands of the city of Manaus.
250
00:20:41,580 --> 00:20:44,980
Here, urban expansion
is eating into the jungle.
251
00:21:00,220 --> 00:21:03,500
Celina Pinage works for IPAAM,
252
00:21:03,500 --> 00:21:06,540
the Amazonas Environmental
Protection Unit.
253
00:21:07,780 --> 00:21:10,900
Their mission is to save animals
trapped in the city
254
00:21:10,900 --> 00:21:12,820
and to return them to the wild.
255
00:21:38,020 --> 00:21:41,540
Today, Celina is rescuing a sloth.
256
00:21:41,540 --> 00:21:44,540
It's the world's slowest mammal.
257
00:21:44,540 --> 00:21:48,180
Many become trapped as
trees are cut down
258
00:21:48,180 --> 00:21:49,380
to make way for houses.
259
00:21:52,220 --> 00:21:54,460
SHOUTED WARNINGS
260
00:22:22,100 --> 00:22:26,780
Over 3,000 animals have been rescued
in the past five years.
261
00:22:29,820 --> 00:22:34,060
Each one of these creatures
is needed by the forest -
262
00:22:34,060 --> 00:22:37,540
to disperse seeds, pollinate plants
263
00:22:37,540 --> 00:22:41,380
or, like this jaguar,
to keep herbivores in check.
264
00:22:51,340 --> 00:22:54,380
Whenever possible,
Celina releases animals
265
00:22:54,380 --> 00:22:57,420
back into the protected areas
of jungle.
266
00:23:25,260 --> 00:23:28,300
We don't just want to protect
animals because they're interesting
267
00:23:28,300 --> 00:23:29,780
and they're beautiful.
268
00:23:29,780 --> 00:23:33,980
They're an integral part of
a functioning planet, and we
need to keep them around.
269
00:23:37,620 --> 00:23:41,940
So, how do we protect
our remaining forests?
270
00:23:41,940 --> 00:23:46,380
Calculating their true environmental
value could hold the key.
271
00:23:48,460 --> 00:23:52,700
And a new cutting-edge technology
is beginning to do just that.
272
00:23:54,740 --> 00:23:59,980
It's led by a team from
the Global Airborne Observatory.
273
00:23:59,980 --> 00:24:02,820
They've developed a way to quantify
274
00:24:02,820 --> 00:24:06,100
exactly how much carbon
the forest stores.
275
00:24:09,780 --> 00:24:13,340
By firing high-powered lasers
across the canopy,
276
00:24:13,340 --> 00:24:17,060
they can map the amount of carbon
within each tree.
277
00:24:22,860 --> 00:24:27,580
The trees showing up as red and
yellow are the most carbon-rich.
278
00:24:31,300 --> 00:24:35,780
These maps allow countries to see
how valuable their forests are.
279
00:24:39,940 --> 00:24:42,660
I truly hope
that we aren't too far away
280
00:24:42,660 --> 00:24:46,740
from realising the intrinsic value
of wildlife, of forests,
281
00:24:46,740 --> 00:24:49,820
but we're not there yet
and, for the time being,
282
00:24:49,820 --> 00:24:53,620
governments need to be
financially incentivised
to keep forests standing
283
00:24:53,620 --> 00:24:55,260
and to not cut them down.
284
00:24:59,740 --> 00:25:03,580
But what about areas of forest
that have already been destroyed?
285
00:25:06,420 --> 00:25:10,140
In the Amazon, a revolutionary
project is under way.
286
00:25:13,740 --> 00:25:16,620
The aim is to plant a new jungle
287
00:25:16,620 --> 00:25:20,220
of 73 million trees.
288
00:25:20,220 --> 00:25:24,900
PEOPLE CHATTER
289
00:25:24,900 --> 00:25:29,980
But regrowing a species-rich forest
has always proved difficult.
290
00:25:33,620 --> 00:25:38,860
So the project has turned to the
indigenous peoples of the Amazon,
291
00:25:38,860 --> 00:25:41,780
and young women like Milene Alves.
292
00:26:01,420 --> 00:26:04,780
Milene's community
has a unique knowledge of seeds.
293
00:26:10,220 --> 00:26:13,300
It's enabled them to collect
over 200
294
00:26:13,300 --> 00:26:15,660
of the most important tree species
295
00:26:15,660 --> 00:26:17,140
from across the Amazon.
296
00:26:49,820 --> 00:26:52,260
By mixing the seeds together,
297
00:26:52,260 --> 00:26:56,500
it allows them to create
a super-recipe known as a muvuca.
298
00:26:59,180 --> 00:27:02,100
In this mixture,
there is enough tree variety
299
00:27:02,100 --> 00:27:04,900
to jump-start a new jungle.
300
00:27:07,700 --> 00:27:10,540
Every year,
around 20 tonnes of seeds
301
00:27:10,540 --> 00:27:14,140
are scattered over acres
of burnt and degraded land.
302
00:27:15,980 --> 00:27:17,540
After six years,
303
00:27:17,540 --> 00:27:20,060
they will have restored
an area of forest
304
00:27:20,060 --> 00:27:23,540
the size of 30,000
football fields...
305
00:27:24,780 --> 00:27:29,020
..the largest tropical
restoration project in the world.
306
00:27:34,100 --> 00:27:36,140
The best thing we can possibly do
307
00:27:36,140 --> 00:27:39,420
to mitigate the effects of a warming
planet is to plant more trees
308
00:27:39,420 --> 00:27:41,580
and protect those trees
that we have.
309
00:27:41,580 --> 00:27:42,820
We can do this.
310
00:27:42,820 --> 00:27:45,660
If we put them back, we are creating
311
00:27:45,660 --> 00:27:48,060
that stable climate
that we need to survive,
312
00:27:48,060 --> 00:27:49,580
and it's such an easy thing to do.
313
00:27:49,580 --> 00:27:54,620
Planting trees and saving wildlife
is a vital solution on land,
314
00:27:54,620 --> 00:27:57,020
but it's only part of the story.
315
00:27:57,020 --> 00:27:59,300
The carbon dioxide we produce
316
00:27:59,300 --> 00:28:01,980
is damaging another crucial part
of our planet -
317
00:28:01,980 --> 00:28:03,340
the oceans.
318
00:28:08,620 --> 00:28:11,460
Life cannot survive without them.
319
00:28:18,180 --> 00:28:20,620
The reason we can walk out and live
320
00:28:20,620 --> 00:28:24,300
and breathe oxygen is because
it's generated in the oceans.
321
00:28:27,940 --> 00:28:32,860
The oceans produce
up to 70% of the oxygen we breathe
322
00:28:32,860 --> 00:28:36,260
and feed over three billion people.
323
00:28:40,740 --> 00:28:42,740
Just like our forests,
324
00:28:42,740 --> 00:28:44,580
the plants and animals here
325
00:28:44,580 --> 00:28:47,900
absorb vast amounts of carbon
from the atmosphere.
326
00:28:50,260 --> 00:28:53,300
And, when they die,
it sinks down to the ocean floor.
327
00:28:56,780 --> 00:28:59,580
The ocean is what we call
a carbon sink.
328
00:28:59,580 --> 00:29:01,820
Basically, it's a giant sponge
329
00:29:01,820 --> 00:29:04,340
that has forever been absorbing
330
00:29:04,340 --> 00:29:07,740
all the excess carbon
from the atmosphere,
331
00:29:07,740 --> 00:29:09,980
taking it down to the depths
and keeping it there.
332
00:29:11,340 --> 00:29:15,140
The most vital life forms
that allow the ocean to do this
333
00:29:15,140 --> 00:29:17,140
are some of the tiniest,
334
00:29:17,140 --> 00:29:21,140
microscopic plant-like organisms -
335
00:29:21,140 --> 00:29:23,500
phytoplankton.
336
00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:26,780
Now, we don't pay much attention
to the little teeny plankton,
337
00:29:26,780 --> 00:29:32,420
but plankton are the most important
organisms for taking carbon dioxide
338
00:29:32,420 --> 00:29:34,980
and transforming it into oxygen
for the planet.
339
00:29:36,380 --> 00:29:39,020
Phytoplankton are the base
of the food chain
340
00:29:39,020 --> 00:29:41,060
on top of which everything
else survives.
341
00:29:41,060 --> 00:29:43,100
The krill eats the phytoplankton,
342
00:29:43,100 --> 00:29:45,340
whales eat the krill,
343
00:29:45,340 --> 00:29:48,180
sharks eat the fish,
and so on and so forth.
344
00:29:48,180 --> 00:29:52,060
We need phytoplankton for everything
else in the oceans to survive,
345
00:29:52,060 --> 00:29:55,340
to trap that carbon
and keep our climate cool.
346
00:29:56,540 --> 00:30:00,580
But some of these crucial
phytoplankton are under attack.
347
00:30:06,420 --> 00:30:09,180
Since the start
of the Industrial Revolution,
348
00:30:09,180 --> 00:30:14,180
the oceans have absorbed almost half
of all our CO2 emissions.
349
00:30:15,380 --> 00:30:17,340
But that has come at a cost.
350
00:30:23,260 --> 00:30:28,100
When water absorbs carbon dioxide,
it becomes more acidic.
351
00:30:30,820 --> 00:30:34,500
But the problem
when you have this acidification
352
00:30:34,500 --> 00:30:37,180
is that shells are made
of calcium carbonate,
353
00:30:37,180 --> 00:30:39,980
and, as you have this increased
acidity in the oceans,
354
00:30:39,980 --> 00:30:41,980
it starts to dissolve
these structures.
355
00:30:41,980 --> 00:30:46,060
That threatens anything
with a shell.
356
00:30:46,060 --> 00:30:49,340
Our increasingly warm, acidic waters
357
00:30:49,340 --> 00:30:52,540
are not only destroying coral reefs
358
00:30:52,540 --> 00:30:55,380
but decimating some phytoplankton,
359
00:30:55,380 --> 00:30:59,860
the amount of which has fallen
by as much as 40% in recent years.
360
00:31:01,620 --> 00:31:08,020
250 million years ago, the ocean
also warmed and became more acidic,
361
00:31:08,020 --> 00:31:13,900
contributing to the mass extinction
of around 96% of all marine life.
362
00:31:15,300 --> 00:31:18,580
If we have less phytoplankton,
the base of every food web,
363
00:31:18,580 --> 00:31:20,980
you lose so much more
of everything else.
364
00:31:23,420 --> 00:31:27,020
It is serious.
If we have less phytoplankton,
365
00:31:27,020 --> 00:31:31,180
we have less oxygen,
which is what we need to survive.
366
00:31:35,620 --> 00:31:37,660
And the oceans are being damaged
367
00:31:37,660 --> 00:31:38,660
in another way.
368
00:31:40,380 --> 00:31:43,140
Research suggests that overfishing
369
00:31:43,140 --> 00:31:48,220
has removed as much as 90%
of all large predatory fish.
370
00:31:48,220 --> 00:31:52,820
And fewer fish means
a marine system that stores
371
00:31:52,820 --> 00:31:53,900
less carbon.
372
00:31:54,900 --> 00:31:59,180
Ocean species are dying
at a rate that's so fast
373
00:31:59,180 --> 00:32:02,220
that, if it were human beings,
we would absolutely be terrified.
374
00:32:07,900 --> 00:32:10,060
But there is hope here, too.
375
00:32:10,060 --> 00:32:13,340
MUFFLED RADIO MESSAGES
376
00:32:13,340 --> 00:32:15,620
When areas of ocean are protected,
377
00:32:15,620 --> 00:32:18,420
marine life can recover.
378
00:32:22,100 --> 00:32:24,100
Here, off the coast of Gabon,
379
00:32:24,100 --> 00:32:27,140
they've created one of Earth's
most ambitious networks
380
00:32:27,140 --> 00:32:29,460
of marine protected areas.
381
00:32:32,980 --> 00:32:36,700
It's a hot spot for breeding
whales and dolphins...
382
00:32:39,780 --> 00:32:42,620
..and one of the most important
of all marine predators...
383
00:32:44,700 --> 00:32:45,700
..sharks.
384
00:32:47,540 --> 00:32:52,420
Sharks prevent the species they feed
on from becoming overabundant -
385
00:32:52,420 --> 00:32:56,660
an essential factor in maintaining
our oceans' rich diversity.
386
00:32:58,300 --> 00:33:01,300
When people think
about poaching in Africa,
387
00:33:01,300 --> 00:33:04,580
they think about elephants
and rhinos and hippos
388
00:33:04,580 --> 00:33:07,340
and these great, majestic
creatures on land.
389
00:33:07,340 --> 00:33:10,900
But there is poaching
that's taking place at sea.
390
00:33:12,300 --> 00:33:15,020
The reason that I call
these fishermen poachers
391
00:33:15,020 --> 00:33:19,140
is that they are taking wildlife
without licence.
392
00:33:19,140 --> 00:33:20,820
Captain Peter Hammarstedt,
393
00:33:20,820 --> 00:33:23,900
who works for the conservation group
Sea Shepherd,
394
00:33:23,900 --> 00:33:28,060
is patrolling the 20,000-square-mile
marine park.
395
00:33:28,060 --> 00:33:29,260
HORN BLARES
396
00:33:29,260 --> 00:33:32,820
Prepare boats for launch,
prepare boats for launch. Thank you.
397
00:33:32,820 --> 00:33:37,500
They've spotted a commercial
fishing boat on the edge of the park
398
00:33:37,500 --> 00:33:38,980
which needs investigating.
399
00:33:41,980 --> 00:33:45,020
The Gabonese government has joined
forces with Peter's team
400
00:33:45,020 --> 00:33:46,820
to carry out boat inspections.
401
00:33:50,300 --> 00:33:53,700
The vessel may have a licence
to fish here,
402
00:33:53,700 --> 00:33:55,980
but it could be taking
more than its quota
403
00:33:55,980 --> 00:33:58,260
and catching protected species,
404
00:33:58,260 --> 00:34:00,980
like dolphins and sharks.
405
00:34:00,980 --> 00:34:03,900
MUFFLED RADIO MESSAGES
406
00:34:08,580 --> 00:34:10,620
When fighting a war
to stop illegal fishing,
407
00:34:10,620 --> 00:34:13,860
the odds can seem insurmountable.
408
00:34:37,420 --> 00:34:40,060
This boat's fishing nets
have pulled up
409
00:34:40,060 --> 00:34:42,420
threatened silky and blue sharks.
410
00:34:46,980 --> 00:34:49,620
Catching and keeping
these creatures is illegal,
411
00:34:49,620 --> 00:34:53,260
so the fishermen must
throw them back.
412
00:34:53,260 --> 00:34:55,700
But many are already
so badly injured,
413
00:34:55,700 --> 00:34:57,940
they will not survive the ordeal.
414
00:34:59,500 --> 00:35:03,140
It saddens me greatly
to see these incredible creatures
415
00:35:03,140 --> 00:35:07,820
being brutally manhandled
as they're dragged across the deck,
416
00:35:07,820 --> 00:35:10,860
their fingers in their gills
as they pull them.
417
00:35:16,260 --> 00:35:19,300
Globally, each year,
millions of sharks
418
00:35:19,300 --> 00:35:22,060
and over 300,000 whales
and dolphins
419
00:35:22,060 --> 00:35:25,100
are accidentally killed
by fishing nets,
420
00:35:25,100 --> 00:35:28,260
seriously injuring
the health of the oceans.
421
00:35:28,260 --> 00:35:31,980
It's the efficiency of these vessels
that shocks me to the core...
422
00:35:33,900 --> 00:35:36,100
..this sheer killing power of them.
423
00:35:38,060 --> 00:35:40,180
And you can really see
424
00:35:40,180 --> 00:35:43,460
why the oceans are being
sucked dry of life.
425
00:35:58,540 --> 00:36:01,140
But the patrols are working.
426
00:36:01,140 --> 00:36:05,540
In the past three years,
they have arrested 50 vessels
427
00:36:05,540 --> 00:36:07,020
and inspected hundreds more.
428
00:36:08,700 --> 00:36:11,060
Last year,
we assisted the coastguard
429
00:36:11,060 --> 00:36:13,980
to arrest a vessel
that was poaching sharks.
430
00:36:13,980 --> 00:36:16,540
And, by arresting this
one single ship,
431
00:36:16,540 --> 00:36:20,380
we were able to save the lives
of 250,000 sharks.
432
00:36:23,460 --> 00:36:26,460
Marine life here now has a chance.
433
00:36:29,340 --> 00:36:33,220
Currently, around 5%
of the oceans are protected,
434
00:36:33,220 --> 00:36:37,660
but there's a global campaign
to raise that to 30%.
435
00:36:38,860 --> 00:36:43,340
If we can do that, many of the
planet's most vulnerable species
436
00:36:43,340 --> 00:36:45,380
could recover.
437
00:36:45,380 --> 00:36:50,460
And a healthier ocean has the power
to absorb more CO2.
438
00:36:53,180 --> 00:36:54,940
We thought the ocean is
439
00:36:54,940 --> 00:36:59,180
this infinite space that
is full of infinite resources...
440
00:37:00,900 --> 00:37:04,140
..and this infinite capacity to
441
00:37:04,140 --> 00:37:07,100
withstand and tolerate everything
that we throw at it.
442
00:37:09,380 --> 00:37:11,180
And I think we do need to...
443
00:37:11,180 --> 00:37:16,220
..stop and reconsider our strategies
if we want to move forward.
444
00:37:21,420 --> 00:37:25,420
Humans aren't just damaging
life in the sea.
445
00:37:25,420 --> 00:37:29,940
We're also disturbing
one of its most important forces...
446
00:37:34,540 --> 00:37:36,180
..ocean currents.
447
00:37:40,420 --> 00:37:46,620
These transport essential nutrients
to almost all marine creatures.
448
00:37:46,620 --> 00:37:48,300
We're dependent on
449
00:37:48,300 --> 00:37:50,900
these large circulation patterns
that go on in our oceans.
450
00:37:52,420 --> 00:37:54,460
There's this continuous movement
451
00:37:54,460 --> 00:37:56,460
of beautiful cold water
coming from the depths.
452
00:37:57,900 --> 00:37:59,220
It's chock-full of nutrients,
453
00:37:59,220 --> 00:38:00,940
it's chock-full of productivity.
454
00:38:02,100 --> 00:38:05,420
These currents begin at the poles.
455
00:38:07,340 --> 00:38:08,700
Here, cold, salty water,
456
00:38:08,700 --> 00:38:12,140
which is more dense,
sinks to the depths...
457
00:38:13,540 --> 00:38:15,860
..and flows towards the tropics
458
00:38:15,860 --> 00:38:16,980
and beyond.
459
00:38:20,300 --> 00:38:24,860
In the hotter parts of the Earth,
warmer water rises and flows
460
00:38:24,860 --> 00:38:26,220
back towards the poles.
461
00:38:27,620 --> 00:38:30,620
This creates a global conveyor belt
462
00:38:30,620 --> 00:38:34,700
that circulates nutrients, oxygen
and heat around our planet,
463
00:38:34,700 --> 00:38:37,380
regulating Earth's
climate and weather.
464
00:38:39,220 --> 00:38:44,660
But it's now feared that our warming
planet is destabilising the system.
465
00:38:46,660 --> 00:38:49,500
As you have an increase
in ocean temperatures,
466
00:38:49,500 --> 00:38:51,300
it has impacts on everything.
467
00:38:51,300 --> 00:38:53,540
We have glaciers across
the world and, as they melt,
468
00:38:53,540 --> 00:38:57,020
you have more of this fresh water
just pushing into the oceans.
469
00:38:57,020 --> 00:39:01,100
And this fresh water is
less saline, it's less salty,
470
00:39:01,100 --> 00:39:04,140
and that tends to float
at the surface.
471
00:39:05,380 --> 00:39:08,740
And it's not moving.
You don't have this circulation.
472
00:39:08,740 --> 00:39:10,100
It's causing a breakdown.
473
00:39:12,060 --> 00:39:15,900
Many animals depend on
reliable ocean currents,
474
00:39:15,900 --> 00:39:17,740
so, as they change,
475
00:39:17,740 --> 00:39:19,820
the effect can be disastrous.
476
00:39:22,580 --> 00:39:24,020
This can be witnessed
477
00:39:24,020 --> 00:39:27,180
off the north-east coast
of the United States,
478
00:39:27,180 --> 00:39:29,060
where it's thought to be triggering
479
00:39:29,060 --> 00:39:32,740
mass casualties of
a critically endangered species.
480
00:39:34,180 --> 00:39:37,900
The fact that they're even here
just stuns so many people.
481
00:39:37,900 --> 00:39:41,940
Bob Prescott heads up
the emergency response team.
482
00:39:47,780 --> 00:39:51,060
We have about 250 people
that walk beaches.
483
00:39:51,060 --> 00:39:53,300
They're looking
for turtles in trouble.
484
00:39:55,100 --> 00:39:56,940
NEWSREADER: This week's
frigid conditions
485
00:39:56,940 --> 00:39:59,100
have stunned sea turtles
and left them
486
00:39:59,100 --> 00:40:01,180
stranded on beaches
throughout the north-east.
487
00:40:01,180 --> 00:40:04,700
If you spot one, move the turtle
above the high-tide line
488
00:40:04,700 --> 00:40:07,740
until a trained responder arrives.
489
00:40:07,740 --> 00:40:09,260
Timing is everything.
490
00:40:09,260 --> 00:40:11,580
If we can get to them within an hour
491
00:40:11,580 --> 00:40:13,580
of them washing up onto the beach,
492
00:40:13,580 --> 00:40:15,620
then we're going to be able to save
493
00:40:15,620 --> 00:40:17,660
90-95% of them.
494
00:40:19,220 --> 00:40:21,740
Here, off the coast of Boston,
495
00:40:21,740 --> 00:40:24,980
waters are warming faster
than almost anywhere on Earth.
496
00:40:26,300 --> 00:40:29,620
It's thought to be causing turtles
from the tropics to swim
497
00:40:29,620 --> 00:40:33,020
further north than ever before
for summer feeding.
498
00:40:34,700 --> 00:40:37,260
But, when the cold autumn waters
suddenly close in,
499
00:40:37,260 --> 00:40:39,220
the turtles go into shock.
500
00:40:42,660 --> 00:40:44,460
These are very young turtles.
501
00:40:44,460 --> 00:40:47,700
They're anywhere from one-and-a-half
to six years old.
502
00:40:48,740 --> 00:40:51,180
When we find them,
they're hypothermic,
503
00:40:51,180 --> 00:40:54,660
their heart is beating
at one to five beats a minute.
504
00:40:54,660 --> 00:40:57,100
The blood is barely circulating.
505
00:40:57,100 --> 00:40:59,780
For all intents and purposes,
look dead.
506
00:40:59,780 --> 00:41:01,380
The critically ill animals
507
00:41:01,380 --> 00:41:04,780
are rushed to the
New England Aquarium near Boston.
508
00:41:04,780 --> 00:41:09,460
It has a state-of-the-art
ER unit for turtles.
509
00:41:11,220 --> 00:41:13,180
We don't want to stress them
any further,
510
00:41:13,180 --> 00:41:15,940
so we now treat the whole episode
511
00:41:15,940 --> 00:41:18,140
as sort of entering an ICU unit
of a hospital.
512
00:41:19,340 --> 00:41:22,220
This is critical care
for some turtles.
513
00:41:22,220 --> 00:41:25,940
He's pretty stiff. I can't get
his mouth open much more.
514
00:41:25,940 --> 00:41:27,780
See, it's right there.
515
00:41:27,780 --> 00:41:29,380
Oh, there we are, there we are.
516
00:41:31,940 --> 00:41:35,260
When a turtle arrives,
its condition is rapidly assessed.
517
00:41:35,260 --> 00:41:37,380
How are you doing?
The animals are given
518
00:41:37,380 --> 00:41:39,700
stabilising drugs and fluids,
519
00:41:39,700 --> 00:41:42,220
their lungs are cleared of water
520
00:41:42,220 --> 00:41:44,500
and sand washed out
of their scratched eyes.
521
00:41:47,460 --> 00:41:49,460
Got emergency meds.
522
00:41:49,460 --> 00:41:51,180
The veterinary team
523
00:41:51,180 --> 00:41:52,580
must ventilate turtles
524
00:41:52,580 --> 00:41:54,580
that are close to death
525
00:41:54,580 --> 00:41:56,580
to help them breathe.
No response at all.
526
00:41:56,580 --> 00:42:01,660
But it's worth it for an animal
that might live another 50 years.
527
00:42:03,380 --> 00:42:05,300
You want to save as many as you can.
528
00:42:06,340 --> 00:42:07,860
And it is depressing at times,
529
00:42:07,860 --> 00:42:09,380
cos a lot of them don't make it.
530
00:42:14,460 --> 00:42:17,500
You know, last year at Thanksgiving,
we had 200 dead turtles.
531
00:42:22,100 --> 00:42:25,220
When you're looking into its eyes,
it's looking back at you.
532
00:42:25,220 --> 00:42:26,860
There is a connection there.
533
00:42:28,220 --> 00:42:31,060
And it gets stronger and stronger
as they start to recover.
534
00:42:33,940 --> 00:42:37,420
It can take months
for the turtles to recuperate.
535
00:42:37,420 --> 00:42:38,860
But, once they do,
536
00:42:38,860 --> 00:42:42,500
they'll make the first plane flight
of their lives.
537
00:42:42,500 --> 00:42:45,140
We have a big transport
this morning -
538
00:42:45,140 --> 00:42:47,380
44 ridleys and one loggerhead.
539
00:42:47,380 --> 00:42:49,540
So we're going to start in 15B.
540
00:42:49,540 --> 00:42:51,420
All right, let's get to work!
541
00:42:53,460 --> 00:42:54,940
They are part of the planet.
542
00:42:56,060 --> 00:43:00,380
They're part of our very delicate
web of life, if you will.
543
00:43:00,380 --> 00:43:03,620
38, 41, 44...
544
00:43:03,620 --> 00:43:06,460
The bottom line for all of
these turtles
545
00:43:06,460 --> 00:43:08,700
is to get them back out
into the water.
546
00:43:10,940 --> 00:43:13,140
We're doing great on timing,
everybody.
547
00:43:17,140 --> 00:43:20,260
A very exciting day,
cos it just brings that turtle
548
00:43:20,260 --> 00:43:23,300
one step closer to being released
back into the wild.
549
00:43:24,820 --> 00:43:28,020
These mass casualties
of our changing oceans
550
00:43:28,020 --> 00:43:32,060
are to be flown south
to Florida and beyond.
551
00:43:32,060 --> 00:43:36,340
The future of this species
depends on these young turtles...
552
00:43:36,340 --> 00:43:37,740
Ready. All right!
553
00:43:37,740 --> 00:43:38,980
..which will be released
554
00:43:38,980 --> 00:43:42,340
into the warmer-water currents
that they need to survive.
555
00:43:45,860 --> 00:43:48,300
It's a very emotional day
for everybody.
556
00:43:48,300 --> 00:43:51,140
These are turtles that staff
and volunteers at the aquarium
557
00:43:51,140 --> 00:43:53,420
have worked so hard
to get them to that point.
558
00:44:13,700 --> 00:44:17,620
Changes in the ocean currents
won't just harm turtles.
559
00:44:17,620 --> 00:44:22,460
With heat, oxygen and nutrients
moving more slowly around the globe,
560
00:44:22,460 --> 00:44:25,660
the impact on all life
could be dramatic.
561
00:44:25,660 --> 00:44:27,460
I mean, we live in a world where
562
00:44:27,460 --> 00:44:30,780
just one domino
in a large game of dominoes...
563
00:44:30,780 --> 00:44:32,780
So you flick one piece,
and you know what happens -
564
00:44:32,780 --> 00:44:34,420
everything starts to collapse.
565
00:44:34,420 --> 00:44:37,060
And that's exactly what
we start to see over time
566
00:44:37,060 --> 00:44:38,660
as these conveyor belts slow down.
567
00:44:42,860 --> 00:44:47,820
Human activity is destroying
the balance of our perfect planet...
568
00:44:50,060 --> 00:44:52,900
..disturbing our oceans
and disrupting our weather.
569
00:44:55,020 --> 00:44:57,620
But can we prevent
the damage we're doing?
570
00:44:58,980 --> 00:45:01,380
Now the human population's
at 7 billion.
571
00:45:01,380 --> 00:45:03,460
It's moving to 9 billion.
572
00:45:03,460 --> 00:45:05,500
And the problem is
we're already using
573
00:45:05,500 --> 00:45:07,460
the equivalent of
one-and-a-half Earths.
574
00:45:10,180 --> 00:45:11,380
It's not sustainable.
575
00:45:14,820 --> 00:45:17,260
Around 80% of the energy we use
576
00:45:17,260 --> 00:45:21,340
still comes from
burning fossil fuels.
577
00:45:21,340 --> 00:45:24,660
It's what makes us so dangerous.
578
00:45:25,980 --> 00:45:30,260
We can reduce CO2 emissions
by consuming less
579
00:45:30,260 --> 00:45:34,140
or reusing some of our resources.
580
00:45:34,140 --> 00:45:36,700
But the biggest saving we could make
581
00:45:36,700 --> 00:45:40,100
would be to stop using
fossil fuels for our energy.
582
00:45:41,180 --> 00:45:43,300
And there are many people who think
583
00:45:43,300 --> 00:45:47,460
that we could exploit
the natural forces of the planet
584
00:45:47,460 --> 00:45:48,940
to enable us to do that.
585
00:45:53,820 --> 00:45:56,860
The sun has not sent us a bill.
586
00:45:56,860 --> 00:45:58,940
The wind has not invoiced us.
587
00:46:02,700 --> 00:46:07,020
Coal, oil, gas, uranium -
they're expensive.
588
00:46:07,020 --> 00:46:08,420
The sun and the wind is free.
589
00:46:13,740 --> 00:46:16,780
We live in a planet
that's incredibly dynamic.
590
00:46:22,020 --> 00:46:23,580
We all live in environments
591
00:46:23,580 --> 00:46:26,540
where there is some source of energy
that we can tap into.
592
00:46:26,540 --> 00:46:29,180
There's energy,
there's power all around us.
593
00:46:35,380 --> 00:46:37,700
And we need to start looking at
594
00:46:37,700 --> 00:46:39,820
these natural sources of energy
595
00:46:39,820 --> 00:46:42,380
that don't have that
negative impact.
596
00:46:48,700 --> 00:46:52,340
We have more energy than
we'll ever know what to do with.
597
00:46:52,340 --> 00:46:53,940
We can power the whole world
598
00:46:53,940 --> 00:46:58,220
with just a fraction of the solar
and wind that we get every year -
599
00:46:58,220 --> 00:46:59,260
a fraction of it!
600
00:47:06,340 --> 00:47:09,060
We're not going to start
needing less power any time soon.
601
00:47:09,060 --> 00:47:12,220
We're just going to have to shift
how we generate that power
602
00:47:12,220 --> 00:47:15,260
from non-renewables to renewables.
603
00:47:21,380 --> 00:47:22,780
Volcanic heat.
604
00:47:23,820 --> 00:47:26,220
So far, we've only tapped
605
00:47:26,220 --> 00:47:28,500
some 7% of its global potential.
606
00:47:31,340 --> 00:47:33,420
Or the wind in our skies.
607
00:47:35,380 --> 00:47:36,820
That could provide
608
00:47:36,820 --> 00:47:39,660
30% of our energy by 2050.
609
00:47:43,100 --> 00:47:45,540
And the power of the sun,
610
00:47:45,540 --> 00:47:48,020
which is virtually unlimited.
611
00:47:50,540 --> 00:47:53,900
In areas where most life
struggles to survive...
612
00:47:56,660 --> 00:48:00,980
..there is plenty of space
to gather the maximum solar energy.
613
00:48:03,020 --> 00:48:06,660
The northern Sahara,
home to the world's largest
614
00:48:06,660 --> 00:48:09,260
concentrated solar power plant.
615
00:48:13,620 --> 00:48:16,020
Here, innovative technology
616
00:48:16,020 --> 00:48:19,260
is using mirrors
to superheat a special liquid
617
00:48:19,260 --> 00:48:22,100
to around 400 degrees Celsius.
618
00:48:23,820 --> 00:48:26,180
This heat is then stored
in molten salt,
619
00:48:26,180 --> 00:48:31,180
allowing something
not possible before -
620
00:48:31,180 --> 00:48:33,700
the ability to power steam turbines
621
00:48:33,700 --> 00:48:36,340
with the sun's energy
during the night.
622
00:48:37,380 --> 00:48:41,020
It creates green electricity
24 hours a day,
623
00:48:41,020 --> 00:48:44,660
feeding Morocco's
growing energy needs.
624
00:48:45,980 --> 00:48:48,580
And it has plans to supply Europe.
625
00:48:49,940 --> 00:48:52,780
We need to make
enormous shifts in our society.
626
00:48:52,780 --> 00:48:54,700
This is starting,
627
00:48:54,700 --> 00:48:56,820
but it's happening just
in small places.
628
00:48:56,820 --> 00:48:58,460
It needs to happen everywhere,
629
00:48:58,460 --> 00:49:00,700
and it needs to happen
much, much faster.
630
00:49:00,700 --> 00:49:02,980
There's really no excuse.
631
00:49:02,980 --> 00:49:04,940
The Earth has
all of the power we need.
632
00:49:04,940 --> 00:49:06,540
BIRDSONG
633
00:49:06,540 --> 00:49:08,820
Our mission is not
growth, growth, growth,
634
00:49:08,820 --> 00:49:10,820
but sustainability,
635
00:49:10,820 --> 00:49:15,860
and that our responsibility
is to steward this planet.
636
00:49:15,860 --> 00:49:17,300
That's the mission at hand.
637
00:49:19,420 --> 00:49:22,420
But is this transition
to a low-carbon society
638
00:49:22,420 --> 00:49:24,660
happening fast enough?
639
00:49:29,940 --> 00:49:34,060
In 2015, 195 of the world's nations
640
00:49:34,060 --> 00:49:38,300
pledged to reduce
their carbon dioxide emissions.
641
00:49:41,300 --> 00:49:44,020
To avoid planetary disaster,
642
00:49:44,020 --> 00:49:47,220
the goal was to limit
the warming of the Earth
643
00:49:47,220 --> 00:49:49,260
to well below two degrees.
644
00:49:49,260 --> 00:49:51,100
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
645
00:49:51,100 --> 00:49:53,220
JOHN KERRY: Together,
citizens of the world,
646
00:49:53,220 --> 00:49:56,780
we will work to save our planet
from ourselves.
647
00:49:59,420 --> 00:50:04,060
BARACK OBAMA: Today's a historic day
in the fight to protect our planet.
648
00:50:04,060 --> 00:50:06,900
LEONARDO DICAPRIO: You'll either be
lauded by future generations...
649
00:50:08,140 --> 00:50:09,980
..or vilified by them.
650
00:50:13,220 --> 00:50:15,460
To get an accurate reading
651
00:50:15,460 --> 00:50:17,500
of CO2 levels in
the Earth's atmosphere,
652
00:50:17,500 --> 00:50:21,580
you must be far away from
the pollution of the cities.
653
00:50:21,580 --> 00:50:23,980
So, in the heart of the Amazon,
654
00:50:23,980 --> 00:50:29,900
they built a 325-metre tower
to do just that.
655
00:50:29,900 --> 00:50:33,380
It's one of a number
of towers around the planet
656
00:50:33,380 --> 00:50:35,380
collecting vital data,
657
00:50:35,380 --> 00:50:38,020
and the news is not good.
658
00:50:38,020 --> 00:50:40,860
This year, CO2 levels
in the atmosphere
659
00:50:40,860 --> 00:50:44,300
went up yet again,
hitting another record high.
660
00:50:49,980 --> 00:50:52,780
I think we are in a crisis.
I'm not going to mince my words.
661
00:50:52,780 --> 00:50:54,700
We are in a crisis right now.
662
00:50:54,700 --> 00:50:58,260
We are pushing the equilibrium
that the planet used to be in
663
00:50:58,260 --> 00:51:00,540
in a way that may be unrecoverable.
664
00:51:03,300 --> 00:51:05,220
And what the scientists
are telling us is
665
00:51:05,220 --> 00:51:09,540
we will face a runaway cascade
of environmental events
666
00:51:09,540 --> 00:51:14,260
feeding off each other,
taking us into an unknown abyss
667
00:51:14,260 --> 00:51:16,620
that could lead to
a very quick mass extinction
668
00:51:16,620 --> 00:51:18,220
of much of life on this Earth
669
00:51:18,220 --> 00:51:20,380
in a very, very short
period of time.
670
00:51:22,500 --> 00:51:24,940
Species are becoming extinct
671
00:51:24,940 --> 00:51:28,380
around 100 times faster
than the normal rate.
672
00:51:29,700 --> 00:51:31,420
So rapid is the loss
673
00:51:31,420 --> 00:51:34,380
that zoos around the world
are taking drastic action.
674
00:51:36,300 --> 00:51:39,780
They're collecting DNA
from endangered species
675
00:51:39,780 --> 00:51:43,420
to build a genetic store of life
before they go extinct.
676
00:51:45,260 --> 00:51:49,300
At Edinburgh Zoo, a health check
on a Diana monkey
677
00:51:49,300 --> 00:51:51,980
presents a valuable opportunity
678
00:51:51,980 --> 00:51:56,420
to collect a sample for
the European network of biobanks.
679
00:52:00,900 --> 00:52:06,300
We really feel the pressure to bank
as many species as we can
680
00:52:06,300 --> 00:52:10,420
as fast as we can
before it's too late.
681
00:52:10,420 --> 00:52:13,300
Marlys Houck at San Diego Zoo
682
00:52:13,300 --> 00:52:17,260
receives DNA samples
from all over the world.
683
00:52:18,700 --> 00:52:21,180
She's taking them to a secure vault.
684
00:52:25,300 --> 00:52:27,820
It's known as the Frozen Zoo.
685
00:52:29,140 --> 00:52:31,060
It's hard to imagine,
686
00:52:31,060 --> 00:52:33,980
but there's probably
more vertebrate life in that room
687
00:52:33,980 --> 00:52:35,820
than anywhere else on the planet.
688
00:52:39,900 --> 00:52:43,220
We get samples every day.
It might be a tiger,
689
00:52:43,220 --> 00:52:46,580
it might be a bear,
it might be a rare reptile.
690
00:52:48,220 --> 00:52:52,900
Right now, we have over 10,000
individuals represented.
691
00:52:57,980 --> 00:53:00,940
The living cells
of our world's rarest animals
692
00:53:00,940 --> 00:53:05,180
are being stored here
at minus-200 degrees Celsius...
693
00:53:07,300 --> 00:53:11,580
..keeping their DNA
viable indefinitely,
694
00:53:11,580 --> 00:53:13,220
just in case the worst happens.
695
00:53:15,620 --> 00:53:19,300
There are multiple frozen zoos
like this around the world
696
00:53:19,300 --> 00:53:21,700
and, with extinction rates so high,
697
00:53:21,700 --> 00:53:24,660
they might be needed
sooner than we thought.
698
00:53:28,860 --> 00:53:31,740
I hope that we never have to see
699
00:53:31,740 --> 00:53:34,500
extinction of some of
these amazing species.
700
00:53:38,620 --> 00:53:41,100
But, if we do, the samples
in the Frozen Zoo
701
00:53:41,100 --> 00:53:44,940
might be the hope
for bringing them back, so that...
702
00:53:44,940 --> 00:53:47,700
..our children and grandchildren
703
00:53:47,700 --> 00:53:50,100
could once again
704
00:53:50,100 --> 00:53:52,780
see the actual animals.
705
00:53:52,780 --> 00:53:57,300
Not knowing what the planet
will be like when I'm an adult,
706
00:53:57,300 --> 00:53:59,580
not knowing whether it will be
capable of sustaining life -
707
00:53:59,580 --> 00:54:02,580
that is a terrifying thing to face.
708
00:54:06,660 --> 00:54:08,660
I think the planet
that I've been born into
709
00:54:08,660 --> 00:54:11,060
is the most beautiful place
that I could ever imagine.
710
00:54:11,060 --> 00:54:14,140
It's full of amazing wildlife...
711
00:54:14,140 --> 00:54:16,820
..and us - humans are incredible.
712
00:54:19,980 --> 00:54:23,780
But we seem to forget that the place
that we live in is finite
713
00:54:23,780 --> 00:54:28,220
and very vulnerable, and it seems
to be dying before our eyes.
714
00:54:34,700 --> 00:54:38,540
Since the age of ten, I've been
hearing about our warming world,
715
00:54:38,540 --> 00:54:40,260
but nothing was really
done at that time.
716
00:54:40,260 --> 00:54:43,140
All I observed at that time
was sort of mass apathy.
717
00:54:46,620 --> 00:54:48,700
But what is positive
is that the youth
718
00:54:48,700 --> 00:54:50,500
are standing up and
are taking leadership.
719
00:54:50,500 --> 00:54:52,340
CHANTING: Save our planet!
720
00:54:52,340 --> 00:54:56,220
Save our planet!
721
00:54:56,220 --> 00:54:57,820
We need more people to care.
722
00:54:57,820 --> 00:55:00,420
We need more people
to look at the facts and say,
723
00:55:00,420 --> 00:55:02,260
"I will do something about this."
724
00:55:04,700 --> 00:55:06,700
Whose future? Our future!
725
00:55:06,700 --> 00:55:08,380
Whose planet? Our planet!
726
00:55:08,380 --> 00:55:09,460
Whose future?
727
00:55:09,460 --> 00:55:14,060
So we need to think about how
we interact with the natural world.
728
00:55:14,060 --> 00:55:16,300
We need to view it
not as a commodity
729
00:55:16,300 --> 00:55:18,540
but as a system that
we are a part of...
730
00:55:28,700 --> 00:55:30,820
..because we are
inextricably linked
731
00:55:30,820 --> 00:55:33,140
to the natural world,
and whatever happens
732
00:55:33,140 --> 00:55:34,980
to the oceans,
733
00:55:34,980 --> 00:55:37,900
whatever happens to the forests,
734
00:55:37,900 --> 00:55:40,860
whatever happens to the deserts,
that will come back
735
00:55:40,860 --> 00:55:42,700
and it will happen to us.
736
00:55:56,500 --> 00:55:59,780
Right now, we have
the capacity and knowledge
737
00:55:59,780 --> 00:56:02,180
to stop the damage we are doing.
738
00:56:04,140 --> 00:56:06,060
But what we don't have
739
00:56:06,060 --> 00:56:07,420
is time.
740
00:56:09,100 --> 00:56:11,900
My inspiration and hope
for the future
741
00:56:11,900 --> 00:56:15,900
lies with the next generation.
742
00:56:15,900 --> 00:56:20,500
But we all have a responsibility
to reduce our carbon footprints,
743
00:56:20,500 --> 00:56:23,140
harness the forces of nature
for our energy
744
00:56:23,140 --> 00:56:26,300
and protect the natural world.
745
00:56:26,300 --> 00:56:30,220
The survival of humanity
and our fellow creatures on Earth
746
00:56:30,220 --> 00:56:31,820
depends upon it.
747
00:56:32,900 --> 00:56:34,900
Do you want to be
the last generation
748
00:56:34,900 --> 00:56:37,740
that signed the death certificate
of humanity?
749
00:56:37,740 --> 00:56:41,300
Do you want to be the generation
that sees the last elephant killed?
750
00:56:41,300 --> 00:56:42,820
Do you want to be the generation
751
00:56:42,820 --> 00:56:45,060
that sees the last fish
fished out of the sea?
752
00:56:45,060 --> 00:56:46,700
Or do you want to be the generation
753
00:56:46,700 --> 00:56:48,740
and the individuals
that turned it around?
754
00:56:48,740 --> 00:56:51,940
This is the single
most serious moment
755
00:56:51,940 --> 00:56:56,940
in the 200,000 years that
our species has been on this Earth.
756
00:56:56,940 --> 00:56:59,300
I see reason to hope.
757
00:56:59,300 --> 00:57:02,100
And I think we can.
758
00:57:02,100 --> 00:57:06,420
I think we humans, we are
incredibly intelligent animals,
759
00:57:06,420 --> 00:57:07,820
and we can,
760
00:57:07,820 --> 00:57:09,260
and we will,
761
00:57:09,260 --> 00:57:10,700
if we set our minds to it.
762
00:57:15,260 --> 00:57:18,540
The Open University
has produced a free poster
763
00:57:18,540 --> 00:57:22,020
exploring our perfect planet.
To order, please call...
764
00:57:25,980 --> 00:57:26,980
..or go to...
765
00:57:31,180 --> 00:57:33,540
..and follow the links
to the Open University.
62189
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