Tree planting and climate change
Trees absorb carbon dioxide - the main gas heating the planet - so planting more of them is seen by many as a possible climate change solution. But how impactful is it? This week, Ros Atkins, looks at why vast tree-planting initiatives are concerning some experts
6 Nov 202110min
The Ahr Valley flood
The worst effects of climate change are often framed as a problem for the future. But for some, the worst has already happened. As world leaders gather in Glasgow to talk about how to bring down emissions, Assignment tells the story of three places which have been at the sharp end of extreme weather events. Germany's Ahr Valley was a picturesque chain of ancient towns and villages along a small, beautiful river - a region popular with tourists, famous for its wine production. Then on one terrifying night in July, the water rose with little warning, engulfing almost every house. It was the worst flood in the valley for 700 years. People fought their way through the water, clung for hours to roofs and trees before they were rescued. More than 100 lost their lives. Almost all bridges were destroyed, most homes left uninhabitable, businesses ruined. Even now, many have been unable to return. Tim Whewell travels through the valley, meeting some of the victims as they recall how they struggled to escape the flood, remember the friends and relatives they lost and try to rebuild their lives. Reported and produced by Tim Whewell Editor: Bridget Harney(Destruction in Germany’s Ahr Valley after the July 2021 floods. Credit: Reuters/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo)
4 Nov 202127min
A Geochemical HIstory of LIfe on Earth: 5. The Anthropocene
Could human engineering stabilise the Earth's climate and chemistry in the long term? Tim Lenton of Exeter University explains why the Gaia hypothesis is the key to understanding the future of life on Earth. But what about life beyond Earth? Justin Rowlatt speaks to astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger - a hunter and explorer of planets outside our solar system - and to the science fiction author David Brin. Plus paleobiologist Jan Zalasiewicz describes what might remain of human civilisation in the geological record 100 million years hence.
31 Okt 202123min
The Story of Aids: 4. The end of an epidemic?
When President Thabo Mbeki came to power in South Africa in 1999, the country was gripped by an HIV-Aids epidemic - and the president's decision to question scientific evidence, and reject the use of life-saving drugs only made the situation even more dire. But activists and medical staff were ready to fight the government's position by any means.
30 Okt 202149min
Climate: Animals under threat
The changing planet is threatening a number of vulnerable and endangered species, and host Nuala McGovern hears from three experts on polar bears, snow leopards and bumble bees on why we should all care about what is happening to all animals. We learn about the importance of pollinators to healthy ecosystems. We also hear from a sheep farmer in Australia and a vegetable and fish farmer in Nigeria about how climate change is affecting food security and the issues they have in common on two different continents.
30 Okt 202123min
Ros Atkins on: The US and China’s climate commitments
Ahead of COP26, the big climate change summit in Glasgow, Ros Atkins looks at the climate promises of two of the world’s biggest polluters – the US and China.
30 Okt 20219min
Lytton Burns
The worst effects of climate change are often framed as a problem for the future. But for some, the worst has already happened. As world leaders prepare to gather in Glasgow to talk about how to bring down emissions, Assignment tells the story of three places which have been at the sharp end of extreme weather events. In June, the Canadian village of Lytton smashed national heat records three days running, reaching an astonishing 49.6 degrees Celsius. Then, it burned to the ground. This documentary, the first in the series, is a vivid portrayal of a place in the crosshairs of climate change, where people don’t just have to imagine the future. They’re now figuring out how to build it.
28 Okt 202126min
A Geochemical History of Life on Earth: 4. The great chemistry experiment
Justin looks at the period since the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs, which had seen a steadily cooling climate - until we humans turned up. What can the last 66 million years teach us about the likely consequences of climate change? And can our species make the next big evolutionary leap needed to tackle it? Adrian Lister of the Natural History Museum gives Justin a fossilised tour of how the Earth's fauna adapted to this changing climate.
24 Okt 202123min
