The BBC have produced a ground breaking series telling the four and a half billion year
story of the beautiful planet that we call home. The 5, one hour long
episodes use the latest scientific evidence to take the viewer on a
journey through some of the earth's most epic moments. It takes the first four hours of the series to reveal more than 4 billion years of momentous Earth events. It isn't until the last episode that Dinosaurs finally appear on Earth which they then inhabited for between 165 and 177 million years, until their demise. Their demise began 66 million years ago
56 million years ago the Earth had warmed and even in the Arctic temperatures were around 23 degrees C. This warming period is studied by climate change scientists and is known as Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum.
34 million years ago the planet cooled again, wiping out primates in the northerly continents of North America and Europe.
The oldest cave art is dated to around 45,000 years ago and found in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
The presenter, Chris Packham, visits the caves at Niaux in Southern France, which we too have visited, where the Paleolithic art on the walls shows bison, ibex, and horses which have been dated to around 13,000 years ago.
During the final 12 minutes of the 5 hour long programme we finally arrive at 11,000 years ago when humans first began to farm the land and their impact on the Earth began. Today 40% of the land surface that isn't frozen is agricultural. Only 4% of all the mammals alive today are wild animals, 96% are humans, their pets or domestic farm animals. The human population as risen from 1 billion to 8 billion in just 220 years.
Earth's story is a saga spanning 4.5 billion years, but it's only in the last 11,000 years - with the rise of farming - that we have started to dramatically impact the planet and its ecosystems. The human chapter of Earth's story could end in disaster, but Chris Packham, the presenter, is keen to argue for a different ending. He says all of humanity's achievements to date have just been a dress rehearsal, because in the very near future our species will need to reach the very zenith of its achievements and all humanity will have to learn to put our beautiful Earth first.
The programme is extremely thought provoking, but it also makes unsettling viewing. However, it is a subject that can't be shunned, it is something that affects us all - we are all in this together.
The programme ends with Chris Packham looking out across Mexico City, one of the 30 such Mega cities built by humans across our exquisite globe.
I do not know if the programme is currently available worldwide, but watch it if you can.
I hope it comes down here. Sounds well worth watching. We have made such a mess of the Earth.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more, and it has all taken place in such a relatively short time period too.
DeleteI will be on the lookout for this, Rosemary. The BBC has produced some excellent documentaries over the years, first and foremost the various Attenborough series, but other noteworthy presentations too. It is amazing that in 2023 around 50% of all American believe that the Earth is less than ten thousand years old, and they oppose the teaching of Evolution in schools. I suppose that scientific evidence doesn’t matter if you have a book that tells you everything. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
ReplyDeleteThe presenter, Chris Packham, has dedicated his life to conservation, but in return suffers at the hands of Climate Change deniers. In fact he fears for his life.
DeleteIt is such a tragedy, and a sad reflection on the state of discourse in the 21st Century, that death threats have become commonplace.
DeleteYou never heard of such a thing when we were young - what blissful simple lives we led.
DeleteI have just searched our TV programs for Earth - unsuccessfully, but hopefully it will turn up soon. Thank you for sharing such an important series. Dinosaurs are so popular these days, I had no idea they lived 66 million years ago, such a very long time before man appeared. The information on the giant asteroid is new to me too, and quite astonishing. It is very interesting to read that the oldest cave art, at 45,000 years ago ago, is in Sulawesi, an interesting place not far from Australia. I need to file that one away in my brain!
ReplyDeleteI am sure that it will be heading your way in the future Patricia as it has only just been released for us to watch here.
DeleteI don't think that you are alone in not realising that it is 66 million years since Dinosaurs walked the planet. It is also difficult to perceive that the earth is four and a half billion years old.
Hello Rosemary, Thank you for this recommendation. I hope that this will turn up after a while on Youtube. In the meantime, a number of scientists have explained various parts of this story, often in great detail, and these videos are worth searching out. What really galls me is that at this critical moment of "can we save the earth?" those with the most powerful influence are doing the bare minimum or less, or (and we know whom we are talking about here) they are actively destroying what is left of the planet in exchange for a last few quick profits.
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Hello Jim - I agree with you. Those with the most power and influence simply play lip service to the huge problems that are confronting our planet. We are all aware of the fires that have and still are raging across several countries, the terrible flooding in China, and yesterday we learn that the Ocean surface has hit its highest ever recorded temperature which has caused widespread coral bleaching in the Florida Keys.
DeleteI have been watching it as I like Chris Packham. Some of it, like snowball earth, I've seen before on BBC open university progs, but it is watchable in this new format. While speculation exists that more green planets may be out there somewhere we are trapped on this unique green and blue ball but the pessimist in me thinks that politicians, billionaires, and the majority of ordinary people still believe we have time to save it whereas I think we might have already stuffed it up for future generations. However, for the last five years I've rarely travelled more than ten miles from my house, sometimes twenty, cut down car use drastically, and put myself voluntarily in a sort of carbon zero lock down for the last five years. I did not find this particularly hard but not everyone has the luxury to do this.( work, children, earning money to survive etc) but this is what a huge chunk of the population will need to do ( unless a miracle technological cure is found to reverse or slow it down). I do not trust God, politicians, or the rich elite to fix it so this is one simple solution. . It's not that hard to achieve, it becomes easier over time as you get used to it, but very few people will do it, as it is such a change to lifestyles, taken for granted before, and I've had a good past period of 40 years exploring so for me it.s been an easy option. it's not much but scaled up in size it might save us from our runaway weather systems if enough people do it. That's the sort of change we need.
ReplyDeleteWe have given up flying and endeavour to use our car far less, but sadly I think that time is no longer on our side. My hopes rests with our scientists to come up with solutions.
DeleteSounds interesting!
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DeleteI'd love to see this. I am active in sharing information about the Climate Crisis. And cutting back plastic use.
ReplyDeleteThe programme is well worth watching but as I mentioned is quite unsettling too. It is difficult to imagine the magnitude of what is happening to our beautiful planet.
DeleteDo hope this Series comes our way Rosemary, it probably will in time and of course I will watch it with much interest. Thank you for sharing a snipped of the programme.
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DeleteI want to watch it badly :D
ReplyDeleteI do hope that you manage to locate it. However, it may not be available for a few weeks - good luck.
DeleteIt does sound thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteVery much so.
DeleteI like everything Chris Packham does, but I have not seen this programme. I will seek it out.
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear from you Jenny - I thought that you must have decided to give up blogging - really pleased that you have not.
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