Changing Planet producer Rosemary Edwards talks about species extinction and makes scary predictions about how things will soon change. As global warming continues to draw closer to the horrors to come, the current documentary series Changing Planet delves into the issues that have proven to challenge the planet.
Executive producer Rosemary Edwards also made some shocking revelations about how things could change for the worse in just five years. Over the course of seven years, She aims to show how solutions discovered in one place can be used to solve similar problems in other places. Excerpts from the interview:
What is the story of Changing Planet?
It’s a look at conservation on one planet over seven years. We map the extraordinary work being done by extraordinary communities and scientists – all fighting to stop the key problems affecting the world today.
What are the challenges of creating a flora and fauna show?
Timing, nothing happens when you wish it would, and climate change makes it even harder to predict natural events. However, we are looking at getting people involved in environmental projects, which makes it a bit easier.
How serious is the situation on Earth right now?
We are at a tipping point. Many ask why we chose 7 years instead of 10 or 20, and it is because we only have a precious handful of years, probably less than a decade, to change our course – what we do now will decide the future of the planet. Our research was focused on talking to scientific communities around the world, and they said time is running out, so we expect to know within the lifetime of this series whether we’ve managed to keep global temperature rise below the critical 1.5°C.
In about five years, we could reach a point where the world’s coral reefs stop reproducing. The Amazon rainforest may now be close to its tipping point, moving from healing to damaging the planet’s carbon balance.
In Southeast Asia, the mighty Mekong River system, which supports more than 50 million people, could collapse in the next five years.
The most conservative estimates put our extinction rate at about 200 species per year. An even scarier possibility is that it approaches 100,000 species per year. Scientists are trying to record what we have before it is lost.
We seem to be doing too little for the planet. What are the five most important steps we need to take to slow climate change?
I think it’s hard to give everyone five steps to slow climate change because we all live in different circumstances and with different levels of financial security or access to conservation initiatives. I would say do what you can.
Plant carbon loving plants, cut back on car trips or if you can afford to switch to green energy, meat free days etc – do it. Ask – how can I improve and spread the word? Every little bit helps. Read solutions from scientists and follow their advice.
The show also touches on innovations that play a role in climate protection. Can you provide one easy and reasonable solution that can solve the huge problem of climate change?
We’re not just looking at climate change – we’re looking at many different environmental challenges that threaten our ecosystems, so I’d say one of the most compelling natural solutions that’s been proven time and time again is releasing beavers into our waterways. They are ecological engineers and help many rivers to flow freely. Changing Planet will premiere on Sony BBC Earth on July 31.
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