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S01.E12: The World Set Free

Lisin

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Lisin

Lisin

Neil traces the surprisingly lengthy history of the awareness of global warming and the technology of alternative energy, taking the Ship of the Imagination to intervene at some critical time travel nodes.
We conclude with a breath-taking vision of the magnificent future that is scientifically and technically within our grasp, if we will only awaken from our stupor and seize it.
Rhetorica

Rhetorica

I didn't know about all of the people who came up with alternative energy options over a hundred years ago. I guess its like finding out that electric cars came out when cars were in their infancy.

I did like how Obama's new EPA plan came out today, after the Cosmos episode on global warming.

Think how far ahead we might be if we had listened to the likes of Telsa and Tucker.

Perhaps the president & Neil were in cahoots.

  • Love 2
A Boston Gal

A Boston Gal

(edited)

Bravo to Cosmos for its very clever and subtle comparison of  the real crisis the world faces dealing with climate change with the real crisis the world faced dealing with fascism.   From using the White Cliffs of Dover to show carbon dioxide "in the flesh" to the actual title of this episode, we are reminded that our very existance is in jeopardy if we do not confront the problems staring us straight in the face. And NDT optimistically forsees a brighter future after the struggle, just as the famous British WWII ballad did:

There'll be blue birds over
The White Cliffs of Dover
Tomorrow, just you wait and see.
 
There'll be love and laughter,
And peace ever after,
Tomorrow, when the world is free.

Edited by A Boston Gal
  • Love 3
A Boston Gal

A Boston Gal

However, after 12 episodes, I don't think someone who is a denier is tuning in going, "oh I've changed my mind now," unfortunately. I think this is actually a really good episode to show in a junior high science class though. Which is probably the point of the series: get young people interested in how science works. 

Heck, no, ganesh, you're right; anyone who's convinced themselves climate change is a hoax isn't open to new ideas anyway.

Cress

Cress

I remember studying about Venus when I was in school. How Venus was like Earth's twin, until the CO2 got out of hand, and turned it into hell. I can't believe, all those years ago, plenty of people know about the greenhouse effect, and what it could do to Earth, but we still have global warming deniers even today.

 

Even if the deniers were somehow right, that climate change wasn't because of humans, that it was natural, how does that excuse anything? It's still not safe for us to ignore it; it's a big disaster in the making, just like if an Ice Age suddenly returned and killed our civilization. If something terrible is happening to our would, whatever the cause, then why do things that would make the situation worse? Why not try to slow down what's happening and reverse it, by any method available, especially the things we have control over? Why do they argue about whose fault it is? Who cares whose fault it is? The important question is "how are we gonna fix it?"

  • Love 2
Rhetorica

Rhetorica

Bravo to Cosmos for its very clever and subtle comparison of the real crisis the world faces dealing with climate change with the real crisis the world faced dealing with fascism. From using the White Cliffs of Dover to show carbon dioxide "in the flesh" to the actual title of this episode, we are reminded that our very existance is in jeopardy if we do not confront the problems staring us straight in the face. And NDT optimistically forsees a brighter future after the struggle, just as the famous British WWII ballad did:

There'll be blue birds over

The White Cliffs of Dover

Tomorrow, just you wait and see.

There'll be love and laughter,

And peace ever after,

Tomorrow, when the world is free.

Boston Gal,

Very beautiful comparison , yet somewhat depressing. Thank goodness for optimists and dreamers.

  • Love 1
ganesh

ganesh

 

Even if the deniers were somehow right, that climate change wasn't because of humans, that it was natural, how does that excuse anything?

I've yet to hear an answer to this question. Climate denier aren't denying warming or that there's more carbon in the atmosphere, just that man-made activities aren't contributing to it. And that the earth was warmer a long time ago. Yes, it was. But we weren't there. We won't be able to literally exist if this gets out of hand. So why not try to do something about it just in case?

  • Love 1
TeeVeeStevie

TeeVeeStevie

(edited)

Why do they argue about whose fault it is? Who cares whose fault it is? The important question is "how are we gonna fix it?"

If it's not our fault then we can't fix it, just like we won't be able to "fix" the next ice age when it hits. That's why both sides are so adamant. The "alarmists" need us to be at fault so they can push their reforms, and the "deniers" need it to be natural so they can continue business as usual.

I really didn't appreciate the one-sidedness of this episode, pimping out Venus to use as some kind of scare tactic, even though an anthropogenic runaway greenhouse effect happening on earth is practically impossible.

Edited by TeeVeeStevie
Intuition

Intuition

I have to say that this episode did make some progress with my climate denying husband, even though he won't admit it.  Like how is he really going to continue to claim that Neil and all the scientists going back to the 1950s were conspiring to get more grant money by inventing global warming?  I told him he is sounding more like one of those people who still believe the world is flat.  Is this what happens when angry 50 something men listen to conservative talk radio?  I really want to know because I can't imagine where else an otherwise very intelligent person would get preposterous conspiracy theories like this.

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