So got aired tonight, did anyone see it?
I think it was probably the most depressing programmes I have ever seen.
Beginning of the new Sir David Attenborough series, and looks like it's going to be very good indeed. It started tonight with the overview of the human impact on the earths biodiverstiy and wildlife, and how our expanding population is bringing more and more problems to the natural world. It gave a general overview of the importance of conservation, where and why it has been needed, and a very few success stories. It also had a large emphasis on to conserve a species, we must conserve its habitat, and that habitat might be extensive, and also be need of large corridors.
It started with the problems and causes of deforest of Amazonia, but I am glad the programme focused on other parts of the world, that needs just as much attention. The Borneo and orangutan story was one. How the wests need for palm oil has greatened, the destruction of habitat has increased. It talked about the elephants in Africa, with an effort to cut down fences that are cutting off migration routes of these animals. It wen't on and discussed how easy it is to sympathise with these animals, but it becomes a different story when the animals are human killers. Problems facing areas of India, where there has been a large increase on leopard attacks, due to reserves being cut off to an island, where leopards then come into the urban areas and new problems have began.
It didn't just end with the tropic countries, but also in places such as Scotland where only 1% of the original forest is left, and North America, and the impact deforestation and mass culling has had on wolves. The talk of yellowstone and the reintroduction of the species was interesting, and of course them trying to make a reserve corridor from yellowstone all the way up to canada. This of course will benefit grizzlies.
There was a bit on the monarch butterfly and how the US corn belt is causing problems for them.
Also covered water, and how freshwater lakes and rivers are in decline, being as 2/3rds of its consumption is spent on agriculture, especially in stupid places, such as deserts, and places in North america. And of course, the seas, where it's estimated 70% of known species, are exploited in one way or another. It covered trauling, and how destructive it is, and how we pump billions of dead fish and sea creatures back into the oceans because after they are caught we decide, we can't eat them. Went on with the collapse of the cod stocks in Canada, which was once thought to be an inexhaustable supply of cod.
And of course, they couldn't miss out the problems that global warming could bring to every environment.
As much as i've read about all these problems in great deal, seeing them in a tv media, with images, brought an entire new perspective than just figures on a page, and was actually a very sad thing to watch. The series will end up following one celebrity as they bring an insight to conservation programmes on select animals (i think rhino's, large apes, elephants, foxes etc are among a few), which i am very much looking forward to seeing... for those of you in the UK, is tomorrow night.
So guess this is a thread to see if anyones seen the programme or discussion of its contents...
I think it was probably the most depressing programmes I have ever seen.
Beginning of the new Sir David Attenborough series, and looks like it's going to be very good indeed. It started tonight with the overview of the human impact on the earths biodiverstiy and wildlife, and how our expanding population is bringing more and more problems to the natural world. It gave a general overview of the importance of conservation, where and why it has been needed, and a very few success stories. It also had a large emphasis on to conserve a species, we must conserve its habitat, and that habitat might be extensive, and also be need of large corridors.
It started with the problems and causes of deforest of Amazonia, but I am glad the programme focused on other parts of the world, that needs just as much attention. The Borneo and orangutan story was one. How the wests need for palm oil has greatened, the destruction of habitat has increased. It talked about the elephants in Africa, with an effort to cut down fences that are cutting off migration routes of these animals. It wen't on and discussed how easy it is to sympathise with these animals, but it becomes a different story when the animals are human killers. Problems facing areas of India, where there has been a large increase on leopard attacks, due to reserves being cut off to an island, where leopards then come into the urban areas and new problems have began.
It didn't just end with the tropic countries, but also in places such as Scotland where only 1% of the original forest is left, and North America, and the impact deforestation and mass culling has had on wolves. The talk of yellowstone and the reintroduction of the species was interesting, and of course them trying to make a reserve corridor from yellowstone all the way up to canada. This of course will benefit grizzlies.
There was a bit on the monarch butterfly and how the US corn belt is causing problems for them.
Also covered water, and how freshwater lakes and rivers are in decline, being as 2/3rds of its consumption is spent on agriculture, especially in stupid places, such as deserts, and places in North america. And of course, the seas, where it's estimated 70% of known species, are exploited in one way or another. It covered trauling, and how destructive it is, and how we pump billions of dead fish and sea creatures back into the oceans because after they are caught we decide, we can't eat them. Went on with the collapse of the cod stocks in Canada, which was once thought to be an inexhaustable supply of cod.
And of course, they couldn't miss out the problems that global warming could bring to every environment.
As much as i've read about all these problems in great deal, seeing them in a tv media, with images, brought an entire new perspective than just figures on a page, and was actually a very sad thing to watch. The series will end up following one celebrity as they bring an insight to conservation programmes on select animals (i think rhino's, large apes, elephants, foxes etc are among a few), which i am very much looking forward to seeing... for those of you in the UK, is tomorrow night.
So guess this is a thread to see if anyones seen the programme or discussion of its contents...
