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The Earth’s Resilience: Can It Bounce Back From Our Actions?

In The Earth’s Resilience: Can It Bounce Back From Our Actions?, geologist Iain Stewart explains how rising temperatures are causing glaciers to shrink, leading to higher sea levels and threatening cities. Discover how melting ice in Siberia is releasing methane, which could speed up climate change. And travel to the Yucatán, where the Mayan civilization once thrived, reminding us that powerful societies can fall. While Earth can recover, the way humans are impacting the planet threatens the future, showing it's not Earth in danger, but humanity. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.
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Earth: The Power of the Planet
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5:15
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Lesson Express

Q: What lesson can we learn from the rise and fall of the Mayan civilization when thinking about the Earth's ability to recover from catastrophe?
A: The Mayan civilization, once thriving, eventually collapsed, leaving only ruins. This teaches us that civilizations can rise and fall, but Earth itself has the ability to recover from disasters. While humans may face challenges, the planet will continue on, evolving and adapting over time, even if humans are no longer around.

Q: How are humans influencing the Earth's environment, and why is it important to consider the long-term effects of our actions?
A: Humans are influencing the Earth's environment by releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases through activities like burning fossil fuels. It’s important to consider the long-term effects because while the Earth can recover over time, human actions are accelerating climate change, which could make life harder for future generations.

Q: How do glaciers melting contribute to rising sea levels, and why is this a problem for coastal cities?
A: When glaciers and ice sheets melt, the water flows into the oceans, causing sea levels to rise. This is a problem for coastal cities because it can lead to flooding and damage to homes and infrastructure.

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