0:00:00 > 0:00:00- Subtitles
0:00:00 > 0:00:02- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:00:03 > 0:00:05- I'm Siwan Davies, - I'm a professor...
0:00:06 > 0:00:10- ..in the Geography Department - here at Swansea University.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15- Students study how the earth works - and also research how its climate...
0:00:15 > 0:00:19- ..has changed in the distant past.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22- These were all natural changes.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26- Nowadays, we see - a very different climate change...
0:00:26 > 0:00:29- ..from the pattern - we'd expect to find.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34- I'm leaving my laboratory - and travelling to two countries...
0:00:34 > 0:00:39- ..where natives are already facing - the climate challenge.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47- I began my journey in Greenland...
0:00:47 > 0:00:53- ..where the ice is melting - faster than ever before.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58- Seeing this happen with my own eyes - was a frightening experience.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04- I'd like to bring all my students - here to see the ice up close.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08- But as the ice melts, - the level of the sea rises...
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- ..on the other side of the world.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15- I went to the Maldives, - where natives are battling...
0:01:15 > 0:01:18- ..to save their communities.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22- I admire their effort. - Community spirit is very strong.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25- They've no choice, in a way.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28- They must adapt in order to survive.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32- They're planting trees - to protect their island.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36- Closer to home, we're also seeing - the effects of climate change.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49- Let's start at the very beginning - with the ice.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52- I'm on my way to Greenland, - Kalaallit Nunaat...
0:01:52 > 0:01:56- ..an enormous country - covered in a sheet of ice.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00- But the ice here and the rest - of the Arctic is quickly melting.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04- This will change the lives of people - in Greenland and the Maldives...
0:02:05 > 0:02:07- ..as well as the rest of the world.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17- I'm about to land in Narsarsuaq, - in the south of the island.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22- It was once a famous airport where - US aircraft landed during WWII.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29- Only a few hundred people - live here...
0:02:29 > 0:02:32- ..and the majority - work in the airport.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37- It's an important site in a remote - area on the edge of the ice sheet.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47- I've visited Greenland once before - as part of my work...
0:02:47 > 0:02:51- ..but that time, I was actually - on the ice, collecting data...
0:02:52 > 0:02:55- ..on climate change - that happened many years ago.
0:02:55 > 0:03:01- This time, I've returned - to Greenland for a different reason.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- Greenland - is covered in a huge ice sheet...
0:03:04 > 0:03:08- ..and only narrow strips - of green land can now be seen...
0:03:08 > 0:03:11- ..along the edges of the country.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13- Behind me is a glacier.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18- It's one of many - which drain this enormous ice sheet.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24- I've heard so much about - how quickly the ice is melting.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26- I want to see it for myself.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- I hope I'll be able - to see the glaciers...
0:03:29 > 0:03:34- ..and get as close as possible to - the ice which flows into the fjords.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39- Mid September and this harbour - is quieter than it is in summer...
0:03:39 > 0:03:44- ..when boats sail back and forth - between the small villages...
0:03:44 > 0:03:46- ..and farms.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- What surprises me - is how quickly the ice is melting.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- Scientists estimate - that, on average...
0:03:59 > 0:04:03- ..500 billion litres of ice - melts every single day.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08- As a result, the level of the sea - is rising worldwide.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13- Some believe - that natural changes cause this...
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- ..leading to extreme weather...
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- ..but I believe - the evidence is clear.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22- Today's climate is affected - by the actions of humans.
0:04:23 > 0:04:29- I intend to show what happens - and the effects of those changes.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36- It's a fact that Greenland's ice - is melting faster than ever before.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- It's like - losing five Bala Lakes a day.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42- If all the ice melts, - the level of the sea...
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- ..would rise seven metres - across the world.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- It's odd to think - that this quiet melting...
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- ..in such a picturesque setting...
0:04:52 > 0:04:56- ..has the power and potential - to cause so much destruction.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00- Climate change isn't new.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05- Over the past 2.6 million years, the - Earth has gone from an ice age...
0:05:05 > 0:05:10- ..to a warmer age and back to an - ice age again in a regular cycle.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13- These changes in climate - were natural.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- As I approach - the tip of the glacier...
0:05:19 > 0:05:21- ..the chill is extreme.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29- Over the years, I've studied - several different ice ages...
0:05:29 > 0:05:34- ..and the last ice age happened - some 20,000 years ago.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- Back then, the Earth - was a long way from the Sun...
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- ..and it was that which prompted - those natural changes.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45- During the last ice age, most - of northern Europe was under ice...
0:05:46 > 0:05:48- ..including the majority of Wales.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53- There's evidence in Snowdonia today - of how the landscape was formed...
0:05:53 > 0:05:55- ..by the power of the ice.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04- Before leaving for Greenland...
0:06:04 > 0:06:08- ..I went to Snowdonia to see - the effects of the last ice age.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11- Geologist Dr Rhian Meara - accompanied me on my journey.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- Nant Ffrancon, Cwm Idwal - and the Ogwen Valley...
0:06:15 > 0:06:20- ..clearly show how the ice eroded - to carve out the dramatic landscape.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24- In time, Greenland - will look very similar to this.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34- Scenery like this inspired me - to choose geography as a subject.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38- School trips to places like this - prompted me too.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42- It's one of Wales' - most spectacular views.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- During the last glacial period...
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- ..a huge ice sheet - covered Snowdonia.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52- It was only the highest peaks - that could be seen above the ice.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- There's evidence - of glacial activity all around us.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58- Snowdonia is characteristic of that.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03- Cwm Idwal is a cirque, a small - valley that has been eroded by ice.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- There are steep slopes and screes.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10- In front of us is a U-shaped valley.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12- It's a perfect U shape.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15- This would've been filled with ice.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- There would've been - a large glacier here...
0:07:19 > 0:07:21- ..stretching as far as the horizon.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23- Hanging valleys were created...
0:07:24 > 0:07:26- ..where smaller valleys - met glaciated valleys.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- They denote the approximate height - of the glacier.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- If the ice thawed in Greenland - we'd see this kind of evidence...
0:07:35 > 0:07:39- ..that would form the landscape - that was left behind.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- Yes, Greenland would look - just like this.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46- You also see it elsewhere in Europe, - such as the Alps...
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- ..where the ice is melting.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50- This is evidence of the past.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11- In the distant past, climate changes - happened frequently but gradually...
0:08:11 > 0:08:13- ..over thousands of years...
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- ..but that's not - what we're seeing today.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22- It's a pity Pittut can't speak.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27- She's carried visitors and - scientists close to the glacier...
0:08:27 > 0:08:30- ..for the past 60 years...
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- ..but she's never had to go - as far as this to reach it.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41- I've reached the glacier - - it's impossible to get any closer...
0:08:41 > 0:08:43- ..because it's too dangerous.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48- But this glacier has shrunk - considerably over recent years.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- It's an incredible experience - being here.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54- It's cold but it's very special...
0:08:54 > 0:08:58- ..being able - to experience the power of nature.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- The last ice age ended - as the Earth warmed naturally.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10- The main factor was a change in - the Earth's distance from the Sun.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- Back in Wales, I visit Ynyslas - near Borth in Ceredigion.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33- I went there to meet Dr Huw Morgan, - an expert on the Sun...
0:09:34 > 0:09:37- ..to get an understanding - of the natural process...
0:09:37 > 0:09:41- ..and to ask if it - could cause present-day changes.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46- We know from studying the last - ice age that many have occurred.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- They happened - regularly and frequently.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52- What has prompted those changes?
0:09:52 > 0:09:57- The Milankovitch cycle happens, - whereby Jupiter and Saturn...
0:09:58 > 0:10:00- ..affects the Earth's orbit...
0:10:00 > 0:10:05- ..and the Earth's tilt.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09- It can lead to ice ages on Earth...
0:10:10 > 0:10:14- ..over a period - of thousands of years.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16- They are natural processes.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- These changes - have happened regularly over time...
0:10:20 > 0:10:24- ..and external processes - have been responsible.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28- Yes, they've happened - in a way that you can forecast...
0:10:28 > 0:10:32- ..from the planets' positions and - gradual changes in the solar system.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38- So the ice sheets grow and shrink as - a result of these external changes.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39- Yes.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42- Some people - dispute climate change...
0:10:43 > 0:10:47- ..and say it is people - who are causing these changes.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50- They'd say - it's just a circular course.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- We're constantly - in a Milankovitch cycle...
0:10:54 > 0:10:56- ..but according to - the current cycle...
0:10:57 > 0:10:59- ..the Earth - should be getting colder.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02- There's no way - the Milankovitch cycle...
0:11:03 > 0:11:07- ..could explain the sudden - global warming we've seen of late.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13- Some claim the Sun's activity is - driving the latest global warming.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15- What exactly is happening?
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- The Sun has an activity cycle - which lasts approximately 11 years.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- This is evident from the speckles...
0:11:24 > 0:11:26- ..which come and go over 11 years.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- The sun's X-rays - and ultraviolet rays intensify...
0:11:32 > 0:11:34- ..and weaken during this cycle.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40- But the changes in the sun's - overall heat and light are minor.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43- A fraction of one percent.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47- That, in itself, - couldn't explain global warming.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51- It doesn't come close - to explaining the warming.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- Some believe this is good news.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01- The warming will help us - avoid another ice age.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05- But the truth is, the warming - causes the planet's climate...
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- ..to behave in a different - and unpredictable way...
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- ..where extreme weather - is more common.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15- A difficult - and uncertain age to forecast.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19- We're only starting to realize - what this means...
0:12:19 > 0:12:21- ..and how powerful people are...
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- ..in changing - the climate's natural order.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32- .
0:12:34 > 0:12:34- Subtitles
0:12:34 > 0:12:36- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:12:44 > 0:12:49- In December 2015, the COP 21 - conference was held in Paris.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52- World leaders - locked heads to try and avoid...
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- ..a further rise - in the Earth's temperature.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59- The reason - the temperature is rising...
0:12:59 > 0:13:04- ..is because there are more gases - in the atmosphere than ever before.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- Greenhouse gases, - which exist naturally.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10- During the climate changes - I'm studying...
0:13:11 > 0:13:16- ..the Earth released and absorbed - these gases to ensure balance.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19- We've interfered in this balance.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- The Industrial Revolution - is one way we've interfered.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27- We realized that burning coal - created energy.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32- However, burning coal releases - carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- Coal was formed - in the Carboniferous Period.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40- Back then, Wales and Greenland - were on the same latitude...
0:13:40 > 0:13:42- ..close to the Equator.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48- Wales during the Carboniferous - Period was unrecognizable.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- It resembled a tropical marshland...
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- ..with thousands upon thousands - of trees.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03- Dr Rhian Meara and I - went to Ffos y Fran opencast mine...
0:14:03 > 0:14:07- ..situated near Merthyr - to talk about how coal was formed.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10- This opencast mine is enormous.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24- Coal was formed - in the Carboniferous Period.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- It developed as plants, trees...
0:14:28 > 0:14:31- ..ferns and vegetation - from that period died.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36- Once dead, they fell into bogs...
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- ..so all this area here - was once marshland.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41- They rotted slowly...
0:14:41 > 0:14:44- ..so layers upon layers - grew on top of them.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49- As they were compressed and heated, - they turned into coal.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53- Coal is a good fuel because - the level of carbon it contains...
0:14:54 > 0:14:58- ..is very high - and it's the carbon that burns...
0:14:58 > 0:15:00- ..to produce energy.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04- The level of carbon in South Wales - coal in particular is very high.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10- It's been interesting getting - an aerial view of the site's scale.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14- The lorries - look like ants in the distance.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17- It's much bigger than I expected.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19- It's altered my perspective.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23- I now understand how much they mine, - how deep they go...
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- ..and how much - they extract from the land too.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28- How much coal do they mine?
0:15:28 > 0:15:31- How much coal do they mine?- - In this particular site...
0:15:31 > 0:15:35- ..they intend to extract - 11 million tonnes of coal...
0:15:35 > 0:15:37- ..over 15 years.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41- Five million tonnes - have already been extracted.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46- The coal goes straight from here - by train to the Vale of Glamorgan...
0:15:47 > 0:15:49- ..and the Swansea area.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- A large proportion - goes to Aberthaw...
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- ..one of Wales' - biggest power stations.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58- We're starting to use - more renewable fuels...
0:15:59 > 0:16:04- ..but coal is still important and it - provides a great deal of our energy.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09- So we still need to mine coal - and we also need oil.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14- In November, the British government - announced a plan...
0:16:14 > 0:16:18- ..to get rid of power stations - powered by coal by 2025.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21- Aberthaw - is already decreasing its output.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25- There have been recent protests - to stop further mining...
0:16:25 > 0:16:27- ..at Ffos y Fran.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35- Carbon dioxide, the gas - produced from burning coal...
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- ..is only one of the greenhouse - gases in global warming.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- We mustn't forget methane - and nitrogen oxide.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47- Another is water vapour, - which rises as the planet warms.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51- The sun's rays - pass through the atmosphere...
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- ..and warms the Earth's surface.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- Infrared rays, - another form of heat, rise up.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01- However, greenhouses gases - absorb 90% of this heat...
0:17:01 > 0:17:05- ..and send them back down - to heat the Earth's surface.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- They all stop - the sun's heat from escaping.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13- Our level of carbon dioxide, - 400 parts per million...
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- ..has risen 40% - since the Industrial Revolution.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24- Our earth is warming, - the seas are warming.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29- More moisture for some countries, - more drought for others.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- The effect in Greenland - is the melting of ice.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- In 2016...
0:17:34 > 0:17:39- ..the ice has started to melt - two months earlier than usual.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46- We couldn't reach - the tip of the glacier in a boat...
0:17:46 > 0:17:50- ..but I've been able to get closer - to the beauty of the ice.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58- In order to reach the glacier, I've - been transported in a helicopter.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04- Only one of the ice sheet's glaciers - is draining Greenland's ice sheet.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08- This looks like a gigantic - ice tongue coming to get me.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13- Being so close to the ice - is an unforgettable experience.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- This is what I study every day - and what I read about.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- But there's nothing like - being this close...
0:18:20 > 0:18:24- ..and seeing how the ice - forms and shapes the landscape.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30- This ice is disappearing - as a result of climate change.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32- It's not what you'd expect...
0:18:32 > 0:18:36- ..when you consider - the natural changes of the past.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39- We're in a different period now.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44- We're seeing modern climate change - as a result of people's actions.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49- Scientists have offered - a new term for this period.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51- The Anthropocen Age.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55- It's an age which clearly shows - the human impact on our climate.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58- As I stand here...
0:18:58 > 0:19:03- ..I can hear enormous chunks - of ice falling off this glacier.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- In a matter of seconds, - I saw the sheer power...
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- ..as a piece of ice - fell from the glacier.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- It was unforgettable sight.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20- Like a gigantic beast - rising ever so slowly.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46- Seeing the ice melt - worries me greatly.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51- It profoundly affects not only - Greenland but the rest of the world.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- It will affect my children - and my children's children.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- Scientists - study what happens to the ice...
0:20:03 > 0:20:05- ..that melts - on the surface of the sheet.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- The thaw forms holes in the ice - called moulins.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- Water drains through them...
0:20:12 > 0:20:16- ..making the base slippery, causing - it to flow faster to the sea.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21- Eventually pieces melt, causing - the level of the sea to rise.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- As I ascend once again, - I marvel at the glacier.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49- Over 100 metres above sea level...
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- ..and twice as high - as the Principality Stadium's roof.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55- It's hard to believe its fragility.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58- We head towards - the ice sheet itself...
0:20:59 > 0:21:02- ..which is 1.7 million kilometres - square in total.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07- My concern is that as the climate - heats the sea's temperature...
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- ..more hot water will touch - the edges of the glaciers' ice...
0:21:11 > 0:21:13- ..causing them to melt even faster.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27- Standing on the ice sheet - always gives me such a thrill.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31- I've worked on this ice sheet - in the far north...
0:21:31 > 0:21:33- ..collecting samples for my work.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37- There's something magical - about being here...
0:21:37 > 0:21:41- ..even if you're familiar with it, - as Jim McNeil is.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45- He's an explorer who's spent decades - studying the Arctic ice sheet.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49- You've been a polar explorer - for over 30 years.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53- What sort of changes - have you seen in Greenland?
0:21:53 > 0:21:58- It's a very changing place. - The whole world is a changing place.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- This is the early warning system...
0:22:01 > 0:22:03- ..for the rest of the world.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06- I'm really worried, actually...
0:22:06 > 0:22:12- ..what a detrimental effect we - as humans have on this environment.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14- If we're having an effect here...
0:22:14 > 0:22:17- ..it'll pass down - to the rest of the world.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21- If this melts, the sea level - goes up six to seven metres...
0:22:22 > 0:22:23- ..which is destructive.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- We lose a considerable amount - of the room that people live on.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31- It'll be a catastrophic disaster.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36- We won't exist - if we carry on like this.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38- The world will exist and adapt...
0:22:38 > 0:22:41- ..just as it did - with the end of the dinosaurs.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- It's in our control. - Let's use our brains.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48- Let's apply the technology - that we already have for energy.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52- Let's start - doing something positive about it.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57- This is my quest in this series.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02- After years of studying the natural - climate changes of the past...
0:23:02 > 0:23:06- ..I'm turning my attention - to changes that are happening now...
0:23:07 > 0:23:10- ..and will change - the future of our planet.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20- In the next programme, - I'll see the true extent...
0:23:21 > 0:23:25- ..of the melting ice - on Greenland's inhabitants.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28- It's a country - living on the edge of existence...
0:23:29 > 0:23:31- ..where climate - is key to their fragile lives...
0:23:32 > 0:23:34- ..and where every day's a challenge.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55- S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.
0:23:55 > 0:23:55- .