1 00:00:08,092 --> 00:00:10,053 - Look at that. 2 00:00:10,094 --> 00:00:12,221 Our beautiful blue planet. 3 00:00:12,263 --> 00:00:14,557 [serene music] 4 00:00:14,599 --> 00:00:16,851 Teeming with living marvels. 5 00:00:16,893 --> 00:00:18,394 [bee buzzes] [owl hoots] 6 00:00:18,436 --> 00:00:21,189 It looks so peaceful. 7 00:00:21,230 --> 00:00:23,775 But all isn't what it seems. 8 00:00:23,816 --> 00:00:27,570 [music intensifies] 9 00:00:27,612 --> 00:00:31,574 I'm Bill Nye, your tour guide to the end of the world. 10 00:00:31,616 --> 00:00:33,826 Viewer discretion is advised. 11 00:00:33,868 --> 00:00:35,369 [dramatic music] 12 00:00:35,411 --> 00:00:37,371 Get ready for the worst day on Earth! 13 00:00:38,498 --> 00:00:40,333 The biggest extinction event 14 00:00:40,374 --> 00:00:42,668 since the end of the dinosaurs. 15 00:00:42,710 --> 00:00:43,836 Brace yourselves! 16 00:00:46,005 --> 00:00:49,592 Tsunamis are now happening all along the Pacific Rim. 17 00:00:52,136 --> 00:00:54,222 [passengers clamoring] 18 00:00:54,263 --> 00:00:55,973 Nuts? 19 00:00:56,015 --> 00:00:57,475 - Oh... - [screams] 20 00:00:57,517 --> 00:01:00,061 - Earth is constantly on the edge of disaster... 21 00:01:00,103 --> 00:01:01,896 This is the big one. 22 00:01:01,938 --> 00:01:04,941 With threats coming from everywhere. 23 00:01:04,982 --> 00:01:06,609 - Go back to your lab, egghead. 24 00:01:06,651 --> 00:01:08,486 Leave the drilling to Daddy. 25 00:01:09,654 --> 00:01:12,115 - And no one... [screams] 26 00:01:12,156 --> 00:01:13,699 I mean no one is safe. 27 00:01:13,741 --> 00:01:14,951 [yelling] 28 00:01:14,992 --> 00:01:16,452 Not even me. 29 00:01:20,164 --> 00:01:21,582 But there is hope, people. 30 00:01:21,624 --> 00:01:23,376 It doesn't have to go down that way. 31 00:01:23,418 --> 00:01:25,878 The power lies with us to predict, 32 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:31,134 prepare for, and even prevent world-ending disasters with-- 33 00:01:31,175 --> 00:01:33,720 you guessed it--with science. 34 00:01:33,761 --> 00:01:35,513 Whoo-hoo! 35 00:01:35,555 --> 00:01:38,474 The Earth is in our hands, and it is up to us 36 00:01:38,516 --> 00:01:41,269 to keep our amazing planet alive and well. 37 00:01:42,270 --> 00:01:43,938 Get back to your cubicle, James! 38 00:01:45,189 --> 00:01:46,649 Not today, Fluffy. 39 00:01:46,691 --> 00:01:49,402 The end is a long way off, because together, 40 00:01:49,444 --> 00:01:50,987 we can--dare I say it? 41 00:01:51,028 --> 00:01:53,114 Change the world! 42 00:01:53,156 --> 00:01:57,243 * * 43 00:01:59,287 --> 00:02:02,373 [wind howling] 44 00:02:10,173 --> 00:02:11,340 Greetings! 45 00:02:11,382 --> 00:02:12,967 Bill Nye here. 46 00:02:13,009 --> 00:02:15,762 I don't know about you, but the last few years 47 00:02:15,803 --> 00:02:19,307 have made me realize that things we thought 48 00:02:19,348 --> 00:02:23,061 were impossible are possible. 49 00:02:23,102 --> 00:02:27,356 We humans live on a planet with the unlimited potential 50 00:02:27,398 --> 00:02:29,692 for total annihilation. 51 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,946 We usually weather storms like this, 52 00:02:33,988 --> 00:02:36,741 but this time might be a little different. 53 00:02:36,783 --> 00:02:40,036 You see, we've never seen a hurricane 54 00:02:40,078 --> 00:02:42,747 this big or this bad. 55 00:02:42,789 --> 00:02:43,915 Whoa! 56 00:02:45,374 --> 00:02:48,294 [dramatic music] 57 00:02:48,336 --> 00:02:55,468 * * 58 00:03:08,815 --> 00:03:11,317 [cow mooing] 59 00:03:18,491 --> 00:03:21,536 Welcome, my friends, to the Disaster Institute, 60 00:03:21,577 --> 00:03:24,580 a museum of catastrophic events 61 00:03:24,622 --> 00:03:26,165 that have happened in the past, 62 00:03:26,207 --> 00:03:31,504 are happening now, or could happen at any moment. 63 00:03:31,546 --> 00:03:34,716 Some of these exhibits will seem all too familiar. 64 00:03:34,757 --> 00:03:36,759 Some you've never imagined. 65 00:03:36,801 --> 00:03:39,637 Others you'll wish you never heard about. 66 00:03:39,679 --> 00:03:42,098 None of them is for the faint of heart. 67 00:03:42,140 --> 00:03:45,309 We're here to witness the end of the world. 68 00:03:45,351 --> 00:03:49,897 But we're also here to see how we can save it and ourselves. 69 00:03:49,939 --> 00:03:52,358 A scientific blueprint for a better tomorrow, 70 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:53,985 you might say. 71 00:03:54,026 --> 00:03:56,988 So which doomsday shall we visit tonight? 72 00:03:57,029 --> 00:04:00,074 Ah, a classic, a world killing asteroid. 73 00:04:00,116 --> 00:04:02,910 Maybe another time. 74 00:04:02,952 --> 00:04:05,788 Nuclear Armageddon? 75 00:04:05,830 --> 00:04:06,873 No, not tonight. 76 00:04:06,914 --> 00:04:09,208 You've got to be in the mood. 77 00:04:09,250 --> 00:04:11,002 Tonight, it's a storm. 78 00:04:11,044 --> 00:04:13,713 A storm to end all storms. 79 00:04:13,755 --> 00:04:16,883 The Earth as we know it will never be the same. 80 00:04:16,924 --> 00:04:19,552 Fair warning, the exhibits in this museum 81 00:04:19,594 --> 00:04:21,763 are highly interactive. 82 00:04:21,804 --> 00:04:25,266 There are no life jackets, no seat belts, 83 00:04:25,308 --> 00:04:28,227 and no exit doors. 84 00:04:28,269 --> 00:04:31,147 [foreboding music] 85 00:04:31,189 --> 00:04:33,107 [snakes hissing] 86 00:04:33,149 --> 00:04:35,485 Well, that's troubling. 87 00:04:35,526 --> 00:04:37,111 You ready? 88 00:04:37,153 --> 00:04:38,613 Hope so. 89 00:04:43,743 --> 00:04:46,996 Storms have both ravaged and nourished Earth 90 00:04:47,038 --> 00:04:48,831 for billions of years. 91 00:04:48,873 --> 00:04:53,044 Long before we ever got here, there were mighty storms. 92 00:04:53,878 --> 00:04:55,713 Here's what our planet might have looked like 93 00:04:55,755 --> 00:04:58,800 in the first billion years or so. 94 00:04:58,841 --> 00:05:01,844 Pretty, but I wouldn't want to build a summer home there. 95 00:05:03,262 --> 00:05:05,723 - [grunting] 96 00:05:07,725 --> 00:05:10,895 - Of all the dangers our ancestors faced, 97 00:05:10,937 --> 00:05:12,688 one of the scariest must have been 98 00:05:12,730 --> 00:05:14,941 when the clouds darkened and roared 99 00:05:14,982 --> 00:05:17,860 and the ocean fell from the sky. 100 00:05:17,902 --> 00:05:19,737 Just ask our friend, Cor, here. 101 00:05:19,779 --> 00:05:21,697 He'd be the first to tell you. 102 00:05:21,739 --> 00:05:24,951 Back then, Earth controlled our fate. 103 00:05:24,992 --> 00:05:28,246 - [grunting] 104 00:05:28,287 --> 00:05:30,248 - I know it was tough, 105 00:05:30,289 --> 00:05:32,375 but you got us this far, man. 106 00:05:32,417 --> 00:05:35,753 [thunder rumbling] 107 00:05:35,795 --> 00:05:38,923 Many cultures have been fascinated by storms. 108 00:05:38,965 --> 00:05:41,968 The Sumerians spoke of a great flood that drowned the Earth. 109 00:05:42,009 --> 00:05:43,386 The Inca too. 110 00:05:43,428 --> 00:05:47,056 Shakespeare himself wrote a play called "The Tempest" 111 00:05:47,098 --> 00:05:50,017 that takes place during an epic storm. 112 00:05:50,059 --> 00:05:51,519 And consider this. 113 00:05:51,561 --> 00:05:53,104 Once movies were invented, 114 00:05:53,146 --> 00:05:56,149 the disaster movie wasn't far behind. 115 00:05:56,190 --> 00:05:57,984 [dramatic music] 116 00:05:58,025 --> 00:06:00,945 [people screaming] 117 00:06:00,987 --> 00:06:07,452 * * 118 00:06:08,911 --> 00:06:13,082 In every age, it seems, we've had a fascination with storms. 119 00:06:13,124 --> 00:06:14,834 We even give them names. 120 00:06:14,876 --> 00:06:18,004 We started naming hurricanes back in 1950, 121 00:06:18,046 --> 00:06:20,631 and every year, the family grows. 122 00:06:20,673 --> 00:06:27,805 * * 123 00:06:36,731 --> 00:06:38,983 You may recognize some of these names. 124 00:06:39,025 --> 00:06:43,780 Isabel, Michael, Katrina, Sandy, Patricia. 125 00:06:43,821 --> 00:06:46,032 You may have even lived through some of them. 126 00:06:46,074 --> 00:06:48,367 All of these were deadly storms, 127 00:06:48,409 --> 00:06:50,203 but some were worse than others. 128 00:06:50,244 --> 00:06:52,371 Category 1 storms can have wind speeds 129 00:06:52,413 --> 00:06:55,166 up to 95 miles an hour. 130 00:06:55,208 --> 00:06:58,378 That's strong enough to rip the roof off a house. 131 00:06:58,419 --> 00:07:01,923 Category 5 storms have winds of 150 miles an hour. 132 00:07:01,964 --> 00:07:04,634 They can level entire neighborhoods. 133 00:07:04,675 --> 00:07:06,969 Hurricane Sandy, which hammered New York 134 00:07:07,011 --> 00:07:09,764 a few years back, was only a Cat 3. 135 00:07:09,806 --> 00:07:12,975 And Katrina, the one that sank New Orleans, 136 00:07:13,017 --> 00:07:16,104 that was the worst kind, a Category 5. 137 00:07:16,145 --> 00:07:18,523 By the time we leave this museum, 138 00:07:18,564 --> 00:07:20,817 there'll be another name on the wall. 139 00:07:20,858 --> 00:07:22,735 Several names, actually. 140 00:07:22,777 --> 00:07:25,738 [dramatic music] 141 00:07:25,780 --> 00:07:29,158 * * 142 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:33,121 It's time for the museum's most thrilling attraction. 143 00:07:33,162 --> 00:07:37,667 We're about to take a ride on our disaster simulator. 144 00:07:37,708 --> 00:07:39,377 Sound scary? 145 00:07:39,419 --> 00:07:40,837 Well, I hope so. 146 00:07:40,878 --> 00:07:44,632 I want you to experience this disaster firsthand 147 00:07:44,674 --> 00:07:47,885 from three points of view. 148 00:07:47,927 --> 00:07:50,179 A young shop owner on the ground 149 00:07:50,221 --> 00:07:52,807 who has to make a fateful decision. 150 00:07:55,017 --> 00:07:59,981 An air traveler in the sky on a flight from hell. 151 00:08:00,022 --> 00:08:02,275 And a scientist in a bunker, 152 00:08:02,316 --> 00:08:05,570 fighting to sound the alarm and save lives. 153 00:08:06,404 --> 00:08:09,115 No one is safe--not even me. 154 00:08:09,157 --> 00:08:12,368 Come to think of it, I'll be lucky to make it out alive. 155 00:08:12,410 --> 00:08:14,162 Viewer discretion is advised. 156 00:08:14,203 --> 00:08:17,165 [machine humming] 157 00:08:17,206 --> 00:08:20,168 [tense music] 158 00:08:20,209 --> 00:08:27,133 * * 159 00:08:33,306 --> 00:08:37,560 Our story begins here in the not-so-distant future. 160 00:08:37,602 --> 00:08:39,020 The trouble was first spotted 161 00:08:39,062 --> 00:08:41,564 aboard the International Space Station. 162 00:08:41,606 --> 00:08:43,775 Looking out the window one orbit, 163 00:08:43,816 --> 00:08:48,321 astronauts noticed that Earth looks strange. 164 00:08:48,362 --> 00:08:50,031 Almost like it's on fire. 165 00:08:50,073 --> 00:08:52,033 Are those clouds or smoke? 166 00:08:52,075 --> 00:08:54,160 It prompts the ISS to alert 167 00:08:54,202 --> 00:08:56,370 their fellow Earthlings down below, 168 00:08:56,412 --> 00:09:01,125 who don't have the benefit of a 250-mile high view. 169 00:09:01,167 --> 00:09:08,091 * * 170 00:09:08,132 --> 00:09:11,511 It looks like smoke, but looks can be deceiving. 171 00:09:11,552 --> 00:09:13,179 The world isn't on fire. 172 00:09:13,221 --> 00:09:14,764 Quite the opposite. 173 00:09:14,806 --> 00:09:17,517 The world is about to drown. 174 00:09:17,558 --> 00:09:21,020 Those white and gray bands are transverse cirrus clouds, 175 00:09:21,062 --> 00:09:22,897 and they form at the edge of storm systems 176 00:09:22,939 --> 00:09:26,651 or perpendicular to a jet stream. 177 00:09:26,692 --> 00:09:29,320 It's summertime-- Hurricane season. 178 00:09:29,362 --> 00:09:31,656 Those cirrus clouds are a warning sign 179 00:09:31,697 --> 00:09:34,325 that something very large and unprecedented 180 00:09:34,367 --> 00:09:35,827 is taking shape. 181 00:09:35,868 --> 00:09:38,538 We've never seen this many tropical depressions 182 00:09:38,579 --> 00:09:40,873 or the oceans this warm. 183 00:09:40,915 --> 00:09:42,917 The whole Earth seems poised to burst 184 00:09:42,959 --> 00:09:45,545 into a set of superstorms. 185 00:09:45,586 --> 00:09:48,798 My esteemed colleague is a storm analyst talking 186 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:51,384 to the National Hurricane Center branch chief 187 00:09:51,426 --> 00:09:53,010 and other government agencies. 188 00:09:53,052 --> 00:09:55,680 Computer weather modeling predicts as many 189 00:09:55,722 --> 00:09:58,933 as two or three major hurricanes 190 00:09:58,975 --> 00:10:00,893 could be tracking toward the United States 191 00:10:00,935 --> 00:10:02,937 at the same time. 192 00:10:02,979 --> 00:10:06,441 The good news is, now our scientist can warn us. 193 00:10:06,482 --> 00:10:08,776 She saves the day, right? 194 00:10:08,818 --> 00:10:10,695 Wrong! 195 00:10:10,737 --> 00:10:13,448 Government officials say it's too early, 196 00:10:13,489 --> 00:10:16,159 and this guy, the Secretary of Commerce, 197 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,286 is adamant that any storm warning 198 00:10:18,327 --> 00:10:20,371 is a crazy overreaction. 199 00:10:20,413 --> 00:10:23,291 - People are sick of all the doom and gloom! 200 00:10:23,332 --> 00:10:24,876 They don't want it from the government, 201 00:10:24,917 --> 00:10:27,837 and they sure as hell don't want it from the weatherman! 202 00:10:27,879 --> 00:10:30,339 [playful music] 203 00:10:31,549 --> 00:10:34,886 - This is what I like to call an "act of cow." 204 00:10:34,927 --> 00:10:36,345 [dramatic music] [cow moos] 205 00:10:36,387 --> 00:10:39,348 Act of cow symbolizes the human negligence 206 00:10:39,390 --> 00:10:42,393 that can trigger a disaster or make one worse. 207 00:10:42,435 --> 00:10:45,438 It's inspired by a bovine named Daisy, who, 208 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:48,024 as legend has it, kicked over a lantern 209 00:10:48,066 --> 00:10:50,568 and started the Great Chicago Fire. 210 00:10:50,610 --> 00:10:52,195 [cow mooing] 211 00:10:52,236 --> 00:10:54,363 Like the Secretary of Commerce blocking 212 00:10:54,405 --> 00:10:56,240 a potential life-saving warning 213 00:10:56,282 --> 00:10:58,367 from the National Weather Service. 214 00:10:58,409 --> 00:10:59,869 He's our cow. 215 00:10:59,911 --> 00:11:01,871 - Oh, you're a cow, Nye! 216 00:11:01,913 --> 00:11:03,331 - Sir, this is not helpful. 217 00:11:03,372 --> 00:11:06,042 - The best our fearless storm analyst could do 218 00:11:06,084 --> 00:11:08,544 was convince him to make the FAA aware 219 00:11:08,586 --> 00:11:11,172 of the cirrus clouds, which are known to cause 220 00:11:11,214 --> 00:11:13,925 what pilots call "clear air turbulence," 221 00:11:13,966 --> 00:11:15,968 and plenty of trouble for airplanes. 222 00:11:16,010 --> 00:11:18,971 [plane engine roaring] 223 00:11:19,013 --> 00:11:22,308 [ominous music] 224 00:11:22,350 --> 00:11:23,684 - This is your captain speaking. 225 00:11:23,726 --> 00:11:25,645 We just got an update from the weather folks 226 00:11:25,686 --> 00:11:27,397 about that big storm system. 227 00:11:27,438 --> 00:11:28,815 We've decided to fly around it, 228 00:11:28,856 --> 00:11:31,692 which will delay our arrival by an hour or more. 229 00:11:31,734 --> 00:11:33,236 Thank you. 230 00:11:33,277 --> 00:11:36,155 - Why is it that every disaster movie begins 231 00:11:36,197 --> 00:11:39,951 with someone in power ignoring a scientist? 232 00:11:39,992 --> 00:11:42,245 Because it happens more than you might think. 233 00:11:42,286 --> 00:11:45,081 There are too many incentives to ignore bad news. 234 00:11:45,123 --> 00:11:47,083 In this case, the potential damage 235 00:11:47,125 --> 00:11:49,168 to the economy and the backlash 236 00:11:49,210 --> 00:11:51,087 against government mandates. 237 00:11:51,129 --> 00:11:54,090 This is just one of several lousy decisions 238 00:11:54,132 --> 00:11:55,591 that will make everything worse. 239 00:11:55,633 --> 00:11:59,053 [bell chimes] 240 00:11:59,095 --> 00:12:01,556 Nature and human nature will conspire to create 241 00:12:01,597 --> 00:12:03,725 the worst possible scenario. 242 00:12:03,766 --> 00:12:07,520 * * 243 00:12:07,562 --> 00:12:09,230 This is gonna really suck. 244 00:12:14,402 --> 00:12:17,947 [horns honking] 245 00:12:17,989 --> 00:12:19,407 It's Friday afternoon, 246 00:12:19,449 --> 00:12:21,242 and the good people of Houston, Texas, 247 00:12:21,284 --> 00:12:23,578 are looking forward to the weekend. 248 00:12:23,619 --> 00:12:26,122 It's been a few days since our scientist 249 00:12:26,164 --> 00:12:28,624 issued her warning about the storms brewing 250 00:12:28,666 --> 00:12:29,917 in the Atlantic. 251 00:12:29,959 --> 00:12:31,794 Two of them are getting stronger. 252 00:12:31,836 --> 00:12:34,005 More are forming off the Gulf Coast, 253 00:12:34,047 --> 00:12:37,133 the Atlantic seaboard, and in the Pacific Ocean. 254 00:12:37,175 --> 00:12:39,594 The NHC has finally been allowed to issue 255 00:12:39,635 --> 00:12:42,764 its storm advisory, but people around here 256 00:12:42,805 --> 00:12:44,891 are hardly paying any attention. 257 00:12:44,932 --> 00:12:47,310 "What's a little rain?" they say. 258 00:12:47,351 --> 00:12:49,145 Just goes to show we're not very good 259 00:12:49,187 --> 00:12:51,147 at recognizing danger. 260 00:12:51,189 --> 00:12:54,233 Even when it's right there or right here, 261 00:12:54,275 --> 00:12:56,486 staring us in the face. 262 00:12:56,527 --> 00:13:03,451 * * 263 00:13:07,413 --> 00:13:09,040 Case in point, 264 00:13:09,082 --> 00:13:11,959 this coffee shop just reopened its doors, 265 00:13:12,001 --> 00:13:14,128 and the last thing this owner wants to do 266 00:13:14,170 --> 00:13:16,172 is put up the closed sign again. 267 00:13:16,214 --> 00:13:18,174 This shop was always her dream, 268 00:13:18,216 --> 00:13:20,635 and her dream is open for business. 269 00:13:20,676 --> 00:13:24,097 She's put the past two years into this place. 270 00:13:24,138 --> 00:13:26,391 Every day, every penny. 271 00:13:26,432 --> 00:13:30,269 Right now, this shop is her life. 272 00:13:30,311 --> 00:13:33,481 Storms, storm advisories, hurricane hysteria, 273 00:13:33,523 --> 00:13:35,858 she's been through it all before. 274 00:13:35,900 --> 00:13:38,194 Besides, what can she even do about it? 275 00:13:38,236 --> 00:13:40,321 The weather does what the weather does. 276 00:13:40,363 --> 00:13:42,698 She's got a shop to run and can't afford 277 00:13:42,740 --> 00:13:45,993 to lose another day, much less another customer. 278 00:13:46,035 --> 00:13:49,539 [thunder rumbling] [indistinct chatter] 279 00:13:49,580 --> 00:13:53,543 Over the next two days, the weather does plenty. 280 00:13:53,584 --> 00:13:56,879 Record warm ocean temperatures have spawned five-- 281 00:13:56,921 --> 00:14:00,216 five monstrous storms threatening billions of people 282 00:14:00,258 --> 00:14:02,218 on three continents. 283 00:14:02,260 --> 00:14:05,012 Unprecedented in recorded history. 284 00:14:05,054 --> 00:14:07,181 [tense music] 285 00:14:07,223 --> 00:14:09,142 Storm Alpha, as it's now known, 286 00:14:09,183 --> 00:14:13,104 gathers steam in the Atlantic and threatens the Gulf Coast. 287 00:14:13,146 --> 00:14:14,856 What they're calling Storm Beta 288 00:14:14,897 --> 00:14:16,649 is forming in the Arabian Sea 289 00:14:16,691 --> 00:14:20,403 and looks to make landfall on Northern India. 290 00:14:20,445 --> 00:14:22,697 Storm Gamma in the Philippine Sea 291 00:14:22,739 --> 00:14:26,367 will undoubtedly ravage mainland Japan. 292 00:14:26,409 --> 00:14:28,369 Storm Delta in the South Atlantic 293 00:14:28,411 --> 00:14:30,872 has Brazil in its crosshairs. 294 00:14:30,913 --> 00:14:34,417 And number five, Storm Epsilon in the Pacific 295 00:14:34,459 --> 00:14:38,796 is on a collision course with Southern California. 296 00:14:38,838 --> 00:14:41,591 Each one of these storms has the potential 297 00:14:41,632 --> 00:14:44,343 to become a Category 5. 298 00:14:44,385 --> 00:14:47,930 These meteorologists are just beginning to realize 299 00:14:47,972 --> 00:14:49,557 how bad things could get. 300 00:14:51,225 --> 00:14:53,895 The five hurricanes will come to be known 301 00:14:53,936 --> 00:14:55,480 as the Hydra Storm, 302 00:14:55,521 --> 00:14:57,565 named after the multi-headed monster 303 00:14:57,607 --> 00:14:59,942 in Greek mythology, Roman mythology, 304 00:14:59,984 --> 00:15:02,111 and the Marvel universe. 305 00:15:02,153 --> 00:15:04,155 And this beast is about to strike! 306 00:15:06,699 --> 00:15:08,659 Not today, Fluffy. 307 00:15:10,495 --> 00:15:11,829 Not today. 308 00:15:11,871 --> 00:15:19,003 * * 309 00:15:28,096 --> 00:15:31,015 [tense music] 310 00:15:31,057 --> 00:15:33,476 * * 311 00:15:33,518 --> 00:15:36,229 - The mighty Hydra Storm we've been tracking 312 00:15:36,270 --> 00:15:39,357 is really five enormous storms. 313 00:15:39,399 --> 00:15:43,111 And this one, which people are calling Storm Alpha, 314 00:15:43,152 --> 00:15:45,988 began forming in the mid-Atlantic. 315 00:15:46,030 --> 00:15:50,618 They're predicting it will make landfall by nightfall. 316 00:15:53,204 --> 00:15:55,665 After the Hurricane Center is finally allowed 317 00:15:55,706 --> 00:15:58,793 to issue a warning, the people of Houston 318 00:15:58,835 --> 00:16:00,878 are already in grave danger. 319 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:02,338 - Officials are advising residents 320 00:16:02,380 --> 00:16:05,007 to shelter in place and prepare for high winds 321 00:16:05,049 --> 00:16:07,135 and intense flooding. 322 00:16:07,176 --> 00:16:09,345 Widespread power outages are also expected, 323 00:16:09,387 --> 00:16:11,639 along with disruptions in the supply chain. 324 00:16:11,681 --> 00:16:14,559 [indistinct chatter] 325 00:16:18,688 --> 00:16:21,941 - So everyone rushes to stock up on supplies. 326 00:16:21,983 --> 00:16:25,820 Water, candles, batteries, toilet paper. 327 00:16:25,862 --> 00:16:27,613 A little beef brisket. 328 00:16:27,655 --> 00:16:29,198 You know, the essentials. 329 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,493 A voluntary evacuation order is also given, 330 00:16:32,535 --> 00:16:34,996 but many of the residents decide to stay put 331 00:16:35,037 --> 00:16:36,956 and ride out the storm. 332 00:16:36,998 --> 00:16:40,168 Louisiana is going to get hit the hardest, everyone says. 333 00:16:40,209 --> 00:16:43,004 Texas will be spared the worst of it. 334 00:16:43,046 --> 00:16:44,922 But there's a funny thing about hurricanes. 335 00:16:44,964 --> 00:16:46,716 They tend to do what they want. 336 00:16:46,758 --> 00:16:50,178 They wander, exchanging energy with the wind and the ocean 337 00:16:50,219 --> 00:16:52,472 in what's called self-advection. 338 00:16:52,513 --> 00:16:54,807 By the time Storm Alpha reaches shore, 339 00:16:54,849 --> 00:16:56,476 it will have altered course 340 00:16:56,517 --> 00:17:00,021 and be headed straight for Houston. 341 00:17:00,063 --> 00:17:02,982 [thunder rumbling] 342 00:17:03,024 --> 00:17:09,947 * * 343 00:17:27,340 --> 00:17:30,718 Authorities dispatch first responders in Houston 344 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:32,595 and from neighboring states 345 00:17:32,637 --> 00:17:36,057 to render aid as Storm Alpha moves. 346 00:17:36,099 --> 00:17:40,269 But bravery and expertise can only take you so far. 347 00:17:40,311 --> 00:17:42,313 The coming storms will make short work 348 00:17:42,355 --> 00:17:44,565 of any rescue efforts. 349 00:17:46,275 --> 00:17:49,404 [thunder rumbling] 350 00:17:51,239 --> 00:17:54,617 We're on an international flight from Paris to Houston. 351 00:17:54,659 --> 00:17:56,994 And that's a cumulonimbus cloud, 352 00:17:57,036 --> 00:17:59,080 otherwise known as a thunderhead, 353 00:17:59,122 --> 00:18:01,874 the telltale sign of a storm like this. 354 00:18:01,916 --> 00:18:03,960 A biggie, by the looks of it. 355 00:18:04,001 --> 00:18:05,878 - Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. 356 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:08,548 We are experiencing some moderate turbulence 357 00:18:08,589 --> 00:18:12,218 as we navigate around this rather large storm system. 358 00:18:12,260 --> 00:18:14,387 So I'm gonna ask that you remain in your seats 359 00:18:14,429 --> 00:18:16,389 with your seat belts securely fastened. 360 00:18:16,431 --> 00:18:18,349 Flight attendants, please secure the cabin. 361 00:18:19,851 --> 00:18:23,563 - The pilots still believe they can fly around the storm. 362 00:18:23,604 --> 00:18:25,982 But that was before the Storm Alpha 363 00:18:26,023 --> 00:18:29,235 altered its path a little without warning. 364 00:18:29,277 --> 00:18:32,572 * * 365 00:18:32,613 --> 00:18:34,449 [laughing] Moderate turbulence? 366 00:18:34,490 --> 00:18:36,617 No. No. 367 00:18:38,077 --> 00:18:39,996 Nuts? 368 00:18:40,037 --> 00:18:47,170 * * 369 00:18:53,009 --> 00:18:55,720 [wind howling] 370 00:18:57,889 --> 00:19:00,349 Mandatory evacuation orders are finally 371 00:19:00,391 --> 00:19:02,685 given to all affected cities. 372 00:19:02,727 --> 00:19:05,396 The National Guard is placed on high alert, 373 00:19:05,438 --> 00:19:08,775 but they're powerless until it's safe to go back in. 374 00:19:08,816 --> 00:19:13,071 All the world can do now is hang on for dear life. 375 00:19:14,739 --> 00:19:17,366 Many residents are fleeing their homes, 376 00:19:17,408 --> 00:19:19,911 even though it means having no idea what might 377 00:19:19,952 --> 00:19:21,954 be left when they return. 378 00:19:21,996 --> 00:19:25,083 [car horns honking] 379 00:19:27,251 --> 00:19:30,963 Others decide to stay put in order to protect the things 380 00:19:31,005 --> 00:19:33,174 they've worked so hard for. 381 00:19:33,216 --> 00:19:34,967 Some of these people have experienced 382 00:19:35,009 --> 00:19:38,262 near misses before, and are hoping like hell 383 00:19:38,304 --> 00:19:41,265 this next storm will be more of the same. 384 00:19:41,307 --> 00:19:44,310 For them, it's worth the risk-- 385 00:19:44,352 --> 00:19:47,188 or it seems to be. 386 00:19:47,230 --> 00:19:48,898 - Weather experts are now predicting 387 00:19:48,940 --> 00:19:51,401 that it will become a full-blown hurricane 388 00:19:51,442 --> 00:19:53,986 by nightfall, a Category 4 at least-- 389 00:19:54,028 --> 00:19:56,239 some say Category 5. 390 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:57,782 The conditions are changing rapidly, 391 00:19:57,824 --> 00:19:59,826 and that could affect the hurricane's intensity 392 00:19:59,867 --> 00:20:02,620 and where it ultimately makes landfall. 393 00:20:06,541 --> 00:20:09,711 - Over the next few days, the five hurricanes, 394 00:20:09,752 --> 00:20:11,671 all Category 5 strength, 395 00:20:11,713 --> 00:20:14,716 will make landfall on three continents. 396 00:20:14,757 --> 00:20:17,260 By the time it's done, the Hydra Storm 397 00:20:17,301 --> 00:20:19,429 will alter coastlines forever 398 00:20:19,470 --> 00:20:22,056 and devastate our civilization. 399 00:20:22,098 --> 00:20:26,644 * * 400 00:20:30,314 --> 00:20:33,276 [dramatic music] 401 00:20:33,317 --> 00:20:37,238 * * 402 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:40,158 - Fortunately for us, hurricanes are very wide, 403 00:20:40,199 --> 00:20:42,118 but they're also very low. 404 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:44,370 We've ascended to 35,000 feet, 405 00:20:44,412 --> 00:20:46,789 10,000 meters above Storm Alpha, 406 00:20:46,831 --> 00:20:48,541 to a safe altitude. 407 00:20:48,583 --> 00:20:52,170 I guess it depends what you mean by safe. 408 00:20:52,211 --> 00:20:54,464 It's been a long flight, and the airplane 409 00:20:54,505 --> 00:20:56,340 is getting low on fuel. 410 00:20:56,382 --> 00:20:58,509 For some reason, we've lost contact 411 00:20:58,551 --> 00:21:00,762 with air traffic control. 412 00:21:00,803 --> 00:21:02,722 There's no choice but to attempt a landing 413 00:21:02,764 --> 00:21:06,392 in Houston before the hurricane gets any stronger. 414 00:21:08,436 --> 00:21:09,937 This is fine. 415 00:21:11,647 --> 00:21:12,940 It's fine. 416 00:21:14,525 --> 00:21:17,445 [intense music] 417 00:21:17,487 --> 00:21:24,452 * * 418 00:21:36,506 --> 00:21:39,175 [glass shattering] 419 00:21:42,387 --> 00:21:45,515 The weight of the water causes the entire city 420 00:21:45,556 --> 00:21:47,683 to sink 5 inches. 421 00:21:47,725 --> 00:21:49,060 Yes, really. 422 00:21:49,102 --> 00:21:50,603 Millions of residents are threatened 423 00:21:50,645 --> 00:21:53,856 by sledgehammer winds and massive storm surges 424 00:21:53,898 --> 00:21:57,568 that will drown entire neighborhoods in minutes. 425 00:21:57,610 --> 00:22:01,030 The evacuation order was given too late. 426 00:22:01,072 --> 00:22:04,117 Many victims won't be able to escape. 427 00:22:06,536 --> 00:22:09,664 While others made the fateful decision 428 00:22:09,705 --> 00:22:11,457 to ride out the storm. 429 00:22:11,499 --> 00:22:13,126 - Storm Alpha's powerful winds 430 00:22:13,167 --> 00:22:15,002 are causing record-breaking surges 431 00:22:15,044 --> 00:22:16,504 throughout downtown Houston, 432 00:22:16,546 --> 00:22:20,216 some as high as 20 feet above sea level. 433 00:22:20,258 --> 00:22:22,135 If you are in the city, please, 434 00:22:22,176 --> 00:22:23,678 please find shelter above-- 435 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:25,388 - [gasps] 436 00:22:25,430 --> 00:22:26,806 [thunder rumbling] 437 00:22:26,848 --> 00:22:28,683 [clattering] 438 00:22:28,725 --> 00:22:31,686 [tense music] 439 00:22:31,728 --> 00:22:38,109 * * 440 00:22:39,235 --> 00:22:41,112 - As the Gulf Coast is ravaged, 441 00:22:41,154 --> 00:22:43,364 the other four heads of the Hydra Storm 442 00:22:43,406 --> 00:22:46,534 are making landfall with equal fury. 443 00:22:46,576 --> 00:22:53,499 * * 444 00:23:08,765 --> 00:23:11,350 [people screaming] 445 00:23:14,771 --> 00:23:18,024 [siren wailing] 446 00:23:18,066 --> 00:23:24,405 * * 447 00:23:25,948 --> 00:23:27,283 - [gasping] 448 00:23:33,581 --> 00:23:37,752 * * 449 00:23:37,794 --> 00:23:40,713 [helicopter droning] 450 00:23:46,052 --> 00:23:48,638 [people screaming] 451 00:23:53,017 --> 00:23:56,145 [plane rattling] 452 00:23:57,146 --> 00:23:58,606 - [breathing raggedly] 453 00:24:00,817 --> 00:24:03,694 [indistinct chatter] 454 00:24:06,072 --> 00:24:09,033 - Unfortunately, the pilot's miscalculated. 455 00:24:09,075 --> 00:24:11,035 This flight won't be able to land. 456 00:24:11,077 --> 00:24:12,203 [person screams] 457 00:24:18,251 --> 00:24:21,546 I mean, technically, it'll land on something. 458 00:24:21,587 --> 00:24:24,132 - Will you shut the [bleep] up! 459 00:24:24,173 --> 00:24:27,301 [people screaming] 460 00:24:42,859 --> 00:24:45,695 [clattering] 461 00:24:46,946 --> 00:24:50,074 - [gasping] 462 00:25:01,252 --> 00:25:04,380 [glass cracking] 463 00:25:08,468 --> 00:25:11,220 [screams] 464 00:25:17,393 --> 00:25:20,188 - Well, as you can see, it's not just flooding 465 00:25:20,229 --> 00:25:21,856 you got to worry about. 466 00:25:21,898 --> 00:25:23,566 It's wind too. 467 00:25:23,608 --> 00:25:26,235 Right now, it's at a peak intensity. 468 00:25:26,277 --> 00:25:30,364 210 miles an hour, a new record. 469 00:25:30,406 --> 00:25:34,452 The first Category 6 hurricane in history. 470 00:25:34,494 --> 00:25:36,079 Whoa! 471 00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:37,538 Ah! 472 00:25:37,580 --> 00:25:38,873 [screaming] 473 00:25:38,915 --> 00:25:39,874 [grunts] 474 00:25:39,916 --> 00:25:41,209 Oh, no! 475 00:25:41,250 --> 00:25:44,420 [screaming] 476 00:25:51,594 --> 00:25:54,013 - [groaning] 477 00:25:54,055 --> 00:25:56,557 While the United States has better infrastructure 478 00:25:56,599 --> 00:25:58,309 than many nations, 479 00:25:58,351 --> 00:26:01,020 government officials' reluctance to act, 480 00:26:01,062 --> 00:26:02,897 delays in the chain of command, 481 00:26:02,939 --> 00:26:06,067 and the fast-moving nature of the Hydra Storm 482 00:26:06,109 --> 00:26:08,736 all delivered a death toll to the United States 483 00:26:08,778 --> 00:26:11,155 of 200,000 people. 484 00:26:11,197 --> 00:26:14,867 Around the world, another 12 million are dead. 485 00:26:14,909 --> 00:26:17,495 The economic losses are in the trillions. 486 00:26:17,537 --> 00:26:21,082 We're talking about instant mass unemployment, riots, 487 00:26:21,124 --> 00:26:24,252 neighbor against neighbor, desperate people 488 00:26:24,293 --> 00:26:26,879 searching desperately for something to eat 489 00:26:26,921 --> 00:26:28,923 and water to drink. 490 00:26:28,965 --> 00:26:31,259 Extremist groups managed to topple 491 00:26:31,300 --> 00:26:34,429 vulnerable governments just like that. 492 00:26:34,470 --> 00:26:39,100 In short, the world is a hot mess. 493 00:26:39,142 --> 00:26:42,437 The environmental devastation was enormous. 494 00:26:42,478 --> 00:26:45,940 The Hydra Storm ripped its way through America's heartland, 495 00:26:45,982 --> 00:26:49,026 flooding 100,000 square miles. 496 00:26:49,068 --> 00:26:52,905 These floodplains used to be the Great Plains-- 497 00:26:52,947 --> 00:26:56,492 where we grew our crops, where our food came from. 498 00:26:56,534 --> 00:26:57,994 So now what, people? 499 00:26:58,035 --> 00:27:00,747 Well, we're gonna starve. 500 00:27:00,788 --> 00:27:02,915 [dramatic music] 501 00:27:02,957 --> 00:27:04,709 [machine humming] 502 00:27:04,751 --> 00:27:05,960 Whew! 503 00:27:06,002 --> 00:27:07,712 I hope that was fun-- 504 00:27:07,754 --> 00:27:09,255 for you. 505 00:27:09,297 --> 00:27:11,632 Did things have to be this bad? 506 00:27:11,674 --> 00:27:12,967 No! 507 00:27:13,009 --> 00:27:14,969 Is there any way we could have seen this coming 508 00:27:15,011 --> 00:27:16,888 and done a lot better? 509 00:27:16,929 --> 00:27:18,056 Chyah! 510 00:27:18,097 --> 00:27:19,557 But first thing's first, 511 00:27:19,599 --> 00:27:21,934 let's demystify this disaster. 512 00:27:21,976 --> 00:27:25,730 Let's explore the anatomy of a storm. 513 00:27:25,772 --> 00:27:27,732 I've prepared a little demo. 514 00:27:27,774 --> 00:27:29,192 Let's go to the bat cave. 515 00:27:29,233 --> 00:27:31,778 Well, there are no bats, and it's not really a cave. 516 00:27:31,819 --> 00:27:33,696 It's up here. 517 00:27:33,738 --> 00:27:36,741 [inquisitive music] 518 00:27:36,783 --> 00:27:39,077 Now big storms, like hurricanes, 519 00:27:39,118 --> 00:27:43,289 form at sea, driven by the upward motion of warm air. 520 00:27:43,331 --> 00:27:46,125 Now for our model storm in a jar here, 521 00:27:46,167 --> 00:27:48,503 we have heat from our model Sun, 522 00:27:48,544 --> 00:27:52,090 along with our miniature cold ocean. 523 00:27:52,131 --> 00:27:55,885 The temperature difference is driving a current, 524 00:27:55,927 --> 00:27:58,554 a circulation of air and water vapor. 525 00:27:58,596 --> 00:28:03,559 Let's add a little smoke so we can see the motion of the air. 526 00:28:03,601 --> 00:28:07,230 In a storm, when the rising air hits the stratosphere, 527 00:28:07,271 --> 00:28:10,525 it moves sideways before it falls back down. 528 00:28:10,566 --> 00:28:13,444 If enough air is moving, the combined forces 529 00:28:13,486 --> 00:28:15,780 of gravity and Earth's rotation 530 00:28:15,822 --> 00:28:18,950 make a storm system spin. 531 00:28:18,991 --> 00:28:21,244 That's what gives hurricanes and cyclones 532 00:28:21,285 --> 00:28:24,205 their signature swirl. 533 00:28:24,247 --> 00:28:27,250 Okay, heat powers storms. 534 00:28:27,291 --> 00:28:29,544 Where is all that heat coming from? 535 00:28:29,585 --> 00:28:32,338 Just like in our model, it begins with the Sun. 536 00:28:32,380 --> 00:28:36,634 But what really matters is where that solar heat ends up. 537 00:28:36,676 --> 00:28:41,514 On Earth, most of the heat gets stored in the ocean. 538 00:28:41,556 --> 00:28:44,726 You may not believe me, but this tub contains 539 00:28:44,767 --> 00:28:46,394 over a ton of water. 540 00:28:46,436 --> 00:28:49,147 Water is heavy. It can hold a lot of heat. 541 00:28:49,188 --> 00:28:51,441 Did you ever jump in a lake, a cold one? 542 00:28:51,482 --> 00:28:54,110 I have. You feel it everywhere. 543 00:28:54,152 --> 00:28:56,154 Water carries heat away from your body 544 00:28:56,195 --> 00:28:58,740 25 times faster than air. 545 00:28:58,781 --> 00:28:59,907 [musical sting] 546 00:28:59,949 --> 00:29:04,620 * * 547 00:29:04,662 --> 00:29:06,414 [sighs] 548 00:29:06,456 --> 00:29:10,043 Warm water also stores heat energy well. 549 00:29:10,084 --> 00:29:11,836 It's like a thermal battery. 550 00:29:11,878 --> 00:29:14,672 Heat energy from the surface of the ocean is the battery 551 00:29:14,714 --> 00:29:17,383 that powers our hurricanes and cyclones. 552 00:29:17,425 --> 00:29:20,511 The warmer the ocean, the stronger the storms. 553 00:29:20,553 --> 00:29:24,432 Our oceans are getting warmer and warmer each year. 554 00:29:24,474 --> 00:29:25,641 [grunts] 555 00:29:25,683 --> 00:29:29,812 * * 556 00:29:29,854 --> 00:29:33,775 Red on the map shows where the temperatures are rising. 557 00:29:33,816 --> 00:29:34,901 Take a look. 558 00:29:34,942 --> 00:29:37,111 There's a hell of a lot of red! 559 00:29:39,655 --> 00:29:41,783 The warming oceans are giving rise 560 00:29:41,824 --> 00:29:44,243 to more intense, violent storms 561 00:29:44,285 --> 00:29:48,456 and to the very real possibility of a hydra storm. 562 00:29:48,498 --> 00:29:50,792 But why are the oceans getting warmer? 563 00:29:50,833 --> 00:29:52,335 What's changing? 564 00:29:52,377 --> 00:29:55,963 To answer that question, we'll have to go back in time. 565 00:29:56,005 --> 00:29:59,550 All the way back to when fire was new. 566 00:29:59,592 --> 00:30:02,261 [insects chirping] 567 00:30:02,303 --> 00:30:04,847 We've been at this a long time. 568 00:30:04,889 --> 00:30:08,351 Charred bones and wood ash tell us that early hominids 569 00:30:08,393 --> 00:30:10,478 were tending the very first fires 570 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:12,271 more than a million years ago. 571 00:30:12,313 --> 00:30:15,400 Early on, fires provided heat and light 572 00:30:15,441 --> 00:30:17,568 to our old friend, Cor. 573 00:30:17,610 --> 00:30:19,779 After all, who doesn't love a nice hot meal 574 00:30:19,821 --> 00:30:23,116 of toasted acorns and seared woolly mammoth meat? 575 00:30:23,157 --> 00:30:24,242 - [huffs] - Oh, hi. 576 00:30:24,283 --> 00:30:26,285 Is this, uh, paleo? 577 00:30:28,538 --> 00:30:30,873 I got to figure those early humans realized 578 00:30:30,915 --> 00:30:34,127 they were controlling some sort of pure energy. 579 00:30:34,168 --> 00:30:37,338 Just watching the ashes rise into the sky 580 00:30:37,380 --> 00:30:39,799 must have made our ancestors wonder 581 00:30:39,841 --> 00:30:42,468 if there wasn't a way to harness that energy. 582 00:30:42,510 --> 00:30:45,221 But as our species evolved, we began finding 583 00:30:45,263 --> 00:30:47,348 all sorts of ways to harness heat 584 00:30:47,390 --> 00:30:50,143 and all kinds of new ways to make fire. 585 00:30:50,184 --> 00:30:53,229 [rhythmic whirring] 586 00:30:53,271 --> 00:30:57,442 Use a fire to get water hot, and you get steam. 587 00:30:58,609 --> 00:31:00,611 We call something that uses heat 588 00:31:00,653 --> 00:31:04,198 to make things go or spin a heat engine. 589 00:31:08,286 --> 00:31:11,914 The Industrial Revolution ran on heat engines 590 00:31:11,956 --> 00:31:13,499 that were powered by hot-burning, 591 00:31:13,541 --> 00:31:16,169 piston-stroking, wheel-spinning fires 592 00:31:16,210 --> 00:31:18,004 of wood and coal. 593 00:31:18,046 --> 00:31:23,718 * * 594 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:26,971 The key to any heat engine, big or small, 595 00:31:27,013 --> 00:31:29,223 is a temperature difference. 596 00:31:29,265 --> 00:31:32,435 Hotter in one place, cooler in another. 597 00:31:32,477 --> 00:31:34,812 This is true of an old time steam engine 598 00:31:34,854 --> 00:31:37,148 or an internal combustion engine. 599 00:31:39,525 --> 00:31:43,029 It's also true of a huge atmospheric storm 600 00:31:43,071 --> 00:31:47,241 powered by warm water below and cold air above. 601 00:31:48,367 --> 00:31:50,161 We wanted more and more heat 602 00:31:50,203 --> 00:31:52,997 to keep our civilization going and growing. 603 00:31:53,039 --> 00:31:56,292 So we started burning fossil fuels like coal. 604 00:31:56,334 --> 00:31:58,586 It turns out fossil fuels are the remains 605 00:31:58,628 --> 00:32:01,547 of ancient plants transformed by millions 606 00:32:01,589 --> 00:32:03,758 of years of pressure and heat. 607 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:06,302 In some mines, you can actually see the tree trunks 608 00:32:06,344 --> 00:32:08,471 that have turned to coal. 609 00:32:08,513 --> 00:32:10,640 Natural gas and oil generally come 610 00:32:10,681 --> 00:32:13,059 from microscopic ocean plants. 611 00:32:13,101 --> 00:32:14,852 No matter where it came from, 612 00:32:14,894 --> 00:32:18,606 if we can find an ancient fossil fuel, we'll burn it. 613 00:32:18,648 --> 00:32:22,360 Like our distant ancestors, we're burning old dead plants. 614 00:32:22,402 --> 00:32:25,113 We love burning stuff. 615 00:32:25,154 --> 00:32:27,782 [car horn honks] Humans are pyromaniacs, 616 00:32:27,824 --> 00:32:30,368 burning more fires than ever before. 617 00:32:30,410 --> 00:32:33,663 This swanky SUV burns ancient petroleum, 618 00:32:33,704 --> 00:32:38,251 which we purified and refined to keep his engine running. 619 00:32:38,292 --> 00:32:41,921 It's hot on the inside and cool out here. 620 00:32:41,963 --> 00:32:43,464 Another heat engine. 621 00:32:43,506 --> 00:32:45,633 For thousands of years, we didn't consider 622 00:32:45,675 --> 00:32:48,344 that these fires might have any consequence. 623 00:32:48,386 --> 00:32:50,430 The carbon captured by ancient plants 624 00:32:50,471 --> 00:32:53,599 becomes carbon dioxide, the gas that's given off 625 00:32:53,641 --> 00:32:55,768 when we burn fossil fuels. 626 00:32:55,810 --> 00:32:58,688 CO2, as it's known, is really good 627 00:32:58,730 --> 00:33:00,481 at trapping heat. 628 00:33:00,523 --> 00:33:03,526 Our penchant for burning ancient dead things 629 00:33:03,568 --> 00:33:06,154 is creating a monster. 630 00:33:06,195 --> 00:33:08,156 Get away from me! 631 00:33:08,197 --> 00:33:09,407 Ah! 632 00:33:09,449 --> 00:33:12,368 [tense music] 633 00:33:12,410 --> 00:33:13,786 * * 634 00:33:13,828 --> 00:33:16,330 We created this monster. 635 00:33:16,372 --> 00:33:17,623 And here's the thing. 636 00:33:17,665 --> 00:33:19,917 It doesn't have to happen like this. 637 00:33:19,959 --> 00:33:22,962 We can get past our million-year-old obsession 638 00:33:23,004 --> 00:33:24,839 with burning dead plants. 639 00:33:24,881 --> 00:33:28,217 We have a way to slay this beast. 640 00:33:28,259 --> 00:33:29,886 We call it science. 641 00:33:29,927 --> 00:33:32,930 [playful music] 642 00:33:36,559 --> 00:33:39,687 [inquisitive music] 643 00:33:39,729 --> 00:33:42,106 * * 644 00:33:42,148 --> 00:33:45,902 - As you may know, I'm not a professional hockey player. 645 00:33:45,943 --> 00:33:48,029 But the point I want to make can't be made 646 00:33:48,071 --> 00:33:50,656 with a round ball or a Frisbee. 647 00:33:50,698 --> 00:33:53,659 The hockey stick is the shape of the most iconic graph 648 00:33:53,701 --> 00:33:56,913 of the 20th century because it shows how fast 649 00:33:56,954 --> 00:33:58,498 the world is getting warmer. 650 00:33:58,539 --> 00:34:01,334 And we're the ones causing it. 651 00:34:01,375 --> 00:34:04,796 Our ancestor, Cor, was here. 652 00:34:04,837 --> 00:34:07,006 The average global temperature of Earth 653 00:34:07,048 --> 00:34:12,053 remained relatively steady over the last 10,000 years. 654 00:34:12,095 --> 00:34:14,347 Until around the year 1900. 655 00:34:14,389 --> 00:34:17,892 Then it shot up as fossil fuel burning increased. 656 00:34:17,934 --> 00:34:21,145 You and I are here. 657 00:34:21,187 --> 00:34:24,107 Well, what scientific evidence did climatologist, 658 00:34:24,148 --> 00:34:27,026 Michael Mann, examine to come up with this graph? 659 00:34:27,068 --> 00:34:31,697 Rings in trees, mud and rock from the bottoms of lakes, 660 00:34:31,739 --> 00:34:34,700 the ice at the poles, bleaching of coral reefs, 661 00:34:34,742 --> 00:34:37,036 melting glaciers, rising sea levels, 662 00:34:37,078 --> 00:34:40,915 and more frequent and more violent hurricanes. 663 00:34:40,957 --> 00:34:44,001 Evidence of our obsession with burning fossil fuels 664 00:34:44,043 --> 00:34:45,586 is all around us. 665 00:34:45,628 --> 00:34:51,092 So how do we bend this curve? 666 00:34:51,134 --> 00:34:53,720 [suspenseful music] 667 00:34:53,761 --> 00:34:55,388 We don't want to go back to the days 668 00:34:55,430 --> 00:34:56,848 when we hung out in caves, 669 00:34:56,889 --> 00:34:59,517 and we can't just shut down civilization. 670 00:35:00,893 --> 00:35:04,272 Let's find new ways to make fire. 671 00:35:04,313 --> 00:35:07,233 [inquisitive music] 672 00:35:07,275 --> 00:35:09,026 * * 673 00:35:10,570 --> 00:35:12,363 I've never understood the notion 674 00:35:12,405 --> 00:35:14,824 that renewable energy is some kind 675 00:35:14,866 --> 00:35:17,744 of hippie-dippie or fringe idea, 676 00:35:17,785 --> 00:35:21,956 like vampire facials or crystal sound baths. 677 00:35:21,998 --> 00:35:25,626 Now, take solar energy, which even today gets a lot of flak. 678 00:35:25,668 --> 00:35:29,380 When you think about it, the Sun is the main source 679 00:35:29,422 --> 00:35:31,424 of power for all life on the planet 680 00:35:31,466 --> 00:35:33,342 and fuels the entire food chain. 681 00:35:33,384 --> 00:35:36,095 Plants use photosynthesis, 682 00:35:36,137 --> 00:35:39,015 the process of turning sunlight into energy, 683 00:35:39,057 --> 00:35:41,184 to feed themselves, and in turn, 684 00:35:41,225 --> 00:35:44,937 feed us and every other species on Earth. 685 00:35:44,979 --> 00:35:48,733 If only we humans could do what you can do. 686 00:35:48,775 --> 00:35:51,986 Well, we've got the next best thing. 687 00:35:52,028 --> 00:35:55,156 The sun shines everywhere on Earth. 688 00:35:55,198 --> 00:35:57,450 We've figured out how to capture its energy 689 00:35:57,492 --> 00:35:59,452 and turn it into electricity. 690 00:35:59,494 --> 00:36:02,163 Solar panels are like leaves. 691 00:36:02,205 --> 00:36:05,625 Both absorb sunlight and turn it into energy. 692 00:36:05,666 --> 00:36:07,835 Yes, we don't yet have the means to store 693 00:36:07,877 --> 00:36:10,338 and distribute it on very large scales, 694 00:36:10,380 --> 00:36:12,924 but we're working on it. 695 00:36:12,965 --> 00:36:16,052 The sun is our nuclear furnace in the sky, 696 00:36:16,094 --> 00:36:19,555 and it won't shut down for billions of years. 697 00:36:19,597 --> 00:36:22,308 Too often we're told that we have to choose 698 00:36:22,350 --> 00:36:26,062 between progress and being good stewards of the planet, 699 00:36:26,104 --> 00:36:27,980 but that's just not true. 700 00:36:28,022 --> 00:36:29,899 The cities of this new millennium 701 00:36:29,941 --> 00:36:32,568 can be powered by nature itself. 702 00:36:33,945 --> 00:36:37,490 I'll tell you what's a kooky, fringe idea. 703 00:36:37,532 --> 00:36:40,701 Burning the dried corpses of really old dead things 704 00:36:40,743 --> 00:36:42,370 to fuel your civilization, 705 00:36:42,412 --> 00:36:45,915 all the while knowing that by burning those ancient corpses, 706 00:36:45,957 --> 00:36:49,252 you are killing yourself and everyone else. 707 00:36:49,293 --> 00:36:50,461 I mean, think about it, people. 708 00:36:50,503 --> 00:36:52,630 We're like some kind of weird death cult. 709 00:36:55,299 --> 00:36:59,345 There are so many potential sources of energy in nature, 710 00:36:59,387 --> 00:37:01,472 even the breeze itself. 711 00:37:01,514 --> 00:37:04,016 Ocean-based wind turbines could slow 712 00:37:04,058 --> 00:37:06,602 the winds of hurricanes. 713 00:37:06,644 --> 00:37:09,188 Environmental engineers have run simulations 714 00:37:09,230 --> 00:37:12,358 to show how wind turbines could extract kinetic energy 715 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:15,778 from the air and reduce coastal storm surges, 716 00:37:15,820 --> 00:37:18,614 like the one Hurricane Katrina caused in New Orleans, 717 00:37:18,656 --> 00:37:21,367 by almost 80%. 718 00:37:21,409 --> 00:37:23,161 [thunder rumbles] 719 00:37:23,202 --> 00:37:26,497 A battalion of turbines-- say a thousand or more-- 720 00:37:26,539 --> 00:37:30,626 could act like a wall to stop hurricanes in their tracks. 721 00:37:30,668 --> 00:37:33,588 [dramatic music] 722 00:37:33,629 --> 00:37:36,340 * * 723 00:37:36,382 --> 00:37:39,927 A Category 5 could be tamed into a tropical storm 724 00:37:39,969 --> 00:37:41,929 before it ever reaches shore. 725 00:37:41,971 --> 00:37:45,224 And all of that energy would be powering our cities 726 00:37:45,266 --> 00:37:46,851 instead of destroying them. 727 00:37:48,061 --> 00:37:51,314 And while we're at it, let's start removing CO2 728 00:37:51,355 --> 00:37:52,565 from the atmosphere. 729 00:37:52,607 --> 00:37:55,151 We call it direct air carbon capture. 730 00:37:55,193 --> 00:37:57,445 And it's pretty damn cool. 731 00:37:57,487 --> 00:37:59,739 Think of it like artificial trees. 732 00:37:59,781 --> 00:38:02,366 Trees, after all, are the original 733 00:38:02,408 --> 00:38:04,368 carbon capturing machines. 734 00:38:04,410 --> 00:38:08,081 Direct capture technology sucks air in with a fan 735 00:38:08,122 --> 00:38:12,001 and passes it through a filter that absorbs carbon dioxide. 736 00:38:12,043 --> 00:38:15,004 That CO2 gets stored underground, 737 00:38:15,046 --> 00:38:17,340 where we can lock it away for good. 738 00:38:17,382 --> 00:38:20,301 We can also take carbon from the atmosphere, 739 00:38:20,343 --> 00:38:21,761 where it's a pollutant, 740 00:38:21,803 --> 00:38:24,180 and repurpose it to enrich the soil, 741 00:38:24,222 --> 00:38:25,765 where it's a nutrient. 742 00:38:25,807 --> 00:38:29,936 CO2 gas can even make our drinks fizzy fun. 743 00:38:30,686 --> 00:38:33,564 How about a refreshing, carbon dioxide-infused 744 00:38:33,606 --> 00:38:36,109 sparkling beverage? 745 00:38:36,150 --> 00:38:38,319 Mmm. 746 00:38:38,361 --> 00:38:40,446 Saving the world. 747 00:38:40,488 --> 00:38:44,075 Direct air carbon capture has the potential to help us 748 00:38:44,117 --> 00:38:48,121 transition to a carbon-neutral energy system. 749 00:38:48,162 --> 00:38:52,291 You might be thinking, Bill, what is carbon-neutral anyway? 750 00:38:52,333 --> 00:38:55,294 It's when the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere 751 00:38:55,336 --> 00:38:58,172 is equal to the amount being removed. 752 00:38:59,924 --> 00:39:02,301 Carbon removal technologies can help 753 00:39:02,343 --> 00:39:03,803 get us there more quickly. 754 00:39:03,845 --> 00:39:06,931 There are 19 carbon capture plants in Europe, 755 00:39:06,973 --> 00:39:09,392 the United States, and Canada. 756 00:39:09,434 --> 00:39:11,811 More are being planned, 757 00:39:11,853 --> 00:39:14,522 and scientists at Arizona State University 758 00:39:14,564 --> 00:39:18,693 are taking carbon capture to a whole new level. 759 00:39:18,735 --> 00:39:21,612 They're developing mechanical trees 760 00:39:21,654 --> 00:39:23,614 that remove CO2 from the air 761 00:39:23,656 --> 00:39:27,160 a thousand times more efficiently than real trees. 762 00:39:27,201 --> 00:39:30,329 These Redwood-sized towers capture carbon 763 00:39:30,371 --> 00:39:32,999 as the wind blows through their filters. 764 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:37,420 Imagine entire carbon forests standing tall, 765 00:39:37,462 --> 00:39:39,505 cleaning up our atmosphere. 766 00:39:39,547 --> 00:39:42,383 [uplifting music] 767 00:39:43,217 --> 00:39:46,179 Let's electrify our transportation. 768 00:39:46,220 --> 00:39:48,097 We've just started to make the transition 769 00:39:48,139 --> 00:39:50,516 from gas-powered engines, to hybrid, 770 00:39:50,558 --> 00:39:52,310 to fully electric vehicles. 771 00:39:52,351 --> 00:39:54,395 The big jet companies are already working 772 00:39:54,437 --> 00:39:56,647 on electric planes. 773 00:39:56,689 --> 00:39:59,025 Hear that? 774 00:39:59,067 --> 00:40:00,318 No, you don't, 775 00:40:00,359 --> 00:40:02,904 because I'm flying on an electric plane right now, 776 00:40:02,945 --> 00:40:05,406 giving off zero emissions. 777 00:40:05,448 --> 00:40:08,409 [playful music] 778 00:40:08,451 --> 00:40:10,036 * * 779 00:40:10,078 --> 00:40:14,332 By bending the curve, we turn down the heat. 780 00:40:14,373 --> 00:40:17,210 We reduce the chances of a five-headed hydra storm 781 00:40:17,251 --> 00:40:20,380 from ever happening, and we can be better prepared 782 00:40:20,421 --> 00:40:22,298 for the storms that do happen. 783 00:40:22,340 --> 00:40:25,259 [inquisitive music] 784 00:40:25,301 --> 00:40:28,012 * * 785 00:40:28,054 --> 00:40:31,057 Vulnerable communities can be raised above sea level 786 00:40:31,099 --> 00:40:33,976 and fortified with emergency flood pumps. 787 00:40:34,018 --> 00:40:39,023 Coastal cities can invest in better seawalls. 788 00:40:39,065 --> 00:40:41,317 The most important change we can make 789 00:40:41,359 --> 00:40:43,694 is to demand that public safety measures 790 00:40:43,736 --> 00:40:46,697 be guided by science, not by denial 791 00:40:46,739 --> 00:40:48,741 or short-term economic thinking. 792 00:40:48,783 --> 00:40:51,744 We can prevent an act of cow. 793 00:40:51,786 --> 00:40:53,955 - You're a cow, Nye! 794 00:40:56,290 --> 00:40:59,877 - If we had clear, proactive hurricane warnings, 795 00:40:59,919 --> 00:41:01,879 people would be better prepared, 796 00:41:01,921 --> 00:41:03,631 and they'd make better decisions 797 00:41:03,673 --> 00:41:06,467 the next time disaster strikes. 798 00:41:06,509 --> 00:41:09,512 [thunder rumbling] 799 00:41:09,554 --> 00:41:12,473 [suspenseful music] 800 00:41:12,515 --> 00:41:19,647 * * 801 00:41:29,991 --> 00:41:31,826 [uplifting music] 802 00:41:31,868 --> 00:41:34,620 [car horns honk] 803 00:41:34,662 --> 00:41:41,836 * * 804 00:41:49,510 --> 00:41:53,431 Better decisions, better days ahead. 805 00:41:55,683 --> 00:41:58,811 And the best part is, we can let nature take the lead 806 00:41:58,853 --> 00:42:00,730 if we just get out of the way. 807 00:42:00,772 --> 00:42:02,899 Wetlands have the capacity 808 00:42:02,940 --> 00:42:04,817 to absorb huge amounts of water 809 00:42:04,859 --> 00:42:06,778 for days on end. 810 00:42:06,819 --> 00:42:08,237 And this is one of the big reasons 811 00:42:08,279 --> 00:42:11,324 Hurricane Katrina became such a disaster. 812 00:42:11,365 --> 00:42:14,077 When those wetlands got paved over, 813 00:42:14,118 --> 00:42:16,579 and rain fell on those hardscapes, 814 00:42:16,621 --> 00:42:18,873 it turned freeways into rivers, 815 00:42:18,915 --> 00:42:21,375 and neighborhoods into great lakes. 816 00:42:21,417 --> 00:42:25,338 By protecting wetlands, we're protecting ourselves. 817 00:42:25,380 --> 00:42:31,010 * * 818 00:42:31,052 --> 00:42:33,513 All of these things can be accomplished 819 00:42:33,554 --> 00:42:35,014 in just a few decades-- 820 00:42:35,056 --> 00:42:37,725 in some cases, just a few years. 821 00:42:37,767 --> 00:42:40,520 It's within our reach. 822 00:42:40,561 --> 00:42:41,854 Thanks. - Mm-hmm. 823 00:42:44,023 --> 00:42:45,525 - Many of you watching right now 824 00:42:45,566 --> 00:42:49,570 will be around to see the day when we end CO2 emissions 825 00:42:49,612 --> 00:42:51,864 and become carbon-neutral. 826 00:42:51,906 --> 00:42:55,034 Or maybe someday, carbon-negative. 827 00:42:57,578 --> 00:42:59,205 What can I say? 828 00:42:59,247 --> 00:43:00,706 I'm an optimist. 829 00:43:00,748 --> 00:43:02,417 How about you? 830 00:43:12,427 --> 00:43:14,053 - So what have we learned? 831 00:43:14,095 --> 00:43:17,640 Too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere fuels storms. 832 00:43:17,682 --> 00:43:20,351 Storms kill people and cost money. 833 00:43:20,393 --> 00:43:22,478 If we take action now, we can prevent 834 00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:24,939 more storms and devastation. 835 00:43:24,981 --> 00:43:26,899 We can do this, people! 836 00:43:26,941 --> 00:43:28,609 All hands on deck! 837 00:43:28,651 --> 00:43:30,820 If you're young, demand that adults 838 00:43:30,862 --> 00:43:32,321 take your future seriously, 839 00:43:32,363 --> 00:43:34,949 because it's not theirs to sell to the highest bidder. 840 00:43:34,991 --> 00:43:36,659 If you're old enough to vote, 841 00:43:36,701 --> 00:43:38,161 make sure the people you're electing 842 00:43:38,202 --> 00:43:39,954 have an eye on the environment. 843 00:43:39,996 --> 00:43:42,039 If you're earning a decent living, 844 00:43:42,081 --> 00:43:43,708 put your money where your mouth is. 845 00:43:43,750 --> 00:43:45,418 Invest in clean energy. 846 00:43:45,460 --> 00:43:47,920 And if you're a billionaire-- 847 00:43:47,962 --> 00:43:49,839 hey, man, do the math! 848 00:43:49,881 --> 00:43:53,009 You can't do business on a drowned planet. 849 00:43:53,051 --> 00:43:55,053 And there's another thing we've learned, 850 00:43:55,094 --> 00:43:57,680 and it might be the most important thing yet. 851 00:43:57,722 --> 00:44:01,768 For most of human history, Earth controlled our fate. 852 00:44:01,809 --> 00:44:03,686 We were at the mercy of natural forces 853 00:44:03,728 --> 00:44:05,438 beyond our control. 854 00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:08,066 Today, to a greater and greater extent, 855 00:44:08,107 --> 00:44:10,443 we control the fate of Earth. 856 00:44:10,485 --> 00:44:13,071 We're changing the chemistry of the atmosphere 857 00:44:13,112 --> 00:44:14,947 and the temperature of the oceans. 858 00:44:14,989 --> 00:44:16,866 There are other issues, of course. 859 00:44:16,908 --> 00:44:20,286 But those are stories for another day. 860 00:44:20,328 --> 00:44:22,622 We didn't ask to be in charge here, 861 00:44:22,663 --> 00:44:25,208 but now Earth is in human hands. 862 00:44:25,249 --> 00:44:27,960 We're stewards of an entire planet. 863 00:44:28,002 --> 00:44:31,381 We all live here. We all share the same air. 864 00:44:31,422 --> 00:44:34,384 We all share the same days ahead. 865 00:44:34,425 --> 00:44:37,887 And I see a future with clear skies. 866 00:44:37,929 --> 00:44:40,890 [uplifting music] 867 00:44:40,932 --> 00:44:44,018 * *