Age of Humans

Our Earth is surrounded by something that sets it apart from all other known planets: an atmosphere capable of sustaining human life. Yet for thousands of years, we've changed the composition of the air around us. Each time we burn wood, oil, or natural gas, carbon dioxide is formed. Industrial livestock farming has also contributed significantly to the production of greenhouse gases. Alternatives are urgently needed, and scientists across the globe are developing future-oriented technologies to begin improving the air we breathe.

Two-thirds of the Earth's surface is used for human habitations, for traffic, and for food production, and the traces of our work can be seen everywhere. Over the millennia, industrialized agriculture and the spread of megacities continue to grow—along with the world's population—all of which have led to noticeable changes to nature. In this episode, we detail how we have spoiled Earth on a scale like never before in the history of humankind and how, throughout the world, alternatives are being explored to save the planet... and ourselves.

Our Earth is shaped by the forces of nature, including one element that has become the elixir of life for our planet: water. Without it, human civilization cannot exist. But while water covers more than 70% of our planet's surface, the freshwater we need for drinking, cooking, and bathing is growing increasingly rare as human population continues to expand. See what scientists and environmentalists are doing to battle changes to our ecosystems, sedimentation rates, and global warming in order to protect our freshwater's quantity and quality.