The Habitable Planet This course will guide viewers through topics including the atmosphere, oceans, and ecosystems, as well as the impact of human activities and population growth on water and food resources, biodiversity, energy use, and global pollution. Each of the 13 programs in the series includes two case studies featuring the work of top scientists in the field.
Today, there are many active volcanoes
worldwide. Is there anything we can do to predict how and when
they will erupt?
As the world's population grows, more and more people are
living in potentially dangerous volcanic areas. Volcanic eruptions
continue--as they have throughout most of geologic time--posing ever-greater
threats to life and property.
Mt. Rainier looms over the Seattle/Tacoma area, endangering
a population of more than three million people. South of Mexico
City, Popocatépetl has begun to come to life again, putting
a million nearby residents at risk. Another million people
living in the Naples area are threatened by Mt. Vesuvius'
continued unrest. The need for planning is urgent.
