Fans of James Burke may remember his excellent television shows THE DAY THE UNIVERSE CHANGED plus CONNECTIONS and it's sequels. In those programs Burke would follow unlikely winds and turns in scientific and cultural development in a very thought-provoking way.
**********POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD**************
In AFTER THE WARMING Burke turned his eyes to the future and speculated on what would happen if the world ignored environmental problems. Presented as a mock documentary in the year 2050 AD this special depicted the fictional way in which the Earth was saved from the catastrophic effects of Global Warming.
After a look back at how the Industrial Revolution put the world on it's current fluoro-carbon spewing path followed by some imaginative prognosticating about droughts and flooding and the like in the near future Burke moves into territory that threatens to make this the REEFER MADNESS of environmental warning films. We're told that the Earth was saved from Global Warming by establishing a worldwide dictatorship called the Global Planning Authority. Burke doesn't describe it that way, of course, but "a horned man's a monster, Iago" and he even depicts this GPA launching military invasions of countries who don't want to adjust their environmental policies to please the new overlords of the Earth. While laughing at the idea of a perpetually-torn global community standing united and willing to spill blood over environmental issues I do give Burke credit for acknowledging that not everyone in the world would willingly goose-step to the GPA's dictums. In an eerie bit he even refers to "a series of conflicts in the Middle East".
Typical of people pushing a single-issue Utopia Burke ignores dealing with the fallout of some of his proposals, like the widespread unemployment that would surely result from eliminating all the fossil-fuel-driven industries he wants done away with. Also, since scientists often disagree about what would truly be the most environmentally safe way of dealing with Global Warming you can't help but wonder how technical disagreements of this type would be handled. Apparently by letting the political hacks of the Global Planning Authority be the ultimate arbiters. Not exactly the safest way of settling scientific debate.
AFTER THE WARMING also contains some entertaining "What If?" bits of scientific speculation, like eco-farming, deserts covered with solar panels, homes that are super-efficient in their use of energy and genetically engineered vegetables like the "cactus potatoes" bred to withstand the higher temperatures of the future. Burke might have been on firmer ground emphasizing this aspect of the show rather than raising the ugly specter of global tyranny crushing all opposition, then glossing over it by ignoring the implications.
This two-part special is thought-provoking and entertaining at times, but in the end pretty laughable despite it's noble aims.
**********POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD**************
In AFTER THE WARMING Burke turned his eyes to the future and speculated on what would happen if the world ignored environmental problems. Presented as a mock documentary in the year 2050 AD this special depicted the fictional way in which the Earth was saved from the catastrophic effects of Global Warming.
After a look back at how the Industrial Revolution put the world on it's current fluoro-carbon spewing path followed by some imaginative prognosticating about droughts and flooding and the like in the near future Burke moves into territory that threatens to make this the REEFER MADNESS of environmental warning films. We're told that the Earth was saved from Global Warming by establishing a worldwide dictatorship called the Global Planning Authority. Burke doesn't describe it that way, of course, but "a horned man's a monster, Iago" and he even depicts this GPA launching military invasions of countries who don't want to adjust their environmental policies to please the new overlords of the Earth. While laughing at the idea of a perpetually-torn global community standing united and willing to spill blood over environmental issues I do give Burke credit for acknowledging that not everyone in the world would willingly goose-step to the GPA's dictums. In an eerie bit he even refers to "a series of conflicts in the Middle East".
Typical of people pushing a single-issue Utopia Burke ignores dealing with the fallout of some of his proposals, like the widespread unemployment that would surely result from eliminating all the fossil-fuel-driven industries he wants done away with. Also, since scientists often disagree about what would truly be the most environmentally safe way of dealing with Global Warming you can't help but wonder how technical disagreements of this type would be handled. Apparently by letting the political hacks of the Global Planning Authority be the ultimate arbiters. Not exactly the safest way of settling scientific debate.
AFTER THE WARMING also contains some entertaining "What If?" bits of scientific speculation, like eco-farming, deserts covered with solar panels, homes that are super-efficient in their use of energy and genetically engineered vegetables like the "cactus potatoes" bred to withstand the higher temperatures of the future. Burke might have been on firmer ground emphasizing this aspect of the show rather than raising the ugly specter of global tyranny crushing all opposition, then glossing over it by ignoring the implications.
This two-part special is thought-provoking and entertaining at times, but in the end pretty laughable despite it's noble aims.