Gulf Stream and the Next Ice Age

One way to look at an ecosystem is to imagine a number of natural engines at work that keep different parts of the environment thriving and healthy. One major and somewhat mysterious engine is the Gulf Stream, a powerful and warm Atlantic Ocean current that runs from the Gulf of Mexico through the Strait of Florida, and up along the eastern coastline of the United States and Newfoundland before splitting in two, heading toward Northern Europe and West Africa. French filmmakers Nicolas Koutsikas and Stephen Poulle's Gulf Stream and the Next Ice Age does a fine job of illustrating how and why the Gulf Stream is vital for controlling temperatures in Europe, while also keeping certain industries—such as fishing—alive and well in communities that have been economically dependent on these types of livelihoods for generations. Arguing that the Gulf Stream's fragile self-perpetuating process is being damaged by global warming, the documentary combines computer graphics with hop-scotching trips around the Atlantic to explore the current's impact on coastal life. Key scientific interviewees explain how the warmer atmosphere results in too much evaporation at a crucial point in the Gulf Stream, thereby threatening the United Kingdom, France, and other nations, with increased cooling that could tip the delicate climatic balance and give rise to the next Ice Age. DVD extras include extended interviews. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)