Race To Save The Planet

This new series from the Annenberg/CPB Project focuses on a subject near and dear to everyone's heart: our home. Pollution, extinction of species, global warming, and energy waste are among the vital issues of today's environmentalists. How these problems are resolved will determine the fate of Mother Earth. Hosted by Meryl Streep, and narrated by Roy Scheider, each of the ten programs looks at a specific aspect of our environmental crisis. We previewed the second episode in the series, "Only One Atmosphere," which examines the worldwide impact of the "Greenhouse Effect" and the damage to the Earth's ozone layer. Citing the prolific use of chemicals harmful to the ozone, scientists, physicians, and climatologists discuss the current and future consequences of an increasingly thinning ozone layer. Some projections say that if steps are not taken to halt the destruction of the ozone layer, as early as 2050, we could see an overall 6% increase worldwide in the average temperature. Though that may not sound like much, the effects would be catastrophic: sea levels would certainly rise, covering parts of Florida and California locally, and possibly completely submerging Indonesia. Although the scenarios outlined in the program are indeed sobering and depressing, the final verdict has yet to be rendered. The program concludes with simple steps that people (and thereby whole nations) can take to drastically reduce the present danger. A stimulating series. Highly recommended. (Available from: The Annenberg/CPB Project, c/o Intellimation, P. O. Box 1922, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1922.)