The Venus Theory

Is the world warming up? If so, by how much? And what effect do humans have on the environment? The Venus Theory looks at scientific research—particularly the pioneering work of Dr. Charles Keeling begun over 50 years ago—that demonstrates how human activities, notably our increased burning of fossil fuels, are helping create a blanket of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that traps gases and vapors, leading to the "greenhouse effect" and global warming. The program depicts the Earth's atmosphere as a self-regulating thermostat that, aided by "carbon sinks" such as oceans and plant life, help make Earth hospitable (indeed, the Amazon jungle has often been called the "lungs" of the Earth). Unfortunately, according to Keeling and others, humans are messing with the thermostat, accelerating the rate of warming to the point where it could soon go beyond our abilities to control or correct the problem. Our "sister" planet Venus is cited as an example, in which natural events created "runaway" global warming, making life unsustainable. Does such a fate await us? Scientists don't necessarily all agree on the rate of global warming and doubt that it will lead to the end of life as we know it, but many fear the mass extinction of plants and animals, which in turn could lead to changes in what we eat, where we live, and how we work, as well as make us vulnerable to tropical diseases such as malaria that could spread worldwide. The video ends on a somber note with the assertion that this is no longer a theory, and that our world's leaders must summon the political will to address the crisis. Densely packed with technical data and theories, this documentary—especially in light of the back-to-back disasters of hurricanes Katrina and Rita—is sure to spark discussion. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)