Humans | A Perfect Planet

Duration: 58'07''

Synopsis

Earth is the only living world we know of, but a new force threatens our perfect planet. That force is us. Humans are changing our planet so rapidly, it's affecting earth's life support systems: our weather, our oceans and the living world. To understand what is going wrong, we must look to the past.

Further Information

More clips from A Perfect Planet

05: Humans | A Perfect Planet

05: Humans | A Perfect Planet

BBC One | 2021 | 58'05''

Humans are changing our planet so rapidly, it's affecting Earth's life support systems: our weather, our oceans and the living world.

Animal conservation in the Amazon | A Perfect Planet

Animal conservation in the Amazon | A Perfect Planet

BBC One | 2010 | 3'43''

Spec references J247: B6.1b, B6.1c J250: B6.1b, B6.1c. Returning animals that have left the Amazon rainforest and gone t...

Elephant conservation | A Perfect Planet

Elephant conservation | A Perfect Planet

BBC One | 2010 | 4'39''

Spec references J247: B6.1b, B61c. Impact of lack of water, due to change in weather, on elephants and conservation work to support ...

How drought resistant trees helps people in Senegal | A Perfect Planet

How drought resistant trees helps people in Senegal | A Perfect Planet

BBC One | 2010 | 3'44''

Spec references J247: B6.2a, B6.2b. Planting drought resistant trees in a dessert in Senegal. This inv...

How increasing carbon dioxide affects habitats | A Perfect Planet

How increasing carbon dioxide affects habitats | A Perfect Planet

BBC One | 2010 | 4'33''

Spec references J247: B6.1b, B6.1d J250: B6.1b. Release of carbon dioxide and how it impacts the weather. C...

Importance of marine protected areas | A Perfect Planet

Importance of marine protected areas | A Perfect Planet

BBC One | 2010 | 9'21''

Spec references J247: B6.1b, B6.1c, B6.1d J250: B6.1b, B6.1c. How an increase of carbon dioxide and overfishing impac...

Plant conservation in the Amazon | A Perfect Planet

Plant conservation in the Amazon | A Perfect Planet

BBC One | 2010 | 2'36''

Spec references J247: B6.1b, B6.1c J250: B6.1b, B6.1c. Indigenous people doing conservation work in the Amazon rainforest...

Sea turtle conservation | A Perfect Planet

Sea turtle conservation | A Perfect Planet

BBC One | 2010 | 6'44''

Spec references J247: B6.1b, B6.1c J250: B6.1b, B6.1c. How increasing ocean temperatures affect currents, and therefore marine ani...

More resources about Biodiversity and human impact

Meat: A Threat to Our Planet?

Meat: A Threat to Our Planet?

BBC One | 2019 | 57'43''

From colossal farms in America to the destruction of the Amazon, Liz Bonnin investigates how our hunger for meat is killing our planet.

Amazon deforestation | Meat: A Threat to Our Planet?

Amazon deforestation | Meat: A Threat to Our Planet?

BBC One | 2019 | 4'21''

Liz Bonnin witnesses the devastation of the Amazon rainforest from the sky.

David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth

David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth

BBC One | 2026 | 1'31'15''

A 90-minute special, broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall, London, celebrating Sir David Attenborough's groundbreaking career ...

04: Galapagos: Enchanted Isles | Eden: Untamed Planet

04: Galapagos: Enchanted Isles | Eden: Untamed Planet

BBC Two | 2022 | 48'31''

How the Galapagos became one of the most important areas of biodiversity in the world, with almost 2,000 unique species...

Keeping cool | Nature's Microworlds

Keeping cool | Nature's Microworlds

BBC Four | 2013 | 2'12''

The Namaqua chameleon has developed an ingenious tactic to avoid the heat of the Namib desert.

Cauldron of Life | Galapagos

Cauldron of Life | Galapagos

BBC One | 2017 | 57'36''

Liz Bonnin joins a scientific team aboard the research vessel the Alucia on an expedition across the Galapagos Island.

06: Coasts | Blue Planet II

06: Coasts | Blue Planet II

BBC One | 2017 | 58'02''

The wildlife series narrated by David Attenborough explores the planet's coasts. They are the most changeable of the ocean worlds, but they offer...

Can Scientists Save the World? | Panorama

Can Scientists Save the World? | Panorama

BBC One | 2024 | 58'39''

Richard Bilton meets the scientists trying to save the world from the consequences of climate change and investigates whether they...

The smallest fox with the biggest ears! | Super Cute Animals

The smallest fox with the biggest ears! | Super Cute Animals

BBC One | 2015 | 2'05''

The fennec's ears help it to survive in the heat of the desert dunes.

03: Coral Reefs | Blue Planet II

03: Coral Reefs | Blue Planet II

BBC One | 2017 | 58'12''

The wildlife documentary series narrated by David Attenborough reveals the ingenious ways life exists in the undersea cities of tropical reefs.

Cotton production and the Aral Sea crisis | Stacey Dooley Investigates

Cotton production and the Aral Sea crisis | Stacey Dooley Investigates

BBC Three | 2018 | 5'02''

Stacey Dooley visits the Aral Sea Basin in Kazakhstan, which has almost entirely dried up due to cotto...

Desert amphibians | Life in Cold Blood

Desert amphibians | Life in Cold Blood

BBC One | 2010 | 1'13''

Spadefoot toads can stay underground in a state of suspended animation for years, but when they emerge they must feed and breed before...

09: Plants | Life

09: Plants | Life

BBC HD | 2009 | 58'19''

The nature series turns to plants and looks at the ingenious solutions that they employ to counter life's challenges, such as spring-loaded traps, suckers ...

Cattle feedyard | Meat: A Threat to Our Planet?

Cattle feedyard | Meat: A Threat to Our Planet?

BBC One | 2019 | 3'42''

Liz Bonnin visits a cattle feedyard, a mass factory farm, that contains about 50,000 cows.

Adaptation of Polar Bear | Life In The Snow

Adaptation of Polar Bear | Life In The Snow

BBC One | 2016 | 5'29''

An exploration of how polar bears have adapted to living in freezing conditions.

Adaptation of the Arctic Fox | Life In The Snow

Adaptation of the Arctic Fox | Life In The Snow

BBC One | 2016 | 3'27''

An exploration of how the artic fox's coat has adapted to survival in arctic winters.

Chameleon challenge | Life

Chameleon challenge | Life

BBC Two | 2021 | 3'43''

While searching for a mate across the huge barren Namib desert, a female Namaqua chameleon seeks shade in the knowledge that tasty desert beetles ...

Climate change and greenhouse gases | Climate Change: The Facts

Climate change and greenhouse gases | Climate Change: The Facts

BBC One | 2019 | 1'50''

A discussion of the devastating impact of burning fossil fuels.

02: Great Barrier Reef | Blue Planet Revisited

02: Great Barrier Reef | Blue Planet Revisited

BBC One | 2020 | 59'02''

To find out what the future holds for the Great Barrier Reef, scientists monitor green turtles, follow families of breeding bi...

Consumption and waste | Extinction: The Facts

Consumption and waste | Extinction: The Facts

BBC One | 2020 | 3'30''

The impact of consumption and waste on biodiversity.