5: Rare Earth | Earth: The Power of the Planet

Duration: 58'54''

Synopsis

Life on Earth prospers because it enjoys the right amount of heat from the sun, and the atmosphere prevents meteorite bombardment.

Further Information

More clips from Earth: The Power of the Planet

1: Volcano | Earth: The Power of the Planet

1: Volcano | Earth: The Power of the Planet

BBC Two | 2007 | 59'10''

Dr Iain Stewart tells the story of planet Earth. Although they appear to be destructive, volcanoes have been crucial to the devel...

2: Atmosphere | Earth: The Power of the Planet

2: Atmosphere | Earth: The Power of the Planet

BBC Two | 2007 | 59'03''

Dr Iain Stewart reveals the natural forces that shaped the earth. He traces the history of the atmosphere, from the ozone laye...

3: Ice | Earth: The Power of the Planet

3: Ice | Earth: The Power of the Planet

BBC Two | 2007 | 59'08''

Documentary series in which Dr Iain Stewart tells the story of the earth's development. Ice isn't just something to put in a gin and ...

4: Oceans | Earth: The Power of the Planet

4: Oceans | Earth: The Power of the Planet

BBC Two | 2007 | 58'42''

Iain travels to surfers' paradise Hawaii to learn more about oceans, explaining the difference between waves, tides and currents.

How glaciers form | Earth: The Power of the Planet

How glaciers form | Earth: The Power of the Planet

BBC Two | 2007 | 2'54''

Dr Iain Stewart explains how snow is transformed into glacier ice.

More resources about Ecosystems and Biomes

3: Alaska | Arctic with Bruce Parry

3: Alaska | Arctic with Bruce Parry

BBC Two | 2011 | 59'26''

Bruce travels to Alaska, America's last great wilderness, where modern-day pioneers are harvesting the vast natural wealth of the seas.

Elephant - Importance of Water | Wonders of Nature

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BBC Two | 2013 | 1'54''

A herd of elephants moves across the land in search of water.

4: Jungles - People of the Trees | Human Planet

4: Jungles - People of the Trees | Human Planet

BBC One | 2011 | 58'58''

Series examining man's survival in extreme environments. A look at life in the rainforest, which requires great skill, ingenu...

2: Deserts - Life in the Furnace | Human Planet

2: Deserts - Life in the Furnace | Human Planet

BBC One | 2011 | 59'01''

A look at how the eternal quest for water brings huge challenges - and ingenious solutions - for millions of people in the dr...

Dying for a Biscuit | Panorama

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BBC One | 2010 | 29'06''

Reporter Raphael Rowe journeys into the rainforest of Borneo, where he uncovers evidence of palm oil companies developing plantations on prote...

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BBC Two | 2013 | 1'50''

An emperor penguin watches as her baby is born. It shows the harsh habitat and the climate they live in, the cold Antarctica and...

S1E1: Amazon | Earth's Great Rivers

S1E1: Amazon | Earth's Great Rivers

BBC Two | 2019 | 58'58''

Documentary revealing the animals, landscapes and people of the greatest river on earth. From transparent lagoons to pink dolphins, the A...

Episode 5 | Amazon with Bruce Parry

Episode 5 | Amazon with Bruce Parry

BBC Two | 2008 | 59'00''

Bruce Parry explores the Amazon rainforest. He meets the millionaires of Manaus, lives and works with illegal gold miners and sleeps in t...

3: Arctic - Life in the Deep Freeze | Human Planet

3: Arctic - Life in the Deep Freeze | Human Planet

BBC One | 2011 | 58'48''

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1: Oceans - Into the Blue | Human Planet

1: Oceans - Into the Blue | Human Planet

BBC One | 2011 | 58'37''

Humans have always found ways to live an almost aquatic life so they can exploit the sea's riches. This journey reveals tales of ing...

2: Greenland | Arctic with Bruce Parry

2: Greenland | Arctic with Bruce Parry

BBC Two | 2011 | 59'07''

Bruce Parry journeys to the far north of Greenland, home to the last traditional Inuit hunters, and learns how climate change is threa...

Episode 1 | Amazon with Bruce Parry

Episode 1 | Amazon with Bruce Parry

BBC Two | 2008 | 59'10''

Bruce Parry begins an epic adventure in the Amazon. The first part of his journey takes him from the High Andes to the Ashaninka tribe.

S3E6: Penan | Tribe

S3E6: Penan | Tribe

BBC Two | 2007 | 59'16''

Explorer Bruce Parry treks into the jungles of Sarawak, Borneo, in search of the last nomadic Penan. The Penan are hunter-gatherers whose forest home is ...

4: Canada | Arctic with Bruce Parry

4: Canada | Arctic with Bruce Parry

BBC Two | 2011 | 59'39''

Bruce travels to the far north of Canada to live with the Caribou people and witness their annual spring hunt. He then heads south to the...

Chris Packham: In Search of the Lost Girl

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BBC Two | 2018 | 58'58''

Chris Packham returns to Sumatra to search for a girl from a nomadic tribe he photographed 20 years ago to discover what has happen...

S1E2: Nile | Earth's Great Rivers

S1E2: Nile | Earth's Great Rivers

BBC Two | 2019 | 59'00''

A look at the astonishing wildlife, landscapes and people of the Nile. From elephants and leopards to ancient wonders, its great length is ...

Episode 1 | Scandinavia with Simon Reeve

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BBC Two | 2025 | 58'48''

The first leg of Simon's Scandinavian journey takes him from the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard to the frozen wilderness of Lapland ...

Episode 3 | Amazon with Bruce Parry

Episode 3 | Amazon with Bruce Parry

BBC Two | 2008 | 59'06''

Bruce Parry travels to a remote part of the Brazilian Amazon to explore what happens when the outside world makes contact. He visits the ...

Episode 6 | Amazon with Bruce Parry

Episode 6 | Amazon with Bruce Parry

BBC Two | 2008 | 58'55''

Bruce Parry reaches the end of his Amazon adventure in Brazil's Para state where huge areas of forest are being cut down for cattle farming.

6: Rainforests | Deep into the Wild

6: Rainforests | Deep into the Wild

BBC Two | 2002 | 29'12''

With deadly snakes, billions of bugs, flamboyant birdlife and tree topping monkeys, Nick gets to grips with the explosion of wildlife in ...

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1: Deep Earth | How Earth Made Us

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BBC Two | 2010 | 59'24''

Series telling the story of how the development of civilisation was influenced by planetary forces. Professor Iain Stewart explores the rol...

4: Oceans | Earth: The Power of the Planet

4: Oceans | Earth: The Power of the Planet

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Eurasia | Rise of the Continents

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Professor Iain Stewart shows that where the south of Eurasia is today there was once an ocean and how, in 250 million years, all of the cont...

Iceland Erupts: A Volcano Live Special | Volcano Live

Iceland Erupts: A Volcano Live Special | Volcano Live

BBC Two | 2012 | 59'03''

Kate Humble heads to Iceland and meets the scientists monitoring the country's most dangerous volcanoes. She also inves...

1: Life From Light | How to Grow a Planet

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BBC One | 2012 | 59'29''

How plants have driven the greatest changes to the Earth. Prof Iain Stewart shows how they first harnessed light from the sun and c...

1: Scotland's Trees | Making Scotland's Landscape

1: Scotland's Trees | Making Scotland's Landscape

BBC One | 2010 | 59'30''

Professor Iain Stewart reveals how Scotland's unique landscape was shaped. Here, he uncovers the devastating impact of mank...

3: The Big Freeze | Men of Rock

3: The Big Freeze | Men of Rock

BBC Two | 2010 | 58'52''

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1: Tsunamis | 10 Things You Didn't Know About...

1: Tsunamis | 10 Things You Didn't Know About...

BBC Four | 2008 | 58'56''

Iain Stewart journeys across the oceans to explore stories about the most powerful giant waves in history, including how one...

The Geology of Japan | Journeys into the Ring of Fire

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BBC Four | 2006 | 2'20''

Iain Stewart explains the geology of the tectonic plates that make up the landscapes of Japan.