Our Earth Rising

In this episode, we will be talking about the changes in the atmosphere that led to the polar vortex in Texas in the winter of 2021.

The winter storm that blew through Texas in February of 2021 left an immense amount of damage across the entire state, as Texans were placed in a situation that has not happened within the last century. The polar vortex left a majority of Texans with massive power outages, boil-water notices, empty shelves in grocery stores, and much more for more multiple weeks.

Find out how changes in the atmosphere led to the effects of the winter storm in this episode through interviews with the Texas State Climatologist and Texas A&M Regents Professor Dr. Nielson Gammon, Jennifer Nations of the College Station Water Department, and Dr. Rodrigo Bombardi, a professor in the Texas A&M Department of Geography.

In this episode, we will be discussing the hydrosphere, which is the combined mass of water found on the earth's surface. Although the hydrosphere has existed for billions of years, it continues to change. 

In this episode, we will be talking about the biosphere, the ecosphere in which life exists. All living organisms, from plants and animals found in the deepest oceans to the highest mountain tops, are part of the biosphere. 

A critical issue facing our world today is the rapid and exponential loss of biodiversity. Our earth is currently experiencing the 6th mass extinction and, while the sources of this mass extinction are varied, humans are the primary driver of this change. According to the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, an estimated one million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades due to anthropogenic sources. 

So listen in while we discuss how humans are causing these problems and what to do about it.

For this episode, we interviewed ecology and conservation biology professor Dr. Tom Lacher, geography professor Dr. Burak Guneralp, ecologist and conservationist Dr. Leslie Ruyle, and wildlife veterinarian and conservation scientist Dr. Elizabeth Daut.

In this episode, we discuss the Anthropocene - the age of human impact on the environment.

We feature interviews with a couple of professors:

Dr. Thakar discusses the historical relationship humans have with the environment since the beginning of humanity itself. We visit topics like mass extinction, what geological epochs are, and how humans have been changing the world to fit their needs.

Dr. Fleischman talks with us about the legitimacy of the "Tragedy of the Commons", and what kind of policies can be utilized for a sustainable community.

So, please join our discussion on humans and the world on Our Earth Rising!