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Defining the Decade: The Heat Is On

In 2000 the world鈥檚 leaders did not seem to be troubled by the notion of global warming.

By the middle of the decade that began to change as the world was began to heat up.

Who would have thought, when the Millennium dawned, that it would end with both British and American troops dying in Afghanistan.

Would you have believed that millions would be communicating and doing business over the world wide web? And would you have agreed that climate change was a greater threat than terrorism?

This has been a decade when history has been on fast forward. Now, as we near the end of the decade, Edward Stourton looks at the big picture, charting the revolutions in science, technology and politics.

What are the underlying themes of the past ten years and what does it all add up to?

In 2000 the world鈥檚 leaders did not seem to be troubled by the notion of global warming.

Alarm bells were beginning to ring amongst the scientific community, but there were others who dismissed the threat as fanciful and scorned any idea that any changes in the climate could be man-made.

By the middle of the decade that began to change - report after report seemed to confirm that the world was heating up and went on to predict that it would get much worse.

Edward Stourton speaks to Dr David King; former IPCC Chairman Bob Watson, and environmental campaigner Bill McKibben.

Available now

25 minutes

Last on

Mon 4 Jan 2010 03:05GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 28 Dec 2009 10:05GMT
  • Mon 28 Dec 2009 15:05GMT
  • Mon 28 Dec 2009 20:05GMT
  • Tue 29 Dec 2009 01:05GMT
  • Sat 2 Jan 2010 11:05GMT
  • Sun 3 Jan 2010 14:05GMT
  • Mon 4 Jan 2010 03:05GMT