Geography 101 The Physical Environment
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Audio/Video Programs

Below are links to online audio () and video () programs dealing with topics we touch on during the course of the semester. These are provided to give you a broader perspective on important issues that confront our society. As you can see below, many of the links are to segments of programs broadcast on National Public Radio (NPR). NPR is a great source of news information about our environment.

Some programs require special audio software to use them. If you do not have the required player, choose the appropriate link below:

Quicktime Player | Windows Media Player | Real Player

Programs are arranged by "sphere":

The Atmosphere

  • "Effects of Global Warming in Antarctica" - Morning Edition (NPR) segment Sept. 14, 1998 reports on the studies of global warming and it's potential effect on the Antarctic ice sheet.

  • "El Nino" - Talk of the Nation - Science Friday   (NPR) segment from Feb. 24, 1998 reports on the El Nino and it affect of global weather patterns. 

  • "Global Warming" - Talk of the Nation - Science Friday (NPR) segment from Jan 12, 1996 discusses the evidence for global warming and impact on life.
  • "Global Warming Threat" - All Things Considered (NPR) segment from August 28, 1997 reports on the threat of altering ocean circulation by global warming.
  • "Hurricanes and Global Warming" - All Things Considered (NPR) reports on a study of how hurricanes draw carbon dioxide out of the ocean. (3:45)
  • "Influencing the weather" - Morning Edition (NPR) segment from August 6, 1998 reports on how humans influence weather.
  • "Numbers of Tornadoes" - All Things Considered (NPR) segment from April 17, 1998 relating tornadic activity to El Nino. (2:30)
  • "Ozone Layer" - All Things Considered (NPR) segment from May 2000 about the ozone hole over the Arctic. 
  • "The Perfect Storm" NOAA broadcast (June 29, 2000)  looks at the actual "perfect storm" that spawned the book and movie.
  • "Tracking Tornadoes" - Talk of the Nation - Science Friday (NPR) segment from May 24, 1996 explores the birth and evolution of tornadoes with storm chasers from the National Severe Storms Lab in Norman, OK 
  • "Tornado Science" - All Things Considered (NPR) segment from May 4, 1999 explores why the midwest is a magnet for tornadoes. (4:00)
  • "What's Weather" - Morning Edition (NPR) Commentator Joel Achenbach explains the difference between weather and climate. (3:38)

The Hydrosphere

  • "Global Warming" - All Things Considered (NPR) segment from Sept. 7, 2000 reports on a study of freeze and ice breakup on lakes from Wisconsin to Japan. Evidence indicates that later freezing and earlier thaw may be linked to global warming. (3:30)
  • "Hydrology and Flooding" - All Things Considered (NPR) segment from March 16, 1998 reports on how hydrologists predict flooding. (4:45)
  • "Three Gorges" All Things Considered segment from Dec. 17, 1997 about the construction of the Three Gorges Dam and its impact on the environment. (8:30)
  • "Warming the Yellow River" -  Morning Edition (NPR) segment from Dec. 10, 1997 reports on how global warming is affecting the Yellow River in China. (4:22)

The Biosphere

  • "Biodiversity in Madagascar" - Morning Edition (NPR) segment from April 8, 1996 reports on the threat that disappearing forests poses to the island extraordinary biodiversity. (7:15)
  • "Costa Rica" - Morning Edition (NPR) segment from Oct. 28, 1997 discusses the impact of deforestation on soil erosion and its impact on nearby rivers and the environment (8:45) 
  • "Drugs and Bugs" - Weekend All Things Considered (NPR) segment from July 23, 2000 interviews ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin about his South American rainforest research into the healing secrets of the natural world. (6:30)
  • "Dead Zones" - Weekend All Things Considered (NPR) Aug. 7, 1999 reports on the natural and human causes of ocean "dead zones". (4:40)
  • "Global Warming" - All Things Considered (NPR) segment from June 24, 1999 reports on the impact of global warming to spur plant grow and insect populations in the past. (3:30)
  • "Hawaii Extinction" - All Things Considered (NPR) segment from March 21, 2000 reports on how Hawaii's geographical isolation make's its native organisms especially vulnerable to extinction by alien plant and animal introductions. (12:30)
  • "Humpback Whales" - Morning Edition (NPR) report on efforts to learn more about humpback whales of the Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary.(8:44)
  • "Illegal Wildlife Products" - All Things Considered (NPR) from a segment broadcast on March 11, 1998 reports on a facility full of products illegally made from endangered species or items made out of regular species that were illegally imported. (4:54)
  • "Elephant Poaching on the Rise" - Morning Edition (NPR) segment from Jan. 17, 2000 reports on the rise of elephant poaching as a result of the lifting of the ban on ivory sale for a few African countries. (5:20)
  • "The Last American Rainforest" - Morning Edition (NPR) segment from Oct. 22, 1998 reports on the last great temperate rainforest in America, Alaska's Tsongass National Forest. (8:36)
  • "Melting Tundra" - All Things Considered (NPR) segment from Jan. 9, 1998 warns of the impact of global warming on melting the frozen soil of the tundra thus accelerating decomposition and release of carbon into the atmosphere. (5:00) 

The Lithosphere

  • "20th Anniversary of Mount St. Helens Anniversary" - Talk of the Nation - Science Friday (NPR) segment from May 19, 2000 takes a look back at the famous eruption and what scientists have learned since.
  • "Herculaneum" - All Things Considered (NPR) segment from October 21, 1997 reports on the rediscovery of one of the world's oldest libraries, the Villa of Papyrus, that was buried in the 79 A.D. eruption of Mt. Vesuvius . (8:00)
  • "Tidal Wave Warning for America" BBC News - news segment about the potential for a huge tsunami formed off the Canary Islands that could devastate the eastern seaboard. 
  • "Volcanoes" - Talk of the Nation - Science Friday (NPR) segment from August 2, 1996 explores how and where volcanoes form and how to predict eruptions with geologists from the Cascade Volcano Observatory and others.
  • "Volcanoes" - Talk of the Nation - Science Friday (NPR) segment from December 26, 1997 explores the hazards that active volcanoes like Mt. Lassen, Rainer, and Kilauea pose to humans.
  • "Flood Forecast and Warning System on the Susquehanna River" - Susquehanna River Commission - Program that details how Susquehanna River Commission forecasts floods and issue warnings for the Susquehanna River. (8:03)
  • "Hidden Danger" (National Weather Service) Video concerning the danger of low-water crossing during floods. (8:50)
  • "The Red River" (Texas Parks and Wildlife, 1999) Video about the physical and cultural history of the the Red River in Texas in four parts" Part 1 (2:30), Part 2 (2:04), Part 3 (2:54), Part 4 (2:07)
 

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© Michael Ritter mritter@uwsp.edu
Last revised March 11, 2007