Ep 5. North Korea is Burning

What on Earth? season 1 episode 5, titled "North Korea is Burning," takes us on a journey to investigate a highly unusual and worrying event that occurs on the Korean peninsula. In this episode, we see how satellite imagery, combined with the latest scientific research, has enabled experts to unravel a mystery that was previously shrouded in secrecy.

The episode begins by exploring the vast swathes of forest that cover the rugged terrain of North Korea's eastern coast. However, these forests are not what they seem. As the show explains, the North Korean regime has been systematically stripping the area of its trees to fuel a growing iron and steel industry, putting North Korea at risk of severe environmental damage. This deforestation is just one of the ways that North Korea's secretive regime has been impacting the environment, despite the fact that much of the country appears to be untouched by human activity.

But there is a much more ominous development brewing. Satellite imagery reveals that several areas of North Korea are now on fire. The show explains that this is highly unusual, as the North Korean authorities would never deliberately set fire to their own territory. Instead, it seems that the fires have been started by local farmers trying to clear their land for new crops. However, lacking the resources to properly control the fires, they have quickly spread out of control and are now threatening to engulf entire towns and farmlands.

The show explains how teams of researchers from around the world have come together to study the fires and develop a plan to contain and ultimately extinguish them. One of the key challenges they face is the sheer scale of the infernos, which stretch across huge swathes of land and threaten to spread to populated areas. Working with local authorities, they begin to dig trenches and create firebreaks in an attempt to limit the flames' reach.

However, this work is hampered by a lack of resources, as well as North Korea's isolationist policies, which make it difficult for the experts to gain access to the areas affected by the fires. Nevertheless, the researchers persist, using the latest techniques to track the progress of the fires and develop more effective strategies to contain them.

As the episode unfolds, we see how the researchers' work must be undertaken in a highly sensitive diplomatic environment. With North Korea's government unwilling to accept direct aid from foreign powers, the researchers must tread carefully to ensure that they do not overstep their bounds or infringe on the country's sovereignty. At the same time, they must remain focused on their primary goal of helping to protect the North Korean people from the devastating effects of the fires.

Throughout the episode, we see how the researchers' tireless efforts pay off, as they gradually succeed in containing the fires and preventing them from spreading further. Along the way, we learn about the complex scientific techniques that are used to track fires from space, as well as the political and diplomatic challenges that arise when attempting to work within a tightly-controlled regime like North Korea.

Ultimately, "North Korea is Burning" is a gripping, enlightening and thought-provoking episode of What on Earth? that offers a stark reminder of the urgent need to take action to protect our planet's fragile ecosystems. Regardless of its political implications, the show highlights the value of international cooperation and the role that advanced technological tools can play in overcoming even the most daunting challenges.