Ep 2. The Rising

In episode 2 of the second season of Years of Living Dangerously, titled The Rising, the focus shifts to the increasing threat of rising sea levels due to melting ice caps and glaciers caused by global warming. The episode features award-winning actor and environmental activist Jack Black, who travels to Miami to investigate the effects of sea level rise on the city and its people.

Black meets with local residents and experts, including Dr. Brian Soden, a climate scientist at the University of Miami, who explains the science behind sea level rise and the sobering reality facing Miami and other coastal cities around the world. Black visits a neighborhood called Little Haiti, where residents have already started feeling the effects of sea level rise in the form of flooding and contaminated water, and are fighting to protect their community from further damage.

The episode also follows actor Ty Burrell, known for his role on the hit TV series Modern Family, as he visits Iowa to investigate the impact of extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts, on farmers and agricultural communities in the heartland of America. He meets with farmers and experts, including Dr. Chris Anderson, an agricultural engineer at Iowa State University, who outlines the challenges facing farmers due to climate change and the need for innovative solutions to ensure a sustainable future.

In addition, Emmy-winning journalist and author Thomas Friedman travels to Africa to report on the escalating conflict between herders and farmers in Nigeria, which has been exacerbated by droughts and other climate-related factors. Friedman talks to activists and experts, including Dr. Maarten Van Aalst, director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, who stresses the need for action to address the root causes of the conflict and ensure the resilience of vulnerable populations facing the impacts of climate change.

Throughout the episode, the theme of interconnectedness is emphasized, as the effects of climate change ripple across geographical and political boundaries, impacting communities from Miami to Iowa to Nigeria. The Rising highlights the urgent need for action to address the global challenge of climate change, by promoting solutions that can help mitigate the worst impacts, as well as by empowering communities and individuals to take action on a local level and build a more sustainable future.