History, Science Documentary hosted by Jamie Effros, published by National Geographic in 2010 - English narration
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Who hasn't gazed upon the abandoned temples of Angkor Wat or the jungle-choked cities of the maya and wondered, could the same fate happen to us? The National Geographic Channel looks 200 years into the future in Collapse, based on author Jared Diamond's book "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed", to examine how current habits might affect humans' ability to survive. Environmental damage, climate change, globalization, rapid population growth, and unwise political choices were all factors in the demise of societies around the world, but some found solutions and persisted.
What happened to the people who made the forlorn long-abandoned statues of Easter Island? What happened to the architects of the crumbling Maya pyramids? Will we go the same way, our skyscrapers one day standing derelict and overgrown like the temples at Angkor Wat?
Over the 20th and 21st centuries, the rise of our civilization has seemed unstoppable. But could our modern, industrialized civilization fall apart like great ancient ones before us? Two hundred years from now, will scientists find evidence that we followed a recipe for disaster similar to that of the Maya or the Romans? To understand a collapse, imagine it has already happened.
Mankind has been remarkably successful at surviving and succeeding throughout the world. However, there have been disasters and calamities as well as successful civilizations. Men have often destroyed the very environment which nurtured them, whether through over-hunting, or over-grazing.
National Geographic reveals a vivid look into the future to our descendants in the year 2210 as they set out on a scientific expedition to figure out what brought us down. A water crisis? Lack of energy sources? Dust storm or global warming? Collapse traces the fundamental pattern of catastrophe, and weaves an all-encompassing global thesis through a series of fascinating historical-cultural narratives.
Directed by Noel Dockstader and narrated by Jamie Effros, this documentary examines how relationships among current methods could lead to human extinction. Shortages of land, water, and energy could potentially propel civilization to collapse; choices such as sustainable, local farming and organic practices are highlighted as ways to ensure life on Earth continues.
Produced by Far West Film Co. for National Geographic Channels
