[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hey, Joy, can I ask you something?
Sure thing oddly familiar voice.
What do you know about climate change?
Seems like we're making good progress with hybrid cars
and meatless Mondays.
We should be pretty good soon, right?
If we don't change our behavior by 2030, the damage to earth
could be permanent, like that tattoo
on your forearm permanent.
If it's so obvious what's happening,
then why doesn't everyone believe it?
First of all, 97% of scientists agree that humans
are causing climate change.
OK, that's definitely a lot of scientists.
If climate change could actually make a big difference,
why didn't we know about it sooner?
We've actually been aware of our impact
on the Earth for thousands of years.
Whoa!
Ah!
Where are we?
Ancient Greece.
Meet Theophrastus.
Theo whatsis?
Theophrastus.
He was a pupil of Aristotle, and one of the first people
to speculate human activity affects climate change.
Then in 1824, French physicist Joseph Fourier
discovered the Greenhouse Effect.
Woo-hoo!
You know about the Greenhouse Effect, right, Joy?
Of course.
It's the thing with the carbon and the footprint and the--
OK, I've definitely heard of it, but maybe I
don't know exactly what it is.
It's when gases from fossil fuels like carbon dioxide
thicken a layer of our atmosphere
and trap the sun's radiation inside,
making the earth warmer.
But isn't the earth set up to, like, deal
with things like that and balance itself back out?
Normally, our oceans absorb the CO2 we emit.
But in 1957, two scientists in the US
confirmed that our oceans can't actually
absorb all of the CO2 our modern civilizations create,
despite what we'd always thought.
That's why we need to make some major changes and now.
If the Earth's getting warmer, than
what's up with these record cold winters?
Well, some people might not know the difference
between weather and climate.
Weather is short term, like your mood.
Climate is long term, like your personality.
I love analogies.
Climate change creates more extreme weather overall--
hot, cold, you name it.
And it's only going to get worse until we take our foot
off the gas, literally.
So why does Janet from accounting
say climate change is fake news?
Well, it's no secret that certain industries create
lots of greenhouse gases, and some of them
are spending big money on politicians and press
that deny climate change so some people like Janet
from accounting don't stop buying their products.
They're choosing their pockets over the planet.
And that affects our habitats, our health, and our homes.
On top of all the CO2 it absorbs, our ocean
now contains more pieces of plastic
than there are stars in the sky.
And all this plastic emits its own greenhouse gases,
which has destroyed precious ecosystems
and forced marine life from their homes.
But it's not just animals.
Seven million people die every year because of air pollution.
And over 90% of the world's population
live in areas where the air quality is unhealthy.
[COUGHS] And we all just quit smoking.
At this rate, by 2050, temperatures
will increase enough to create severe climates in the US,
like the forest fires in California
which were 500% bigger due to climate change.
500%?
Is anything not on fire?
Every year, 22.5 million people are
displaced because of natural disasters around the world.
Some estimates say that Hurricane Harvey
dumped nearly 40% more rain due to climate change.
So what do I do?
Where do I sign up?
There has to be something I can do.
The good news is when we all come together,
we can make a difference.
But the only way we can do that is
by raising our voices until the people in power
know that it matters to us.
In the '80s, when scientists discovered holes
in the ozone layer, countries banded
together to phase out some of the human-made chemicals
responsible.
And now, the holes in the northern hemisphere
may be repaired by the 2030s.
Ew, who even uses hairspray anymore?
But we didn't stop there.
All over the globe, nations are uniting to protect the planet.
In 2015, world leaders reached a landmark deal
known as the Paris Agreement.
And more than 180 countries have come together
with a goal of reducing greenhouse emissions
and shifting to renewable energy.
Finland plans to ban coal by 2029.
And in Scotland, they planted 22 million trees this year
to help fight climate change.
So Joy, just remember, we all have
to do our part to be the change.
Shop with reusable bags.
Get a reusable water bottle.
Unplug appliances when you're not using them.
Switch to LED bulbs.
Shop vintage.
You look great in a jumpsuit.
But those aren't good enough.
I mean, we've known about this stuff since the old--
oh, what's his name?
He was the old guy in the woods, and we just met him.
Theophrastus!
We need to talk about what's happening
and get our leaders to listen, otherwise, this place
won't be here much longer, and I really
can't afford to move right now.
Aw, Joy, you've come so far and without using fossil fuels.
Thanks.
Well, I should go.
Wait.
Real quick, your voice, you sound just
like that girl on Modern Family.
Sarah Hyland?
No that's not it.
I'm pretty sure it is.
See you, Joy.
[MUSIC PLAYING]