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THE ISLAND ***FINAL***

The Island, Valentia Island Liz and Koen Verbruggen 15 Image Name: The Island, Valentia Island Liz and Koen Verbruggen 15
The Island, Valentia Island Liz, Koen Verburggen, Ken Higgs and Bettie Higgs 31 Image Name: The Island, Valentia Island Liz, Koen Verburggen, Ken Higgs and Bettie Higgs 31

Episode 3: Life

Everything we know about life comes from the rocks and the island of Ireland is a treasure trove of ancient life.
With the arrival of humans, we explore how the island’s geology and natural resources have influenced and permeated our heritage, culture and social and industrial development – from the diverse sandstones and granites that define the buildings in our towns and cities, to our rich mining past and present and the complex challenge of balancing our resources with a more sustainable future for the planet.
And with our climate changing at a faster pace today than ever before, we consider our island’s immediate future and look ahead to the next 1.8 billion years. We meet the researchers studying plants in climate-controlled chambers to better understand the potential impacts of the climate crisis on our atmosphere, and we explore the dynamic relationships and connections between climate change, coastal erosion and planetary forces in search of the understanding and insight that will be key to our survival into the next century.