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Nature & Environment
Sir David Attenborough and The Open University
Sir David Attenborough and The Open University have had a long-standing relationship since the university's birth. David explains how that relationship came about and how it has developed over the years.
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Nature & Environment
Desmond Morris - Earth In Vision
Pioneer of natural history television Desmond Morris discusses Zoo Time, digital archive, David Attenborough, climate change, human behaviour and the future.
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Nature & Environment
Joe Smith - Earth In Vision Introduction
Joe Smith, Professor of Environment and Society at The Open University, introduces Earth in Vision and explains why it is so valuable.
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Nature & Environment
About Earth In Vision
The Earth in Vision project explores the BBC archives of environment themed television and radio programmes from the last 70 years, looking at the potential of these archives as a digital resource as well as to illustrate the potential of digital broadcast archives for researchers.
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Nature & Environment
Krishan Arora - Earth in Vision
Krishan Arora, consultant producer and former BBC commissioner, discusses the issues around commissioning environmental programmes in both the UK and abroad - including the once-upon-a-time industry reluctance to use the word "environment" - and outlines the ethical issues surrounding making archives open to the public.
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Nature & Environment
What effect does increasing noise pollution have on mammals?
A researcher explains how prairie dogs appear to have developed strategies to keep alert in noisier environments - but there might be a downside.
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Nature & Environment
What can Chinese students in Southampton teach us about going green?
Research amongst Chinese students studying in the UK explores whether studying overseas can change people's behaviour.
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Nature & Environment
Do whales use their heads to attack boats?
New research suggests the formidable forehead of the sperm whale might be perfect for ramming potential threats.
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level 1: introductory icon
Nature & Environment
Working with our environment: an introduction
Global warming: are we responsible? Is our environmental impact damaging the planet? This free course, Working with our environment: an introduction, examines the use of ozone-depleting technology, the impact of fossil fuel use and explores how the development of technology can influence the direction of a society. From the Industrial Revolution...
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Nature & Environment
Energy resources: solar energy
Energy from sources other than fossil and nuclear fuels is to a large extent free of the concerns about environmental effects and renewability that characterize those two sources. Each alternative source supplies energy continually, whether or not we use it, and most have their origins in energy generated outside the Earth, yet the potential of ...
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level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Earthquakes
Earthquakes shake the ground surface, can cause buildings to collapse, disrupt transport and services, and can cause fires. They can trigger landslides and tsunami in short, earthquakes can be very destructive. In this free course, Earthquakes, you will look at why, where and what happens when they occur and also at how earthquakes are assessed...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Nature & Environment
Surface water
Water is arguably the most important physical resource as it is the one that is essential to human survival. Understanding the global water cycle and how we use water is essential to planning a sustainable source of water for the future. In the UK there are areas where water supplies are limited, as shown by recent droughts. Globally, there are ...