Episode 5 – Carbon
8.30pm, RTÉ One, Monday 8th December 2025
Carbon is the very essence of life on earth. So how does this element, that is so central to our existence, pose such a threat to the planet? We investigate the story of carbon as the essential building block of all organisms, to the rocks, soils and gases that form our landscapes. We explore the Burren, one of the world’s great carbon stores, and examine the complex and dynamic variability of carbon dioxide concentrations in our oceans and atmosphere.
We need to better understand how changes in CO2 levels impact complex Earth systems, one of which is the huge transfer of heat, salt and carbon in our oceans. We meet the researchers who are carbon-dating marine sediment cores to monitor changes in Atlantic currents and sea temperatures, explore what shifts in the Atlantic Meridional Ocean Circulation (AMOC) mean for our people and industries, and reveal the innovative ways scientists are accurately modelling and preparing for changing oceans amid an uncertain future with higher CO2 levels.
Ultimately, we need to reduce carbon in our atmosphere and mitigate human-induced climate change. We head to Dublin airport to meet the material scientists developing technology that can remove CO2 from air and capture it in ways that can contribute to the circular economy – is it time for take-off?
And in Curious Chronicles, Fergus lights a match in a cave to reveal the carbon footprint of our ancestors…
