The critically acclaimed network Showtime has brought up action-packed and drama-filled series such as “The Tudors,” “Homeland” and “Dexter.” The network is now adding a new documentary series to its impressive line-up, “Years of Living Dangerously.”

“Years of Living Dangerously” focuses on climate change reporting with a new twist, which students and faculty should watch. Showtime should be applauded for its move to pick up this series, and other networks should follow in its footsteps.

The nine part series, which aired its first episode on April 13, is not the usual lecturing style seen in typical documentaries such as “An Inconvenient Truth.” Instead, the show will feature a slew of renowned actors and actresses, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford and Jessica Alba, speaking from locations across the globe on current and future climate change effects.

This groundbreaking mode of science communication is just what the environmental field needs. By using well-known public figures and understandable wording, the science behind climate change can now reach the millions of Showtime subscribers, many of which may not have a science background.

All too often, the science of climate change is misunderstood and distorted intentionally by climate change deniers and other times unintentionally by the average person.

While “Years of Living Dangerously” will reach new audiences, it is important to remember that a show on a premium channel will still leave out large portions of the public. Other more accessible networks should follow in Showtime’s stead in creating easily digestible climate science programs. For example, a show like this would work well on Fox or the National Geographic Channel, which recently re-launched “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.”

The beauty of this series is that it does not only focus on creating science programming that is easily understood by the public. The show also incorporates the social dynamic of climate change, which can have a greater effect on large audiences.

For example, in the first episode, Don Cheadle, an accomplished actor best known for his roles in “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Hotel Rwanda” and “Crash,” travels to the American Southwest to report on the increasingly severe droughts the area is experiencing. Instead of focusing on the science behind the droughts, Cheadle follows devout Christian and scientist Katharine Hayhoe.

Though the droughts cannot be directly correlated to climate change, they are hypothesized to be connected to it. The show does not concentrate on the importance of the science’s uncertainty, which can often confuse viewers. Instead, Cheadle follows Hayhoe on her journey to communicate science to religious audiences.

On the show, she talks to those who have the same amount of familiarity with the subject as the audience does to help understand the connection between extreme weather and climate change. With her religious background, she makes the connection for audiences that climate change is an overarching social crisis and not just an environmental one.

Other programs have not taken the course to communicate the social effects and more easily understandable science as “Years of Living Dangerously” has. As the climate change “debate” continues and governments create only small efforts to mitigate climate change, it is imperative that this be progressed by other networks.

One way to increase this type of programming is to support this Showtime series. By watching “Years of Living Dangerously,” not only can your view on climate change be affected, but also network heads will see the high ratings that these shows can garner.

In this one instance, we do not need to take to the streets to persuade public action on climate change. All we need to do is take a seat and turn on the television.

Meg Callaghan is a senior environmental studies major at SUNY-ESF. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at mlcallag@syr.edu. 

Published on April 17, 2014 at 1:00 am