Environment: Lake Baikal - for iPod/iPhone
by The Open University
Should natural resources be exploited to support economic development? In Siberia, Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and contains one fifth of the world’s freshwater. It has developed over 25 million years to be a truly unique eco-system - yet this lake is now an environment at serious risk. This album focuses on the growing environmental threats to the region, which was named a World Heritage Site in 1996. Industry and new businesses flocked to the once-isolated region, inducing massive economic growth, but at what cost to the natural habitat? On top of this threat, the invasion of alien species and rising water temperatures due to global warming throw up questions, conflicts and challenges about sustainable development and how we are to manage the consequences of our actions responsibly. This material forms part of the course U216 Environment.
Episodes
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Environment: Lake Baikal
A short introduction to this album.
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Pearl of Siberia
A region of outstanding universal value.
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A World Heritage Site
Lake Baikal is under threat.
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Increasing threats
The growing demand for electricity creates further pollution.
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Ignoring the risks
The impact of the pulp and paper mill.
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The Gorbachov era
Environmental protection in the Gorbachev era.
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A country in transition
The impact of the sudden end to the Soviet Union in 1991.
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An inconvenient law
Environmental proctection is a hindrance to economic development
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Protecting the lake
Lake Baikal and its special protection
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Balancing the risks
Risks facing the lake and the threat of global warming
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Two sides to the story
The economic importance of Baikalsk paper mill
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A heavy burden
Protecting the environment costs money.
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Treating the water
Can technology save the day?
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Economy versus nature
Is it possible for economic growth and environmental sustainability to co-exist?
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An alternative industry
The Baikal water bottling plant as a more sustainable form of development.
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A precarious future
Protecting the environment from the demands of economic growth
About this show
Should natural resources be exploited to support economic development? In Siberia, Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and contains one fifth of the world’s freshwater. It has developed over 25 million years to be a truly unique eco-system - yet this lake is now an environment at serious risk. This album focuses on the growing environmental threats to the region, which was named a World Heritage Site in 1996. Industry and new businesses flocked to the once-isolated region, inducing massive economic growth, but at what cost to the natural habitat? On top of this threat, the invasion of alien species and rising water temperatures due to global warming throw up questions, conflicts and challenges about sustainable development and how we are to manage the consequences of our actions responsibly. This material forms part of the course U216 Environment.
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The Open University
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