Lytton burns
Extreme heat and a raging fire. A small community watches their town go up in flames.
The worst effects of climate change are often framed as a problem for the future. But for some, the worst has already happened. As world leaders prepare to gather in Glasgow to talk about how to bring down emissions, Assignment tells the story of three places which have been at the sharp end of extreme weather events. In June, the Canadian village of Lytton smashed national heat records three days running, reaching an astonishing 49.6 degrees Celsius. Then, it burned to the ground. This documentary, the first in the series, is a vivid portrayal of a place in the crosshairs of climate change, where people don’t just have to imagine the future. They’re now figuring out how to build it.
Presenter: Neal Razzell
Producer: Mark Savage
Editor: Bridget Harney
Image: The charred remnants of buildings in Lytton, British Columbia, Canada, 9 July 2021 (Credit: Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters)
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Broadcasts
- Thu 28 Oct 202101:32GMTBBC World Service
- Thu 28 Oct 202108:06GMTBBC World Service
- Thu 28 Oct 202112:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa, South Asia, West and Central Africa & East Asia only
- Thu 28 Oct 202119:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
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Climate change: How it is affecting lives and the fight for change—BBC World Service special collections
The effects of climate change are destroying lives, environments and livelihoods
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