Climate Change Documentary Earns Awards

Showtime's "Years of Living Dangerously" documentary series, which EOH Associate Professor Sabrina McCormick helped to produce, won two important awards this month.  The series received the top Creative Arts Emmy award, Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series, from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. It also was nominated for the Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming Emmy.  

"Years of Living Dangerously" was the first documentary series devoted to climate change ever to appear on a major network or premium cable.  Dr. McCormick helped to produce two of the series’ nine segments. One was filmed in the U.S. and focused on the impact of rising temperatures on vulnerable populations, including the elderly. The second segment was filmed in Bangladesh, one of the nations most vulnerable to climate-change induced flooding and extreme weather conditions such as cyclones.

Earlier this month, “Years” received an Environmental Media Award, which recognizes people and organizations that heighten awareness of environmental concerns.  

The landmark series generated dozens of major news stories, including blogs by Dr. McCormick. In her most recent blog, she wrote about how an experience in a Bangladesh brothel changed how she thought about climate change. 

The series’ influence will continue to expand this fall after the National Wildlife Federation releases lesson plans based on the documentary for use in middle schools, high schools and colleges around the country.

Photo Credit: Ismail Ferdous/The Years Project