Tranquil scenes of boats floating lazily on calm waters slowly transition to images of a battered landscape left in the wake of another major storm. The Rising Sea, the new episode of the GPB original series Georgia Outdoors premiering June 26 at 7 PM, looks at how climate change and rising sea levels are affecting the Georgia coast. In addition to following storm preparation and clean up efforts in the aftermath of recent hurricanes, host Sharon Collins spoke to Georgians directly impacted by climate change, those researching the issue and others working to address it. 

Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-Ga.) is one of six republicans on a bipartisan committee to address climate change and spoke to Collins about how the issue impacts all of America, not just the coastal regions that he represents. She also spoke to Randy Hudson, a pecan grower in Ocilla, who took her on a tour of a farm where recent storms uprooted 75-year-old trees.  He lost 5,000 trees to hurricane Michael alone and knows others who have lost thousands of acres. “There’s no getting over that,” he told Collins, explaining that as it takes decades for the trees to bear fruit, some growers will never recover their losses. 

As part of the national public media initiative Peril & Promise: The Challenge of Climate Change, GPB is hosting a preview screening of this new episode of Georgia Outdoors  that will take place in our studios on Tuesday, June 25 at 7 PM. Executive Producer and Host Sharon Collins will be here to share insights into her research and writing of the episode, along with Dr. Brian Meyer from the Georgia State University Department of Geosciences. This event is free and open to the public. Click here to learn more and to register to attend.