Plot Synopsis

YEARS OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY is a documentary series that follows celebrity and journalist correspondents, as they travel the world delving into various topics related to climate change. Each correspondent explores a different impact of climate change -- from the damage wrought by Superstorm Sandy in the tri-state area to political upheaval caused by droughts in the Middle East to the dangerous level of carbon emissions resulting from deforestation -- portraying the current and intensifying effects of climate change on everyday Americans and demonstrate how they can take action and be part of the solution. The correspondents (in alphabetical order) are: Jessica Alba, who meets three members of Climate Corps, MBA students tapped by the Environmental Defense Fund to spend their summer embedded with major corporations, analyzing energy waste and efficiency; "New York Times" columnist Mark Bittman, who first wants to know why New Jersey Governor Chris Christie no longer acknowledges the scientific consensus on man-made climate change and then conducts a year-long investigation to determine whether natural gas really provides a cleaner, greener future; Don Cheadle, who visits Plainview, TX, where most people blame the drought on God's will -- but a climate scientist and Evangelical Christian has a very different explanation; Matt Damon, who reveals the way that climate change and rising temperatures are becoming a public health emergency, with rising temperatures a silent killer of people around the globe; America Ferrera, who profiles prominent climate skeptic James Taylor of the Heartland Institute as he crusades against clean energy; Harrison Ford, who travels to Indonesia to investigate how corruption, illegality and world demand for palm oil have ravaged the landscape, turning the country into a large emitter of greenhouse gases; Thomas L. Friedman, who explores how climate change acts a threat multiplier, pushing volatile political situations over the edge in Egypt, Syria and Yemen; Michael C. Hall, who travels from Los Angeles to Bangladesh to investigate how rising seas will affect different parts of the world; Chris Hayes, who first follows Congressman Michael Grimm for a year to see what he can do for the residents of Staten Island after Superstorm Sandy and then explores the stories of residents of Far Rockaway after Hurricane Sandy; Olivia Munn, who reports on what Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a leader on climate change, will do about the state's coal export depots being financed by the coal industry; M. Sanjayan, who travels to the ends of the earth to question some of the top climate scientists in their field as they collect key data about climate change; Arnold Schwarzenegger, who joins an elite team of wild-land firefighters as they battle a new breed of forest fire, one made more deadly by climate change; Ian Somerhalder, who listens to the evangelical community's debate over climate change, focusing on a megachurch preacher who doesn't believe in climate change and his activist daughter; and Lesley Stahl, who investigates the potential impact of oil companies drilling for oil and gas in areas of the Arctic that used to be shrouded by impenetrable layers of ice. After premiering on Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 10pm ET/PT, Showtime aired this series on four consecutive Sundays at 10pm ET/PT and then moved the program to Mondays at 8pm ET/PT, starting May 12, for the remaining five episodes. YEARS OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY is executive produced by James Cameron, Jerry Weintraub, Arnold Schwarzenegger, former 60 MINUTES producers Joel Bach and David Gelber, and climate expert Daniel Abbasi. YEARS OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY returned for its second season on Sunday, October 30, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT on Nat Geo, moving to its regular timeslot -- Wednesdays at 10pm -- beginning November 2. The full list of season two correspondents includes Jack Black, Gisele Bundchen, Ty Burrell, Don Cheadle, America Ferrera, Thomas Friedman, Joshua Jackson, David Letterman, Aasif Mandvi, Nikki Reed, executive producer Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ian Somerhalder, Cecily Strong, Sigourney Weaver and Bradley Whitford. They give first-person accounts from locations - some shockingly close to home, others in far-flung corners of the globe - where the effects of climate change are most prevalent. They cover crucial issues, like severe hurricanes, deforestation, the solar energy crisis, climate migrants, historic droughts and the rapidly increasing extinction rate of our planet's wildlife. The result is a gritty and raw look at not only how our species has impacted our planet but also how we can save it for future generations.
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On Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 10pm ET/PT, Nat Geo premiered the Season 2 finale of YEARS OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY. In the season finale, "Uprising," America Ferrera and Sigourney Weaver explore climate change and potential solutions. America journeys to Illinois to shed light on the United States' controversial dependence on coal plants that emit climate-altering carbon dioxide but still remain a major source of energy. Then, Sigourney explores China's explosive economic growth and the impact it is having on the environment not just locally but on a massive global scale.