Horizon

The Life and Times of El Niño

The Life and Times of El Niño combines history and science to show how this meteorological monster has affected global economy and political history. As a little understood climatic event, El Niño has caused the worst ever yellow fever epidemic in America, cannibalism in China, and in more recent times, the erosion of the coral reef in Australia and severe flooding in Brazil. But, as our knowledge of El Niño grows and attempts are made to predict its worldwide effects, The Life and Times of El Niño asks - could the power of one of nature's most destructive occurrences ever be contained? The Life and Times of El Niño is a science education resource investigating both the history and science of this climatic event.