Paola, Akio and Billie face a daunting challenge when a storm batters Terracosti. After communications with Tunebird Productions are cut off, the three participants must enact strategies for dealing with this extreme weather event.
Thanks to the P.A.P.A method invented by Paola, they pluck up their courage, protect their garden and look after one another. Surprise, there’s a knock on the door! A drenched and scared Slinky appears on their doorstep. Should they help him, in spite of their differences? Can they trust him? Fortunately, our three empathetic friends decide to open their door (and their hearts) to the YouTuber, thus saving him from the storm. The following day, the small group takes stock of the strategies that worked, what they learned, and the benefits of sticking together in solidarity.
Transcript of episode 4 of The Amazing Earth
Narration
Stop everything, it's time for The Amazing Earth! Your Eco-friendly, solution-finding reality TV. Where we do whatever it takes. To make the Earth a better place!
Musical punch
Chapter 4: Helping Each Other
In the last episode, our three allies sorted out the truth from the web… of lies circulating on the World Wide Web…
Akio
… Hahaha… Check out this little cat!
Narration
It took them a while… But they met the challenge.
Up to now, our amazed Earthlings have delivered an almost flawless performance. Today, for the first time, they will face a challenge that was not orchestrated by Tunebird Productions. At some point during the adventure, our team lost contact with Terracosti. The cameras continued to capture the action inside the pavilion, when communications were cut and the participants were left to themselves. Rest assured, however, that they are highly resilient. We hope their courage will serve as an inspiration to you.
Akio
Pfff. I wanted to go watch the swallows on the sandy banks today… Does it look like a regular storm to you guys?
Billie
I'm concerned for our garden, too…
Paola
It's already 3 p.m. We should have had another challenge today…
Pouring rain
Paola
Robot? Are you there?
Robot
Of course, Paola.
Paola
Is this just a passing storm?
Robot
Strange and unusual interim sound
The current showers will end in… Five minutes.
Akio
Excellent!
Robot
And heavy showers will resume in… 30 minutes, with flooding, strong winds and power outages expected.
Billie
No-no-no!
Paola
Robot, call Tunebird Productions!
Robot
Tunebird Productions is not available at the moment. Please leave a message.
Billie
Ooh-la-la… Where are you going, Paola?
Paola
I brought along an AM radio, because I saw this coming. Remember, we're pretty isolated here… (Sound of radio stations switching) I'm looking for a station that will provide some information about the storm…
Harry-Kane the Canadian radio host
… What you're saying, Windy-Anna Jo, is that the storm sweeping across Quebec as we speak is more than your regular bad weather…
Windy-Anna Jo, the Reporter
Indeed, Harry-Kane! Scientists establish links with climate change by observing phenomena over an extended period. And it's not just a storm like today's that allows us to make those connections, but rather years of observation… There is no denying that storms are more violent and frequent than they used to be… And other indicators have to be taken into account, too, such as the rise in average temperatures across the globe, melting glaciers, or…
Harry-Kane the Canadian radio host
… Apologies for the interruption, Windy-Anna Jo… I'm being told that more than 250,000 homes have lost power … And there are reports of flooding in certain areas…
Paola and Akio
Hey!
Billie
It's pouring even more! We're not getting out of this, so we'd better get ready.
Robot
This lull will last… 16 minutes!
Akio
Quick! (Sound of footsteps racing)
Paola
WAIT! (Sound of feet skidding to a stop on the floor.) We'd better be very strategic about this. In fact, I've come up with a little method for emergencies, which I like to call… the PAPA method.
Billie
The PAPA method?
Paola
It's easy to remember when every second counts! Scientists have developed several climate resilience strategies. In our situation, I think that PAPA is going to help us:
- P is for planning, which means thinking ahead, anticipating what could happen, and understanding the potential risks.
- A is for Adaptation, which refers to all the actions we take to be more resistant to the effects of climate change. In short, a climate event is all about the unexpected! So, the onus is on us to adapt.
- P is for Prevention, that is, taking action to prevent problems before they occur.
- And A is for Assessing and learning, which means gathering data, evaluating past events and learning about a situation so that we're able to deal with it more effectively the next time around!
P-A-P-A! Papa!
Akio
I love the PAPA method, but can someone please tell me what I need to do?
Billie
Yeah, tell us what to do, PAPA!
Paola
Ok! Billie, you take care of the first P: “planning”. You're gonna put together an emergency kit for us, with plenty of water… A first-aid kit, a flashlight, replacement batteries for my radio… Oh! And it should all fit into one bag.
Billie
On the double, PAPA!
Paola
Akio, you're in charge of the other P: prevention, in our garden! Make a few stakes with the remaining pieces of wood so that the stems of our tall plants don't break in the wind… As for the fragile plants, turn the wooden boxes upside down to protect them… And harvest all the ripe produce, push the smallest planters into the pavilion, and last but not least, attach the chairs and the table together, use the rope to tighten it all together.
Akio
Right away, PAPA!
Paola
I'm gonna gather up all our blankets to keep us warm… Oh! I could also check if Tunebird Productions hid non-perishable foods in the darkest corners of the building in the event of a deluge… That's planning, too,... OK moving on, we don't have much time… We'll deal with the As in PAPA later.
Sound of the rain. Dramatic music
Narration
Minutes stretch into hours, with no signs of the storm subsiding. Fortunately, the pavilion is resistant to inclement weather: The three companions in misfortune have not received any news from Greta Tunebird, but are playing cards by candlelight, comfortably curled up in their warm blankets.
Akio
I miss the robot voice…
Paola
Let's hope the outage doesn't last too long. Good thing Tunebird Productions thought to leave us plenty of blankets, and some packets of emergency food, which they kept super well hidden in the ceiling, by the way… It took me hours to find them… I fold, I don't have a play.
Billie
Did we complete all the steps in the PAPA thing, Paola?
Paola
Umm… The kit, the blankets and the water, that was P for planning. Protecting the garden was in P for prevention. The two As, adaptation and assessing and learning, will come when there's a lull… It's only after the storm that we'll be able to assess the situation, and see what lessons we can learn from our experience… Only then will we see if we managed to adapt or not…
Billie
Umm… Paola, you may turn the radio back on.
Slinky
Help… Please help me!
Akio
There's some guy calling for help, over the airwaves!
Billie
There's someone in the garden!
Intense musical punch
Sound of knocks on the window
Slinky
… I'm freezing…
Akio
Let me open the door! ARRRHHH! It's so heavy!
Billie
Holy moly, Akio! You're ridiculously strong!
Narration
Epic music
With an incredible burst of strength, Akio pries open the electronic door. Outside on the terrace, Slinky lies passed out in a puddle. Hoisting him onto his shoulder, Akio carries him into the pavilion and lies him down under the warm blankets that Paola and Billie have hastened to prepare.
Billie
Akio, what you just did is…
Paola
… Superhuman…
Akio
Sometimes, when I'm stressed, I get hungry, and sometimes I just get strong.
Paola
Dude is in rough shape…
Billie
Hey, isn't that the guy who was disparaging The Amazing Earth on the Internet?
Akio
Should I send him back?
Paola
ABSOLUTELY NOT! We're incredibly privileged to be here, in this modern pavilion untouched by flooding… We're not all equal when it comes to climate change, and the thing is, it's usually those who have contributed the least to it who must pay the steepest price for it! We should count our lucky stars. In an extreme situation like this one, it's our DUTY to open our hearts and share whatever we have: It's by acting collectively that we build resilience. Come on, we're the amazed earthlings for crying out loud! Our mission continues even when no one is looking: Staying engaged is the key, no matter what. I say we should welcome Slinky as if he shared the exact same beliefs as we do.
The music subsides
Narration
The morning two days later, a slightly rumpled Slinky opens his eyes.
Slinky
Hmm. Battery dead, ugh that's my luck.
Akio
And you're still alive, that IS your luck!
Musical punch
Narration
The three companions are standing arms crossed in front of Slinky.
Billie
That's quite the nap!
Paola
You came close to meeting your maker. Lucky for you, we had everything we needed to get you back on your feet.
Slinky
Wow… Thank you guys…) Hey, that's– What–, You… Oh my… DID YOU JUST DESTROY MY CELL PHONE!?????!!!
Akio
Now listen carefully, and keep your mouth shut for two minutes: We know exactly who you are and why you're here. If the storm hadn't swept over the island, you'd probably still be trying to sabotage our mission, and all the hard work that Greta Tunebird has done. Consider yourself lucky that we decided to take you in. Right now, we have no communications with anyone, and we're out of battery to connect to the airwaves. We're left here on our own devices, and there's no way we're going to let you ruin everything that we've built. If you want to stay, regain your strength and survive in the wild on this island… You're gonna have to get involved in our little community.
Slinky
But…
Paola
Here, we help each other out, and when there's an issue, we communicate without judgment. And we adapt TOGETHER.
Billie
How about we step outside and take a look to A - ASSESS the damage?
Intense music
Narration
Outside, their garden… has seen better days.
Akio
Our squash… Oh man, I forgot about them…
Billie
Akio… Now's the time to take stock: Here's where the A in Assessing and learning comes into play... We need to improve the way we do certain things… And that's perfectly OK! Next time, we'll be much better prepared and better adapted…
Paola,
Adapted, sure, because the other A in PAPA is for Adaptation!
Akio
But my poor squash…
Paola
The strawberries and basil hidden under the planter are perfect… Akio, you've been really great throughout this saga. Don't beat yourself up too much!
Akio
It's just that… My sadness deserves to be expressed too…
Soft music
Billie
Come on now, group hug!
Paola
Let's breathe together, ok? I know it helps me a lot. Breathe in… and out.
Slinky
Look at them… breathing together. Pff. Weird stuff. I feel so… Alone…
Robot
You're not alone, Eric.
Sound of the power being restored
Slinky
Hey gang! The power is back on! But… Who is that speaking? How come you know my name?
Robot
Do you really want to get there, Eric? Should I make a list of everything I know about you, Eric?
Slinky
Oh no-no, on second thought, I'm good...
Epic music
Narration
And just like that, this episode ends on a… surprising, almost positive note, in spite of all the worry that the storm provoked.
The entire team at Tunebird Productions wishes to remind you that, no matter who you are or what you believe in, you are not alone. Together we are stronger to overcome challenges.
Tune in later to find out how!
But don't feel blue: Life goes on, and this amazing Earth we live on will keep spinning with the stars
Until next episode, stay green, and stay amazed!
Credits
- Production: la Puce à l'oreille for Espace pour la vie, a service of the Ville de Montréal
- Text: Véronique Pascal
- Voices: Florence Blain Mbay, Francesca Barcenas and Vincent Kim
- Co-direction: La puce à l'oreille and Bakery Studios