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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ002128S
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00:36 I'm standing in Planet Earth's engine room. Rain forests are 00:40 the world's power houses. One of the most vital and important 00:44 places on earth. They're found all over the world on every 00:49 continent across the earth except Antarctica. They team 00:53 with life and are a sanctuary for many species of earth's 00:57 wildlife. They are the lungs of the planet. They send out our 01:01 fresh water. They are the original source of much of our 01:05 food and they're the world's largest pharmacy house providing 01:09 much of the medication we use to ensure our health and 01:14 wellbeing. Rain forests are planet earth's great store house 01:17 and importantly these rain forests carry a special message 01:22 for us today. Join me on a journey as we explore the 01:28 wonderful world of the rain forest, the last paradise. 01:32 ♪ ♪ 01:42 Rain forests abound with life and they're a storehouse of half 01:46 the world's species of animals, plants and insects. They are the 01:51 richest environments on earth. As many as 30 million species 01:56 live in rain forests including one-third of the world's bird 02:01 species. Rain forests are the lungs of our planet because they 02:06 are continuously recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen. 02:12 Although they cover only about six percent of earth's total 02:15 land surface rain forests produce over a quarter of the 02:20 world's oxygen. They also contain a quarter of the world's 02:24 fresh water. Rain forests have a huge role to play in controlling 02:30 the global climate. They act as the world's thermostat by 02:34 regulating temperatures and weather patterns. These rain 02:38 forests are beautiful, mysterious, enigmatic and 02:44 although they are home to half of all the living species here 02:47 on earth, there's so much of the rain forest's elaborate web of 02:52 life still waiting to be discovered. But even more 02:55 mystifying are the forces that work in the rain forests; forces 03:01 so powerful they occur right around the world today. Rain 03:08 forests play an important role in providing a refuge for many 03:12 forms of life on planet earth. Not only do they safeguard the 03:17 abundance of wildlife here, but we know now that they play an 03:22 important role in the preservation of all that exists 03:27 here for future generations. There are rain forests scattered 03:32 across the globe, even here in Australia, one of the driest 03:35 continents on earth. Here on the east coast, high on the slopes 03:40 of the giant extinct Mount Warning volcano the complex rain 03:45 forest ecosystem has survived, blissfully soaked by rain. Most 03:50 of the last remaining rain forests are found 03:53 around the equator 03:54 and keep in motion a vast life-giving cycle of sun, cloud 04:00 and rain and so life in the rain forest falls in step with the 04:04 seasonal rhythms. This is a reminder that a vast range of 04:09 critical factors combine to produce the perfect fine-tuned 04:14 environment for the rain forest and it's like to exist on planet 04:17 earth. These include earth's orbit and its distance from the 04:24 sun. Earth is the third planet from the sun in our solar system 04:28 Of all the planets, earth is the perfect distance from the sun 04:32 to provide the right amount of light, heat, and water for rain 04:36 forests to thrive. If the earth were closer to the sun or 04:41 farther away from it temperatures would be too hot or 04:45 too cold for rain forests to survive. There's also the 04:50 earth's speed. If the earth slowed down it would be pulled 04:54 toward the sun and scorched. However, if the earth's orbital 04:59 speed were increased, it would move farther away from the 05:03 sun and freeze. Earth's speed is just perfect for rain forests to 05:10 thrive. Then there's earth tilt. Our earth is tilted at an angle 05:15 of 23-1/2 degrees. This tilt gives us our seasons and 05:21 maintains a balance in temperature ranges that rain 05:25 forests require. There's also earth's moon which is the ideal 05:30 size and perfectly situated to keep earth's tilt stable and to 05:35 provide maximum benefit throughout earth and its rain 05:40 forests. Next there's a spin rate. Our earth spins or rotates 05:45 on its axis once every 24 hours. This provides dark nights and 05:51 keeps temperatures consistent which is important for rain 05:54 forest survival. There's also the atmosphere that surrounds 06:00 the earth. It's just the right thickness to keep out harmful 06:03 radiation rays from space but allows in the sun's rays that 06:08 are so necessary for rain forests to flourish. In addition 06:13 to this vast array of external factors, there is a further 06:17 array of internal factors that allow this stunning forests to 06:22 sustain itself and thrive with all its majestic beauty. The 06:28 rain forest is a perfect self- contained ecosystem of 06:33 staggering complexity. High mountain rainfall and rich 06:38 volcanic soil combine to produce a rain forest that is one of the 06:43 beautiful natural forests in the world. The shaded forest 06:50 floor is nature's most prolific feed bed. Young trees 06:54 take in nutrients from the forest floor and reach for the 06:58 sun developing into rain forest giants. By a remarkable process 07:04 called photosynthesis they tap the power of the sun's rays 07:08 converting it into energy. In time these giants fall to the 07:14 rain forest floor where, together with leaf litter, they 07:19 are quickly attacked by an army of small insects dedicated to 07:22 the breakdown of all vegetation matter making nutrients 07:26 available for a new generation of trees and plants. And so the 07:33 cycle continues. This amazing set of circumstances produces an 07:39 ideal environment for a wide diversity of life here in the 07:43 rain forest, including some very unique species and right here at 07:49 this very spot one of the world's most amazing bird 07:53 performances of song and dance occurs. It's a captivating 07:58 display by the extremely rare Albert's lyrebird found nowhere 08:04 else on earth. This master showman displays from a platform 08:10 of collapsed vines to attract a mate. This is one of his 08:15 favorite platforms. So if we move away and quietly hide we 08:22 may be rewarded. Shh, here he comes. He's arranging his 08:30 favorite display platform and fanning his beautiful tail in 08:34 preparation for a master performance. But first, he begins 08:41 with the mimicry of other birds. The scold of a delicate yellow 08:44 robin, the alarm cry of satin bowerbird and a territorial call 08:52 as well. It looks as though he's spending a lot of time 08:57 perfecting his imitation of satin bowerbirds. He might even 09:02 think it can improve the display of the satin bowerbird. His 09:06 strong voice floods the rain forest around him as he imitates 09:11 the loud crack of a whip bird. His repertoire even includes the 09:19 cackle of colorful crimson rosellas. He turns and repeats 09:23 the ringing crack of the whip bird once more. With his 09:29 tail held high he views the surrounding rain forests to see 09:34 if he is attracting an audience. But it's only a sleepy little 09:39 owlette disturbed from his daytime rest. He is now ready 09:44 to perform an amazing display unlike anything else in the 09:49 world of nature. He produces the rhythmic sound and dance of an 09:55 aboriginal corroboree. Everything is shaking and no 10:00 doubt he feels very important in this rain forest world. One 10:07 last imitation of the satin bowerbird and he shakes his rich 10:10 rufus feathers and runs off. What a performance. That is one 10:16 of the most impressive bird displays in the entire natural 10:21 world. It's rarely been seen and this is the only occasion that 10:26 this amazing ritual has ever been filmed. How does he mimic 10:31 all those rain forest sounds, bird calls and other strange 10:35 noises that have such a dynamic range? Unlike humans, birds have 10:41 a syrinx the equivalent of our larynx or voice box. Air from 10:46 either lung passes over membranes on the syrinx to 10:50 produce these sounds. It's a marvel of the natural world. 10:55 These membranes are designed so perfectly and are controlled 10:59 by a tiny muscle to produce perfect pitch and volume. 11:03 Incredible! There isn't a creature living here that is not 11:13 a potential meal for giant carpet pythons. Pythons may grow 11:19 to over four meters in length and are sleek and stealthy. 11:23 The birds all know their nests are prime targets for predators. 11:27 They can be noisy and smelly. Pythons locate their prey with a 11:33 highly trained sense of smell. They taste the air by sticking 11:37 out their tongue. Down on the ground the nest of noisy pitters 11:43 is especially vulnerable but the parents rush to feed the chicks 11:47 in a race to get them independent enough to leave the 11:51 nest. They do everything they can to keep their babies safe. 11:58 They wick away the chicks droppings in sealed fetal sacks 12:02 to prevent odors from drawing attention to the nest. Although 12:06 the odds are not great, this little fellow is one of the 12:10 lucky ones. Albert lyrebirds usually nest close to the ground 12:17 but this female has learned from bitter experience and has 12:22 built a nest high up in the canopy. She has a beak full of 12:26 worms and insects to feed her chick. Lyrebirds are not strong 12:31 flyers and she relies on her strong legs to give her a boost 12:35 that will take her up to the next level. She has made this 12:40 trip hundreds of times now, up and up to a sky top apartment. 12:45 It's a quick feed for the chick and then a graceful descent to 12:50 continue the endless search for food hidden in the rain forest 12:54 litter. This female lyrebird has chosen to nest close to the 12:59 ground where her chick is more vulnerable. However, her single 13:04 chick hidden in the nest is doing well and she keeps an eye 13:08 eye on him while continuing her endless search for food. He 13:13 moves to the entrance to be rewarded with another mouthful 13:16 of rain forest worms. This is the only time the mother and 13:22 chick Albert's lyrebird have ever been captured on film. The 13:28 chick is ready to fledge. A well-used nest develops a scent 13:33 that could attract predators. It's a dangerous place for a 13:37 young bird and his instincts warn him to leave. He sees his 13:42 mother and embarks on the first journey of his life. She's 13:47 alarmed by his fall and scolds him as she returns. She leads 13:56 him into the undergrowth where dense vine thickets offer some 14:00 protection for the dangers of the rain forest floor. There are 14:12 other rare birds beside the Albert's lyrebird in this rain 14:16 forest. The extremely rare rufus scrub-bird remained undiscovered 14:21 until recently. It was so well hidden deep in the dense rain 14:26 forest that for many years it was referred to simply as the 14:31 mystery bird of Australia. This is the only occasion it has ever 14:37 been caught on film. These Sulphur-crested cockatoos are 14:44 new arrivals in the rain forest. They're escaping the drought 14:48 far inland. In the warmer seasons low pressure systems 14:53 drift down from the tropics and dump tropical rain and it's in 14:58 the rain drops that we discover why rain forests make a major 15:03 contribution to sustaining life on our planet. For a rain drop 15:08 to fall the water needs a nucleus around which it can take 15:13 shape. This can be dust from the atmosphere or particle from the 15:18 ocean. But the scientific discovery has revealed that rain 15:24 drops can form around a nucleus of bacteria and these bacteria 15:28 are released in massive quantities by the rain forest. 15:31 Broadleaf rain forest plants discharge millions of these 15:38 aerobatic into our atmosphere. These Aerobacter actually 15:45 promote the cloud seeding process and it is this cloud 15:47 seeding that increases the rain flow that nurtures our thirsty 15:51 world. Rain forests do more than provide us with rain. Water 15:57 vapor transpiring from the abundance of leaves creates a 16:00 cloud canopy giving us shade and cooling the land. This cloud 16:06 cover also reflects much of the sun's heat back out into space. 16:11 Without it we would be really feeling the heat. Rain forests 16:17 work in unison with the ocean and the air currents. Together 16:22 they function as a grand global air conditioning system, 16:26 nature's way of regulating the world's climate. Water has 16:32 sculptured much of the earth's physical environment. Over time 16:36 this has eroded this ancient volcanic dome to half its 16:40 original height carving out hundreds of streams and 16:44 waterfalls. Water is everywhere here. The misty breath of the 16:49 rain forest draws in carbon dioxide and pumps out oxygen. 16:56 Brightly colored jewels emerge from the damp undergrowth. 17:03 Fungi and the fruiting bodies of a hidden web of mycelium, fine 17:07 fungal threads that feed on decaying vegetation. This 17:12 subterranean network of mycelium working symbiotically 17:16 with bacteria and invertebrates are the foundation of a huge, 17:21 relentless recycling system. Fungi have a series of ingenious 17:28 ways to disperse their spores. This stinkhorn fungi has a real 17:33 pungent odor. It's irresistible to flies and they unwittingly 17:38 carry the sticky spores away on their feet. These puffball fungi 17:45 need a raindrop or two to released a whole cloud of their 17:50 spores. Fruiting trees also need ways to disperse their seed. 17:54 Foraging marsupials like this timid little pygmy possum can do 18:00 the trick. But it is the winged creatures that can really spread 18:05 the seeds far and wide. Take these gregarious topknot 18:11 pigeons. Strong flyers, they journey 100s of kilometers in 18:16 search of fruiting trees. By comparison the brown cuckoo 18:21 doves are sedentary and they're happy to feast on similar fruits 18:25 such as the bleeding heart tree. The colorful wompoo pigeons are 18:31 more assertive and tuck into wild figs. Like many of the 18:35 fruit-eating pigeons the wampoos swallow the fruit whole and are 18:40 content to sit while they digest the fruit and pass the seeds. 18:45 And so the cycle continues. Birds spread the seed which 18:51 allows a new tree to grow which seeds the clouds 18:55 that make the rain that cools the climate so that life can go 18:58 on. This latice work is the root system of a strangler fig. 19:05 These trees rely on birds to spread the seed but in a most 19:10 unconventional way. They don't leave the seed dropped 19:14 on the forest floor, 19:16 but rather high up in the branches of the host trees. They 19:20 germinate up there where there is more light and then send down 19:25 their long aerial roots. These roots eventually thicken and 19:30 fuse together forming sturdy trunks that smother the host 19:34 tree. The strangled host tree dies and rots away leaving the 19:40 mighty and now hollow strangler fig to grow in its place. But 19:45 these figs are an essential food source to the many rain 19:49 forest birds like the rose crowned fruit-dove sporting 19:53 feathers of soft rainbow colors, stunning regent bowerbirds with 19:58 brilliant gold and velvet black, colorful king parrots and 20:03 crimson rosellas display flashes of red, crimson and blue. All 20:08 with their rich colors and stunning beauty. They're a 20:13 reminder of the beauty and wonder of the rain forest and 20:17 how vital they are to our planet's future and wellbeing. 20:22 Sadly rain forests are threatened today and their 20:24 future is uncertain. We've already lost over half of them 20:29 to land clearing, logging and exploitation. We are losing 20:34 earth's greatest biological treasures just as we're 20:38 beginning to appreciate their true value. Rain forests must be 20:42 preserved and protected at all costs. We've seen that the rain 20:52 forests are packed with such an abundance and variety of life 20:55 that it literally staggers the imagination. There's life 21:00 everywhere here. We see it in the brilliantly colored birds, 21:04 animals, the lush green plants, the giant trees, the noisy 21:09 insects and the stealthy reptiles. But how did it all 21:15 start? This rain forest and all it's inhabitants, how did they 21:19 get here? Where did they come from? Life, how did it begin? 21:27 Well there are really only two options. All the life that we 21:30 see here in the rain forest happened or got here either by 21:36 accident or by design. Now as I walk through the rain forest and 21:41 consider the amazing and unique set of circumstances, all the 21:45 incredible external and internal factors that combine in order to 21:51 produce a rain forest, the evidence is overwhelming that it 21:55 was designed that way. And I can only conclude that it's the 21:59 outcome of intention rather than chance. There's order, precision 22:04 balance and design here. There had to be a plan. There is 22:10 obvious design. And if there is design, then there has to be a 22:15 designer. Let me illustrate: Imagine that I'm walking through 22:20 the rain forest and I stumble on a rock. Now if you ask me where 22:28 this rock came from I'd probably say well, it's just always been 22:34 there. But if during my walk through the rain forest I 22:39 stumbled on a watch lying among the plants and you ask me how it 22:44 got there, I'd give you a completely different answer. 22:47 The watch is too intricate, too precise. I have to say that the 22:54 watch just have a watch maker. I'd have to say that the watch 22:58 is the work of a watch maker who made it and designed it's use. 23:03 Well the rain forest is infinitely more complex than any 23:08 watch. It provides overwhelming evidence of purposeful design. 23:13 It's all part of a grand design, the work of a master designer. 23:19 There just had to be an intelligent designer. That's the 23:24 inescapable conclusion. We're told that watches are the 23:29 product of genius, design and hard work, but rain forests are 23:34 the product of accident and chance. Impossible. The rain 23:39 forests tell us as forcefully as anything can that a master 23:44 designer has been at work. His fingerprints are all through the 23:50 rain forest. Yes the evidence is here in the rain forest. The 23:55 ancient Hebrew writer was right all along when he wrote about 23:58 beginnings, about how life started and where it comes from. 24:03 He started like this in the book of Genesis: 24:13 Ancient wisdom, but still just as correct and relevant today 24:16 as it was when it was written thousands of years ago. If you'd 24:22 like to acknowledge the Master Designer and thank him for the 24:26 rain forests and for life, please join me now as we pray. 24:32 Dear Heavenly Father, today we want to recognize you as the 24:37 great Master Designer, the Creator of heaven and earth. 24:40 We thank you for the amazing and beautiful rain forests that you 24:45 have given us. May we recognize their importance and do all we 24:50 can to protect and preserve them And may we remember that not 24:55 only are you the Divine Master Designer who created our planet, 24:58 but you're also our loving heavenly Father who guides our 25:03 lives and promises us a new home with you one day soon. Bless us 25:08 now we pray, in Jesus' name, Amen. 25:15 Rain forests team with life. These incredible places cover 25:22 only six percent of the earth's surface, but yet they contain 25:25 more than half of the world's plant and animal species. But 25:30 how did it all start? This rain forest and all its inhabitants 25:35 just how did they get here? Where did they come from? 25:39 Life. How did it begin? Well there are really only two 25:45 options. All the life that we see here in the rain forest 25:49 happened or got here either by accident or by design. If you'd 25:55 like to take a look at the evidence and consider this 25:58 question of how life originally began and if you're looking for 26:03 hope and ways to find inner peace and true happiness, then 26:06 I'd like to recommend a free gift we have for all our viewers 26:10 today. It's the book The Fingerprints of God. This book 26:16 is our gift to you and is absolutely free. There are no 26:20 costs or obligations whatsoever. So make the most of this 26:25 wonderful opportunity to receive the gift we have for you today. 26:28 Here's the information you need. Phone or text us at: 26:34 0436333555 in Australia or 0204222042 in New Zealand or 26:44 visit our website TiJ.tv to request today's free offer and 26:49 we'll send it to you totally free of charge and with no 26:53 obligation. Write to us at: 27:08 Don't delay. Call or text us now. 27:10 The Incredible Journey and Pastor Gary Kent with Pastor 27:14 Louis Torres and Carol Torres as the principal trainers are 27:18 opening a Bible college in Sydney in February of 2020. This 27:22 This 14-week program will give you the skills you need to be an 27:26 effective colaborer with Christ to carry the message of a 27:29 crucified, risen and soon coming Savior to the whole world. For 27:34 more information and to register phone or text us at 0481315101 27:41 Email us at info@tij.tv or visit our website at TiJ.tv/events. 27:51 Until next week remember the ultimate destination of life's 27:57 journey. Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth. And God will 28:01 wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more 28:04 death nor sorrow nor crying. There shall be no more pain for 28:09 the former things have passed away. 28:14 ♪ ♪ |
Revised 2020-07-16