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Green Sahara – New video!

Bennett Sherry

The most iconic quote of the 1990s was delivered by Jaleel White, confronting a criminal gang.

Steve Urkel: “It's only fair to warn you that I'm a black belt in karate and I used to practice in the Sahara Forest!"
Osgood: “Man, the Sahara is a desert!"
Steve Urkel: “Oh, sure! Noooow!"

Is Family Matters the best evidence of human-caused climate change? I’d argue that yeah, it is. I tried to convince our team that we could use a clip from Family Matters to explain the desertification of the Sahara, but nooooo. They wanted to make a whole new video.

Fine. We can blame axis wobbles and overgrazing. But 90s kids know who really ended the green Sahara.

Urkel might be off the airwaves, but have you seen Europe right now? Yikes. And another heat dome is set to hit the US East Coast. It’s gonna be a long summer, folks. What’s your best discussion starter to get students talking about humanity’s long history of causing climate change?


  • Wow! Who knew Urkel was a climate scientist!? I can’t wait to use the video in my classes next year. It shows that the perfect storm of factors, both natural and human-influenced, led to a huge climate/habitat shift in the Sahara! It shows what a delicate balancing act is occurring on our planet. It also shows how many different types of evidence scientists incorporated in developing our understanding here. This would make a great CER activity!! (Claim, evidence, reasoning). 

  • This is such a great video! And will definitely make its way into my World History classes. I like that it doesn't present a simple answer; it gives students a chance to weigh the evidence and consider how climate, human activity, migration, and the development of societies are interconnected.