Saw the new documentary today at the local theatre... I love the feel of that place, it's actually just a stage with all the original art deco decor features intact, lovely.
Anyway, the film itself was wonderful. It wove narratives of top scientists with amazing footage to create a piece with huge impact.
Some have said they didn't like the role Leonardo DiCaprio played in making of the doc. Personally I believe it's a good thing that he's doing something with his celebrity, especially if it can reach those who don't watch the news but instead e-talk daily (which is most certainly not me)... and if you're still worried, he doesn't make too many appearances in the film.
Others have said they're sick of being told that the world is doomed, but to them I say:
A) That's what it take to make some people take action, and
B) This film offers hope, it's not just a we're-all-going-to-die-roll-the-credits sort of experience.
There were copious amounts of vital facts, but they were presented in a manageable way... to me a couple really stood out:
-Trees can hold up to 57,000 gallons of water each. So by cutting down a single tree, you could be making a serious impact of the flooding of the nearby environment.
-Americans spend more on lawn maintenance every year than the Indian government takes in taxes.
-The U.S. spends more money on their military than the economy of Australia is worth.
-For every one truckload of product, there are 32 truckloads of waste.
-To replace nature, it would take threes times what the world wide economy is worth every year.
These are just a few of the facts that people like David Suzuki, Stephen Hawking and Mikhail Gorbachev presented.
And it may sound like I'm completely promoting this movie... I am. It's something I truly believe in... the sentiment of the entire film "what a great time to be born, what a great time to be alive, because this generation gets to completely change this world" is something I try and remember... sometimes I get frustrated as I feel it's hard to really make a difference as a youth. Yes, I can turn off the lights when I'm not in the room, and I can do smaller things around the home, but what I'd forgotten and was reminded of today is that I may not be able to vote for political leaders, but I can vote every time I put money on the counter. It's showing I approve of what that product stands for. And while I may have already boycotted MacDonald's and Nike a long time ago, there is still so much more I can do without.
Hopefully others will remember that too, along with the larger call to arms message. I sincerely believe it's essential we listen.
