THE inheritance of Mother Earth comes with a sacred trust.
If there were ever a grouping of words that resonated with conviction of a moral obligation, this was it. It is a poignant reminder that humans are entering an era of consequences and of the sacredness of all life and reverence for the Earth. It is a message that belongs to all people and, hopefully, future generations.The future that will be left for future generations was spotlighted when the actions of humans versus the Earth were examined during a screening of Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ at the Castellani House, in observance of Earth Day last Tuesday (April 22).
The 96-minute documentary’s screening, the third such activity undertaken by the United States Embassy to mark the occassion, honed in on the issue of global warming and was an effective platform to advance opportunities for understanding the global phenomenon, as well as underscore the power of human involvement.
A REAL THREAT
Flood waters up to people’s waists in countries across the world; the devastation of hurricanes, typhoons and other natural disasters; droughts putting communities and people at wretched disadvantages; the disappearance of the lakes; the collapse of fisheries, lack of irrigation and crop failures; millions displaced by hunger; melting glaciers; sea level increase; and clouds of thick choking smoke are among the graphic images that elicit the sort of realisation that cannot be unthought-of.
The message is clear.
Global warming is a real threat and it is cause by human activity. More importantly, it is a problem that must be addressed or within another decade the numbers predicted to go “off the charts” and mankind will be at the point of no return.
After that, it will be too late for action.
An explanation of global warming, as well as the dramatic and undeniable impacts of global warming are discussed by Gore, who made it clear that this is a problem that will get worse.
The words climate change and global warming are often used interchangeably. However, they do have different definitions. Global Warming is a more specific term. It refers to increases in the Earth’s average temperature because of greenhouse gas build up in the atmosphere. Global warming is a cause of climate change. Climate Change, on the other hand, is a broader term. It refers to changes (increases or decreases) to long-term weather patterns, such as temperature, rainfall or snowfall. A warmer Earth, from global warming, will lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. When scientists talk about the issue of climate change, their concern is about global warming caused by human activities.
Gore’s own realisation of the impacts that could result from this problem, of loss, and the need to act upon early warning signs are heightened by his own personal tragedies; his six-year-old son’s accident and the realisation that something taken for granted can be lost at any time; and his sister’s death as a result of lung cancer, brought on by smoking, juxtaposed by his father’s planting of tobacco and the clear warning signs that were sounded by medical professionals, but ignored tragically.
The threat created by mankind by pitting itself against Mother Earth is no less tragic.
Gore underscores the substantive science behind this global threat, science that debunks the doubts being peddled, unfortunately successful, by skeptics who are, in actuality, more often than not persons with dollar signs in their eyes.
However, the documentary points out clearly that weighing economic progress against Earth is a lost battle, since if the Earth is destroyed there is no resource left for anyone to become rich off of.
Gore stresses that while the climate changes produced by global warming are beginning to show themselves today in shocking ways, these are just a glimmer of the changes that scientists predict may come about due to global warming, including: mass extinction of species, flooding in coastal areas due to melting polar ice, spread of infectious diseases, and the destruction of coral reefs caused by rising CO2 in the ocean’s water, among many others.
By all accounts, for the objective thinker, this documentary is both scary and sad; scary when one considers the impending impacts if global warming continues unabated; and sad when one realises that all the information on the problem and the way forward is already in hand, but greater actions is not being taken owing to lack of political will – an inconvenient truth.
The film’s musical score ‘I need to wake up now’ is a fitting conclusion as shifting letters on the screen spell of different calls to action.
STEP IT UP
The top-issue, thought-provoking environmental film occasioned interactive post-film discussions.
A short slideshow brings the contextual focus back to Guyana and emphasises the fact that Guyana has made some advance to fight this global threat with its pioneering Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), but also highlighted the need for Guyanese to ‘step it up’.
The slideshow outlines all Guyana offers: flora, fauna, culture and arts, architecture and heritage, history and a rich social fabric that constitutes our way of life. These images are followed by images that questions what is at stake and what will the future be like if the impacts of global warming and Guyanese’s contribution to this threat continue unchecked.
The University of Guyana’s (UG), Dr. Paulette Bynoe, led the discussion questioning the group of enthusiasts’ reactions to the documentary and the slideshow, their understanding of the cause of global warming and what can be done to make a difference.
As the Director of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Dr. Bynoe looks at first at a few UG students who were present for the screening.
Among the points made were: the fact that there is a need to change the way we think, as it relates to adaptation and mitigation of the impacts of global warming; there is a need to be pro-active and not re-active; Government cannot be blamed for everything, since every citizen and business entity has civic responsibilities of their own; there is need for more public awareness to influence attitudinal change; more youths must get involved in addressing this problem; and the fact that the problem at hand presents an opportunity to advance a sustainable development trajectory, in the context of economic diversification and renewable energy.
One of the more uncomfortable indictments on the Guyanese population was the fact that there are too many unacceptable practices, particularly littering, that have come to be a part of the definition of Guyanese.
“This is we,” one contributor to the discussion said, “This is what we are defined as, because of what we accept as normal.”
By the end of the three-hour event, it was undoubted that more doors were opened for more to be done at the level where it really matters, that of the schools and the communities – the grassroots where advancing change is most effective.
PARTNERSHIP
The process of change is one that US Embassy has partnered with Guyana on and has seen successes.
The US Ambassador, Brent Hardt, who made remarks before Tuesday’s screening, stated that scientific facts are “stubborn things” and efforts to partner with Guyana are simultaneously ongoing with efforts in the US to address this problem.
“Without decisive action now around the world, the impacts from climate change will worsen in the coming decade,” he said.
According to him, all countries must take more urgent action, particularly when one considers that the impacts of global warming could very well be irreversible and devastating.
Hardt expounded on the US Embassy’s efforts in Guyana and lauded the success of the ‘Guyana Shines’ initiative, which was launched in 2012 and last year saw over 50 volunteers working with 62 primary and secondary schools to increase awareness.
“To expand the reach of our educational efforts, we created a ‘Guyana Shines’ documentary to inform and motivate citizens to become part of the solution,” he said.
The Ambassador added that upcoming is the launch of ‘Keep Guyana Beautiful’ campaign under the Guyana Shines’ initiative.
He also pointed to the success of the three films in promoting positive messages on the occasion of Earth Day.
The other two films selected for this Festival were ‘Promised Land’ and ‘Who Killed the Electric Car’, which began on April 15, and aimed to educate and promote awareness on environmental issues.
The film festival supported the Embassy’s bid to advance an international movement to protect the planet and secure a sustainable and healthy future for all.
According to the United Nations, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities and by 2050 some 6.3 billion people will be living in urban area.
Earth Day is an annual celebration of the planet’s biodiversity and an important opportunity to highlight solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges. The Earth Day Network is creating an international movement to protect the plant and secure a sustainable and healthy future for all. The focus of Earth Day this year is urban revitalisation through the theme of ‘Green Cities.’
By Vanessa Narine