Climate Crisis in Movies

 People watch movies for entertainment. But with a good story, they also learn many things. Like history, politics, social problems, mental issues, etc.

I think it's time to raise awareness about the climate crisis. People need to be more aware of pollution and the destruction of the environment. A good way to educate people is a movie. Story writers should bring it into focus in the movie.

Knowledge of the climate crisis

Climate crisis is a serious disturbance to the earth’s climate caused by human activities—such as greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels.

Climate crisis because of the wars

 Now, we have satellites, drones, and many other new inventions to observe and measure the Earth. Some data must show how wars are destroying our climates. We should disclose this to everyone so that people are aware of it.

We share the same earth; we all have to be careful. No matter who makes trouble to the climate, more or less, all have to suffer.

Letter to 2050

 Dear Son,

It is 2050 when you are reading this letter. I hope you can avert climate disaster and achieve a truly regenerative, resilient climate.

 

I just want to remind you that this climate didn’t happen automatically. Many people and organizations have worked hard to achieve it. You can proudly say that your mom also contributed to achieving a better climate for you and for the rest of mankind.

 

After graduating from college, I joined an organization fighting the climate crisis. With that organization, I pushed the government and power to take good care of fresh water. I also ensured that companies responsible for polluting water stopped their activities.

 

Now, I also ask you to be aware if you find any power or organization polluting natural resources, be organized and speak up. Every step matters.

 

I wish you all the best.

Shahana Shafiuddin

Tara Seucharan on Organizing for Climate Justice

 I liked Tara Seucharan’s presentation and what she tried to explain to us. I have learned how to organize, recognize strength, celebrate moments and many more from her presentation. The words from her presentation that impacted me most is, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” ... Theodore Roosevelt.

We know that most of the time, we are in a position where we feel we don’t have any power to fight with big corporations or rich and powerful people. We might feel there is no way to solve this problem. But the truth is everyone can do something to put one step ahead to fix or achieve success. We should never lose hope. These words I mentioned above impacted me to keep hope for the good and keep trying with whatever strength I have.

From her presentation, I have also learned that every work, including all community work, intersects with climate justice, like Black Lives Matter, Social Justice, Reproductive Rights, etc. For example, many natural hazards, like cyclones, occur in black-majority areas because the government didn’t take the initiative to make that area climate-friendly.

In my climate-organizing approach, I have incorporated the “Relationship and Coalition Building” strategy Tara mentioned in her presentation. It means meeting, connecting, and learning from new people, gathering the strength of communities.

In my project, I plan to communicate with everyone in the community to make them aware of the Climate Crisis. Then, I plan to communicate with the existing community leaders of that area and exchange our opinions. Then, together, we plan to approach the government about our issues and plans.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an international body responsible for assessing the science related to climate. In 1988, the World Meteorological

Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) set up the IPCC. It provides policy maker's three kinds of information,

• The regular scientific assessment of Climate Change.
• Impacts and future risks of Climate Change.
• Suggested options for adaptation and mitigation.

 

The assessments IPCC provides are for all levels of government climate-related policies. IPCC negotiates these policies at the UN Climate Conference—the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). However, they do not say what actions policymakers should take. For example, they may project future climate change and explain the implications and options of responses. 

Policymakers can make balanced decisions based on their reports because they are scientific and intergovernmental. All member countries of WMO and UNEP can participate in IPCC. Right now, it has 195 members have created the panel. The panel is responsible for making significant decisions. This panel elects The IPCC Bureau, whose responsibility is to guide the panel by giving scientific and technical information. It also provides advice on management and strategic issues.

100s of leading scientists volunteer to write the assessments of IPCC.

 

The Climate Crisis

 Brym believes that the explanation of natural disasters is a myth. Discuss how human activities led to or worsened the environmental disaster(s) in the reading.

 

Brym explained that a robust and elite group made all the plans and decisions of people for centuries for New Orland and the poor black community who lived there. These powerful groups of people left the black community at high risk of death during the hurricane. For centuries, these powerful groups of people didn’t let charge the American Government for not taking responsibility and ensuring every citizen’s welfare responsibility. Because of this attitude, the Government didn’t take the relatively less expensive actions to save New Orlando, which other countries generally do and get good results. Some of these general actions could save and significantly reduce the number of deaths related to the hurricane. So, the writer believes that natural disasters are not myths, nor should we blame one person.

We can call this Environmental Racism.  Here, poor decisions had been made for the Black People during Hurricane Katrina.

 

How human activity minimized or prevented the impact of natural disasters in another context, i.e. Cuba.

 

Though the Cuban plan of action to take precautions for a natural disaster like a hurricane is relatively poor, it is somewhat effective, too. Let’s discuss them; first, they started educating people about the precautions against hurricanes in schools, colleges, and universities. So, the young generation started learning from an early age how to cope with hurricanes, like how to interpret the news broadcasts on storms, how to update themselves with the continuous broadcasts and how to measure its strength.

 

Next, Cuba arranges two days of yearly hurricane training sessions every May. In this training, they educate people on risk minimization, do some exercises that help evacuation and rescue events, measure future problems and encounters like trimming trees, check any weak points in a dam, and finally review and update all emergency plans.

 

Third, they organized a civil defence network to coordinate evacuation and rescue events at the neighbourhood level. One of the sister organizations of the Civil Defence Network is the Federation of Cuban Women. This sister organization goes door to door to ensure that the families have filled their bathtubs with water, taped windows, kept cars in the garage, unplugged electrical appliances and arranged adequate supply of batteries, radios, candles, matches, drinking water and food. The Federation of Cuban Women also creates lists of vulnerable people so that they can help during the evacuation.

 

Fourth, during the evacuation, the neighbourhood doctor also evacuated with the general people so that the doctor could help if needed. People take their valuable items with them during evacuation.

Fifth, the evacuation route or transportation and temporary housing facilities are set up in advance. Buses, trucks, ambulances, vans, helicopters, and even horsecarts are used to evacuate people.

 

Sixth, stores also prepare emergency food, water, and medicine in advance.

 

Seventh, the regular water supply was turned off to avoid spreading diseases.

 

We can call this Environmental Sociology. This means people understand environmental issues and take necessary steps through social structures.

 

COVID-19 has not only "lifted the veil" on injustice but has also revealed what is possible as we envision a new normal for a post-pandemic future. Discuss at least one way in which communities (local, national or global) can prepare for or prevent the devastating impacts of climate disaster.

 

From the Covid-19 pandemic, we understood that we couldn’t stay protected if we only thought about our protection. We must think about the world human community. If we can solve a problem everywhere (Like Covid-19), then only we can be safe from that problem.

The immediate solution to any climate disaster would be to be aware of the crisis. And to generate this awareness, we must educate people about it. Otherwise, neither the general people nor the government (Or elite group of people) will understand the importance of the climate crisis. As the Cuban government acted, we needed to educate from the beginning. That means we must educate young people in school and adults in the corporate world.