Fisher Stevens’ Before the Flood (2016) was one of my other film nominations as it focused on the irreversible effects of climate change and the actions needed to prevent further catastrophe. Leonardo DiCaprio narrates this beautiful documentary and interviews credible sources such as Piers Sellers (NASA Scientist) and Barack Obama (Former President of the United States), gaining insight on their personal opinions of climate change and possible solutions to combat this issue. Sellers discusses his wish of educating the public on global warming with the time he had left [remaining to live]. He died on December 23rd, 2016, approximately 2 months after the documentary premiered. DiCaprio talks about his journey across various countries and how climate change has negatively impacted them (ex. ecologically, economically or socially). One example is the effects of tar sands on local ecosystems, specifically in the province of Alberta. This example demonstrates the impact of mining (heavy metal pollution) on vegetation. Tar sands are vast mines in which bitumen (petroleum used for road surfacing) is extracted. This process is one of the main sources of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. The expansion of the mines has caused a great clearing of forests, putting animals (within habitat) at risk and polluting river streams. Sacred to Indigenous people, the river streams are one of their main sources of clean water. The documentary is made to be widely available and can be streamed free of charge on various platforms, due to National Geographic’s commitment of endorsing climate change awareness.
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 