The other two films that I considered nominating for the film festival were Happy Feet (2006) and Ice age: The meltdown (2006). These coming of age children’s movies, really highlighted the climate change issues going on in the current world and their impact on plant and animal species. The film is based on the ideas of greenhouse warming, the idea that greenhouse warming – triggered by rising levels of industrial gasses in the atmosphere could disrupt the ocean currents that bring warm, salty water from the tropics to eastern America and western Europe. Here is some additional information I gathered upon research: The main current, the Gulf Stream, delivers 27,000 times the energy of all Britain’s power stations and keeps our country warm in winter and our harbors ice-free – unlike those of more southerly ports such as Vladivostok. Its loss will plunge America and Britain into an ice age.
The Ice Age is coming to an end thanks to global warming and the resulting big meltdown threatens to put the valley where all the animals live underwater. The only individual who makes the most of the situation is Fast Tony, who sees the ice age as the perfect opportunity to make some money. The movie also demonstrates the importance of diversity and dependence on each other. Both of these films, along with many other children’s movies, highlight these concepts of plant ecology about the impact of our actions on vegetation and others.
Using children’s movies to highlight such important topics really helps to send the important messages to individuals of all ages all across the globe and implement changes.
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 