Educational Media Reviews Online

This film is an update of an earlier program, A Climate for Change, that questions why nothing has been done to combat the most serious environmental issue of our time, global warming. The film examines how human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and the use of automobiles, has been responsible for the recent disasters across the globe, particularly flooding, unusual heat waves, droughts, and violent tornado and hurricane activity.

The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where these issues were discussed and agreement reached by the major nations of the world, is discussed. The narrator, David Suzuki, shows that most nations have either ignored or not met the agreed upon guidelines, and how the increasing levels of carbon in our atmosphere is changing the global environment and weather. Experts discuss the melting of the ice caps as the major reason for the intense flooding happening all over the world. The loss of coastal land in Louisiana, at the rate of 100 acres a day, and the loss of coastland in eastern Canada, are cited as examples of how the ocean level is gradually rising and reclaiming land. A rather bleak viewpoint on governments and special interest groups is given by a number of scientists, who indicate that change needs to take place soon, or we will lose the delicate balance required to maintain life on Planet Earth. Some alternative technologies are cited for the production of energy, and interesting statistics are given on the cost of developing these technologies (usually lower than the tax abatements given to the major petroleum and automobile companies by governments).

This video really opened my eyes regarding what is causing the intense weather environments around the world in the last few years. Having to currently endure the worst heat and drought conditions ever recorded in Texas, I can see the effects that global warming is having on a personal level. The intense flooding situations in Third World countries as well as the United States are given perspective by this video, and show that governments around the world are truly ignoring the situation by treating the situation and not the cause. Millions of dollars (our tax dollars) are spent to help people in these disasters, instead of working on the cause of the disasters itself.

I would highly recommend this video for junior high and high school classes, to educate the youth about the heritage that we are giving them. I would also recommend this video for environmental and governmental classes at the college-level. The video indicates that scientists predicted our current environmental problems over a decade ago, and that very little has been done by those in power to change the situation. Accordingly, we are reaping the rewards of our neglect, and the disasters will only intensify in the future.