The Age of Stupid

After much anticipation, the movie 'The Age of Stupid' opened in Australia last week, and I went to see it yesterday.

Lots of you will know about it, and I know some have already seen it, but for those who don't know it is a 90-minute movie about climate change, set in the future (2055) starring Pete Postlethwaite as an archivist looking back at media footage from 1950-2015 and asking why we didn't do something about climate change when we had the chance.

check out the website for more info -- http://www.ageofstupid.net/


Here is the trailer --

The Age of Stupid Trailer Feb 2009 - SD from Age of Stupid on Vimeo.

I have been thinking about how to review it, and have decided I can't do it justice with my interpretation. But I can tell you I came out of the movies like a stunned mullet. I am pleased I went alone to see it, as I couldn't talk to anyone for a while. It thought it was really well-made, engaging, fascinating, shocking, terrifying .... and definitely thought-provoking.

There was more documentary footage than 'movie', which was great as all of the footage shown from 1950-2008 were genuine events, and the fictional component to the movie is based on projections from factual scientific data that is widely available now.

It delves into the effects of extreme weather conditions, peak oil and the big oil companies, consumerism, alternative energy and more, but presents it all a 'watchable' and very humanistic way, and some of the characters in the movie will stick in my mind for a long time.

I thought I was quite aware of what is happening around our earth, but this movie still managed to shock me. The way it was presented was like an alarming wake-up call at full blast.



If you possibly can, go and see it.



And then check out what you can do about it ---

http://www.notstupid.org/

'The Future' as seen through 11 y.o. eyes

We received this poem by email yesterday - our 11 y.o. neice in UK wrote it for a school project (she won 2nd prize overall, and came 1st of the girls)

We are very proud of her, although a little shocked at how much insight she has - the poem is quite dark but just goes to show that children are not sheltered from what is going on in our world.

THE FUTURE

Welcome to the future, the world is under the sea,
The human race has died out - no more you or me.
Global warming melted the ice caps.
It was too late, we could not turn off the taps.
Rain poured and caused a flood,
Mountains fell and turned to mud.
World sobbing,
Hearts throbbing,
People dying,
Children crying.
Panic sets in,
This battle we will not win,
There's no way out, there's no escape,
Stop global warming now before it's too late.

Caitlin, Year 7
(copyright!)

Think Global, Act Local

I had the privilege of being present at a talk today given by Lis Bastian, a truly inspirational woman who lives here in the Blue Mountains. She was trained by Al Gore when he visited Australia and has been spreading the message ever since about the current global crisis, the urgency with which we need to act and what we need to do.

While some aspects of her talk left our group feeling somewhat dismayed about our planets future, she also gave us hope that positive changes could be made at 'grass roots' level. Some of the topics covered included 'big-picture' topics like de-forestation, peak oil and effects of climate change, as well as things WE can do to counteract negative effects - planting vegetation, soil improvement, returning carbon to the earth, recycling and waste reduction..... a real confirmation of 'think global, act local'

It was also heartening for me to realise that some of these things we are already doing here at home. Things that a lot us do - recycling, re-using, composting, planting, growing food, seed saving, supporting local businesses rather than multi-national companies- all contribute to a better environment for ourselves and future generations.

It is easy to become overwhelmed and powerless at the 'bigger picture' and disheartened at the doom and gloom of it all, but it is also easy to make ONE change to your lifestyle every now and then, and in doing that feel you are making a difference.

Wow, I think this morning was pretty big for me. I'll get off my soapbox now!

Check out Lis Bastians blog - http://www.stoplaughing.com.au/wordpress/