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A still from "Land Out of Time."
Global climate change is just the tip of the melting iceberg. It would take a whole film festival to cover the consequences of our corporate and consumer behaviors. Nevada City has one - the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival (taking place on Jan. 11, 12 and 13).
A wealth of films helps to get the issues coursing inside us, raising awareness and inspiring action across a wide range of illustrative stories and styles. Those who are interested can glean film summaries through the schedule tab at www.wseff.org.
A wealth of films helps to get the issues coursing inside us, raising awareness and inspiring action across a wide range of illustrative stories and styles. Those who are interested can glean film summaries through the schedule tab at www.wseff.org.
A film such as "Everything's Cool" gets more into the history of awareness about climate change issues and the arc toward action. The film refers, for instance, to a controversial book with the title of "The Death of Environmentalism." It talks about how little traction you can get in America talking about doomsday and major sacrifice. It talks about needing an "I have a Dream" speech, not an "I have a nightmare" speech.
Where is the traction? As ever, "It's the economy, stupid." Creating a green economy means more than environmentalism. In the film "A Land Out of Time," one guy says, "Five years ago you couldn't a got me in a room full of environmentalists." But as more people see first hand how much oil and gas companies impinge on people's lives and livelihoods, sustained action is much more likely. The film shows how people banded together to ban gas drilling in an area known as the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana.
Where is the traction? As ever, "It's the economy, stupid." Creating a green economy means more than environmentalism. In the film "A Land Out of Time," one guy says, "Five years ago you couldn't a got me in a room full of environmentalists." But as more people see first hand how much oil and gas companies impinge on people's lives and livelihoods, sustained action is much more likely. The film shows how people banded together to ban gas drilling in an area known as the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana.
"A Land Out of Time" focuses on a chief executive's order to fast track drilling tens of thousand of new wells on public lands in the Rockies. That's panorama after panorama of devastated public environments when each batch of them, at best, realizes only a few nation-days worth of gas. The film refers to tens of thousands of people who speak up against the federal administration's philosophy that public opinion about public lands doesn't count for much.
People whose lives are affected come to understand the false choice between running out of gas and drilling, drilling, drilling for more. A film such as "A Land Out of Time" showcases a critical political perspective. What it means to be a conservative, to be a liberal, to be an environmentalist, to be an activist all simmer together in a big stew. The taste and nutrition of that stew is up to us. Indeed, whether the stew is even edible is up to us.
People whose lives are affected come to understand the false choice between running out of gas and drilling, drilling, drilling for more. A film such as "A Land Out of Time" showcases a critical political perspective. What it means to be a conservative, to be a liberal, to be an environmentalist, to be an activist all simmer together in a big stew. The taste and nutrition of that stew is up to us. Indeed, whether the stew is even edible is up to us.
