Summary and impact of Before the Flood documentary on climate change

Summary and Impact of Before the Flood Documentary
Climate change is a major environmental issue in the 21st Century because of its devastating impacts on the Earth’s ecosystems. Climate change has attracted considerable attention from governments, environmentalists, policymakers, and the public. As a result, it continues to shape modern discourse and debates on environmental protection. In addition, this issue has also been the subject of some films and documentaries that seek to create awareness about it and promote the adoption of measures to deal with it. Before the Flood is an example of a documentary that addresses the issue of climate change. The film, which was produced Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Fisher Stevens, is an advocacy and educational documentary. This paper provides a summary and impact of the documentary and discusses implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Summary of the Documentary
Before the Flood is an advocacy and documentary film produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by the award-wining Fisher Stevens. The documentary is about what is currently happening in the world regarding climate change as well as what is likely to happen in the future if measures to stop global climate change are not adopted (Chitwood par, 2). Before the Flood shows Leonardo DiCaprio visiting different parts of the world assessing the impact of climate change or global warming. During these visits, DiCaprio narrates his encounters while using archive footages in some scenes. The documentary includes a collection of interviews by DiCaprio such as the Pope and President Obama. The interviews are incorporated to cover various issues relating to climate change including politics, science, vested interests, effects, and probable solutions. When embarking on the journey, DiCaprio states that he wants to find out what is happening globally in terms of climate change and how to solve it.
As he embarks on his journey, DiCaprio inquiries and comments in the film focus extensively on denial of climate change. In this regard, he explores the ideas and views of United States’ politicians and corporate lobbyists who deny climate change. This helps him highlight political issues and controversies facing efforts to stop climate change across the globe. In addition, this process shows how passionate DiCaprio is about climate change. Through the many expert interviews in the film, DiCaprio helps those who may not know too much about climate change to understand it and impacts on the Earth’s ecosystems. These experts provide many insights on the issue, which shapes understanding of climate change.
Efforts undertaken by countries like China and India are documented in this film as DiCaprio travels across the globe. The film shows first-hand experience on the effects of climate change in different countries. For instance, Before the Flood highlights how Greenland’s melting ice is generating a change of color in its terrain. As a result, it absorbs rather than reflect the sun and in turn becomes a creator rather than reflector of heat. Developing countries like India is already contending with pollution while the entire population does not have access to electricity. After highlighting how terrible the situation of climate change and its effects are, the documentary explores short-term and long-term solutions to it. Individuals can help prevent climate change through simple initiatives like changing diet while governments needs to adopt measures to lessen carbon footprint, especially from coal plants.
Impact of the Documentary
Before the Flood documentary has shaped my understanding of the issue of climate change, its surrounding politics, impacts, and possible solutions. After watching the movie, I have realized that climate change is not only real, but also scary. Prior to watching the documentary, I had very little knowledge on the issue of climate change. My understanding of climate change was largely based on what I have read in newspaper, class materials, and watched on television. This movie has given an opportunity to have a near first-hand experience of what climate change is and its devastating impact on the globe. The inclusion of many experts has shaped my view of climate change or global warming. Expert scientists and environmentalists in the documentary provided hard facts on this issue, which paints an accurate picture of its current status worldwide. To this extent, the documentary has achieved its purpose of providing in-depth information on climate change to the public, particularly those who know very little about it.
In addition to shaping my understanding of climate change, I have also learned politics is acting as a major impediment to the identification and implementation of suitable solutions. Through this documentary, I have learned that politics provide an avenue for politicians and corporate lobbyists to influence any measures taken to tackle climate change. Many politicians in the United States and corporate lobbyists worldwide deny climate change, which in turn thwarts any measures that could help stop global warming. These politicians and lobbyists make such decisions based on their personal interests rather the greater good of the Earth’s ecosystems.
Finally, the documentary has prompted me to start thinking of measures I could undertake as an individual to help stop global climate change. While wide scale efforts to tackle this issue are required, I believe that the change begins at the individual level as highlighted in the documentary. I have been considering efforts like changing my diet and reducing my carbon imprint to help tackle climate change. As I undertake measures at a personal level, I will also share the need to stop climate change with those around me. Based on what I have learnt from the documentary, I will undertake personal advocacy measures that seek to create awareness about climate change and its impacts. During this process, I seek to inspire action from those around me to help tackle this environmental issue that is affecting people’s lives.
Paris Climate Agreement
As climate change continues to be major environmental issue worldwide, governments in different countries have engaged in efforts to help stop this problem and its impacts. These efforts have included signing bi-lateral and multi-lateral agreements to tackle global warming or climate change. An example of a multi-lateral agreement between different countries worldwide is the Paris Agreement. The Agreement incorporates different parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) who reached a consensus to combat climate change on December 12, 2015. These parties also agreed to accelerate and strengthen investments and actions required to achieve a sustainable low carbon future (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change par, 1). Building upon the Convention, the Paris Agreement brings together all countries to a common initiative to adopt ambitious measures to combat climate change and adapt to its impacts. As part of the agreement, these nations also seek to provide enhanced support to developing countries in the effort to combat climate change.
One of the countries that is party to the Paris Agreement is France, which is a member of the European Union. Together with other countries in the European Union, France proposed the establishment of an ambitious strategy to combat climate change. France proposed that the European Union should achieve a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (Reuters par, 1). This would require spending 25% of the European Union’s budget on climate change. France’s proposal was based on the idea that the EU should set an example to be followed by other countries in combatting climate change. In addition, the proposal was based on the idea that establishing such target would provoke nation states to start adopting national and regional measures to tackle climate change.
Currently, the profound impacts and implications are felt across the globe including in developed nations and regions like the EU. These impacts have significant implications on the future of humanity and ecosystems across the globe. The EU region is already feeling the effects of climate change such as scorching fires and heat waves in the summer of 2018. These effects and implications demonstrate the need for urgent and decisive action by nation states across the globe to combat this environmental issue. Therefore, France believes that establishing realistic targets for lessening greenhouse gas emissions is a critical step toward combatting climate change. To this extent, it proposed a net zero greenhouse gas emission for this region through increased expenditure on climate change.
France has upheld the Paris Agreement and its proposal through creating a 2050 carbon-neutral bill. The bill, which was developed in 2019, seeks to loosen restrictions on nuclear in efforts to lessen the country’s emissions of greenhouse gases (Sauer & Mathiesen par, 1). When enacted into law, the bill will expand the role of nuclear energy and other energy sources and lessen greenhouse gases emissions. This bill is in line with the objective of carbon neutrality in the Paris Agreement, which requires ambitious initiatives and measures.
In conclusion, climate change remains the major environmental issue in the 21st Century and has attracted attention from environmentalists, governments, policymakers and the public. The impact and implications of climate change are felt across the globe and been the subject of modern environmental protection discourse and discussions. Before the Flood is an advocacy and educational documentary that seeks to inform the public on climate change and its impacts. It provides a near first-hand experience of the damaging effects of climate change and possible solutions to combat it. Efforts to tackle climate change have included bi-lateral and multi-lateral agreements between countries such as Paris Agreement, which seeks to enhance investments and actions in the fight to stop global warming.
Works Cited Chitwood, Adam. “‘Before the Flood’ Review: Leonardo DiCaprio Heralds the End of the World.” Collider Inc., Collider, 30 Oct. 2016, https://collider.com/before-the-flood-review-leonardo-dicaprio/#documentary Reuters. “Proposal to Spend 25% of EU Budget on Climate Change.” BBC, BBC News, 8 May 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48198646 Sauer, Natalie & Mathiesen, Karl. “France Introduces 2050 Carbon-neutral Law.” Climate Home News Ltd., Climate Home News, 2 Aug. 2019, https://www.climatechangenews.com/2019/02/08/france-proposes-2050-carbon-neutral-law/ United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. “What is the Paris Agreement?” United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, United Nations Climate Change, 12 Dec. 2015, https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/what-is-the-paris-agreement