Receding sea ice, dying coral reefs, and rising water levels are some of the climate- change horrors exposed in Before the Flood, a documentary screened at SAC Thursday evening.
The film made its way to SAC thanks to English teacher Taylor Johnston, who came across an application for universities to apply to host a screening of the film ahead of the theater release. Despite SAC not being a university he applied anyway, mentioning our School’s mission statement and the fact that many SAC graduates go on to study in related business, political, and educational realms.
The Before the Flood team and distributor National Geographic made the decision to release the movie to the public for free on the Internet, sacrificing box-office profit for wide-spread access. Their goal is to have as many people see this film as possible.
SAC was granted a release copy, which screened November 3 in Ketchum Auditorium to about 100 students, faculty, and staff. The documentary follows actor Leonardo DiCaprio, producer and star, as he spends two years travelling to five continents, speaking with scientists, gaining perspective from world leaders, and hearing stories from locals impacted directly by the effects of climate change.
The cameras also document trips to Greenland, the Canadian tar sands, and cities which see some of the highest rates of pollution globally. Highlighted initiatives included Tesla's push for solar-harnessing battery power, actively encouraging governmental officials to engage in Climate Summits, as well as being conscious about how our diets impact the environment.
“Overall, students were engaged, interested, and maybe most reassuring of all, willing to invest their free time into being curious about world issues,” Mr. Johnston says.
Story by Cindy Veitch
