On Oct. 10, the Center for Global Education held a viewing of “Before the Flood” as part of their annual Sustaining the Globe focus events. Students gathered in Smith Hall for the viewing and discussion.
“Before the Flood” was released in 2016 by National Geographic. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the documentary looked at climate change and the impact it’s having on our world. DiCaprio went all over the world meeting with various experts to uncover the truth. He wanted to find out what’s been happening to the world, why it’s been happening and what we can do about it
The film also focused on different ideas and strategies to fix climate change problems humans have caused, including using renewable energy sources like wind and solar energy. Even with these resources at hand, they are not being used enough. The control that companies have over policymakers across the world and in the United States may be the main reason changes are not being made.
After watching the documentary, Dr. Paul Bloom, a physics professor who also teaches climate change, led a discussion which evolved into viewers developing questions about different aspects they noticed. Topics of discussion included how to change the minds of those who don’t believe in climate change, the relationship between politics and climate change, what other countries have done and how people can create change.
The documentary left a lasting impact on those who were viewing it. “Climate change is the most prominent issue that there is,” said Kel Goff, ’20, a political science and environmental studies major. “Without our water, our food, and our air to breathe we have nothing.”
The Center for Global Education will continue hosting events this fall in support of their Sustaining the Globe theme.
