It’s getting hot in here.
That’s the message former U student and Greenpeace volunteer Sara Murray hopes to get across to students. Through her work with Greenpeace, Murray received an advanced copy of the film “The Age of Stupid,” which portrays the adverse effects of climate change. Murray partnered with the U Office of Sustainability to show the film Wednesday to educate students about ways to stop climate change.
The purpose of the film is to get people to take action, Murray said.
“The Age of Stupid” follows six individuals from different parts of the world as they contribute to8212;or fight against8212;climate change. Set in 2055, climate change has destroyed the world as we know it, leaving a lone survivor to tell the tale of how humans “knowingly participated in our own destruction.”
Presented from a worst-case scenario point of view, the movie highlighted what will happen to the planet if humans don’t act now to stop climate change. A clause at the beginning of the film stated that all the evidence of climate change presented in the film is based on mainstream scientific evidence.
Marie Martin, the U Office Sustainability outreach and education coordinator, spoke to the crowd after the film about what the U is doing to prevent climate change locally.
“The U emits 369,000 metric tons of (carbon dioxide) a year,” Martin said.
U President Michael Young committed the U to cutting its carbon dioxide emissions by signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment last year, Martin said.
Senior economics student and local environmental activist Tim DeChristopher opened the floor after the film to questions and urged everyone to do their part to stop climate change.
DeChristopher said most changes throughout history have been through force and direct action.
“We need to let our government know we are not going to participate in a system that leads to destruction,” DeChristopher said.
He cited his own act of civil disobedience, which stopped a federal land auction from going ahead, as an example of the kind of localized political action that is needed. DeChristopher is involved in a legal battle stemming from his actions last December and is attempting to use the necessary evil defense to get acquitted. The defense argues that his evil action, disrupting the sale, isn’t as evil as allowing climate change to continue, excusing DeChristopher from prosecution.
A short documentary, “A Time Comes,” was screened after the feature film and depicted an example of civil disobedience that brought about real change. In 2007, six Greenpeace members climbed a tower of a coal planation in Kingsnorth, England, to protest the building of an additional coal station. The climbers were tried in court and found not guilty using the necessary evil defense.
“We can be effective agents of change,” DeChristopher said.
In December, President Barack Obama will attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark to discuss a climate change treaty, Murray said.
The European Union and Japan have said they will develop their plans to cut emissions based on what the United States brings to the table.
After the films, students had the opportunity to sign petitions urging the president to propose a strong treaty in Copenhagen.
“The U.S. contributes the most to climate change,” Murray said.
The conference in Copenhagen will be a chance for each country to state what they will do to cut their countries output of emissions, Murray said.
The International Day of Climate Action is Oct. 24. Salt Lake City and Ogden will host events promoting action against climate change. Countries across the world will be participating in the day, and interested students should visit www.350.org.
Senior economics student and local environmental activist Tim DeChristopher opened the floor after the film to questions and urged everyone to do their part to stop climate change.