In recognition of the world’s largest environmental movement, this April iwonder turns its attention to Earth Day, with a collection of new feature films and series looking at the day-to-day impact felt by struggling communities around the world dealing with climate change up close, as well as the issues and ignorance that continue to threaten the future habitability of the planet.
In The Longest Day, we spend 24 hours with people in some of the most adversely affected areas of the world struggling to adapt to the rapidly changing environments. Planet Re:Think draws the dots between people at the coalface of climate change and those with the power over policy to address it, while The Disappearing Delta paints an alarming picture of the future of coastlines around the world if the pattern being seen in the Louisiana Wetlands isn’t acted upon.
In this April’s iwonder What Top Five, we take a stroll through climate change theory, policy, politics, projections, and destructive denial, taking a look at where we’ve come from, where we now stand, and where we might end up if climate change rages on unchecked.
The Longest Day: On the Climate Crisis Frontline
#Real Life #Up Close #Survival
Launches April 20th
Climate change is more than a set of abstract projections and statistics; it's the daily reality for millions of people across the world, living on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
In this award-winning series, we follow people confronting climate challenges in their daily lives over 24 hours. We witness farmers and urban dwellers struggling with water shortage in the Mekong Delta and Jakarta; coastal communities in Indonesia's Sumba Island and the Sundarbans facing rapidly rising sea levels; farmers in Vietnam looking for solutions to unprecedented long droughts; and families struggling with extreme heatwaves in Delhi's slums.
The Longest Day is a snapshot of the climate crisis in action, told through the voices of farmers, health workers, city residents and displaced families. By emphasising on-the-ground responses to complex challenges, the series offers an empowering and relatable portrait of diverse and resilient responses to the biggest challenge of our time.
Planet Re:Think
#Economics #Environment #Thought-provoking
Launches April 18th
Real-world examples of humankind’s small but widescale impact around the world, and their environmental impacts, help to illustrate the often overlooked link between economics and environmentalism explored in Planet Re:Think.
Presenting a compelling, inherent link between environmental destruction and the global financial crisis, the documentary asserts that the only way out of economic crisis and into ongoing stability, is through the practice of environmental sustainability.
Leading world experts discuss the facts and theories interposed with stunning visuals captured around the globe, in this Moondance International Film Festival’s Best Feature Documentary winner.
The Disappearing Delta
#Coastlines #Sea Levels #Foreboding
Launches April 20th
The erosion of Louisiana’s wetlands is one of the greatest environmental threats the US faces today.
In terms of sea-level rise, it is the canary in the coal mine for what is likely to happen across the coastal systems of the world if we remain complacent.
This award-winning film chronicles the lives of individuals who are experiencing that loss in the deepest parts of the Mississippi Delta.
iwonder when
April 22nd, 3023
Featured as part of iwonder’s climate change collection this April, Earth in 1,000 Years delves deep into our past to suggest what the planet might look like ten centuries from now if ice stores continue to disappear at their current rate.
In such an uncertain future, what kind of campaigns might the organisers and supporters of Earth Day be creating and supporting? And looking back 1,000 years to 2023’s theme of 'Invest in Our Planet', how will the inhabitants of that future world judge the governments, institutions, businesses and citizens in their efforts to do their part for the sake of the planet?
Click here to watch Earth in 1,000 Years, and here to learn more about Earth Day 2023.
iwonder who
Gaylord Nelson
In January 1969, Senator Gaylord Nelson, inspired by the student anti-war movement, announced the idea for a teach-in on college campuses. He recruited Denis Hayes, a young activist, to organise the campus teach-ins and chose April 22, a weekday falling between Spring Break and Final Exams, to maximize the greatest student participation.
The effort soon broadened to include a wide range of organisations, faith groups, and others. They changed the name to Earth Day, which immediately sparked national media attention, and caught on across the country.
Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans to take to the streets and achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban dwellers and farmers, business and labour leaders.
By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day had led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Click here to read more about the history of Earth Day
iwonder what
Climate change crossroads
In this April’s iwonder Top Five, we take a look at the evidence supporting climate change, and how science alone won’t be enough to save us if bad actors and enduring ignorance continue to undermine humankind’s ability to bring our home back from the brink.
1) Tipping Point: Climate Countdown
#Climate #Energy #Survival
Launches April 22nd
We have arrived at a decisive moment in history. We are at a precarious tipping point where climate change could decimate the world's water, food and energy.
Clear evidence of this destruction can already be seen across the globe - in Antarctica, in the world’s flooded cities, and in the ever-degrading quality of our agricultural products. Now, citizens and states seek to tip the scales back in Earth’s favour, as cities switch to carbon free power sources, and a global movement to repair the earth gains momentum.
This groundbreaking series explores the latest issues and solutions to the world's climate crisis. Featuring leading climate scientists and activists, and with unique access to polar explorer Robert Swan's ClimateForce Antarctic expedition, the series explores everything from water crises in India and food shortages across South-East Asia to the latest Dutch clean energy technology.
2) The Carbon Conundrum
#Fossil Fuels #Science #Innovation
Launches April 22nd
Scientific data presents a clear picture - the earth is warming, and human actions are the cause. Excessive carbon emission from fossil fuels is the main culprit, but can we cut our ties to carbon while advancing our civilization?
We visit climate scientists, witness the daily struggle with sea level rise on the island of Tuvalu, and speak with scientists and researchers behind innovative solutions that could help reduce our reliance on carbon in the fight against climate change.
3) Earth in 1,000 Years
#Speculative #Future #SFX
This eye-opening documentary explores the latest scientific and technological developments in the study of earth’s melting ice stores to explore the fate of our planet in 1000 years’ time.
Reaching deep into our planet’s history, scientists search for clues to what might happen in the future. While advanced special effects and high-end computer animation provide us with a window into what this future may look like.
4) Smoke & Fumes: The Climate Change Cover-Up
#Scandal #Lies #Corruption
Discover what the world’s most powerful industry knew about climate change, when they knew it, and how they collaborated to confuse the public, promote scientific theories that contradicted their own best information, and block action on the most important challenge of our time.
5) USA: Climate Wars
#Misinformation #USA #Denial
Despite record-breaking temperatures, drought, and increase in wildfires, many Americans do not believe in global warming. As talk of climate change still deeply divides the country, the poor pays the highest price.
