Emma Brunst
E-Portfolio
February 9
Immediately after I saw the IA weekly update, I knew I wanted to go to this event. One of the environmental film series movies was focusing on climate change and the implications of our actions. For my first entry of the semester, I saw the documentary “Ice on Fire” that discussed the climate crisis we are currently in and some of the leading contributors to climate change. The film was on January 28th and I was genuinely surprised by how many students, faculty, and others were there for the film. The movie has become highly rated and was sponsored and narrated by Leoardo DiCaprio. Following the documentary, there was an associate professor from the department who spoke briefly about his thoughts and added some additional information to the audience. In the last year, I have learned so much about the climate crisis and started acting on it myself in whatever little ways I can. I stopped eating meat, use reusable bags and water bottles, and I carry my own silverware around campus so I don’t have to use plastic silverware. Although these are all very small contributions, it can make a larger impact over time! In the documentary, they discussed some of the problems, but they also offered possible solutions. I found it chilling and disgusting that the only reason non-reusable energy is still being so widely used is because governments and large corporations have already invested their money in this and don’t want to lose profit. My favorite solution that was discussed was essentially a large filter that collects air, filter out the carbon dioxide, and then sends the carbon dioxide to a greenhouse to be used for the plants. Therefore, the plants give off oxygen which is then released back into the atmosphere. I also learned that if the planet raises 2 degrees celsius, the polar ice caps will melt and therefore flooded many major cities and states throughout the world (New York City, Florida, etc.). Because of documentaries and research like this, I have learned so much about what our planet is experiencing and what can be done to stop this damage on a corporate and personal scale.
Now, how does this relate to international affairs? It is simple; global climate issues are everyone’s issue. Regardless of country, religion, political party, global climate change is here and something must be done about it. There is no escaping this one or paying a certain amount of money. I read a quote once saying “After the last tree has died, the last stream is gone, and the last fish is dead, people will realize that you cannot eat money.” Especially today, we must work together to stop climate change from getting worse than it already has become. I genuinely wish more people/corporations would be more involved and aware of what is going on because many are uneducated on the topic. The only way to stop this is to actively educate yourself and make the small changes in your daily routine that will eventually make all the difference.