There are always so many emotions going through me while I watch documentaries regarding climate change. Fear, anger, disgust, disappointment. But there is one thing that really kept going through my mind seeing Revolution: stupidity. This is pure stupidity! I always though of us humans as rather smart beings, but oh my, we are so stupid. We don’t realize what’s at stake, we are destroying ourselves. Anyway, here’s more about the documentary: Revolution.
Documentary: Revolution
This documentary starts with addressing one environmental problem: overfishing. My heart sinks, it always does with these issues. But, it does not stop there. All environmental issues relate, because the earth is a system and every part is necessary. So from overfishing it goes to acidification of the oceans (due to carbon emissions) and coral bleaching. From carbon emissions it goes to deforestation, from there it goed to water pollution. And in the end, it ends at us. We will not survive. Not if we continue the way we are doing things right now. We don’t realize that we are killing ourselves. The earth will survive, but will we?
‘In the next hundred years, we face a problem so large it threatens our species as well as every other.’ – Revolution
Who has the power?
Government
We tend to think that the government will fix things. I hate to tell you this, but they won’t. Yes, the have massive power. The problem is that they’re just not using it. That could be because they are corrupt, because they are too slow with all the laws and procedures or just because it’s not their problem. It’s a problem of out generation (I’m writing this as a 20-year old). It doesn’t really matter why they are not changing fast enough. You can’t blame them, we all have a part in this. But, we can urge them to change. As activists. We can vote, we can protest and let our voice be heard.
Companies
We also tend to think that companies will change, companies like Shell for instance. But when we think about it, does that really make any sense? They have never cared for the environment in the first place (footage in this documentary of companies depleting the earth is just heart-breaking to me), and like in Shell’s case, why would they change if the free money (they deplete the earth for no costs, because they feel like they ‘own’ fossil fuels) is right there for them to grab. I mean, let’s be honest with ourselves. The evidence of climate change has been there for so long, they just won’t change fast enough. But then again, we can’t blame them. We all play a part in this. We can put our money where the future is, into green renewable energy, into vegan organic food, into low-impact goods. In the end, it is us who support those companies.
Individuals
I think you know where I am going with this. We have the power. We are the ones who vote for a government, we are the ones giving money to businesses, we must change the world. There is soooo much we can do every day, and there are so many others we can influence by explaining our choices and educating others. We can choose to eat vegan (and stop exploiting the oceans and create less carbon dioxide), we can choose to get solar panels or choose a green energy supplier, we can choose to travel by train instead of by plane, we can choose to consume less. We can choose. Every. Single. Day.
Watch the documentary and change
Anyway, this documentary should not make you feel powerless. Not at all! It should make you feel powerful, because there is so much you can do. I am hopeful, even after seeing Revolution. Because, yes, it looks all doomed sometimes. But, in the end, when we realize we have the power, we can do something too. So yes, I should feel anger, fear, disgust and disappointment. But let’s not stop there. Let’s use those emotions and change thing around!
Have you seen the documentary Revolution?
Yours sincerely,
Romee