NARRATIVE INTERPRETATION AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE VIDEO “BEFORE THE FLOOD”

Brief summary of the video

If you want to know the truth and status of the threat of climate change, then you must watch this documentary video, Before the Flood. It is presented by National Geographic which features Leonardo DiCaprio as newly appointed United Nations Messenger of Peace. He traveled to various regions around the world (Arctic, United States, China, Europe, India, the Pacific Islands, and Indonesia, etc.) exploring the impact of global warming.

He also repeatedly references the 15th-century artwork by Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights of which he uses that as an analogy of the present course of the world toward potential ruin as depicted on its final panel. Together on his expeditions, some scientists to reveal the reality of climate change. DiCaprio encounters with political leaders advocating climate change denialism, mostly among corporate lobbyists and politicians of the United States. DiCaprio discovers an organized and funded disinformation campaign brought by powerful special interests employed to complicate the public about the urgency of the rising climate crisis.

The documentary video provided the issues and concern about transforming from a cheap, harmful fossil-fuel into costly, renewable energy. It also addresses the future of developing countries with no access to electricity and the problem of forest conversion into the industrial plantation. With unparalleled access to thought leaders around the world, DiCaprio explores for hope in a rising tide with the help of committed countries around the globe to combat climate change.

My objectives

The report enhances the awareness about how these fossil fuels can affect the climate and in turn how extreme climatic phenomena will affect mankind in the long run. To provide information about the issues and concerns arises on transforming from fossil fuel-based energy into eco-friendly, renewable energy. To empower us on something we can do to provide a solution in minimizing the impact of climate change.

Interpretation and lessons learned

The video opens up my mind on how climate change occurred brought by human activities and how it affects the different regions in the world. In fact, early industrialization such as transportation (land, air, and water), power generation and processing plants rely mainly on burning fossil fuels. I think these happened because there is a little science of creating an alternative to fossil fuels and if there’s an alternative, it may not be feasible the same with fossils.

The global market of fossil fuels is in an uptrend which helps the economic growth of a certain region. They might lose their economy if they stop to utilize these fossils which are true. Most of them are cheap and readily available in a global market. Life of humans become easy, no hustle, less expensive and faster. They can do whatever they want as long as it runs in fossil-fuelled energy.

The adoption of renewable energy that time was very slow since the impact of climate change was in disguise by wealthy players and the lobbyists’ political leaders. It is in fact that political leaders will do their job if they will have a revenue share or the “fossil fuel money” from the video. I guess it based on the will of the politician to serve the people or to serve the wealthy players and receive money from them. That time you will be chosen as a leader and an influencer if you have a lot of money. The sad thing is that wealthy players dictate the policies being created in congress without tying up with science.

In return, we experience melting ice in the North Pole, rising sea level, harmful health concern, degraded and extinct biodiversity, extreme weather patterns, scarce resources in the rapid growth of population. Projections were provided with scientists and we can’t stop those phenomena from happening. Now, we realize that we are a contributor to climate change and global warming. And we have something to deal with it. The possible solutions are there, transform from fossil fuels to renewable energy such as solar, wind, water, and heat but the challenge is the issues and concerns present to those alternatives.

We cannot blame a developing country that has little access to power and energy that will use cheap fossil fuel for their economy. It’s possible to use renewable energy but the question is who will invest? Global leaders and in accordance with environmental standards has an important role in addressing these issues. Beforehand, we might select our leaders that have will believe on modern science, scientific methods on the sustainable environment as well as an advocate of enhancing awareness the effect of climate change and will seek for alternative solutions in minimizing fossil fuel consumptions.

The Carbon Tax is also an alternative solution which tends to lessen the utilization of cigarettes because of the monetary value-added. It agrees with price and demand relationship which demand tends to be lower if the price higher. We might see this applied to other carbon-emitting products like fuels, combustion engines, etc. I encouraged the legislation body to prioritize this solution which will make it to reality and implement accordingly.

The environmental fee collected from environmental services or benefits that have been done. It is an alternative way to support sustainability but in a transparent and effective way of utilization. By empowering the entities the proper utilization of these funds, we might see not a degrading one but an improvement and enhancement of an already established ecosystem.

I envisioned the research and development entities to explore alternative renewable energy that is readily available and affordable to every one of which in return does not compromise the economic activities as well as the sustainability of the environment.

I was amazed that there are some entities doing research to transform into renewable energy just like Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla. He created the Tesla cars which are powered by electricity and the Gigafactory creating solar panels as an alternative to coal-powered electricity. His plans might be successful to have 100 Gigafactories to provide solar panel all over the world and it is quite interesting for this environment enthusiast.

We might not experience those devastating impacts of climate change and the most catastrophic problem that has ever faced but we are accountable for the next generation of mankind. All of the issues and concerns that was mention above, those are the things that are really going to make a massive difference.