There is a sad state of affairs when it comes to climate
change. That is the fact that there is no middle of the road being taken or
discussed when it comes to climate change. You’re either all against it or all
for it, period. At least that’s what those on either extreme end would have you
believe. My personal belief is that the majority of the people believe there is
a problem, that we should find solutions to it and that we should have a
rational discussion on the topic. The only problem is that if you say this out
loud you are shouted down as being a denier for not completely agreeing with
those who believe man has caused it all and a sell out by those who don’t think
it exists. So instead of a rational discussion with a search for answers the
result is an attempt to silence all by one side and activists extremism on the
other.
Both of these ideologies are destructive and, again, neither
actually finds a solution that is a compromise where both parties can walk away
gaining something. Instead greedy corporations will continue ignoring
protestors and protestors will attack anyone who disagrees with them. Want
proof? Note how many unhelpful clicks are found on any review of something like
this film on sites like amazon, done so by people who are motivated only by
ideology.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING actually has no clear cut solutions
to the problem of climate change. While a very well made film it doesn’t show a
distinct way to save the world from pollution. What it does is rail against
capitalism giving us a new boogeyman to blame for climate change. Perhaps new
boogeyman isn’t true, instead repackaging the old one might be a better way of
describing it. Pictures of overweight tycoons puffing on huge cigars while
watching poor people suffer while they make money are not seen in this film but
they would fit right in with the depiction of capitalism.
The movie begins with the premise by author Naomi Klein, on
whose book the film is based, talking about a discussion years ago by
scientists who felt that they could become “masters of nature”. One line while
discussing this states “The earth is not, as most thought back then, a mother,
to be feared and revered.” This line reveals a lot of where this movie goes. More
often than not references to the earth as mother run through the film. As
someone who is open to discussion this is where the film lost me.
Through vignette after vignette the movie takes us to
various locations around the world where pollution is a problem that is part
and parcel with the problem of climate change. It starts with a location in
Canada where oil is being drilled for but leaving its mark on the land. Indian
tribes there are confronting the government of Canada including them in lawsuits
rather than just going after the companies responsible for the pollution. There
are several attacks on governments throughout the film.
Of these the one that made me scratch my head took place in
Greece. It’s common knowledge that Greece has suffered terrible economic
catastrophes over the past few years. In an attempt to save their economy a
mining company was started in one location. Protesters concerned about the
problem brought that to a standstill and eventually got the mayor of that town
ousted from office in the next election. That might be good for the environment
but the economic problems continue. Most importantly the problems had nothing
to do with the environment but a solution was shot down by activists who blamed
capitalism. Forget about the fact that most of Greece’s economic problems came
from a government that couldn’t come up with enough income to pay for the huge
number of social programs the country has. If your sole source of information
was this film you would learn none of that but hear about damaging the
environment doing harm.
In the end what this movie becomes is a recruitment tool.
Through subtle manipulations of content and choices of visuals being used it
makes you think at first that the movie is all about how to combat climate change,
a way to alter the direction the world is going and get us back on track to a
clean planet. That would have been refreshing and a welcome film to watch.
Instead by the last 15 minutes or so of the film we’re greeted with chanting
crowds, sign carrying protesters and told how wonderful those who would lay
down to blockade a road are. It brought to mind protesters in the occupy
movement who screamed about Wall Street but when asked what they were
protesting for couldn’t find a cohesive concept that they could all agree on.
I’m all for an open discussion on the topic of climate
change and actually welcome it. One of the best film on the subject was COOL IT
which featured Copenhagen Consensus Center director Bjorn Lomborg and his
coming up with ways to combat climate change rather than to find demons in
every corner. That film dealt with climate change and finding solution. This
one just says there’s a problem, that capitalism is at the root of that problem
and that the solution is to protest. RACING EXTINCTION is another recent
documentary that calls to attention the problems of man on the environment. But
instead of activism it creates awareness and asks for action.
In the end there will be many who will love this film
because it agrees with all they do. There will be others who will hate this
movie saying it is nothing more than a love letter to the hippie generation of
peace, love and understanding. For me it was little more than a propaganda film
that took one side, slammed another and used that to try and get people on
board with a movement. It has a slick look to it and takes it’s time to get to
that recruitment point, but it is indeed there.
One thing that the age of the internet has done is make
information available to everyone. After watching this film I wondered about
the people behind it. Was there a deeper motivation for them coming up with
their conclusions? Were they just everyday people who began this project in
search of answers and found these to be the best solutions? Darn you internet.
What I discovered was nothing of the sort.
Instead I found that the producer of the film Avi Lewis was
a Canadian documentary film maker with ties to the New Democratic Party in that
country, a democratic-socialist organization with goals of higher taxes on
corporations and ideas to contain greenhouse gas emissions, who also had a show
on Al Jazeera. The author of the book on which the film is based and narrator
for it, Naomi Klein, is a social activist and author known for her political
analyses and criticism of corporate globalization and of corporate capitalism.
The odds of an objective look at their topic are highly unlikely given their
beliefs.
But that’s what documentaries have become in the last decade
or so. They no longer take and open ended look at a topic, going in with no
preconceived notions of what to expect. Instead they become propaganda pieces
for film makers on either side of the political spectrum. They pick and choose
whatever supports those preconceived notions and toss out the rest, especially
when it proves those notions wrong. What would be a joyous day for those who
love documentary films would be the day that objective film makers would return
to the fold with an unbiased look at the topic they have chosen. This film does
not lead us to that day.
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