Abstract
This paper critically reviews four selected movies dealing with climate change and the resulting ecosystem deterioration, namely, The Day After Tomorrow, An inconvenient Truth, The 11th Hour and The Age of Stupid. It scrutinises the limitations, the hypocrisy and the dilemma embedded in the technological solutions to climate change suggested in the movies, such as reduction in fossil fuel consumption, use of energy efficient technologies and adaptation of renewable energy. Movies’ failure to discuss crucial phenomena such as the ‘rebound effect’ of efficiency improvement technologies, ‘well-to-wheel lifecycle assessment’ of renewable energy technologies, and their power to reverse the capability of chosen technological solutions to combat ecosystem deterioration are highlighted. The review also stresses on the need for movies to place emphasis on moving away not only from egocentrism, as illustrated by reference to selected footages from the movie Amelie, but also from human-centrism towards eco-centrism to save the ecosystem on which all lives depend upon.
Highlights
The movie industry has tasted box-office success as well as critical acclaim with its most selling sustainability genre, which is combating climate change
The rest of the paper is organised as follows: Part 2 gives outlines of the four movies considered for analysis; Part 3 highlights the technological solution to climate change and ecosystem damage told in the movies considered through plot summaries; Part 4 scrutinises the technological solutions proposed in the movies; Part 5 discusses the hypocrisy and dilemma embedded in the movies analysed; Part 6 steps out of the boundaries of the solutions discussed in the movies considered and briefly explores other plausible means of slowing down climate change and ecosystem restoration; Part 7 concludes
Many scientists have agreed upon the accuracy of the scientific facts retold in the movie except for a few chosen aspects of it (Adam, 2007). Leaving those discussions to the great many internet sources, we focus here on the solutions proposed in Inconvenient Truth (IT) to combat climate change
Summary
The movie industry has tasted box-office success as well as critical acclaim with its most selling sustainability genre, which is combating climate change. All four movies considered have an underlying tone that it might be hard to save the world from ecosystem destruction resulting from climate change by expecting the political systems and the corporate world to change on their own for the better It is, perhaps, they appeal for individualised efforts to slowdown, if not halt, ecosystem damage. The underpinning assumption with the makers of the said movies appears to be the following: an informed public would be active in the fight against factors accelerating global warming and climate change It is, found untrue in a survey carried out in the United States by Kellstedt et al (2008). The prime objective of this paper is to analyse the said movies’ ability to stimulate, and sustain the public’s feeling of personal responsibility and concern for global warming with particular reference to the technological solutions proposed in the movies to combat climate change. The rest of the paper is organised as follows: Part 2 gives outlines of the four movies considered for analysis; Part 3 highlights the technological solution to climate change and ecosystem damage told in the movies considered through plot summaries; Part 4 scrutinises the technological solutions proposed in the movies; Part 5 discusses the hypocrisy and dilemma embedded in the movies analysed; Part 6 steps out of the boundaries of the solutions discussed in the movies considered and briefly explores other plausible means of slowing down climate change and ecosystem restoration; Part 7 concludes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
