Run to see Leonardo DiCaprio's documentary 11th Hour This is a somber, beautifully done film. Even though I have been keeping myself informed about the earth and her changes, I was struck by how far into the devastation of this planet we are, a stark reality facing us that is more pervasive than one's complacent mind would think. There were many moments where deep breaths and putting a hold on my emotions were essential, if I wanted to make it through to the end. My God, what have we done?
It spun me into a contemplation of what is it about humanity, that most of us wait until the writing is on the wall......and in this case, in the skies, and in the forests and oceans, to the very edge of life itself? There was a time when I was far more environmentally conscious in my actions. But I too, have wandered far from a symbiotic relationship with precious Terra.
In "The 11th Hour", over 50 of the world's most prominent experts, researchers, and activists including Stephen Hawking, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Sylvia Earle, present a sweeping exposé of the factors that have contributed to the magnitude of this crisis, all of which are primarily rooted in greed, and a philosophy of growth and consumption without end-raping the earth, taking, taking, taking, without thought to the future, without thought to the very essence of what sustains and nourishes us.
According to some of the experts, the earth has always gone through dramatic changes, species have always become extinct, yet there were clear indications that the species we seem to be most concerned about, the human species, is walking a very delicate, and fine line. The war on valued life is coming to its zenith, and the tragic consequences for the future are upon us now.
Thom Hartmann, from The 11th hour:
"The problem is not a problem of technology. The problem is not a problem of too much carbon dioxide, the problem is not a problem of global warming, the problem is not a problem of waste. All of those things are symptoms of the problem. The problem is the way that we are thinking." (Ah yes. As within, so without.)
While this was a somber film, it was not presented in a doom and gloom way. It was hopeful. It ended with a call to action, a call to change the way we think, and an optimism that sparks motivation. You can visit The 11th Hour Website which is loaded with ways to take action and become involved, biographies of the film's experts with their links, where the film is playing nationwide, and much more.
"The best thing about the dilemma we're in is that we get to reimagine every single thing we do. What a great time to be born! What a great time to be alive! Because this generation gets to essentially completely change the world."
- Paul Hawken, Bay Area entrepreneur and environmentalist
In closing, I couldn't help but wonder, with what these experts know, are they prepared? Do they have safe shelters? Have they planned?
