Written by Zeldi Smulders

Climbing temperatures, extreme weather conditions, ice caps melting, and sea levels rising. This month’s focus for Channels for Change, The Climate Planet Film, is about how our world’s climate has been disrupted significantly by various factors. It also outlines the sources of hope we have and solutions that exist but need to be implemented at a worldwide level. This documentary captures one of the greatest political, economical and technological challenges of today, and we’re not out of the woods yet.

We’re setting the climate for learning. 🌍 Are you ready to become climate-savvy?

February’s binge: The Climate Planet Film

“It’s not enough if I try to make a change or if you do. We have to work together.”

Brief summary 

A project by the Climate Plan Foundation, The Climate Planet Film is a classic collection of facts and figures that serves to educate and provide a foundation for becoming more eco-conscious. This compact film of climate science, with a duration of only 36 minutes, imparts knowledge on the conditions we need for life on Earth, and solutions that both protect nature and provide necessary resources for us all.

Available on: YouTube and WaterBear

The sustainability factor

Overall: 5/5

Starting with a lesson on the solar system and the surface of the Earth, the film goes on to explain the warm and cold periods, the reason they occur, and when. From an early scientist who pondered the earth’s warm temperature leading to lab experiments and ultimately the theory of the greenhouse effect, the events are of great importance in understanding what is happening to the climate. Humanity is disturbing the world’s intricate balance of forces and so we see the rising temperature trend, which has led us to the historic high we are at today.

With more greenhouse gases, temperatures are heating up. The film goes into emissions of greenhouse gases like methane produced from livestock as well as CO2, which is especially potent in places with higher populations and larger industries like North America, Europe and Asia. While even highlighting seasonal variations where CO2 levels drop and rise, the spotlight falls on our beloved green heroes, plants and trees. Viewers are also educated on why our life-giving oceans are not in a good state, as well as the tropics’ dependency on a stable climate. 

Countries need to adapt and the wind-up part of the film describes the UN’s role from a scientific and political standpoint, highlighting the climate panel and its researchers, and the treaty to “stabilise greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system”. Ever heard of COP? Countries have to meet once a year to discuss the current state of the planet, and this is where the famous step in the right direction took place, namely COP 21’s Paris Agreement.

The Viatu review  

Themes

You have the passion to help save the Earth, but do you know how to explain climate change to your gran? The Climate Planet Film can help you out.

There has been a global temperature rise since 1970, and with the higher temperatures, evaporation of the oceans. You soon see that there are more things adding to greenhouse gases than you think. As a result of climate change, more rain and wind have ramifications for agriculture and our food system, bringing it closer to home. You are no longer sitting in a science class being forced to watch and learn, but can do it by choice and understand how it affects you and the world around you. 

The ice caps are melting! What now?

Production 

The Climate Planet Film is filled with lots of great visual elements, from informative animations to familiar glimpses into the industrial revolution and the burning of fossil fuels, and striking nature scenes giving viewers an idea of the consequences. Although the music might be a tad too dramatic and sci-fi-like at some points, the film is narrated by renowned Danish meteorologist and climate communicator, Jesper Theilgaard, who brings a calm, knowledgeable presence. The film is broken up into 16 chapters, allowing the viewer to get a breakdown of the different components of our climate and the complex balance involved, and go back to rewatch something specific for an even better understanding.

What makes it different 

This lesser-known film puts what we’re hearing about climate change into perspective, demonstrating the connection between human activity leading to higher temperatures and having an effect on the state of the climate, nature and humans. 

What happens when the permafrost in the Arctic starts to melt? What is the phenomenon called El Niño? Most of us don’t understand all the intricate details of climate change. Skipping the pretence, the film goes over the basics. If you survive the information overload, you can walk away with a better understanding and an explanation of what type of solutions we need. 

This film is very accessible for those who want to learn more about the climate. Although the target audience is all types of people, it is noted that it is especially for the younger generation who will be making the decisions that lead to change in the future. Ending off with a vision of a more sustainable future, this film encourages new technologies, business ventures, and investments that lead to more sustainable production methods and getting energy from renewable sources.

This month’s edition of the Channels for Change series makes it clear that we need a global shift. At Viatu, we’re offering more sustainable solutions for one of the world’s most beloved human activities — travelling. Explore wild places and give back to the community and environment with the option to filter by the CO2 emissions of the trips on our site.