chambers6degrees


 * Ciara Chambers **
 * Film Annotation **


 * Six Degrees Could Change the World (2008) **
 * Directed by Ron Bowman **


 * What is the central argument or narrative of the film? **

The central argument of the film articulates what condition the planet would be in if global climate change warmed our planet in one degree intervals up to 6 degrees Fahrenheit. It also predicts the social and economic implications of a warming planet. Our current “addiction” to fossil fuels and energy is leading us to be on the brink of one degree warmer; however, the rate at which we are affecting climate could accelerate the temperature to increase up to 11 degrees within 100 year timeframe. This unprecedented pace of climate change is bringing the planet to a tipping point. Even though energy has increased our quality of life, our planet is now manifesting the drawbacks of a fossil-fuel-powered world.


 *  What sustainability problems does the film draw out? **

The film focuses on our insatiable appetite for energy. A particularly unsustainable source of energy is from fossil fuels (a finite resource). Peak oil has already been passed according to scientific models. However, oil is the main source of climate change. We are already seeing agricultural loss due to drought caused by greenhouse gases. Climate change causes floods and droughts to be exacerbated depending on the region. It will turn into a “positive feedback cycle” where resources will dwindle due to drought and flooding.


 *  What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why? **

The film has several persuasive parts: some are quantitative data and some target human emotion and compassion. For example, the movie shows the impact of buildings and their energy uses. Much of the energy used is wasted, such as when tv’s (and other appliances) still use energy even when they are turned off. Carbon dioxide emissions are the result of all our modern conveniences. Our culture has not yet reached a full awareness of the wastefulness of this yet. It is also persuasive that they show real peoples’ personal accounts of the changes they have seen during a lifetime. The cattle rancher, for example, is just one of them. The farmer has seen a dramatic increase in dry conditions recently than when he was young.

Also, the film explains how the ocean and coral reefs (which are treasured for its beauty and biodiversity) is threatened and disappearing due to ocean acidification. Ocean levels could rise 3-4 feet with just a 2 degree increase in global temperature. Major cities would be underwater, which would send many refugees to seek shelter elsewhere. It is a very real and “not-too-far-from-now” prediction of what will happen if we don’t seek alternative energy sources.


 *  What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? **

I feel, as a whole, that the film was not created for scientists since it lacked the multitude of variables involved in climate change (such as aerosols, solar radiation, thermohaline circulation, etc.). It is only compelling up to a point. The film has negative and apocalyptic overtones in the central argument. For example, the computer-generated animations of devastating disasters are a over-exaggerated. Even though the point is to educate the public about climate change awareness, it gives a powerless feeling to the viewer because it doesn’t emphasize solutions as much as it should. The film is very sobering, and as a result, it may not be as influential as it is intended to be.


 *  What additional information does the film compel you to seek out? Where do you want to dig deeper and what connections do you want to make with other issues, factors, problems, etc? **

The film led me to seek out information on nuclear fusion. Even as an environmental science major, I have not heard much about the advancement and research in this field.

Nuclear fusion generates power when two light atomic nuclei fuse together to form a heavier nucleus which releases a large amount of energy. Fusion power plant designs involve the fusion reactions powering a steam turbine (that ultimately generates electricity) with the heat that is released during the process. Fusion power would provide a lot more energy than “any technology currently in use.” The fuel exists in abundant concentrations in the earth’s oceans and seawater is easier to access and more plentiful than fossil fuels. Currently, there are still large barriers to fully implementing nuclear fusion as a main power source. Research into it has questioned whether or not it is economically viable and it may be a century away from reality. No commercial fusion reactor is expected before 2050.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Source: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">[]


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> What audiences does the film best address? What kind of imagination is fostered in viewers? Do you think the film is likely to change the way viewers think about and act on environmental problems? **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The audiences that this film best addresses would be those who would be interested in gaining a better understanding of global warming and its effects. It is not bogged down with (sometimes overwhelming for non-climatologists/scientists) quantitative and confusing scientific data. It is also easy to understand and touches on human compassion, which may likely influence viewers to make a difference. Hopefully, this film also gave viewers a starting place to gather more information on climate change for their own personal knowledge.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The film is very visually persuasive. The animations reveal conditions that may or may not be in store for us and also current effects seen around the world due to changing climate. This can give a viewer an insight into what the future may look like if things do not change quickly.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> What kinds of action or points of intervention are suggested by the film? **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The film does show actions and solutions that could have an enormous impact on reversing climate change if they were to be implemented. However, the film predicts that these solutions won’t become a part of our energy solution until global average temperature increases at least 3 degrees.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Such examples are wind and solar, yet it would require at least 1 million wind turbines to replace all of the fossil fuels our society mainly depends on. One wind turbine can power 300 homes. Another energy solution they proposed would significantly reduce carbon is nuclear fusion.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Also, small changes in peoples’ daily habits, such as reducing vampire loads, would help significantly because the energy that is wasted really adds up. Car emissions also contribute 20% to global greenhouse gas emissions. A cultural shift in attitude to move closer to stores, workplaces, and schools would be needed to reduce the amount of cars on the road.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental education value? **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Additional information of variables that influence climate change (such as el Niño, North Atlantic Oscillation, aerosols, oceanic circulation, particulate matter, a history of ice ages, etc) could have been addressed to enhance the film’s environmental education value. All of these variables play a significant role in the degree of impact of climate change. The film could have also brought up the loss of biodiversity, a devastating truth that the public should be more aware of. Biodiversity loss can impact humans because we depend on the food chain that biodiversity supports. We can also study several species for medicinal purposes.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">I also feel that the global water crisis was underplayed in this movie. Yes, there will be droughts and flooding, but these droughts will lead to water shortages in regions that are already suffering from low levels of water. Water supports all life on earth, and if people are informed that water shortages will be a direct result of climate change, it will be an influencing factor for cultural change.