“Film Review: ‘The Age of Stupid’ is Smart. Are you?”

2009 September 22

age-of-stupid-poster-0 Yesterday the green carpet rolled out for many stars and ecolebrities at the world premier of the fantastic new film, “Age of Stupid.” Using a fraction of the energy used at an average Hollywood premier, people glamorously arrived in hybrids, bicycles, row boats–and even swam up to the dock. We watched live via satellite as people from all around the globe arrived to launch this brilliant film globally.

The film is set in 2055 and uses real footage from our “past” and showcases it as a testament to the way that we lived our lives as humans on earth. The film uses data based on scientific assessments conducted by the IPCC to docu-dramatize what could happen to us and the planet if the Copenhagen Summit is a complete failure: That is, we kill ourselves off.

I can just hear all of you non-believers muttering to yourselves now, “global warming is a myth,” “the film is a hyperbole of our future,” yada yada yada. The fact of the matter, and a basic point of the film, ring simple and true: If we don’t stabilize our carbon emissions as a planet by 2015 and then begin rapidly decreasing thereafter, life on the planet as we know it is doomed. This is a call to arms! It’s up to us to change.

The film is definitely the most successful film to convey our current situation. Frankly, I’ve never felt more ashamed to witness our stupidity/my stupidity in that light. You can try to deny that climate change is happening, but we can see it happening. In Costa Rica, I saw first hand how migratory bird patterns have modified because of climate change. I’m not even going to try to convince you to change for the sake of future generations, I’m talking about US!

House on top of a car in New Orleans. Photo Courtesy of "Age of Stupid."

Yesterday filmmaker Shekhar Kapur reported that if the glaciers in the Himalayas continue melting, 1.3 billion people of are at risk of losing access to water. Do you want to put 1.3 billion people to death? We need to let go of our consumer way of life and change before it’s too late.

Let’s begin with FLYING LESS. Outside of deforestation, the worst thing a human can do is fly. While contemplating a ski trip to France, a family featured in the film put it best: It came down to valuing human life over luxury. It’s not worth the fun you’ll have skiing, if you know that human lives are the price to pay for the flight.

The question we should be asking ourselves is, how much do we value ourselves? Is your fellow man worth the luxury of your car, the luxury of convenience? As Americans, we have the frills of wasting 71 gallons of water daily, while the people in rural Africa strive for one gallon of potable water.

According the film, “if everyone lived like Americans, we would need 5 more planets to sustain mankind.” It’s not rocket science. Even if you don’t buy into global warming or the politics behind it, would it kill you to value the planet’s resources a little more? Maybe not. But it might kill the rest of us.

So, are you stupid?

INTERACT: If you’re not stupid, you’ll sign up for 10:10ATX today. By doing so you PLEDGE (this is not a petition) to decrease your own carbon footprint by 10% in 2010. We’ll send you tips on how you can do this weekly! You can also sign up for 10:10 Global too!

WATCH: Check out the trailer for “The Age of Stupid”