Beyond the Tipping Point film
By Ed Mitchell 4th August 2010
Beyond The Tipping Point is a new and interesting looking film that is worth having a look at – it’s about our attitudes to climate change.
Here is the trailer:
And the blurb: …
‘We have 30,000 days, 100 Months, 5 years left! Copenhagen (now Mexico) is our last chance!’ In the face of consensus on the reality of climate change scientists, policy makers and campaigners are increasingly in the habit of issuing deadlines, ultimatums and points of no return.
But what impact does this language have on the decisions taken by activists, campaigners, and policymakers?
A provocative new film, ‘Beyond the Tipping Point?’, produced and directed by Dr. Stefan Skrimshire from The University of Manchester is launched on Thursday 15th July 2010 at the Manchester Museum.[1]
The film has grown out of a three year research project funded by the Lincoln Theological Institute [2] [3] exploring how we imagine the future in the face of impending environmental crisis and how this affects the way we respond.
Once launched, it will be made freely available as an educational tool for campaign and community groups, schools and universities, to encourage people to discuss and reflect on the actions and decisions they take in relation to climate change.
Including footage from last year’s UN climate talks in Copenhagen, the film features interviews with a Met Office international climate expert, a Bangladeshi social justice campaigner; direct action group Plane Stupid, Buddhist leaders and leading academics.[4]
A rich diversity of perspectives emerge from these interviews. Whilst some of the contributors argue that ‘shock and awe’ will force the public to take action, others say activists must be more careful in the way they communicate. One interviewee argues that we should focus our attention on adapting our neighbourhoods to combat the unavoidable effects of rising temperatures.
Dr Skrimshire says:
“This film asks a deeper set of questions about time, ethics and the imagination. It explores what exactly we mean when predicting a point after which all action comes too late, whether it be to save the human species, civilisation, or simply the lifestyles to which we have become accustomed.”“Do we act to change the future, or to prepare ourselves for what is to come? Or is it a simple expression of who we are and what values we hold? Do the apocalyptic tipping points we all read about generate despair, or galvanise political responses to crises?”
Leo Murray of direct action group Plane Stupid says:
“This (film offers) insight into the implications of an imminent point of no return in the climate system, and should be seen by everyone involved in the struggle to prevent us from reaching that point…This type of critical reflection will be invaluable to our understanding of our own actions and what we seek to achieve by them.”Professor Alastair McInosh, author of Hell and High Water, says:
“What I love most about this short film is how it draws out the beauty of those who care. It is a prophetic work that touches the spirituality of where hope’s tenderness resides.”The film features interviews from people including: Professor Kevin Anderson, Tyndall Centre, The University of Manchester, Dr. Richard Betts, Met Office, Hadley Centre, Leo Murray, Plane Stupid and activists from the Camp for Climate Action.
A trailer for the film can be seen here: www.beyondthetippingpoint.com
The DVD is 30 minutes long and is available free of charge on request.[5]For more information about the launch or to receive a review copy of the film contact:
Jonathan Atkinson; telephone 0782 861 7933, email: beyondthetippingpoint@gmail.com