Mother Earth in Crisis: A Moment of Reflection

In the Film and Video Center, we often find that an image is worth far more than a thousand words. And when words and images come together, they can reach the mind and touch the heart in ways that mere words never could. This is especially true when it comes to climate change.

In the spring of 2011, the Film and Video Center held its Native American Film + Video Festival, which included a special program entitled Mother Earth in Crisis. This program began with an evening screening of Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change, a film that looks at the impact of warming temperatures in the Arctic. The screening was followed by a conversation with the filmmakers, including Zacharias Kunuk (Inuit), who took part via Skype from Igloolik, Nunavut, northern Canada.

The second part of Mother Earth in Crisis was a day of films and panel discussions with a focus on rivers. Throughout the program, we saw how industrial development is endangering the Earth’s rivers and glaciers. We heard warnings from all parts of the Americas about the effects of climate change on indigenous communities, as well as calls to action to protect our Mother Earth. 

This video is a compilation of footage from both parts of Mother Earth in Crisis. We hope it will get you thinking about, and involved in, the problems facing our Mother Earth in the 21st century. Just as the festival was a hemispheric event, this video contains both English and Spanish speakers.

In Spanish and English. Use the CC button at the bottom of the video to switch between language and closed caption tracks.  

 

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Comments

[Simon]

Truly scary; thank yoiu for this post. Check out the documentary 11:th hour for the, probably, most scary information existing on this whole global warming issue..

[Sidney Raphael]

The video preaches to the choir. I doubt whether this video will change anyone's mind. If you didn't begin the video agreeing with the point of view expressed, there is no point of contact with anyone with a different view.

[Barcelona]

The climate changes are becoming more evident, sea level rise already affects apequeñas Polynesian islands, rising temperatures on earth, variation of temperature with the consequent damage to the flora and fauna.
What we do to stop it?
To date very little, we're playing with fire and can end in disaster, economic interests are above the interests of the Earth and that can not go on like this.
All the signals we send the Earth scientists have recognized that many other scientists are determined to deny them what is happening? We gone mad?
Save the Earth

[Michelle]

It sure gave me shivers. Can’t help feeling sad of how far we have come, how many things we have accomplished and how difficult we find it to open our eyes and realize that we have crossed a line that we may never be able to fix.
We will give to our children a world that our generation and our past generations have destroyed… Very well said and, unfortunately, so true.

[Monster Beats]

The second part of Mother Earth in Crisis was a day of films and panel discussions with a focus on rivers. Throughout the program, we saw how industrial development is endangering the Earth’s rivers and glaciers. We heard warnings from all parts of the Americas about the effects of climate change on indigenous communities, as well as calls to action to protect our Mother Earth.

[Accutrack Shop Pro]

Mother Earth is certainly in Crisis. From global warming to other pollutants in the atmosphere and our water system, I have seen the growth of the earth go from 1B to now 5 and I am only 55 years old.
What will happen to our childern's children in 110 years?

[shop management software]

Climate change or not, our planet changes and I think we have very little impact on what really goes on in the core of our planet. Dinosaurs are no longer our reality and it was not because of pollution that change occurred.

[Rb]

Wow thats so sad you can always count on humans to mess the world up we are the worst plague ever to inhabit the earth.

[Lovely Updates]

The main reason i feel for the above is global warming. There has been no stringent control on the emissions. May be a better understanding and global mindset of the people should make things better

Lovely Updates

[Gary omen]

@ Michelle

Yes I agree indigenous communities have to pay for the fat cats mistakes.

a luminess air review

[Blas]

This is really scary stuff! We're playing with fire and can end in disaster, economic interests are above the interests of the Earth and that can not go on like this.

[endo]

It sure gave me shivers. Can’t help feeling sad of how far we have come, how many things we have accomplished and how difficult we find it to open our eyes and realize that we have crossed a line that we may never be able to fix.

[Himadri]

One of the main reason for this kind of pollution and situation is Global warming.World is changing day be day.It is not like the same when i was born as a baby and now i am.We need to care for the future generation.The big authorities should not do anykind of thing which will just spoil the environment.The emission from the industrial radiation is another main cause which is making the ozone layer very thin and in some cases it is broken.We need to care all those.

[eko wiyono]

great film, hy heart is sad looking any fish death, any people lost healthy.
it not crisis spanish, but world crisis..
in my country climate change have been destroy any people with disease...
we can stop it

[Funkyln]

Made me cry. Thanks for your effort in producing and making this video available.

H,

[philipdn]

I am a people of central Vietnam, to see a lot of years of climate change, which is rain storms, wind, tornado, ... Damage, very heavy losses on the economic and human.
Hopefully the future people will control the natural phenomena and reduce the consequences of climate change caused

[Marg]

It is difficult to find a solution, in a world where everyone wants to be big and rich, our world as such is not important. Humans react only when you have the danger knocking at his door, hopefully not too late.

Marg

[teguh]

I hope the mother earth will free from pollution in the future, i know that's hard way as long as the human don't care about future generation.

[Rafael]

We can not be the cause of our own destruction. Technology advances by leaps large, we can find a solution to the problem. In fact we are the only ones who can change the land where you are going now. I pledge to be part of the change and leave this world better than I found it.

Rafael

[Razvaniv]

I agree with @ Funkylin

[davdfoge@yahoo.com]

Yeah is true we are playing with an fire and it can end with an disaster at any moment of life.
Koh Tao Villa

[Camisetas Personalizadas]

Nice video from Mother Earl crisis...greetings from Spain

Camisetas Personalizadas

[pemutih wajah]

pemutihwajah.us ! To secure world is a task not only scientists but all the people who live on this earth. Climate change is caused as a result of the earth's climate is already unbalanced because many disorders of human life itself that is more about economics and prosperity rather than keeping the earth is still good. That there are those who are able to exploit the natural resources of the earth are racing to ruin this earth to be more miserable again. Let's save the planet