Years of Living Dangerously

Have you heard about the documentary series Years of Living Dangerously?

James Cameron, Jerry Weintraub and Arnold Schwarzenegger are executive producers of the series, which focuses on understanding climate change with a star-studded cast of correspondents. It airs on Showtime but the first episode was made available on YouTube. I watched it last night so here is a summary:

Palm Oil - Indonesia

Harrison Ford learns about how deforestation is contributing to climate change.

Deforestation contributes 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions annually, that's as much as all the transportation in the world produces!

Palm oil is in products found in every grocery aisle in a supermarket. Even Ben and Jerry's ice cream contains it, and lots of your other favorite snacks and toiletries: Cheez-its, Oreos, soaps, etc. The problem is when palm oil comes from sources that produce sent in an irresponsible way.

Indonesia is the worst country in terms of deforestation due to the burning of jungle that is replaced by palm oil trees. The Forestry Ministry is corrupt and lets industry illegally slash and burn forest despite lip-service to the contrary. Doesn't even protect its national park.

Texas

Don Cheadle learns about the drought in Texas. Ranchers have been forced to reduce cattle herds by more than half. Texas is that a 50 year low for its beef herd count.

As a result, meatpacking plants are closing leaving thousands without jobs. People are forced to find work in other cities and are subject to foreclosures on their homes and low wage jobs in cities.

Many people here believe the drought is a natural cycle or an act of God. "God is not a scientist",  "there will be no calamity with the weather."

Cheadle talks to Katharine Hayhoe (an atmospheric scientist at Texas Tech University who is also an Evangelical Christian) about the evidence showing that the drought is not due to natural cycles. 

Hayhoe is providing a bridge between science and religion. She says there is no conflict between science and religion--by studying science we are learning what God was thinking when he created the world. 

To those who say "God would never let [climate change] happen" she says, God does let bad things happen, but he also gave us the brains to make good and bad choices.

Like many of us, she gets angry when politicians who know better lie out right saying that the climate is not changing. It clearly is and human activity is the cause.

Syria

Thomas Friedman learns about how drought forced Syrian farmers and country residents into city slums four years before the Arab Spring. Fields had become dry and overcome with naturally-occurring salt.

Data shows how the area around the Mediterranean Sea is getting drier as climate change worsens. Syria is "in the epicenter."

It was the farmers that led the uprising. Commander Abu Khalil calls Syria's uprising a "revolution of freedom" and "the revolution of the hungry." Increased drought from climate change will cause more displacement and conflict to come. We need to be prepared.