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The Big Ask urges us to act now on climate change.
We were just lamenting how we’ve become desensitized to headlines like Greenhouse Gas Emissions Increase in U.S. We’re fully aware of the problem. It couldn’t be more clear, and we’ve moved from understanding the problem to pursuing solutions. We’re taking action. And then our friend Michael Leifer of Swirl sent us this video:
Produced by The Big Ask, it’s one of the more compelling videos on global warming ever produced, and it was no small undertaking. The message, delivery, execution, tone, and music are spot on.
We need strong leadership on climate change. Too many politicians are happy to speak about the issue, but their promises have often turned out to be just a load more hot air. One exception is the United Kingdom, where a climate law has just been adopted, which will force the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions every year. We need your help to ensure that other governments follow this example.
On 10th August, more than 6,000 people took part in the recording of The Big Ask-video clip at Ostende on the Belgian coast. This was the largest event against climate change ever organised in Belgium. The film clip was made possible due to the engagement of volunteers from Friends of the Earth, and many film industry professionals including award winning director Nic Balthazar, film crews, production houses, actors, … Music has been supplied by Hooverphonic.
21 responses so far ↓
1 Adam Shake // Dec 5, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Max,
This video is great. Taken from the Childs point of view really gives it a great impact.
Good job getting this out there.
Keep up the good fight buddy, and alter the eco!
Dug, and stumbled. Worth it.
Adam Shake
2 6000 voluntarios participan en video contra calentamiento global // Dec 5, 2008 at 10:53 pm
[...] 6000 voluntarios participan en video contra calentamiento global www.maxgladwell.com/2008/12/act-the-fuck-now-best-global-war… por Albertoflores hace pocos segundos [...]
3 Kelly // Dec 6, 2008 at 4:14 am
Thanks for share buddy. I will post the video in my blog.
4 ACT NOW! « Going Green Consultant’s Weblog // Dec 6, 2008 at 5:23 am
[...] that said, Max Gladwell posted one of the very best videos on global warming that I have seen. This is a must see [...]
5 John Nicoll // Dec 6, 2008 at 6:06 pm
The only problem I have with this video is that it talks about the ‘men in suits’. That kind of ‘us against them’ tone doesn’t strike me as an effective perspective. I mean it’s important that people get involved and get moving, but we’ve all been buying the stuff the men in suits have been making since WWII. The coming change has to start with the individual, then move to the community level, then the national and global level. It happens from the ground up. It’s not about pointing fingers. It’s about saying, ‘what can I do?’ And there’s so much that’s already working: for instance take this article on Lemvig, Denmark where they have free electricity: http://thenewgreeneconomy.org/news-information-a-innovation/people-a-communities/53-free-electricity.html
6 AvangionQ // Dec 7, 2008 at 4:44 am
Since corporations which pollute only care about the bottom line, and their influence spreads on a multinational scale, it seems that the only way to reverse the escalation of global warming would be to directly affect their global profit margins — start by ratifying the Kyoto protocols, and begin imposing heavy taxes on polluting companies, while giving tax credits to environmentally friendly companies and nations to offset the initial costs involved with upgrading their infrastructure … make it so that its *more profitable* to be green …
7 Wayne Smallman // Dec 7, 2008 at 4:49 am
“The only problem I have with this video is that it talks about the ‘men in suits’. That kind of ‘us against them’ tone doesn’t strike me as an effective perspective.”
John took the words out of my mouth; the men in suits have families just like everyone else.
As consumers, we’re also responsible. We wanted convenience and low prices, irrespective of the greater costs.
And then there’s the rest of the world, like India and China. No matter what we do, we can only hope they follow our lead. But to do that, the west would have to subsidize those efforts, and in the current economic climate, I don’t see that happening…
8 Max Gladwell // Dec 7, 2008 at 12:42 pm
“The men in suits” is pretty much a faceless enemy. We need a new energy economy that prices all costs into each and every unit of energy we consume. You can’t argue with economics. As soon as it costs too much to pollute, the pollution will stop. We got a glimpse of what this is like last summer when oil went to $145/barrel. It needs to go back there but through taxes levied by the governments who don’t actually have the oil, so those funds stay in the domestic systems to help clean up the mess and fund clean alternatives.
9 Steve Holder // Dec 8, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Man-made global warming is the biggest hoax ever perpetrated in the history of mankind. Is the earth warming? Maybe. Is it caused by man? No one REALLY knows. The science is still not settled by any means. The true cost to limit CO2 is too big to even calculate. Before you become a gullible lemming on this issue, at least listen to those who dissent. There are a lot of voices out there that deserve to be heard and its not about CO2 emissions.
10 John Nicoll // Dec 8, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Sorry Steve, but you’re wrong there. And I didn’t see you actually point to any sources of information. The science is settled. Check out this article: http://www.boulderweekly.com/20081204/generalpage.html.
Also, there are larger issues involved, namely that mankind needs to understand how to live in sync with natural systems and not pretend that we are separate. Whether or not we are facing climate change caused by man, that is one of the predominant green issues.
11 Mutt // Dec 22, 2008 at 1:46 am
Hey, if a little fucking kid is saying it, it must be true. Gimme a break.
12 John // Dec 26, 2008 at 4:30 pm
No body is going to act. We no longer have the time. Making cute vidoes won’t help either.
Cover your butt. We need more blogs that show us how to do that sort of thing in a real way.
I like this sort of thing. Please post a few more if you know of them.
http://sanityandsimplicity.blogspot.com/
13 Mutt // Dec 27, 2008 at 7:50 am
OK, here’s a new one: little kid dominates the video, whines for your attention in a mock-innocent little voice…”Hey people, it’s real simple, don’t you get it? There’s no proof man is causing global warming, but the media and the government would like you to think so because then they have the basis to control you more and take more of your money. Period. And if you’re wearing a suit, fuck you. Stop the hysteria. Bye bye.”
14 Jim // Mar 27, 2009 at 11:33 am
One question, if nothing changes in 10 years can we just stop all this crap? Since we only have that long on the high side, if we don’t hit the marker can we just “give up”.
It’s just I’ve been hearing we have five years for about 20 years. Kinda tired of it is all.
15 Chris Desouza // Apr 4, 2009 at 10:58 pm
GW is a lost cause. Don’t worry about the future of our kids. Just don’t make any more babies.
Talk, talk and more talk.
16 Aaron // May 7, 2009 at 9:43 pm
When I see actual, empirical evidence that Global Warming is really man-made and see that evidence as not cheated, or a load of b.s., I might get on board with this.
So far, all I see is fear-mongering, corporate-hating, and “well, all those other people think that’s what it is, so…”
And someone tell Al Gore to get off his @#$@%! scissor lift and stop grandstanding for b.s. Nobels he didn’t earn. The guy donates all his money to his own charity. How is that “not profiting?” Anyone know what his salary is for heading up that charity?
Considering humans account for a whopping 0.07% of carbon emissions worldwide, I can’t see how our CO2 is somehow making this gigantic impact on the environment.
Feel free to lambast me with all your non-science hate mail. I’m sure I’m some kind of racist, nature-hating, stupid Redneck or whatever.
17 Chris Desouza // May 7, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Ever sat on the edge of the parkway, freeway and watch the traffic zip by non stop 24/7/365?
They cause more pollution (among many other reasons) to cause cancer than they contribute to GW.
The planet is NOT in peril. It is US who will get toasted soon.
Now don’t tell me, our boy Carlin didn’t say so…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eScDfYzMEEw
18 emilie // Oct 6, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I think that we really do need is goverment force people to do concrete actions in the benefit of the environement, I mean by having green behaviours, you get a reward (as Australia do with home insulation). As we all know that we still are big kids and we need a carrot to act in the right way!
19 emilie // Oct 6, 2009 at 7:17 pm
I think that we really do need is goverment force people to do concrete actions in the benefit of the environement, I mean by having green behaviours, you get a reward (as Australia do with home insulation). As we all know that we still are big kids and we need a carrot to act in the right way!
By the way if you want to read more fresh green news, have a look on this website: Green Times
20 Rick Thrasher // Dec 16, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Some intersweting banter. Being that I just stumbled onto this, I doubt anyone will be trailing this comment: OK, I’ll start with a basic observation made by a liberal company – Discovery Channel a few years ago in a pretty decent documentary – do any of you remember when “the ice age is coming” fear made news in the late 60′s and early 70′s? The documentary shows 3 of the US’s top global warming experts (currently in Copenhagen no doubt) were the three leaders who were promoting “the ice age”…and where do these profesors live? Palo Alto. On top of the hill, overlooking silicon valley. And how do these professors live in such luxury? On grants funded by us. Very simply, there is not enough empirical data on record to know if the earth is warming or cooling. We won’t have enough collected real information for thousands of more years. The data we have is insignificant to be used for real calculations, so instead we have theories – yes theories – about whether we’re warming or not. Who knows how warm or cold it was 20,000 years ago. We have GUESSES or THEORIES from “scientists” who will tell us that thier data shows one or the other: yes, we may be warming, or no we’re acutally cooling off. This is somewhat analogous to carbon dating, where scientists have found gigantic errors in original carbon dating studies. They thought they understood how to measure the age of something by how the carbon was formed, and by that formation, determine how old it was. But the original theories were WRONG and many dates had to be adjusted. People, we do need to protect the environment, and do what ever makes practical sense to do, but to follow our “leaders” and “scientists”. No thanks. Let’s not be sheep, or I suppose the preferred “lemmings”. I’ll pull the facts and post to support my thoughts, but common sense and basic science says that it’s nearly impossible to tell whether the earth is warming or cooling based on 160 years of recorded data, and theoretical guesses as to the weather before then. That’s like taking a gallon of sea water and analyzing it to say that the rest of the ocean is…..ok you get the point.
21 Kazza // Dec 30, 2009 at 4:41 am
Wow, that is one of the most thought provoking climate change videos I’ve seen. I shall definitely embed it in a post.
Climate change is not just about the world getting hotter, it is about extremes of weather – floods, droughts and associated misery of failed crops, especially for those in places such as Indonesia. The developed world for the most part is not feeling the effects as yet, but we will when basics such as bread, rice, not to mention beer rocket in price. Unfortunately, we tend to put off doing anything until it directly affects us which doesn’t bode well for combating climate change.
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