The 2016 election of Donald Trump to the United States presidency has greatly deepened the divide between people in our country, leaving some overjoyed and others devastated. With so much sadness, confusion, and anger in our society right now, it may be tempting to crawl under the covers, ignore the Wall Street Journal updates on your phone forever, and give up all hope in American politics. Leonardo DiCaprio’s new documentary about climate change, Before the Flood, has taught me that the complete opposite should be happening. This is not the time to be sad and hide away– it’s time to fight back.
Before the Flood highlights the immense problems that our world is facing with regard to changing temperatures that are melting polar ice caps and causing our oceans to rise. Although Leonardo DiCaprio focuses mainly on what role Americans should be playing in finding the solutions, he notably looks at the issues from a global perspective. He travels all around the world to places like the Arctic Circle all the way to China and Indonesia, and meets with scientists, activists, and world leaders including President Barack Obama and even Pope Francis to discuss his three looming questions:
(1) How much damage have we done?
(2) What, if anything, we can do to fix it?
(3) Is it too late?
At the beginning of the film, DiCaprio admits that he does not completely believe that we are going to be able to address these pressing environmental issues in a timely manner. After accepting the United Nations title of Messenger of Peace for the Climate, he spoke to an assembly of world leaders in New York at the 2014 Climate Leaders Summit, at which point he boldly stated, “As an actor, I pretend for a living. I play fictitious characters often solving fictitious problems. I believe that mankind has looked at climate change in that same way.”
He is not wrong. Many Americans (and other people around the world for that matter) would rather ignore the issue than take powerful measures to combat climate change.
Knowing this, DiCaprio narrates the documentary with a sense of urgency and worry in his voice, painting an ominous view of our world. He likens an area used for mining in Canada to the hellish depiction of Mordor in Lord of the Rings, and he later says that the consequences of climate change “sounded like some nightmarish science fiction film.” Unfortunately, that nightmarish science fiction film is reality. Needless to say, Before the Flood is not a good film to watch if you are looking for something light-hearted to boost your spirits after the 2016 presidential race. It does, however, offer a persuasive argument for igniting change and taking back our Earth.
The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change is one of the central focuses of the documentary. It was signed by 197 countries around the world who promised to reduce emissions and work together in an effort to save the planet and shrink our carbon footprint. As reassuring as that sounds, DiCaprio points out that the agreement poses no penalties to countries that do not live up to their word. The agreement is based on simple, blind trust. It might be a step in the right direction, but it is not enough to make a serious difference.
In one of the final scenes of Before the Flood, DiCaprio has the opportunity to discuss this point with President Barack Obama at the White House. In a conversation that seems to foreshadow the dilemma our environment with face with election of Donald Trump, DiCaprio asks Obama, “Somebody that comes into office that does not believe in the science of climate change, do they have the capacity and the power to dismantle everything you’ve already worked for?” Obama offers an answer that essentially dodges the question, leaving us with the conclusion that, yes, this scenario is possible.
Although Before the Flood, was released less than three weeks before the presidential election, it is a powerful warning to American people that is more relevant now than ever. Whether we like it or not, Donald Trump is going to be the next president of the United States. What this truly means for our country is yet to be completely seen. Throughout his campaign, president-elect Trump was outspoken about his contempt for the EPA, and he is currently making plans to “fix” our economy by increasing our use of coal, oil, and gas. His first step has been to appoint Myron Ebell, a climate change skeptic, to lead the transition of the EPA. This could have disastrous consequences.
I know that the morning after Trump’s victory, I was overwhelmed with anxiety about the future. Believe me, I understand the temptation to renounce all faith in the American political system and climb into bed. However, if you decide to do that, bring your computer and watch Before the Flood. It might not be a pick-me-up film, but it certainly reminded me what we need to fight for. I felt a renewed sense of hope while I watched the colorful screenings of the great outdoors. The environmental imagery included just the right mix of natural beauty and industrial decimation to push me to be idealistic and motivated rather than utterly discouraged. If you are a human being that exists in the 21st century, I would recommend that you watch Before the Flood, regardless of who you are, where you live, and who is the president of your country.
I will leave you with a striking quote that resonated with me as I watched this documentary. During his interview with Leonardo DiCaprio, mayor of Miami Beach, Florida, Philip Levine made a comment on the political dispute for how to deal with climate change policy. Levine said, “The ocean is not Republican, and it is not a Democrat. All it knows how to do is rise.”
