Full of graphs, statistics and scientific data, the beginning is maybe a bit overwhelming. If you’ve ever had trouble staying awake in Science or Math, you may want to fast-forward. Unless, of course, you’ve got people you want to impress, and in that case, watch and memorise.
If An Inconvenient Truth left you with despair and hopelessness, The 11th Hour coats its doom and gloom with a sense of hope. It’s a Leonardo DiCaprio production – there’s a mixture of dialogue from various environmental activists, scientists and professionals, along with video footage of both problems and solutions, narrated by DiCaprio.
The 11th Hour takes us through global warming, using the analogy that we are rapidly running out of time to deal with this problem. We’re reassured that no matter what we do, the earth will get over any damage we may cause it. Unfortunately, the human race may not be so lucky. Therefore, we need to act now to save ourselves. (Quotable: “Earth has all the time in the world and we [as humans] don’t”).
Water cycles are changing. Glaciers are melting. Forest fires are raging. And temperatures are rising. The cause of global warming is largely a result of human action, mainly due to man’s arrogance in assuming that nature is ours for the exploitation. We rely on fossil fuels way too much. We’ve made many ecosystems unable to sustain life. Corporate economic initiatives are blocking positive change. Our societies that value materialism and consumption have stripped the earth of resources. We’ve reached a tipping point in terms of environmental crises.
But hey. The 11th Hour isn’t about finger-pointing and highlighting the myriad of ways we can be made to feel guilty. This film carries a message of empowerment, and transmits a belief that something can be done.
The film proposes solutions and alternatives, like carbon neutral cities or ways to create a waste-free industrial economy. The sustainable energy inventions are pretty cool. Imagine having your houses energy generated by the natural waves of the ocean bobbing a mechanic lever up and down. Innovation seems to be the key to our survival, and The 11th Hour makes it all seem like a heartbeat away.
The 11th Hour is a call to action but it doesn’t rehash the old stuff, like telling us to buy compact light bulbs or recycling (we already do that, right?). Rather, the film reassures us by letting us know that it’s not too late to make other changes that aren’t as drastic as they might appear.
Recommended as a follow-up to the depressing and ubiquitous An Inconvenient Truth.
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