Before the Flood shows Feb. 3 at the Orinda Community Church.
Orinda Community Church invites members of the community to attend a free screening of the documentary “Before the Flood,” a film examining climate change on Sunday, Feb. 3, 11:30 a.m., at Fellowship Hall. According to Nancy Thursby, the facilitator for the Orinda Community Church Green Team, the screening is an attempt to educate the community on the dangers of climate change. Thursby said OCC follows a number of different organizations including Interfaith Power and Light, which provides quality environmental DVDs for churches to share with their congregations.
Before the Flood presents a riveting account of the dramatic changes caused by human activity which the film is claiming is accelerating species loss on Earth. It also outlines actions that can be taken to prevent catastrophic disruption of life.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Academy Award-winning actor and United Nations messenger of peace, stars in the documentary which follows DiCaprio and actor/documentarian Fisher Stevens’ travels to all seven continents. The two speak to scientists, world leaders, activists and local residents to gain a deeper understanding of this complex issue as they investigate solutions to the most pressing environmental challenge of our time. The core issues represented are broken down into categories: fossil fuels; methane gas; palm oil; geopolitical landscape and the U.S. political landscape.
The film’s producers emphasize “If we continue at the rate we are going, the ice caps in the North Pole and Greenland could disappear within the century, ultimately wiping out coastal cities around the world and spark the end of humanity as we know it today.”
“Time is not a luxury we have,” said DiCaprio. “Our natural world is quickly nearing unprecedented, irreversible and catastrophic change that threatens the very future of humankind.” DiCaprio explained he didn’t want the film to scare people, but to present to them what can and must be done immediately so that we can leave our planet a livable home for future generations.
Thursby said she and her fellow church members believe the overall content of the film will be educational and it will inspire those who see it. “It gives ideas of ways for people and churches to go forward.”
For more information on the program at OCC, visit www.orindacommunitychurch.org. For more information about other educational films, visit Interfaithpowerandlight.org.
