Watching the Our Planet episode for last week’s Friday Film, was a refreshing way to end my week. It gave me a greater understanding of the interdependency of the growth of the forest and the survival of the creatures living within it. Something that I really appreciated about the episode is the feeling of gratitude it provided me with seeing all the relationships that it emphasized. The roles of all the animals and the ability for the regeneration of the forest is something so precious, but something we all take for granted. Now that the effects of climate change are becoming more and more prevalent in our daily lives, as seen through the horrific fires in California, it forces me to take a step back and look at the role of humanity in destroying so much of our earth. It’s hard not to be pessimistic about the ability to reverse all the damage in order to make a significant change, but looking at the growth at the Chernobyl site they mentioned provided me with hope. While I don’t think we’d ever be able to completely give up on the structures and industries that our society so heavily depend on, I’m excited to see proposals such as the Green New Deal and the work of activists to get our Earth back on track.