This last Friday, the day before Halloween, I attended the showing of the film “Our Planet,” which documents the effects of human destruction on Earth’s nature and creatures. The whole time, I couldn’t help but compare it to what I have been learning this semester in Introductory Oceanography with Bruce Monger, a class that I have been very much enjoying. We are constantly learning about, even if humans were to start preventative action to climate change now, the effects have already set in. For example, if we were to keep global warming to a 1.5 degree increase in 100 years instead of a 2.0 degree increase as projected, 70-90% of coral reefs would die anyways. Seeing the gorgeous, stunning nature shots in “Our Planet” really reminded me what is at stake going forward with regards to the amazing creatures of the world and left me with a somber feeling at the end of the film.
Rose Scholars Fall 2020
Endless possibilities
I have heard from friends that the Oceanography class is very good and it sounds like you are getting a lot out of it. I remember last semester in an economics class we touched a bit on similarly distressing statistics about climate change like the ones you mentioned. So, like you, I also felt disheartened by the film, despite its beauty. Thanks for sharing!