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The Human Element

James Balog is a photographer for National Geographic. His compelling new documentary, “The Human Element” shows evidence of climate change and how it has impacted human lives all over the world. Climate change can be attributed mainly to human activities. Many people are however ignorant of just how devastating the effects of climate change are. They may not have been directly affected; therefore they choose to turn a blind eye. The film brings these shocking effects of the elements including fire, water air, and the earth, have been affected by climate change.

The film shows several devastating events as a result of the imbalance of nature’s elements. These include roaring fires that have ravaged the West Coast and rising sea levels that threaten to sink islands like the Tangier and Chesapeake Bay. Families are shown feeling their homes because of the threat of being engulfed in flames or being submerged in water. Balog set up cameras as far back as 2005 to document the melting of ice as part of the Extreme Ice Survey. The results are genuinely shocking with billions of tons of ice glaciers melting into water and raising sea levels. Climate change has become a threat to national security. Each element including fire and air are explored, with people harmed by the toxic air in their environments. The most moving part is the human story that shows that we, the fifth element in the story, have the power to decide to change the situation. Climate change had destroyed lives and property; we can no longer just sit by and do nothing.

The effects of climate change are as diverse as they are destructive. Human life, as well as plant and animal life, will suffer a lot. Some of the effects shown in the film are rising sea levels that have completely submerged some areas while many more are under threat. Weather patterns have changed drastically with floods, tornadoes, and wildfires becoming the norm rather than the exception. These occurrences lead to many deaths and families are displaced from their homes. Wildlife and plants are wiped out as a result of fires, leading to the extinction of certain species. Droughts and famines are also a result of changing weather patterns that threaten food security and promote the growth of disease-causing insects. All these topics are significant areas of concern that Balog elaborates in his film.

Several solutions can be suggested to mitigate climate change. Some of these include treaties established by global bodies such as the United Nations. An example of this is the Paris Agreement on climate change in which each country is given a Nationally Determined Contribution that dictates the levels of emissions they can produce. This makes countries more aware of their emission levels, and they can adopt cleaner forms of energy such as nuclear, solar and hydroelectric energy. The challenge to such treaties is that some countries can be very uncooperative and there is no way to enforce the agreements. Just recently, the United States pulled out of the Paris Agreement. Other measures include reducing deforestation; elimination of diesel-fuelled vehicles and avoid the use of fossil fuels.

The topic of climate change needs to be addressed with a lot of urgency. The world is crumbling right before our eyes, and yet many are still in denial or are reluctant to take steps necessary to combat climate change. The world must stand together to come up with practical and urgent measures and remain committed to making the earth a cleaner and safer place. In this way, human lives can be saved, biodiversity will be preserved and future generations will have a planet to call home.

Works Cited

Balog, James. The Human Element . AN EARTH VISION FILM PRODUCTION in association with EARTH VISION INSTITUTE (2018)