The fourth installment of a nine-part documentary series, Years of Living Dangerously, played in the AC Hub on Jan. 20 to promote awareness and educate students on the global issue of climate change.
Years of Living Dangerously is a docu-series focusing on the effects of climate change. A 2014 Emmy award-winning Showtime television series, each episode looks at the different causes and outcomes of climate change, featuring celebrities such as Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ian Somerhalder. The series uses renowned political, social, and scientific figures to draw attention to the issue.
The fourth episode, “Ice and Brimstone,” featuring Lesley Stahl, focuses on the melting glaciers in Greenland and the effects of fossil fuels. The episode also sees Ian Somerhalder in North Carolina looking at both sides of an Evangelical community’s opinion on climate change.
The group organizing the screenings, the See Earth Action Team for Sustainability, focuses on inspiring students to make a difference and create a positive change in the environment.
“We’re hoping that they gain a little bit of knowledge about what they can do to help be part of the solution,” said Jay Smith, SEATS member and Student Success Specialist.
Algonquin President Cheryl Jensen spoke to the students before the episode, sharing her thoughts on the importance of the project and the steps Algonquin has taken to become a climate-conscious and sustainable college.
“What we do today is going to be so important for the future generations,” said Jensen.
The screening of the episode was followed by a Skype interview with Anna Jane Joyner, one of the stars of the episode. Joyner believes that the most important thing someone can do to help solve the climate crisis is to talk about it.
“I think we’re deluding ourselves,” said Joyner. “We don’t really address this head-on and really challenge our peers and the people in our lives to figure out what we can do as individuals, as communities, to address this problem.”
The project will continue for the remainder of the school year with five more episodes to be shown. Episode five, “True Colors,” stars actress Olivia Munn speaking with climate-conscious Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and columnist Mark Bittman with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Organizers hope to have a prominent climate change advocate visit the college to speak with students on the issue later in the semester.