Aided by his parents, 14-year-old Dylan D'Haeze directed this short documentary—part of the Kids Can Save the Planet series—designed to introduce young people to the concept of climate change. Although most of the speakers are adults, a few well-spoken kids—such as Charley Peebler from Heirs to Our Oceans—also contribute to the commentary. D’Haeze starts by talking about the processes, such as coal-burning, that pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As he notes, people use fossil fuels for almost everything we do, from heating homes to driving cars. Oil extraction, however, produces methane, which is even more harmful. As more of these types of contaminants enter the atmosphere, Earth’s temperature rises, creating catastrophe in the ocean's ecosystem as coral degradation adversely affects dependent marine life. Melting arctic ice has also caused ocean levels to rise, contributing to an increase in heatwaves and hurricanes. George Tsiattalos, founder of Everything Connects, notes that we are approaching the tipping point at which human-made damage becomes irreversible. When D'Haeze visits government websites to learn more about climate change, he finds that the Environmental Protection Agency, under President Trump, has removed data that previous administrations shared freely (D'Haeze also mentions EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who has since resigned under a cloud of scandal). Scientists such as Max Holmes find Trump's description of climate change as "a hoax" especially irksome—a false belief that benefits the fossil fuel industry while everyone else loses. D'Haeze concludes with a list of ways that kids can help fight climate change. This is an informative documentary that may spur young viewers to think and act. Other titles in the series include Everything Connects and Plastic Is Forever. Recommended. Aud: J, H, P. (K. Fennessy)
Tipping Point
(2017) 26 min. DVD: $79: public libraries & high schools; $149: colleges & universities. DRA. The Video Project. PPR. Closed captioned. Volume 33, Issue 5
Tipping Point
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