Front line of Climate Change
Excerpts from a new feature film that paints an intimate portrait of the global community of researchers racing to understand the world’s changing climate will be shown at Victoria University tonight.
Excerpts from a new feature film that paints an intimate portrait of the global community of researchers racing to understand the world’s changing climate will be shown at Victoria University tonight.
Six years in the making, Thin Ice–the Inside Story of Climate Science, follows 40 scientists, including a number from New Zealand, at work in the Arctic, Antarctic, Southern Ocean, New Zealand, Europe and the United States. They talk about their work and their hopes and fears as they study changes in the atmosphere, oceans and ice sheets through measurements and computer modelling.
A few highlights from the 73 minute film will be screened at tonight’s function at Victoria University, during which a website supporting the film will also be launched. The website will feature around 40 five minute video clips taken from the 120 hours of interviews carried out for the film.
A global premiere of Thin Ice will be held on Earth Day, on 22 April, beginning with a screening at Te Papa in Wellington.
Thin Ice is a joint initiative between Victoria University of Wellington, Oxford University in the United Kingdom and London-based DOX Productions. The universities have major programmes in climate change and related research, with worldwide networks of collaborators. DOX Productions is an award-winning science documentary company.
Viewers follow Simon Lamb, an Associate Professor of Geophysics at Victoria, on a personal journey of discovery. Dr Lamb, who spent 22 years at Oxford University, has been closely involved in television science documentaries including the BBC Horizon programme The Man who Moved the Mountains and the eight part BBC Earth Story series.
Dr Lamb says he was motivated by a desire to have scientists’ voices heard.
“Most of those debating climate change in the media are politicians, advocates and activists. I set out to use my skills and experience as a cameraman and a scientist to give a voice to climate researchers themselves.”
Professor Peter Barrett from the Antarctic Research Centre at Victoria, executive producer of Thin Ice, says one of the best things about the film is the message from scientists starring in it.
“They say we have a problem, we have the ability to deal with it and it is not too late to address it.”
Professor Philip England, former Head of Earth Sciences at Oxford and also executive producer, says the film breaks new ground in movies about climate change.
“It is distinct from other productions in that it relies entirely on the testimony of scientists while also telling a very compelling visual story.”
The film has been funded by Victoria and Oxford University and DOX Productions, with support from New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and Antarctica New Zealand.
Tonight’s event is the beginning of a six week campaign to raise awareness of the opportunity for global audiences to see the film for free in April 2013. It will be available online at no charge for two days from the beginning of Earth Day in New Zealand (midnight 22 April, 2013).
Throughout Earth Day, scientists from the film and other climate change experts will take part in a global discussion via Twitter and Facebook.
Thin Ice will continue to be available for screening online from 23 April for a small fee.
Find out more about Thin Ice
Find out more about climate change research at Victoria and Oxford universities at:
climateprediction and eci