Chasing the Truth About Climate Change

In just the past year we’ve seen some of the strongest storm cells ever, extreme heat waves, cropland spoiled by drought, record melting of glaciers, sea-levels on the rise, increased wildfires, and the start of what could be the next great mass extinction.

The debate about climate change is over, the facts are in, the effects are evident and more people are on board to take on the challenge. The movement is strong and growing with every new weather-related disaster, but we need to get everyone on board.

The new documentary Chasing Ice (which opens today in New York City and later this month in several other cities-see schedule for more info), details the great lengths at which one man, James Balog, went in the pursuit of providing conclusive visual evidence of what opened his eyes to the very real threat of climate change. A seasoned photographer, Balog has spent his life looking through the lens. He knows the value of tangible images in telling a story and he set out to use his expertise to give the world a photographic record of climate change.

Through his foundation of the Extreme Ice Survey, Balog setup more than 25 multi-year time-lapse cameras across the world to capture the loss of glacial ice cover.

The results are breathtaking, but the realities are frightening. In a matter of seconds you can see our vanishing glaciers over the past several years and the rate at which the ice is melting is made undeniably clear. As you sit back and watch massive sections of glaciers break off (or calve), and hear the tremendous noise of such a monumental occurrence, the severity of our changing climate is brought to life. The animation of these images and videos reflect a world that is changing drastically and is increasingly becoming a foreign planet.

A chunk of ice the size of the entire lower tip of Manhattan and 2 ½ to 3 times as tall breaking off into the ocean can bring to mind a frightful image, but to actually see it in real-life and time hits home unlike any analogy or statistic. Glaciers offer a unique perspective on the immediacy and scale of climate change because of our ability, as demonstrated through Balog’s work, to visibly see these massive formations dwindle into nothing. This is why Balog chose to tell the story through images and ice.

Chasing Ice leaves a truly haunting impression on viewers, but not a futile one. As Balog says, there is still time to act, but there is no more time to argue. If we want to leave a positive legacy and provide a livable future for our species and all of the Earth’s wildlife, we need to act now.

Chasing Ice premieres November 9th at Cinema Village in New York City. It will have limited release across the country and will be in Washington, D.C. at the Landmark E. Street theater beginning on November 16th. Check out the website for showings near you.