Introduction
Jared P. Scott is the director of The Age of Consequences, a documentary that discusses how climate change can be a catalyst for further conflicts. The film is produced by three distinguished creators, Sophie Robinson, Jared P. Scott himself, and Kelly Nyks. The film’s actors played themselves, and their interviews formed an essential part of the film. The Age of Consequences was released in 2016 and won the award for the best environmental movie at the New York Film Festival.
Body
The film’s director convincingly shows that wars and migration are directly related to climate change. The United States’ national security depends on the security of the environment. This is the director’s position, and it is impossible to disagree with him. Especially in light of the escalating military conflicts in different parts of the world, the arguments of the movie’s speakers seem particularly convincing. The passage in which Christian Parent explains that opium poppies are grown instead of wheat in Afghanistan because of the country’s unprecedented drought is fascinating (The Age of Consequences 05:50-06:12). This example clearly demonstrates the connection between crime and climate change.
In addition, the director consistently convinces the audience that the fight against global warming should be an issue to be addressed by the current generation of people. The consequences of global warming can already be seen, as the film shows in numerous shots of areas that are on the brink of survival. The future of the earth depends on whether society is willing to take action to prevent the devastating effects of human activity.
The authors’ idea that climate change is always related to pre-existing problems is noteworthy. The three-year drought in Syria, for example, prompted the country’s residents to engage in a full-scale civil war (The Age of Consequences 8:45-10:45). Syrian men had to leave their homeland and move to big cities. The emergence of so many unemployed young people in the big towns could not but lead to a deterioration of stability in the region. This, according to the authors of the film, is the mechanism by which various conflicts arise, the root cause of which is climate change. What makes the narrative even more compelling is that the speakers emphasize that global warming is not the only factor (The Age of Consequences 11:22-11:33). It is impressive to see how the movie demonstrates the causal link between global warming and wars with the help of individual examples, such as the Syrian example.
Conclusion
Overall, the persuasiveness and consistency of the arguments in the documentary analyzed are what convince the audience of its credibility. Indeed, this is not the first film in history to discuss global warming. Years of Living Dangerously or Thank You for the Rain also were dedicated to this topic. However, what makes The Age of Consequences unique is its focus on the relationship between warming and U.S. national security.
Work Cited
The Age of Consequences. Directed by Jared P. Scott, performances by Michael Breen, Sharon Burke and Stephen Cheney, Gravitas Ventures, 2016. Tubi.