Behind the scenes with climate scientists

Earth Day is right around the corner, and Portland State wouldn’t be doing its job if there weren’t at least one event dedicated to eco-awareness. Thin Ice: The Inside Story of
Climate Science fits the bill.

The film makes its global, public premiere on Earth Day, the most eco-friendly holiday of the year, next Monday.

For seven years, filmmakers and academics from every corner of the globe have collaborated on Thin Ice in order to help raise awareness and understanding of climate change.

Former Vice President Al Gore brought global warming to the broader public in his 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth. People are more conscious about the environment today than ever, yet the issues raised in the film persist.

Distressingly, the climate change conversation has, if anything, died out: The 2012 presidential campaign was the first since 1988 during which the issue of climate change was not raised.

Over the last few years, evidence presented by scientists has faced harsh scrutiny and criticism from hardheaded politicians and the public alike. Skeptics cite obscure scientific reports and claim that these indicators of dangerous climate changes are dramatic and false.

Thin Ice takes aim at these misconceptions with the goal of informing the public about what’s going on above and below the planet’s surface.

Simon Lamb, a geologist and amateur cameraman hailing from England, photographed and directed the film. Thin Ice intertwines testimonies from environmental and climate scientists who originate from and work in every part of the world with satellites, ice, rock, evidence from instruments, and computer modeling and simulations.

The event will include a screening of the film and a post-film discussion panel featuring three distinguished PSU professors: Randy Bluffstone, a professor of economics and a sustainable land-use expert; Robert Scheller, assistant professor of environmental sciences and management and director of the Dynamic Ecosystems and Landscapes Lab; and Andrew Fountain, a professor of geography and geology and an expert in glacier ice.

Though Bluffstone, Scheller and Fountain will be on a panel together answering questions and filling in the details, the post-film conversation will be primarily audience-driven, with a discussion of the film, issues the film raises and other related topics.

“Audiences can expect a very thoughtful film that deals comprehensively with climate science, including uncertainties about effects and global warming skeptics,” Bluffstone said.

Scheller summed up the importance of staying educated and abreast of environmental issues: “Informed citizens make informed choices.”

It doesn’t get more informative than hearing the facts straight from professionals who know what they’re talking about and have dedicated their lives to improving the environment.

These experts know that we’re facing the environmental issue of our lifetimes—an issue that will have an enormous impact on our planet’s future.

“Climate change may be the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced,” Scheller said. “It is important for people to understand the data and reasoning behind the science.”

The post-film discussion will allow viewers and participants to become better-informed and more passionate about the subject as well as help them connect with their community.

Bluffstone, for one, is interested in tackling the unique difficulties of dealing with climate change at the policy level.

Bluffstone plans “to discuss some of the key climate change policy challenges…and to consider some implications of the changing climate for personal behavior,” he said.

Essentially, the event will help the audience understand what the changing climate means for them on a personal level and how it will directly affect them.

Thin Ice will be playing on the PSU campus on Earth Day, next Monday, and will be followed by an intriguing and informative discussion. Come join the event and give voice to a vital issue that is too often ignored.